CJL Updates

Reviewing Simchat Torah and discussing the 5 books of Torah!

Ask your students: What are the 5 books of Torah and what is in the Torah.

We will begin learning the first 6 blessing words for prayers through games, acting and repeating.

Ask your students: What are the 6 words that start all Hebrew blessings

We learned all about Rosh Chodesh and the Calendar. We planted our own seeds!

Ask your students: What does Rosh Chodesh mean to you and why is it important to the Hebrew Calendar?

During Simchat Torah we finished reading the Torah and at the same time began reading the Torah. Therefore, this class we started the first chapter of the Torah. We learned about the story of creation. We talked about what God created each day, the meaning about importance of the creation about compared it to modern day knowledge. 

Ask your students: What did God create each day, and why was the 7th day called Shabbat?

We took a tour of the Temple and talked about Kashrut when we went into the kitchen and how we remember those who have passed away when we walked by memorial boards. 

Ask your students: What was their favorite room in the Temple?

We are began the Jewish Life Cycle by discussing family histories. I am reading them "The Blessing Cup" by Patricia Polacco, which details the history of her family coming to the US from Russia, as they escaped pogroms, etc. They kept a "Blessing Cup" throughout their journey and life in America. Even though their life had ups and downs, they were grateful for their blessings. Patricia Polacco has the Cup to this day. I will then show them the tea set I have that looks exactly like the one in the book, along with pictures of my family in Russia and throughout their lives (for the next class, I will ask them to bring pictures of their family, if they would like). We will begin to discuss the "histories" they will devise for their bears which will appear at the end of class.

Ask your students: What would they specifically like to know about their family histories? Who would they like to talk to? What do they consider the most fascinating aspect

We talked about this weeks Torah portion- Parsha Noah, with special guest teacher, Joahannah. 

Ask you students: What was something new and interesting you learned about Noah, you didn't know before?

We are going to discuss why hate exists and how we can turn negativity into positivity.

Ask your students: What they can do to create Positive connections between their peers.

We go to know each other and our community!

Ask your students: What friends did you get to meet and who were the new friends that your met?

Today we decorated a poster in both Hebrew and English to welcome us to the start of the new year. 

Ask your students: What is something new you learned about someone in your class?

We began our year long journey by participating in team building activities and getting to know you activities. They learned the significance of the number 18 and reviewed the Shabbat Blessings.

Ask your students: Why is the number 18 so important to the Jewish people? What did we do in 18 minutes? What is something you learned about your new classmates?

The students got to know each other, create a class puzzle, play some ice breaker games, and talk about the coming year.

Ask your students: Did you meet any new friends today? Tell me one new thing you learned about someone.

We created a class breit (class rules). Hebrew level assessment for each student. 

Ask your students: What is a breit and what they think is important for a breit to have?

Students had a chance to pair off and discuss Jewish values in their learning environment and how they want to live them in their classroom.

Ask your students: What do they look forward to most in school? What do they like ot do most after school? How do they think they learn best?

We started with some team building and get ot know you games, created class agreements which led into a discussions about appreciation diffrences. And then we introduced our topic for the year- "Chumash" which the the book from the Torah.

Ask you students: What is the difference between the Torah and the Bible or the Tanach

We learned about the idea of Kehillah (community). Students will recognize they have more Similarities than differences.

Ask your students: What makes them apart of the community?

We celebrated with the 5th Graders and their Bears!

Today we discussed Passover and made placemats to use at our Seders.

We also attended 5th grade Bear Mitzvah! Ask your child what is one of the plagues?

We celebrated with the 5th Graders and their Bears!

We continued talking about Passover.

We learned the traditions and customs of the holiday and the parts of the Seder

(Passover dinner), as well as the foods on the Seder Plate and what they represent.

We also finished making our Matzah holders.

Ask your child what happened at the Red Sea?

We celebrated our Bear Mitzvah!

We found out our favorite thing or idea about Shabbat and we decorated our Shabbat candles. Ask your child what Shabbat means to them! Next week we will begin learning about Purim and the leaders in the story.

Today we went on a mezuzah hunt! Ask your child how many they found!

Today we learned about the Tallit and what the tzitzit stand for. We all talked about the different types of commandments that are listed in the Torah. Ask your child about the upcoming "Bear Mitzvah" on March 28th! Next week we will tie tzitzit for the bear!

We had fun discussing and creating tzedakah boxes and other symbols of Shabbat. Ask your child why we collect tzedakah?

Today we talked about the origins of our 3 daily prayers - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then everyone came up with 3-5 prayers for each time of day (shacharit - morning, minchah-afternoon, maariv - evening). Ask your child what was their favorite prayer that they came up with today?

Today in class we reviewed the Hebrew alphabet and the Jewish lifecycle! Ask your child what was new in beit midrash? Don't forget to log-in to online Hebrew!

Today we finished decorating the Kippot for our class bears!! Next week we will continue our bear's life cycle journey!