Sep 24
This week has been all about community in Beit Nitzanim v’Anafim (“Buds” for 1st and 2nd grades and “Branches” for 3rd grade)! As we welcomed the holiday of Sukkot, children reflected on what it means to be a community. On Sukkot, a Jewish community might build a sukkah, so we gave that a try! The …
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 …
Oct 08
We are exploring the festive Jewish holiday of Sukkot this week in the School-Day Program at the Jewish Enrichment Center! The children constructed an indoor sukkah out of PVC pipes. One child commented that he did not want to be transported back to ancient times while in the sukkah, and the concept of a sukkah …
Oct 08
We are nearing the end of the holiday of סוכות (Sukkot)! This week, groups of nursery aged children got to celebrate together virtually. If we had met in person, each child would have had the opportunity to shake the לולב (lulav) and אתרוג (etrog). This did not stop anyone from participating in experiencing the לולב (lulav) …
Oct 11
In Shorashim (‘roots’ for nursery) and Shteelim (‘saplings’ kindergarten), we are starting to feel like a community. When someone is absent, other children ask, “when are they coming back?”, and say, “I wanted to play with them today”. We introduced the various jobs that children might have, so they have started to work on caring for each other …
Oct 14
For the past month, our sixth and seventh graders have been planning a Sukkot celebration for the entire Jewish Enrichment Center. Finally, our big day arrived! What a scramble to get everything ready! After all of our prep work was done, our language for giving instructions to younger children rehearsed, we took some time to …
Oct 10
Over the past two weeks, Shorashim has been learning about the holiday of Sukkot. Sukkot is a fall harvest holiday that is traditionally celebrated in a hut outside called a סוכה (sukkah – a hut/tent). In order to better understand how a sukkah is made (and how much fun it can be inside one), we …
Oct 10
One quick review of what the Early Rabbis thought a סוכה (sukkah) needed to include, drawing on several years of research and experience, Lots of long, straight sticks for the structure (expertly scavenged and stripped), and leafy branches to go on top, A ball of twine, good lashing skills, and a few extra pairs of hands …
Oct 04
This week Shteelim (“saplings” for Kindergarten) made tissue paper flowers to decorate our סוּכָּה (sukkah) We learned new techniques from each other “She used two colors! That’s cool!” “What? How did he make 3 layers?” We made so many in all different צְבָעִים (tzvaim– colors) “Which one should I- Oh! Red! Red! Red! I …
Oct 28
This sukkah represents freedom. The round table represents equality. This sukkah shows a scene from when the Hasmonean kings were in charge. King Alexander Yannai refused to do the ritual in the Temple the way the people believed it should be done, and they pelted him with etrogrim (etrogs, a fruit we use …
