Feb 24
The children in שׁוֹרָשִׁים (Shorashim– ‘roots’ for nursery) and שְׁתִּילִים (Shteelim– ‘saplings’ for kindergarten) welcomed the new month אֲדָר (Adar– the 6th month on the Jewish Calendar)! חָג פּוּרִים (The Purim Holiday) is just around the corner, on the 14th of אֲדָר (Adar)! This year Purim begins at sundown on Sunday, March 6th! There are special songs …
May 16
It’s almost the end of the school year and Nitzanim knows how to enter and get started in the studio…. They know we sit in a big circle for some instructions. They know to put a smock on so their clothes don’t become evidence of their creations. They know to find a spot to sit …
Apr 27
This week, our Tuesday group of 5th and 6th graders studied gemara. Argued by the ancient rabbis 2nd – 6th century CE, the text has its own distinctive, cryptic style. Gemara is HARD. And it was SO FUN. First we studied the text in pairs to try to figure out the topic sentence, who’s talking, and …
Apr 20
ענפים (Anafim, “Branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) have grown a lot this year. For example, they can sit together and work in חברותא (havruta, text study partnership) to explore a new Rabbinic text, connecting it with their own ideas and their peers’ ideas. That requires a lot of different reading, writing, and collaboration skills, not …
Feb 27
In Shorashim we have been celebrating the holiday of Purim. Purim is a joyous holiday which is traditionally celebrated by dressing up in silly costumes. This past week Shorashim had fun dressing up in a variety of ways! We designed silly costumes with foam pieces on sticky paper. We also came dressed up to school …
Jan 05
Ooooh, it feels good to play together again! It was a week of… Leadership Group Challenge Hebrew Games Discovery Joy
Sep 01
Four full-day field trips, and oh, my! you amaze me. You navigated yourselves through downtown Chicago Organized yourselves to wait patiently Stuck together (and ate) in the rain and wind and wet grass, wherever we were and without complaint And shouted out your joy in being together and everything you’d accomplished. You’re kids who can go wherever your dreams …
Mar 09
This week, Alonim (for 5th and 6th grades) is working very hard on writing and directing their own scenes in a Purim Spiel, or funny play telling the Purim story. Their spiel will be performed on Sunday for the younger children at the Enrichment Center. Get ready – Alonim has a lot of puns up …
Nov 04
The new Hebrew month of Cheshvan started on Wednesday! We took an hour to celebrate all of the Hebrew we’ve learned this past month. Children sang through all of the תפילות (tefillot – prayers) they’ve mastered during this past month. We work at our own pace and get to choose which תפילה (tefillah – prayer) we work on next. …
Nov 28
Has the paint come off their toes yet? We had a WONDERFUL time painting! Our collaborative painting will be part of Sunday’s family keshet exploration. See you there!
