AM I MY BROTHER'S KEEPER?

Our Kitah Dalet students have been talking about responsibility to self, others, and the community at large. Our Torah gives us plenty of opportunities to think about our commitment to family, and the the importance of taking care of others.  Specifically, we examined the text in the Torah about Cain and Abel, the children of Adam and Eve, and shared our ideas about birth order and family loyalty. Students participated in a lively debate about how much responsibility one has to take for the errors of others, and what they have to do to protect family.  Finally, we shared our ideas about learning right from wrong, and how we have to be taught what is right before we can do something wrong.  

Our Torah Talk discussions have expanded into our values lessons and we continue to talk about taking things that don't belong to us, and what is rightfully ours.  Our discussion has moved from taking things to finding things, and what we have to do to insure we find the rightful owner of lost items.  Please ask you student to share their thoughts with you.
 

THIS WHO WE ARE

When turning the words in the Torah we tend to look at the surface of the language, and don't always dig deep into the meaning of each passage. This week, we began to look at some of the reasons behind the stories in the Torah, and we pushed ourselves to think about our role in reaching for higher goals and living a Jewish life.  We talked about Free Will, and our ability to make good and bad choices, and having the power to resist temptation. Unfortunately, GOD tested Adam and Eve, and to their demise, they failed to live up to the test.  

On the other hand, we talked about our own urges to do bad over good, and took a look at some of our personal strengths and weaknesses.  Students shared their most positive and negative personality traits, and we shared our answers with our classmates.  We talked about how many of us struggle with the same inclinations to do bad and good, and all of us have to work hard to resist the urge to do bad over good.  In Hebrew, we call this the Yetzer HaRah and The Yetzer HaTov.  

We are nice, kind, holy, positive, funny, helpful, smart, and thoughtful, and we are mean, annoying, negative, questioning, judgmental,  selfish, rude, and loud.   WOW!  We are an interesting group! 

Have a great Shabbat, and a wonderful week!  

THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE...

When studying Torah we always take one step backward to review the prior lessons, and one step forward to tackle the next lesson. These discussions often bring new questions to light, and our students are often left to work through some struggle as the week ends.  Such was the case with this week’s discussion.  Our discussion started out with the basic question of failure.  Why did GOD put the tree of Knowledge within reach of Adam and Eve, tempting them to break the rules?  Our students offered some wonderful insights into breaking rules, and doing the right thing. We talked about wanting something, working towards something, and ultimately failing to achieve success, or hitting obstacles along the way.  Ultimately, we talked about Free Choice, and GOD giving us the power to make choices based on our ability to do right and wrong.  We often see things differently than others, and things are not always as they seem. 

To bring the point home we spent some time looking at optical illusions.  It was very interesting to watch our students question the illusions they recognized, and share their interpretations with their classmates.  Finally, we took out our proof text in the Torah and left our students with some Torah to struggle with....Did it take GOD six days to create the world or seven?  

Please take some time to explore this age old question with your children.  They had some interesting thoughts, ideas, and interpretations. 

WE GIVE THANKS...

Students shared their thoughts about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, and were really quite thoughtful about the many blessings they have.  Please take a few minutes to ask your child what they are grateful for, and why.

We are thankful...

For food and water
Friends
The World
Freedom
GOD is always with me
Homes and shelter
Friends and family who will always be there for me

ATTITUDE, GRATITUDE AND TAKING RISKS

When studying Torah we always take one step backward to review the prior lessons, and one step forward to tackle the next lesson. These discussions often bring new questions to light, and our students are often left to work through some internal struggles as our week comes to an end. Such was the case with this week’s discussion. Our discussion started out with the basic question of failure. Why did GOD put the Tree of Knowledge within reach of Adam and Eve, tempting them to break the rules? Our students offered some wonderful insights into breaking rules, and doing the right thing. We talked about wanting something, working towards something, and ultimately failing to achieve success, or hitting obstacles along the way. To push our students to collaborate and to critically think about the effect their actions have on others, we talked about ways to problem solve. Is it OK to fail, or is it better to achieve success at all costs? Do our parents push us to be the best we can be at all costs? Are we responsible for our failures, and is it OK to fail if we learn from our mistakes. Our students seem to know the right thing to do in many instances, but are often confronted with temptation, I guess we all can relate. 

On Tuesday afternoon, we talked about Thanksgiving. We talked about religious freedom, (which will again surface next week when we begin our Hanukkah story) and how Thanksgiving is truly about giving thanks and appreciating the many gifts we have. We talked about blessings, and as Jews, our responsibility to say 100 blessings everyday. We had a lively discussion about fleeing a country for the right to be free, and immigrants and refugees living in our communities today.  Interestingly, many of our students shared stories of relatives fleeing a homeland for America, much like the Pilgrims of long ago.  Finally, we shared our feelings about having too much of everything, and taking time to show gratitude by doing mitzvot, and thinking about others, rather than worrying about what we want or what we don't have. Students shared their thoughts about gratitude, and how so much of what we do as Jews is about attitude. 

Please enjoy the Thanksgiving break, and ask you children to share their Jewish interpretation of Thanksgiving with your family. See you next Tuesday!

TURN IT AND TWIST IT

For those of you wanting a one word description of what we do in our class every week, I would have to say TORAH. The Torah teaches us the skills we need to be a partner with GOD. We learn Jewish values to help us live a Jewish life from the Torah, and most importantly, the Jewish people live for the Torah. In our core class, we spend quite a bit of time turning and twisting the words in the Torah to help us understand the importance of living a Jewish life in a non-Jewish world. The Torah challenges us to think and to take responsibility for our actions, and no matter how often we study, speak, teach, say, learn, or live Torah, there is always more to explore. We are teaching our students to turn the Torah over and over, in order to better understand the words passed on from generation to generation. The take away every week, is we are created in GOD’s image, and we are here as GOD’s partner. The stories are great, the imagery even better, but most importantly, it is the values we learn from the Torah that really stick with us.

Why do we tell stories? The students in our 4th grade core class are learning the importance of telling stories, and listening and learning stories as well. They unanimously decided that we tell stories to teach a lesson, share history, and to let others know about something that happened. They all agreed that they like to hear and tell stories, and sometimes they believe them, and sometimes they don’t. Such is the case with the Torah. This week we learned about the two creation stories presented in the Torah. There is the story of GOD creating man and woman, placing them in the Garden of Eden, and telling them to rule over everything. We then identified another look at Creation. GOD takes the dust of the earth, molds it into a man, and tells the man he needs a partner. GOD creates the partner from a rib of man, and tells the man; take care of all I created. Students were given the opportunity to read the original text from the Torah and tried to figure out which story they believed. 

Our discussions sent us in a multitude of ways, and it was quite interesting to see our students trying to make sense of both stories. Our take away moment was when it was decided that both stories are true, we are partners and rulers of the world, and it is up to us to behave in the image of GOD, doing what is right and just at all times. Please ask you students what story they think is most accurate, and for an interesting discussion, ask them why GOD put both stories in the Torah. The discussion will continue on Sunday in class. 

During our Tuesday afternoon Mitzvot and Middot discussions we talked about doing the right thing even when everyone else is doing the wrong thing. We introduced the core basic value, Derech Eretz, literally translated as "law of the land." We talked about taking things that did not belong to us, and the difference between rightfully ours, entitlement and stealing. Please ask you child to share these ideas with you, and have them share the concept of what is yours is yours, and what is yours is mine. We had a very interesting debate. Our discussions continue next week. 

IN THE BEGINNING

Thank you to the Kitah Dalet students who participated in Fall Fix-Up.  Although the workload was light, we did enjoy being spending some time together on a beautiful Sunday morning, and we helped make a difference for someone in our community.

We officially began our Torah Study program this week, and students practiced their Chumash navigation skills.   Students participated in a Torah Treasure Hunt and they were quite successful in locating some of the more recognizable passages in our Torah.  We found the Shema and searched for the commandment to eat matzah.  Some students found the commandment to observe kashrut, and others found the promise from GOD in Parsha Noah.  

These skills came in quite handy when we began to dive deep into the story of Creation on Tuesday afternoon.  Students read the beginning of the text, illustrated the six days of Creation and learned GOD saw all that GOD created as good.  However, there was one thing GOD created where HE failed to praise HIS work, but instead blessed it.  Next week, we will dissect these passages and continue to discover the many twists and turns in our Torah.  

A VERY JEWISH HALLOWEEN

As a whole, the Jewish community does not celebrate Halloween, but we do celebrate Purim! So, save those costumes and think about adding a Jewish twist or a tzedakah piece to your Trick or Treat Traditions.  While it is important to support our neighbors in their celebrations, and equally important to not separate ourselves from the community, there are many ways of participating in a custom without observing it the way others do. Some suggest Jewish children share in the celebration by greeting their neighbors and giving out candy. It is certainly possible for our children to get excited about giving to others, and then the underlying theme for them is that Halloween is about giving.  

A noted rabbi and educator, Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht, once noticed the similarity between Purim and Halloween. In both cases, children get dressed up and go door to door receiving gifts of food. The distinction between the two is that on Halloween, the children only receive, whereas on Purim, the emphasis is that the children learn to give. The fact that they might receive in return is of secondary importance.  

To reinforce the value of giving, and to encourage the act of helping others, we will be collecting all extra wrapped candy you have. Please talk to your children about giving to others, and help them turn an everyday moment into a Jewish experience.

TORAH IS THE HEART OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE

We have been quite busy exploring the laws and customs associated with the fall Jewish holidays, and we enjoyed celebrating together. We ate apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah, talked about teshuvah and turning things around for Yom Kippur, invited guests and snacked on graham crackers in the Sukkah, beat the willow branches for Hashanah Rabah, and unrolled the Torah for Simchat Torah. 

With the holidays gone but not forgotten, our Sunday morning class started to explore the lifelong lessons our Torah teaches us. Students compared the original hand written text found in the Torah scroll to the printed words in the Tanach, or the Chumash, better known as the Five Books of Moses, or the big red book found on the book shelf in the sanctuary. Students learned to navigate the Chumash, looking for book, chapter and verse. We had a mini Torah Scavenger Hunt, searching for clues hidden in the words of Torah. We learned many of our customs and traditions start with a basic phrase in the Torah, interpreted through time to keep Judaism alive and well. Our discussion continued with the basic understanding that the Torah teaches us to live a Jewish life. We talked about the phrase Torah is the Heart of the Jewish People and how just as people cannot live without a heart; the Jewish people cease to exist without the Torah. 

Next Sunday we will be participating in the Fall Fix-up Program, and hope to see you there. Please be sure to register online, or let Allison know you will be attending. 

TURNING THINGS AROUND

The students in Kitah Dalet have been talking about the basic tenets of the high holidays, specifically the laws, customs, and traditions associated with Rosh Hashanah.  Our discussions centered around tefillah, teshuvah, and tzedakah, the Jewish ways to move forward in the new year.  Students shared their thoughts and ideas on being being a respectful member of our Jewish community, and the importance of taking responsibility for observing the rules and laws in our Torah to ensure a safe environment for all learners. We talked about setting goals for ourselves, making amends to those we have hurt with our words or actions, and  fixing the wrongs we have committed.

After a brief introduction to new beginnings, we compared Rosh Hashanah to the secular new years we participate in as Jews in our community. We talked about the differences between goal setting in September, new year resolutions in January, and doing teshuvah at Rosh Hashanah. We talked about the importance of following through with our commitments as part of doing teshuvah, and accepting responsibility for our behavior as part of making the world a better place.  

We had a rather lively discussion on Tuesday afternoon, and we brainstormed ways to guarantee the continuity of Jews around the world and close to home, how to best get along with others, and the importance of taking responsibility for our behaviors.  Finally, we talked about making meaningful apologies and the three steps to true repentance.  Please ask your child to share these steps with you, and encourage them to do true teshuvah  with a family member they may have harmed.  

Wishing you a new year filled with peace, health and happiness, G'mar Chatima, Tova!  

BUILDING OUR CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

We are busy building our sacred community (kelillah kedoshah) in Kitah Dalet.  We have been talking about the importance of building connections with others to help make the world a better place and creating relationships that connect us to GOD and to each other.   Although we come from different families, schools, cities and neighborhoods, and we have different values, interests and talents, we are connected through many similar experiences and most importantly, we are connected as Jews. 

We tried our hand at webbing and talked about passing on traditions and customs from generation to generation. During the webbing exercise, students discussed the many different ways we actively participate in building our Jewish community.  We learned that our strength comes from action, and when we no longer practice our customs and traditions, our community slowly disappears.  This visual activity gave our students a unique way of seeing how we are all connected, and how when we lose our connections, our community ceases to exist. 

On Tuesday afternoon we extend our Sunday learning, and explore the mitzvot, middot, and holidays that make us one people.  We began a discussion on Rosh Hashanah, and we will continue sharing our experiences next week.  Please ask you child to share one goal they have for the New Year, and encourage them to work towards meeting their target.  

Wishing you an amazing Shabbat and an awesome weekend.  See you Sunday, Barbara

WELCOME TO KITAH DALET

Hi, and welcome to Kitah Dalet.  I am Barbara J Dworin, and I am honored to be your child’s Religious School teacher.  I am passionate about Jewish living, and I am excited to share this love with you and your family.  I have been planning all summer long, and I know your children will have a great time discovering how unique and special they are as we explore our theme of the year, Created in GOD's Image. 

My classroom objective is to provide a fun, safe, stimulating, and creative learning environment which will build a strong Jewish foundation and encourage students to be informed, knowledgeable and educated Jews, able to take personal responsibility for living a Jewish life in a non-Jewish world.  

I plan to do this through teaching integrated lessons on Torah, Jewish law, ethics and values, and praying together as a community.  This thematic approach encourages each student to recognize that being Jewish affects everything we do and helps to build a meaningful connection to our commitment to Israel and the Jewish community.  My expectation is our time together will serve as the basis for building lifelong connections in the community long after students have finished their religious school education. 

This year, I look forward to building a safe learning community while developing personal relationships with you and your children.   I invite you to visit our classroom whenever you are available, and encourage you to stop in and introduce yourself.   

Best Wishes for a new year filled with health, happiness, and peace, Barbara

LIVING A GOOD LIFE

With Passover a recent memory, and the end of the year quickly approaching, our students have blossomed into thoughtful, creative, and well informed Jewish thinkers.  They are stretching their minds and developing the ability to critically look at a situation and apply Jewish values to situations which may not be seen as Jewish on the surface.  We had lengthy discussions about Passover and moving from freedom to slavery, and the commitment it takes to embrace a Jewish way of life.  We talked about being a slave to things, and being free to make independent choices, which helps make our community stronger, and makes us better people along the way.  

We shared our ideas about counting the days between Passover and Shavuot, and the importance of making each day count.  We shared our ideas about being at the bottom of Mt. Sinai, and having the patience to wait for the things we want.  We talked about wanting things and needing things, and being mindful of the many gifts we have. To end the week, and too bring our many class discussions full circle, we spent some time talking about the Ten Commandments Moses brought down from Mt Sinai, and the relevance of them even today.  

We talked about the commandments between man and GOD, and the commandments between man and the community.  We talked about what rules we need to make the world safe, and what we have to do to build a meaningful relationship with GOD and with others. We had some trouble wrapping our arms around the GOD relationships, but when we talked about finding ways to connect with others through GOD, the ideas flowed a bit easier.  We also talked about the values and behaviors we need to establish as a society in order to be fully functioning, responsible members of our community.  

To end the week, we talked about the commandment to honor our moms and dads as being a commandment between GOD and between the community.   Students shared their ideas about honoring and respecting their parents, and took some time to create Mother's Day notes. Hopefully, you will see some of these cards on Sunday.  

As our year comes to an end, I want to thank you for sharing your students with me this year. We have grown together as a community, and it has been an honor to be a part of your Shaarey Zedek family. Enjoy the summer, and please stay in touch.   

PASSOVER POEMS

Slavery smells like smelly armpits
Slavery feels dumb
Slavery sounds like sad people
Slavery looks stupid

Freedom smells like brownies
Freedom feels like soft stuff
Freedom sounds like jumping people
Freedom looks like happy people

Slavery smells like pollution
Slavery feels jail
Slavery sounds like kids crying
Slavery looks hard work

Freedom smells like cookies
Freedom feels like running around
Freedom sounds like peace and quiet
Freedom looks like no work and you can recline

Slavery smells like sweat
Slavery feels torture
Slavery sounds like screams
Slavery looks suffering

Freedom smells like sweet fruit
Freedom feels like happiness
Freedom sounds like dancing and singing
Freedom looks like smiles and joy

FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM

Next week at this time all of us will have had our fill of matza and the memories of another Seder will be gently stored.  However, we still have plenty of time to explore the many laws and traditions Passover in our classroom, and that is exactly what we have been doing.   We know we are commanded to teach the story of our Exodus to our children, and all future generations.  We also know we are not to eat any leavened bread for seven days.  These are indeed biblical laws, and commandments from the Torah.  Then, the story gets a bit more vague.  Of course we have the haggadah, a rubric for the evening, but we are free to use it as we see fit.  We are encouraged to waiver from the ordered pages in order to include our children, and make the experience meaningful for all of those at the table.  So, this year, we encourage to ask the children as many questions as you can, put them on the hot seat and make them think.  They are well prepared to participate and they have a wealth of information to share.

Here are a few appetizers to get the ball rolling....

Why did GOD send 10 plagues, when the last one would have been enough?

Which finger is best used when spilling out the wine to remind us of the plagues?

Why do we spill out the wine from our full cup?

What might be ten modern day plagues?

Why did Moses chose to go from freedom to slavery? 

How many different times do we see the number four in the Haggadah?

Wishing you and those you love a kosher Passover, and a wonderful holiday!  

PASSPORT TO PASSOVER

Welcome Back!  

This afternoon we worked like slaves and began to unpack the story of Passover. We talked about the commandment to celebrate the holiday, and the importance of passing down this narrative from one generation to the next.  We deconstructed the Haggadah and looked for the many ways numbers play an important role at the Seder.   We found three forefathers, three matzot, and the four questions, four mothers, four cups of wine, and the ten plagues.  

The ten plagues were a bit distressing, and we spent some time exploring them in great detail. Our students were a extremely troubled by the severity of the punishments afflicted on the Egyptians, and questioned the necessity of being so destructive.  We also talked about what is fact and what is fiction, and the importance of learning from our past to make sure we don't make mistakes in the future.  As our afternoon came to an end, we had a brief but interesting discussion about slavery.  Students questioned how Jews had the audacity to have slaves in America, when we were slaves to Pharaoh.  I guess this is a great question to get a Seder going, and I encourage you to broach this subject at your own holiday table.  

Next week we continue our travels from slavery to freedom, and look forward to enriching your family Seder with well versed participants.  See you Sunday!  

A HERO IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

On Sunday morning our Kitah Dalet students shared their rough draft Hero Papers, and we scratched the surface on who really is a hero.  Students chose sports figures, TV personalities, and entertainment celebrities.  Many of these people certainly did fit some of our criteria, but with some digging, we began to recognize our standards were quite low.  We talked about suicide bombers being heroes to some, and the problem with our original definition of a hero.  We then expanded our definition to include responsibility to make the world a better place, and incorporated Jewish values into our discussion. 

On Tuesday, students were asked to think about the heroes in their lives.  Students were challenged to think about the people who they interact with on a daily basis, and find the hero like qualities that make these people modern day heroes.   Students were then asked to be introspective, and look deep into their own personality characteristics for the qualities that could make them a hero one day, because of these role models.  Students were asked to think about the everyday heroes who fill their world, and reflect on the qualities of these very real super heroes.  

Next week we take a spring break, and we look forward to introducing our Passport to Passover Unit when we return.  Until then, enjoy the beautiful spring weather, and we hope to see everyone back in class on Tuesday, April, 12, 2016.  

A HERO IN MY EYES

This week we unpacked the Purim story with a different slant, and we gave our students a new way to look at a very old story. After retelling the story and reviewing the setting, the plot, and the laws associated with this joyous festival, we spent some time delving into the personality traits of the main characters.  We talked about the hidden attributes of each of the characters, and compared these personality traits to our own strengths and weaknesses.  

We talked about the absence of  GOD in the story of Esther, but of course we know GOD is always watching over us, acting as a puppeteer when needed.  Purim is a story with many twists and turns, and things are not always as they seem.  Although GOD is never mentioned in the megillah, GOD sets things in motion, and intends for each of us to be mindful in a situation, stepping up to the plate when necessary.  Such was the case of Esther and Mordechai, hiding their identities until the future of all Jews was in jeopardy, and then coming forward. We see King Ahashverous, often in a drunken stupor, hiding behind  Haman, a descendant of Amalek, the most evil of all human beings, being defeated only after Esther comes out from hiding, and opens the king's eyes. Unfortunately, we still see the descendants of Haman who continue to plague us even today with acts of terror around the world. 

Finally, we talked about bullies and heroes, and what it means to stand up for what is right. We talked about being honest with ourselves and others, and how we can't hide from the bad choices we make.  We talked about taking action when things are wrong, admitting our mistakes, and coming forward to defend the weak.  From here, students spent some time brainstorming, and described a hero as someone who works hard, is honest, brave, kind, helpful, thoughtful, unselfish, and strong-minded.  A hero is awesome, stands up for themselves and others, makes mistakes, and puts others before themselves.  

To end the week, students were asked to describe their hero,and wrote position papers on why they chose their subject.   We hope to share these stories on Sunday morning at 10:30am.  If you are available, please feel free to join us for these presentations. 

DO AS I SAY, FOLLOW IN MY WAYS

This week, we talked about the many lessons presented in each Torah portion, and how GOD gave the Torah to the Jewish People with the expectation that we turn the words over and over again, learning new and different things every time we read a passage. We talked about finding meaning in the words of Torah at different stages in our lives, and how even as adults, there are new things to learn, and different ways to interpret the words of Torah to meet our needs.

As we conclude the first two chapters of the Torah, we learn GOD spent a tremendous amount of time teaching us about creation, and how to live a Jewish life. We have the ability to think and make individual choices, and we are expected to take responsibility for the choices we make. We are partners and rulers, and we are the caretakers for all living things. In the first two chapters of the the Torah, GOD fails to create moral and ethical leaders able to carry on the traditions of Torah, and so we begin to see a new wave of leadership, this time through Abraham and Sarah.

In our Taste of Torah, we began to explore the journey of Abraham and Sarah, and we talked about what it means to carry the future of Judaism on our shoulders.  Abraham was chosen by GOD to be the leader of the Jewish people. GOD told Abraham to pack his bags and move to a place he did not know, and with this commandment, Abraham was promised that he would become a great nation.  

Our students talked about moving and how difficult it would be to leave all that was familiar and start life anew.  We talked about what it would be like to move to a new state, a new neighborhood, and a new school, and trusting our parents to make the right choices for us.  We also talked about having faith in our parents just as Abraham had faith in GOD.  

Please take a few minutes and ask your children what it means to follow in GOD's footsteps, and the importance of challenging those that make decisions that are not fair or just.

MANY VOICES ONE RESPONSIBILITY

For those of you wanting a one word description of what we do in our class every week, I would have to say TORAH.  The Torah teaches us the skills we need to be a partner with GOD.    We learn Jewish values to help us live a Jewish life from the Torah, and most importantly, the Jewish people live for the Torah.  In our core class, we spend quite a bit of time turning and twisting the words in the Torah to help us understand the importance of living a Jewish life in a non-Jewish world.   The Torah challenges us to think and to take responsibility for our actions, and  no matter how often we study, speak, teach, say, learn, or live Torah, there is always more to explore.  We are teaching our students to turn the Torah over and over, in order to better understand the words passed on from generation to generation.  The take away every week, is we are created in GOD’s image, and we are here as GOD’s partner.   The stories are great, the imagery even better, but most importantly, it is the values we learn from the Torah that really stick with us.

This week we explored the last passage in Noah, and we talked about the Tower of Babel.  Students learned the first commandment in the Torah, and the importance of following GOD's commands. The generations after Noah lived a sedentary life in a small area of earth, speaking one language and pitting one against the other.  They tried to build a Tower to GOD, showing GOD their power, strength, and wisdom, and GOD quickly recognized their bloated egos and lack of commitment to bettering the world.  He confounds their speech and scatters the people to the four corners of the land. It is here we see the last of  Creation narrative, and begin to examine the lives of our forefathers.   

Finally, we talked about what we need to do to build a relationship with GOD even if our plate is quite full.  GOD understands we have many responsibilities, but also demands we work to make ourselves better so we can serve GOD through mitzvot.  We had an interesting discussion about how much we can do, and even though we are busy, we can always push ourselves to help others. It is these little things that really make a difference in our lives and the lives of others.   

Please ask your children the first commandment in the Torah, or better yet, let them ask you.  

ON YOUR HONOR

On Sunday morning, our students talked about the power of words.  We talked about strengthening relationships with others by keeping our word.  Students learned the importance of trust when building relationships, and honoring a commitment once we make a promise.  We talked about Noah and GOD and the relationship they built through the ark, and learned GOD made a covenant with the world through the rainbow. Students created a rainbow of promises and thought about commitments they could make and honor.   It was really quite difficult for some of our students to go out on a limb, and make a promise, knowing they may be help accountable.  Please ask your students to share their promises with you, you may be pleasantly surprised.

Unfortunately, school was cancelled on Tuesday afternoon, but we hope to conclude our conversations about Noah in the coming week, and look forward to learning about heroes, the strength of a community, and leaving a place we know as home, and moving to a new land filled with hopes and dreams.  

THE POWER OF A PROMISE

Welcome Back!  

Our Kitah Dalet students continue to study the text of Noah, and this afternoon we talked about honesty, integrity, and the importance of building a relationship with GOD.  After some true confessions, we began to see how building a relationship with others is how we  build a relationship with GOD, and this relationship is at the heart of making the world a better place.  

As we examined the text in Parsha Noach, we found the promise GOD made with man, and we talked about the importance of keeping our word. We talked about GOD being remorseful when destroying the world, and questioning his decision to destroy all of his creations. Finally, we talked about GOD'S promise to never destroy the world again through a flood. We talked about the Hebrew word for promise, Brit, and the strength of this commitment.  When talking about GOD's promise, students were asked to think about agreeing to do something, and then changing their minds. We also talked about trust, and honoring their commitments. Digging a little bit deeper, we had a rather heated discussion about how we feel when others promise to do things, and then go back on their word.  On the same note, students were asked to think about how others feel when we say we will do something, and fail to follow through.  

Finally, we talked about the relationship we have with each other, and how important it is to follow our words with actions.  We talked about the teacher student relationship, and how it feels when our teacher may not think our word is good, or worse, when a teacher doubts our integrity.   Fortunately, this is not the case in Kitah Dalet, and I made a promise to our students, and they made one as well. It will be interesting to see how strong our relationship is on Sunday morning.

Please spend a few minutes talking with your students about the power of their words, and what their thoughts are about building relationships through integrity.  

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

Many of classroom units are woven into teaching everyday life lessons, and we constantly pull from a variety of resources to make sure we are giving our students many opportunities to understand how the Torah is relevant to our lives. In Bereshit we talked about how GOD created the world for man to take care of. We are commanded to care for all of the animals, birds, fish, and bugs, as well as the land, air and water. Most importantly, GOD commands us to take care of all living things. In Parshah Noach, again GOD teaches us to care for all the animals by telling Noah to save the animals before GOD destroys the world.

Furthermore, GOD commands Noah to take seeds from all of the trees and plants so he can care for them once the world is restored. This week we took these lessons one bit further and talked about the importance of being mindful of how we treat animals, plants, trees, and seeds. The Torah is very clear when talking about our responsibility for caring for all of GOD's creations. When GOD instructs Noah to build the ark, GOD is quite clear about what Noah's duties are.

In class we talked about being mindful of what we eat, and how we treat the food we have. Specifically, we talked about keeping kosher, and why we are commanded to observe the dietary laws. In the Torah, we learn Noah took seven pairs of kosher animals on the ark, and two of each non-kosher animal, one male and one female. We talked about what makes animals kosher, and how kosher means fit or proper. The most important reason for keeping kosher is to be mindful of what we eat, and the importance of thinking about being Jewish when we put food in our mouth. We need to have food to live, and being mindful of what we eat, makes us live a meaningful life.

On Tuesday, although our class was quite small, we had a lively discussion about using animals for research, and whether the Torah supports this cause. We talked about the ethical treatment of animals, and your children were really quite torn with this controversial topic.  I encourage you to continue the discussion at home, as your children had some interesting opinions about this very relevant topic.

Please have a safe and pleasant winter break, and we will see you on Tuesday, February 23, 2016

WALKING WITH GOD OR GOD'S PARTNER

The Torah provides us many opportunities to explore our relationship with GOD. Our Kitah Dalet students have been looking at the story of Noah and we have been talking about what it means to be a partner with GOD.  We shared our ideas of what a partner is, and what responsibilities we have to make the partnership work.  We talked about trust, and how the best partnerships are based on mutual trust and communication. We examined the relationship between Noah and GOD, and decided Noah walked with GOD, but was not GOD'S partner.  

In our classroom discussions, we talked about building relationships through trust, and what we have to do to earn the trust of our parents, friends, family, and teachers.  We talked about standing up and doing the right thing when we feel someone is being wronged, and how this helps makes us a trusted member of our community.  We talked about Noah working for GOD, but never having the strength to challenge GOD when GOD wanted to destroy the world.  To bring our point home, we found partners and traveled around the synagogue on a Trust Walk.  On our first attempt, most of us opened our eyes, failing to totally trust our partners or build a relationship.  As we continued our travels, we began to communicate with our partners and became more secure in our relationships. We shared our feelings about trusting others, and challenged our partners when we felt they were not cooperating or treating us fairly.  

To end the week, we talked about Noah not arguing with GOD because Noah's family was being taken care of, thus the flood wasn't his problem.  Unfortunately this was not the case, and the Torah teaches us over and over again, that not everything is about us.  We are commanded to step up and help others when they are in need,  Finally we talked a little about the water contamination in Flint, and how even though it's not in our backyard, it is still our responsibility to step up and help those in need.  

Please ask your students to share their ideas about trust and partnerships, and what they have to do to earn your trust.  

TORAH IS THE TREE OF LIFE

This week we celebrated the birthday of the trees, Tu B'Shevat.  Although not a Torah based holiday, there is plenty to learn from the Torah about how we take care of the trees, nature, and all of GOD's creations.  On Sunday we learned about the seven species of fruits specifically mentioned in the Torah, and how in ancient times our Rabbi's taught us to celebrate life through nature.   We talked 

about the cycle of life, and how in each season we are responsible for caring for the earth in different ways.  We compared the different types of fruits to the types of Torah scholars, and some of us had fun tasting a variety of the fruits found on trees that grow in Israel.  

On Tuesday, we talked about why the Torah commands us to care for all living things, and specifically mentions the importance of caring for trees, water, and the land.  We talked about the Torah being the Tree of Life, and our students created  posters explaining just why this phrase is so important to us.  We compared people to trees, and decided people can't live without trees, and Jews can't live without the Torah.  We then learned of the commandment to plant trees for the next generation, and some suggested that because we can't change the present, we can change the future. We had a lively discussion, and I definitely believe the world is in good hands with the Torah scholars in Kitah Dalet. 

WHAT'S JEWISH ABOUT MLK?

While many students across the country enjoyed a three day weekend shopping, skiing, and sleeping late, many of the students in Kitah Dalet joined together with our Shaarey Zedek families for a morning of sharing and caring at our Community Action Day. Thank you to everyone who participated, the experience was quite extraordinary.

To further bring home the lessons we learned at our experiential hands-on community service activities, we talked about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr in class on Tuesday. We learned about Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a Jewish peace activist who joined together with Dr. King marching for freedom for all. We compared the ideas of racism and anti-antisemitism, and talked about the Jewish values of Tikkun Olam, our responsibility to care for the world. We talked about community and how Jewish law demands we seek justice for all, quite similar to the words in the Pledge of Allegiance many students recite each morning before beginning their day at school.

In just forty minutes we shared stories about standing up and doing the right thing, and the basic Jewish value that we are all created Betzelem Elokim, in GOD's image. We talked about Jewish law demanding that we care for others through acts of kindness and the importance of helping those in need. We talked about our responsibility to make the world better by building a relationship to GOD through doing kind things for one's self and for others. What perfect lessons for all of us to remember when thinking about making the world a better place.

Next week we celebrate the birthday of the trees, and explore the biblical texts associated with the holiday of Tu B'Shevat.  If you would like to celebrate at home, ask you children to tell you the seven species we eat on Tu B'Shevat, specifically mentioned in the Torah.  

PRIDE OF THE PACK

Many of our students braved the cold and snow this afternoon, and for those who attended, it was well worth the trip. We warmed up with a few bars of Adon Olam and our students practiced singing loud and proud.  The best way to practice Hebrew reading is to attend Shabbat services, so if you are available, try to stop in and join us on Saturday morning.

Our Torah Topic discussion continued with a small review of Noah.  We talked about what it is like to work hard creating or building something, only to have it  ruined by someone else.  Such was the case with GOD.  We talked about GOD creating the world and everything in it, and how the people of the time were rude and disrespectful.  So much so, GOD found it necessary to destroy the world. Our discussion led us to the idea of pride, and what it means to take pride in the work we do.  

Our students did a great job creating an acrostic for the word pride, and this will serve as our working definition for our future lessons.  Please ask your students to share some of their ideas of what it means to have pride in our work, and how taking pride in the things we do makes us better people, and helps us build relationships with GOD and those around us.     

P = Perseverance

R = Responsibility
I  = Integrity
D = Discipline
E= Empathy

Please plan on joining us Sunday, January 17, 2016, as we help make the world a little bit better by working together at our Day of Service Learning in honor of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

TOO MUCH STUFF

We had a lively discussion this week, and it was nice to see so many of our friends in class. Of course we talked about our Winter Break, and we shared some of the Jewish things we did while on vacation.  In was interesting to hear our friends talk about ordinary experiences that definitely had a Jewish spin.  We talked about the importance of taking everyday moments and making them Jewish experiences, and our students thought long and hard when I suggested that almost everything they do can have a Jewish spin.  

After getting their whistles wet with a general discussion, we again talked about stuff.  We talked about how much stuff is too much stuff, and stretched the conversation to talk about being mindful of the things we have.  We talked about taking things for granted, and appreciating the many gifts we are afforded.  To leave the door open for a discussion at home, we talked about needs and wants, and recognizing the differences.  Our discussion continues next week we dive head fist into the Torah and begin our text study of Noah in earnest.