Apr 25
We’ve been celebrating holidays for weeks in to Anafim v’Alonim (“Branches” for 4th Grade and “Oak Trees” for 5th Grade)! We ate hamantaschen, and read Megillat Esther (Book of Esther), and constructed the Fortress City of Shushan to celebrate Purim. Then, we turned our focus towards Pesach (Passover): delving into the Torah Story, exploring Eliyahu …
Feb 24
We are wrapping up our projects, and discussing our ideas with our peers! The children take turns presenting, asking questions, and offering support. We are SO EXCITED! to share our ideas and artwork with you! Join us at the Family Celebration and Exploration!
Feb 07
This week, we’ve been celebrating Tu B’Shvat – the Jewish New Year of the Trees! In Anafim V’Alonim (“Branches” for 4th Grade, “Oak Trees” for 5th Grade), we have been sharing fun facts about trees and the environment, making crafts together, and exploring different Tu B’Shvat rituals. At the end of the session, we had …
Feb 06
Below are the final texts that children are exploring during our Yosef (Joseph) theme: Nursery and Kindergarten version: בְּרֵאשִׁית מ“ג Genesis 43 (Remember that there’s not enough food right now, because the land isn’t growing enough. The brothers went to Egypt and bought food from Yosef. They didn’t know he was their brother. Now the …
Jan 31
In Anafim v’Alonim (“Branches” for 4th Grade, “Oak Trees” for 5th Grade) we are so focused on expressing our growing ideas about Yosef! Behind these pictures are children rushing to sit down to begin reading the new text, delighting in the ever-increasing DRAMA of the story, and finding moments of fun and focus as they …
Jan 23
Here are the Torah texts that children are exploring during week 3 of our Yosef (Joseph) theme. בְּרֵאשִׁית מ Genesis 40: Nursery and Kindergarten version א) וַיְהִי, אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה, חָטְאוּ מַשְׁקֵה מֶלֶךְ-מִצְרַיִם, וְהָאֹפֶה–לַאֲדֹנֵיהֶם, לְמֶלֶךְ מִצְרָיִםב) וַיִּקְצֹף פַּרְעֹה, עַל שְׁנֵי סָרִיסָיו–עַל שַׂר הַמַּשְׁקִים, וְעַל שַׂר הָאוֹפִיםג) וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם בְּמִשְׁמַר, בֵּית שַׂר הַטַּבָּחִים–אֶל-בֵּית הַסֹּהַר: מְקוֹם, אֲשֶׁר …
Jan 19
Children in 1st through 5th grade were offered this text this week to provide them with some context before moving on to Genesis 40. 1st-3rd grade version: א) וְיוסֵף, הורד מִצְריְמָה; וַיִקנֵהו פוטִיפַר סְריס פַרעֹה שַר הַטַבָחִים, אִיש מִצְרי, מִיַד הַיִשְמְעֵאלִים, אֲשֶר הורדהו שָמָה 1) Yosef was brought down to Egypt. An Egyptian called Potiphar, …
Jan 17
Here is the Torah text that children are exploring during Week 2 of our Yosef (Joseph) theme. בְּרֵאשִׁית לז:יב–לו Genesis 37:12-36 יב) וַיֵּלְכוּ, אֶחָיו, לִרְעוֹת אֶת-צֹאן אֲבִיהֶם, בִּשְׁכֶם. יג) וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל-יוֹסֵף, הֲלוֹא אַחֶיךָ רֹעִים בִּשְׁכֶם–לְכָה, וְאֶשְׁלָחֲךָ אֲלֵיהֶם; וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ, הִנֵּנִי. One day, Yosef’s brothers went to Sh’chem to take care of their father’s sheep. Ya’akov, whose …
Jan 10
Here is the Torah text that children are exploring during Week 1 of our Yosef (Joseph) theme. בְּרֵאשִׁית לז.א-יא Genesis 37:1-11 א) וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו–בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן Ya’akov lived in the land of Cana’an. This is the story of Ya’akov and all his family. ב) אֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב, יוֹסֵף בֶּן-שְׁבַע-עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה הָיָה רֹעֶה אֶת-אֶחָיו …
Dec 13
This past weekend, we gathered as a whole community to celebrate our תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah – Return) Theme. We thought of תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah) as returning to the path we want to be on, and displayed our projects under a path with our biggest questions about תְּשׁוּבָה (Teshuvah). Children began by sharing their project with their grown-up, …
