A GOOD NAME...

There are three crowns.  The crown of Torah

The crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship.

But the crown of a good name excels them all. 

(Ethics of the Fathers 4:17)

In class today, our students were asked to think about the many lessons we learned this year, and the importance of building a relationship with others by following the commandments.  These relationships are nurtured through Jewish values, and our commitment to making the world a better place.  We shared our thoughts and ideas about our reputations, and how others view us.  We also talked about what we want others to say about us, and how we are the gatekeepers to our legacy.  

We twisted and turned the ideas in this phrase, and talked about what the three crowns were.  Were they really crowns, or were they just symbols for royalty or riches?  After some poking and prodding, we thought about how one receives these crowns.  The crown of Torah, priesthood and kingship are all titles bestowed upon someone with little rhyme or reason.  Someone may have a lot of money or a famous family, and subsequently, they are looked to as heroes. However, the crown of a good name exceeds all the other crowns because a good name must be earned.  

Students were asked to think about the many ways we earn our good name.  We talked about what our teachers, neighbors, friends, and family think of us, and how important it is to protect our name.  Students created name posters with their personality traits, and rest assured, many do indeed have a good name.  Our students see themselves as funny, happy, good, nice, kind, and respectful.  They are empathetic, brave, smart, athletic, special, and strong.  Most importantly, they are Super Heroes in their own right, and each has earned their good name.  

Thank you for allowing me to learn with your students this year.  It has been a pleasure getting to know them, and I look forward to seeing you on Sunday for our Shavuot Ceebration and final day together.  

A PROMISE IS A PROMISE

Our year is quickly coming to an end, but we have many more lessons to learn.  In our Taste of Torah rotation, we continued to follow the life of Abraham and Sarah.  We examined the text from the Chumash, and learned Abraham was sent from his home with the promise he and all his generations would become a great nation.  We talked about this as a reality, and our students truly believe the Jewish people have endured many hardships through time, but in the end, we stood taogether to continuously fight our enemies.

With the groundwork solidly in place, we talked about how the Judaism has thrived while many other ancient civilizations went by the wayside.  We talked about strong family values and faith in GOD as the cornerstone of our continuity, and the belief that we have our Torah and the commandments to keep us consistently grounded.

Finally,  we talked about the covenant between Abraham and GOD, and the promise of Brit Milah.  While our students were a bit squeamish, we gave the truth and nothing but the truth, and we had lots of thoughtful questions about the commandment of circumcision.  Rabbi Dahlen stopped in for the discussion, and our students loved learning with him.

On Tuesday,  we took a break from the Torah and instead talked about the Ten Commandments, specifically, the commandment to honor our Mother and our Father.  We examined Ashet Chayil, a traditional acrostic husbands and fathers chant each Friday night to the wife and mother of the household, and we learned about the importance our Rabbis placed on the family.   Students created a Mother's Day card with several quotes fround in Proverbs, and wrote their own Woman of Valor quotes as well.  I hope you enjoy the thoughtful cards, and have a lovely Mother's Day with your family.  

Sunday, May 14, 2017 - Happy Mother's Day - NO SCHOOL
Sunday, May 21, 2017 - Family Shavuot Progeram - See you Then

What's In Your Backpack

In our  Taste of Torah class, 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 he would become a great nation.     

We talked about what it means to be a great nation, and the responsibilities that come with this great task.  We also talked about the generations that came before Abraham, and the qualities they had that made GOD put his trust in them.  We talked about being honest and dependable, and having faith in GOD, and we talked about building relationships on trust.  Finally, we explored the text in the Torah, where GOD commands Abraham to leave his home and his family, and find a place where GOD will show him.  

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.    Students were then to asked to think of the things they would need to place in their backpacks if they were packing for a journey to a far away land.  Specifically, students were asked to pack items that would guarantee the future of Judaism.  We had some thoughtful and insightful backpacks, and some funny little items as well.  Ask your children what they would pack for their trip.  

To observe Yom Hazikaron, Israel's Day of Remembrance we observed a moment of silence for the fallen soldiers in our Jewish Homeland, and then we celebrated Yom HaAtzmaut, Israel's 69th birthday.  Students made hummus and Israeli Salad, decorated Hamsas in the Maker Space, and made Dead Sea Salt scrub, Before ending our day with birthday cake.  

Next week we will talk about the commandment of Brit Micah in class.  Please take a few minutes to introduce this topic with your students if you think it will be a difficult discussion for them to hear.  

THE CHOSEN ONES

WOW!  It sure was good to be back in class after our long Passover break.  After spending a little bit of time talking about our family Seders, and the importance of sharing our family traditions from one generation to another, we settled down to review the many lessons presented in each Torah portion.  We talked about 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.  

During our discussion, we decided that 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. 

On Tuesday afternoon, we had a brief discussion about Yom Ha Shoah and Holocaust Remembrance Day.  We read the book The Yellow Star by Carmen Deedy and we talked about standing up for what you believe in, and supporting the underdog, or a victim. 

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.  

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AND THE QUESTION IS...

The Passover Seder is about arousing the senses of our children, and engaging them in a discussion about our Jewish identity.  In the Torah, we are commanded to teach our children the story of our Exodus from Egypt, so that every generation will know we were slaves and GOD set us free.  The Seder provides a stage for our families to share the journey from slavery to freedom and demands we meet our children at the developmental stage they are in.  In class today, we traveled through the Haggadah, and looked at the many different ways our story entices our children to ask questions so we may have meaningful conversations.    

As a way to engage our students in our shared history, we created a list of questions to share at your Seder. Please use this list as a guide to engage your children, and encourage them to share they ideas with you. They are quite knowledgeable, and they are more than capable of participating in a meaningful and insightful way.  

PASSOVER

Why do we eat matza?

Why do we eat bitter herbs?

What does the egg symbolize?

What do the 14 steps represent?

What does the word Seder mean?

Why do we wash our hands twice?

Why are there 14 steps to the Seder?

What two things does the charosis represent?

What two ways does the matza represent the Jews life?

How is matza both the food of slavery and the food of freedom?

How do the items on the Seder plate represent both our time as slaves, and our path to freedom?

What does Dayenu teach us? 

What was the tenth plague?

Why do we have a mezuzah on our door?

What would some modern day plagues be?  

What body part did GOD use to free us from slavery?

Why did GOD send ten plagues rather than just one big one?

Why did GOD kill all the Egyptians rather than just Pharaoh?

What number repeats itself over and over again in the Haggadah?

What main character is missing in the story of our passage to freedom?

Why was GOD angry with the Israelites when we crossed the Reed sea?

Why do we use our pinky rather than our pointer finger to represent the ten plagues?

Wishing you a Chag Kosher Sameach!  

Passage to Passover

We have been working like slaves in Kitah Dalet, and many of us have some interesting tidbits to share, and  some great questions to ask at our Passover Seders. We have been talking about our life as slaves in Egypt and what it means to be free. In our classroom discussions we talked about free will and having the ability to make choices that we are in control of. We talked about the Torah giving us multiple stories to turn and twist, encouraging us to find the hidden meanings that speak to us.  Some of our students struggled with the actual events revealed in the Torah text, and we talked about looking at the bigger picture when reading.  To address this scepticism, we turned the tables and talked about the message GOD is trying to teach.  Students were asked to think about the lessons we can learn to build better relationships with others and what we can do to make our relationship with GOD more meaningful.  

Using the Haggadah as our text book, we have been brushing up on our Seder skills. With a little bit of practice, I am sure all of our students will do a great job asking the four questions at your family Seder. In our classroom discussions, we talked about the fifteen steps to the Seder, and asked our students to look for the evolution from slavery to freedom in each of the steps. We talked about Moses being born a slave, being raised as royalty, and then joining his people as an adult. We talked about making this choice to help his community, and the sacrifices he made for the good of others.

TO TEST OR NOT TO TEST...

This week, our Kitah Dalet students were confronted with the ethical dilemma we face when caring for animals. The story of Noah represents a turning point in the relationship between human beings and animals.  GOD decides to destroy the world by flood, and saves Noah and his family, and all the animals to sustain the species.   It is here we begin to see the importance GOD places on caring for the animals, and the commandment of tza'ar balei chayim, not inflicting pain on animals. We talked about an animals inability to care for themselves, and our responsibility to meet their needs whenever possible.

In class, we had a lively debate about animal testing.  We talked about using animals to test experimental drugs in the hopes of finding a cure for life threatening diseases.  Although it didn't sit well with some of our students, we talked about the Jewish law to save a human life over the life of an animal.  We talked about the ethical treatment of animals, and the commandments to care for all living things with kindness and compassion. However, animals do not know right from wrong, and humans are expected to answer to GOD.  Furthermore, we learned humans have souls, which ultimately are returned to GOD, which makes us accountable for our actions.  

The mitzvah of showing respect for animals has its roots in the Biblical command of showing sympathy for a mother bird nestled with her young. Furthermore, the Midrash says that both Moses and David were chosen to lead Israel because of their kindness to animals. As we discussed in our Kashrut unit, the ideal Jewish diet is vegetarianism, as reflected in life in the Garden of Eden. According to the Torah, however, when God recognized how imperfect his human creation was, he allowed the consumption of meat, with some restrictions. The killing of animals is restricted out of concern for animal life, and is expressed in the mitzvah of 'tza'ar balei chayim' -  not inflicting pain

on animals.

Please ask your child to share their thoughts about animal testing, and kindness to animals.  They are an extremely compassionate group, and some of them were quite concerned about having to make a choice over saving a stranger or saving a pet.