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.