Aug 29
By Nursery and Kindergarten Children Once Upon a Time… the princesses were getting their fancy dresses for Shabbat. They decided to go camping for Shabbat. They drove to their campsite in a fancy carriage called a Ferrari. They started unpacking their campsite and realized that they didn’t have challah. They had challah dough at their …
Aug 27
Oh how wonderful to be back together for a full week of August Camp! Last week, children in 1st-5th grade explored mezuzah (“doorpost”). They hunted around the building for mezuzot, learned new techniques for clay, went on two AWESOME walking field trips to nearby playgrounds, and designed their own unique mezuzot. Children in nursery and …
May 02
Shavuot is coming in Shalom Chaverim (“Welcome, Friends!” for infants/toddlers)! We’re baking cheesecakes Building really tall aronot (plural: arks) for the Torah Investigating Torah objects like the choshen (breastplate) and rimon (crown) and painting petals to use for our flower crowns. I can’t wait to see how children explore next week!
Apr 28
Our Spring theme has begun, שְׁמִיטָה (Sh’mitah), with a focus on the agricultural sabbatical year, a concept that come up in the torah a number of times like in the book of Exodus, chapter 23 verses 10-13. In שׁוֹרָשִׁים (Shorashim– ‘roots’ for nursery) and שְׁתִּילִים (Shteelim– ‘saplings’ for kindergarten, this meant that we started with playing on …
Dec 02
The children in the School-Day Program spent two sequential Special Days last week exploring the journey of Benjamin of Tudela, the Jewish Spaniard who traveled for 14 years during the 1100s through three continents. After listening to his stories and looking through pictures of what his destinations might have looked like, the children enthusiastically painted …
Oct 21
The children in the School-Day Program at the Jewish Enrichment Center built an indoor sukkah out of PVC pipes, fabric, twine and branches. One child commented that he did not want to be transported back to ancient times while in the sukkah, and the concept of a sukkah time machine was born! The children individually made paper chains, then attached …
Jan 31
This week in Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ for Kindergarten), we started to hear and talk about the character, Eliyahu HaNavi. We heard and introduction to the text, which comes from I Kings, chapter 19: Eliyahu Hanavi was a leader. He was trying to make peace between people. (Eliyahu HaNavi was trying to …
Dec 13
Chanukah play is underway in Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ for Kindergarten)! Our preparations for Chanukah , the children get to hear some favorite chanukah folktales and play chanukah in our house area, playing סְבִיבוֹן (sevivon- dreidel), making latkes to eat, lighting the נֵרוֹת (neyrot -candles) in our חֲנֻכִּיָה (chanukiya- a menorah that …
Mar 17
Rehearsals. ✓ Backdrops. ✓ Props. ✓ Costumes. ✓ Script. ✓ Must be time for a show! Check out some of the highlights from this morning’s premier. Chag Purim Sameach (Happy Purim)!
Mar 11
Purim is on its way, and first grade Nitzanim (“Buds”) are celebrating this joyous holiday with happiness, friendship, and fun! Children have spent hours putting on costumes, negotiating roles, and acting out Megillat Esther (the story of Esther). Stay tuned as we create backdrops, props, and costumes for a GIANT production! מסכות (masechot–masks) are always …
