May 15
The Jewish holiday of שבועות (Shavuot – weeks) is coming up, and Shorashim is getting ready! We have been searching for as many shins (ש) as we can find, to help us learn how to spell Shavuot. We made some flower art outside, to enjoy the warm spring-time weather! We’ll be sure to use our art to decorate our …
May 25
There’s not a moment to lose! We only have a few real workdays left, and it turns out that this project we’ve undertaken is actually our biggest and most collaborative project yet. It’s just right for the end of the year, though: Look at how many skills and habits are going into it! Familiarity and …
May 19
“Wait, the chalk slipped. Hold it still while I do it again.” “Can you pull that side so it stays tight?” “But look. If we make the swirls thinner, there’s more room for the scenes.” “Is that the earth and the sea?” “No, I think it’s Noah’s Ark. See the flood and the mountain sticking out?” …
May 11
They’re at it again! ענפים (Anafim, “Branches” for 3rd-4th grade children) are working on a new project; this time, it’s a collaboration as well as a chance for each child to express their own creativity and ownership of Torah texts. So far they’ve reviewed texts… drafted designs… Workshopped their ideas with peers… …and, finally, started crafting their visions …
May 04
What is שבועות (Shavuot; the festival of ‘weeks’) all about? ענפים (Anafim; ‘branches’ for 3rd-4th grade children) know three major things the תורה (Torah) says about שבועות (Shavuot): It celebrates the wheat harvest; it comes after counting the עומר (Omer), which takes place over a period of 7 weeks; and the Ancient Israelites should celebrate it by bringing ביכורים (bikkurim; “first …
May 03
This week Shteelim and Shorashim (Buds and Saplings for our Nursery and Kindergarten) children started playing inside the theme of צדקה (Tzedakah). Shteelim children started telling their own צדקה stories with Morah Shterna as well as building, drawing, or acting out a different story that they wanted to tell. Shorashim children started hearing stories about צדקה and …
Apr 27
ענפים (Anafim, “Branches” for 3rd-4th grade) are just beginning their last theme for this school year: שבועות (Shavuot, “weeks”). One of the sources that ענפים (Anafim) are exploring is a short text from ספר דברים (Sefer Devarim, the book of Deuteronomy) 16, which gives instructions about celebrating the summer harvest festival. But as Anafim know, ספר דברים (Sefer …
Apr 27
This week Shorashim (roots for nursery) and Shteelim (saplings for kindergarten) started our new theme, שבועות (Shavuot). We have been playing מגילת רות (Megillat Rut- The Book of Ruth), which is a special Jewish book that some Jews read or hear on שבועות (Shavuot). Much of our play has focused on three main characters – …
May 22
Walking Inside the Sphere of an Idea This post originally appeared on the Bronfman Youth Fellowships in Israel Alumni community listserv. Rabbi Rebecca went on the Bronfman fellowship trip to Israel at age 17 and still participates in the alumni community. The Bronfman trip emphasizes deep text study and pluralistic Jewish community. Sound familiar? The child …
Apr 08
It’s that time of the year. Since we are in Pesach (Passover), we at the Jewish Enrichment Center started to think about how we were going to count the Omer this year. The Omer is the period of 49 days that some Jews count between Pesach (Passover) and Shavuot. Pesach (Passover) is the way in …
