In our spring theme, Shavuot, we are taking a close look at how Judaism has changed through time – from the Torah, to the early Rabbis, to Jewish people today (which includes us!). Children have been excited to share what they already know (“Yosef is in the Torah!”) and to see how their ideas and …
Tag: listening
Sep 09
Words Matter
Check out this new piece by Rabbi Rebecca Milder about listening closely to children. Beautiful and practical.
Oct 28
Building new skills!
- By Maisie Smith in Teyva
As we dive deeper into our theme, תֵּבָה (Teyva – “Ark”), the children in Nitzanim (“Buds” for 1st grade) have also been diving deeper into their feelings and opinions about the text. One skill that Nitzanim has been working hard on is listening to each other’s thoughts and then saying if we connect or agree with …
Oct 21
An Ark in the Park
- By Aliza Geller in Teyva
In Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ for Kindergarten), we have been meeting on zoom during the week and in a park on Sunday mornings. We’ve opened up our theme, תֵּבָה (teyva – “ark”). In the text, Genesis chapter 6 (found here), God tells נֹחַ (Noach – “Noah”) to build an ark. On our …
Feb 27
Cultivating Leadership Skills with Young Children
In Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ for Kindergarten), we have been working with a paradigm of leadership that connects to skills that the children are already starting to develop. That a leader is someone who works to make the would bette, using listening, partnership, courage and persistence. One exploration that the children have …
Jan 31
Who Does It Take to Make the World as It Should Be?
For the last couple of sessions children in Anafim v’Alonim (“Branches” and “Oak trees” for 4th and 5th grades) have been exploring what their impact, their communities’ impact, and societies’ impact is in creating the world as it should be. Wow, the ideas were so powerful. A long list was created after children participated in …
Jan 24
Partner Pictures
- By Aliza Geller in Eliyahu HaNavi
This week in Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ for Kindergarten), we continued our explorations involving listening and partnership, two skills/ capacities a person might need when working to make the world better. One category of listening/partnership exploration is called partner pictures. We tried a few different kinds of partner pictures, but the one …
Jan 17
Building Something Together
- By Aliza Geller in Eliyahu HaNavi
This week in Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ for Kindergarten), we started our new theme, Eliyahu HaNavi. Our focus has been on people/ leaders working to make the world a better place. Many of our explorations involve listening and partnership, two skills/ capacities a person might need when working to make the world …
Apr 25
Talk with a Partner
- By Aliza Geller in Pesach
In שׁוֹרָשִׁים (Shorashim– ‘roots’ for nursery) and שְׁתִּילִים (Shteelim– ‘saplings’ for kindergarten), we are spending time working on the skill of talking with a partner. When we spend time talking to each other we can learn so much! This time around we heard about an experience we might have had during Pesach (Passover), going to a Seder. …
Jan 31
Taking Care of Each Other While Exploring Together
- By Aliza Geller in L'hitpalel
This week I want to highlight a set of skills that children were working on, through the lens of one particular kind of exploration we did this week. First, we needed to connect a few explorations that at first did not seem connected to each other. At the very beginning of our new theme, לְהִתְפַּלֵל …
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