PARTNERS THROUGH TRUST

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 a 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 make

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. Please ask 

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

JEWISH AND AMERICAN

Our Torah is a timeless resource for Jews around the world  and GOD had infinite wisdom when passing down this sacred text.  In no uncertain terms, we are commanded to unconditionally care for mankind, by doing all we can to make the world just and fair.  

On Sunday morning, we talked about Holocaust Rememberance Day, and reviewed the importance of telling stories, teaching history, and most importantly remembering our past so as not to repeat previous mistakes.  In very basic terms, we talked  about the rise of Hitler, anti-Semitism, and World War II.  We learned about policies in America, and talked about the 900 Jews on the SS St.Louis who tried to enter America and were turned away at our border, sent back to Germany, and ultimately to their death.  

This message hit home for some our students as we talked about the people trying to enter America from Muslim countries, and what we must do as Jews and Americans.  While we didn't hit upon an all or nothing answer, we did share some thoughts and ideas about saving a life, rescuing a captive, and treating everyone with basic dignity and respect, regardless of their race or religion. You would have been very proud of the dialogue between our students, and it was truly heartwarming  to hear their questions and thoughts.  

GOOD OR JUST GOOD ENOUGH

The Torah is a never ending scroll of life lessons that keeps on giving. Thousands of years ago on the edge of Mt. Sinai, Moses received the Torah and shared it with us, the Jews of past, present and future. The object of this gift is to use it over and over again, and allow it to permeate our minds, bodies, and souls. The students in our 4th grade core class are slowly learning the many lessons shared by generations before us. Each week we deconstruct another phrase from the Torah and turn it and twist it to better understand the world around us and bring us closer to GOD, our community, and ourselves.  The lessons we study each week help us understand we have infinite control over the decisions we make and the Torah teaches us to always work towards doing the right thing no matter how difficult it may be.

This week we began studying the complex nature of  Noah, and what it truly means to be righteous. Was Noah truly righteous, or was he just better than anyone else. In class our students have been turning this phrase over and over again…is it OK to just be better than someone else, or does GOD ask more of us? We are beginning to learn that we must set the bar higher than just someone else, and reach to be the best we can be. Take some time to share your ideas with your children, and ask them which of their behaviors are good, and which are good enough.

On Tuesday afternoon our students re-examined Noah, and tried to understand why Noah followed GOD's demands without questioning GOD's actions.  We talked about building relationships and trust, and the importance of communication in a partnership.  We talked about the difference between faith and obedience, and continue to struggle with the idea that Noah did not try to save the people of the world.  

WHAT'S JEWISH ABOUT MLK?

This month we completed our discussion of  Bereshit, and students shared a list of the many themes culled from the pages of our sacred text.  The recurring thread which continues to reveal itself throughout our lives is the idea of Betzelim Elokim, we are all created in the image of GOD, and we all have certain responsibilities with this gift.  Other themes which continue to appear in our weekly discussions include the importance of taking responsibility for our actions, having free will, and doing the right thing.

On Tuesday afternoon,  we had a lively discussion about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  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 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 our short thirty 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.  

This week many of our students made beautiful Shabbat candlesticks on Sunday morning.  If you were unable to participate, please call Allison and make arrangements for another oppprtunity.  

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.