Dec 06
The children in Shalom, Chaverim! (“Welcome, Friends!” for ages 0 – 3 and their grown-ups) were immersed in Chanukah play. They used Chanukah candles and sevivonim (dreidels) to paint or manipulate play-dough. They explored the textures and shapes of these objects while engaging in sensory play with colorful rice. They placed candles of different sizes and colors …
Sep 20
Shalom Chaverim (“Welcome Friends!” for ages 0 – 3 and their grown-ups) began this week, and it was so much fun! We gathered in Harold Washington Park and explored the upcoming Jewish holiday of Sukkot. Children pretended to be inside sukkahs created from their grown-ups’ bodies. They looked at Sukkot books and pictures of sukkahs, examined …
Nov 19
The children in Shalom Chaverim busied themselves preparing for Hanukkah this week. Children had the chance to explore playdough and Hanukkah candles. “It’s Hanukkah! See the candles!” observed one Shalom Chaverim child. As we worked, we counted our candles in English and Hebrew. Then there were Hanukkah stamps to explore. Children are beginning to catch …
Mar 14
Every group of the Jewish Enrichment Center participated in Yetzirah this week- it was pretty extraordinary! Through out this Boker Tov unit we have focused on ourselves: how we treat others and how the Modeh Ani prayer resonates with us individually. And there’s no better way to wrap up the unit than with a communal activity …
Oct 30
Today we read the first story of Creation. We took out the Torah and read the story directly from its source, in Hebrew and in English (abridged). The children had three jobs in today’s story: To say, “טוב!” (“And God saw it was טוב.”) To conclude each day’s creation with the Torah’s phrase, “ויהי ערב ויהי …
Oct 30
Today we read the first story in the Torah – בראשית! Today we saw the first word in the Torah – בראשית! Shorashim came in with Breishit banners
