Feb 02
The children in שׁוֹרָשִׁים (Shorashim– ‘roots’ for nursery) and שְׁתִּילִים (Shteelim– ‘saplings’ for kindergarten) have been exploring the יוֹסֵף (Yosef) text, for four weeks! Each week, we have been adding new text. Meanwhile, we still remember the parts from past weeks and have even started making connections between things that happen in the newer parts and what happened …
Jan 20
The children in שׁוֹרָשִׁים (Shorashim– ‘roots’ for nursery) and שְׁתִּילִים (Shteelim– ‘saplings’ for kindergarten) have been busting with interpretations about the characters from our theme, יוֹסֵף (Yosef)! This week we offered an opportunity to share our interpretations of what characters were feeling, at pivotal moments of the text. The children chose the moments and the characters as …
Mar 11
In the maggid (narrate) section of the haggadah (“the telling,” the Seder text) we read a text from Mishnah Pesachim about Rabban Gamliel. Rabban Gamliel said that a Jewish person should talk about פֶּסַח (pesach – the Passover offering), מַצָּה (matzah – unleavened bread), and מָרוֹר (maror – bitter herbs) every year at the Seder. …
Nov 21
This week in Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ for Kindergarten) one area of exploration we have been doing, is acting out the text in our “Children’s Text Theater”. When we do this kind of exploration, there are a number of things that children are working that are included in learning the text and …
Nov 28
Making a final project is hard work! We’ve made drafts, constructed our collages, put on finishing touches, and discussed our interpretations! While we’re still making sure that every detail is just how we want it for the Family Exploration and Celebration, we took a break to build and draw about the Chanukkah story. Different parts …
Nov 13
It is so exciting when the children in שׁוֹרָשִׁים (Shorashim– ‘roots’ for nursery) and שְׁתִּילִים (Shteelim– ‘saplings’ for kindergarten), get to share how much of the text they have learned, share their interpretations of the text and listen to other interpretations. In our Torah theme text, Ya’akov v’Esav (Jacob and Esau) there are lots of ways to …
Feb 09
This week, I offered the children a new prompt: “Okay, ענפים (Anafim– “Branches” for 3rd-4th grade children). You’ve explored a lot of different ideas about what שבת (Shabbat) could be about, and now you are growing your own personal opinions about what שבת (Shabbat) should be about. Imagine that you could build a שבת (Shabbat) house, showing …
