Torah Strong in the Great Outdoors

Hello all and Happy New Year!  We had a wonderful 3rd day of the Sunday edition of religious ed.  This Sunday we began with our usual framing:  we said our bracha over Torah study and recited our: Hillel's Rule, Chazak!Chazak!, Wrestler's Mantra, and Torah Strong.  Please ask your child what each of these is. We then headed outside to get our Torah on.

We are going to be studying the text of the parsha Vayeira for the next few months.  Yesterday, we began in the very beginning.  The text starts with poor, old Abraham, who is ailing. You see, he just had his bris, and poor Abe was NOT a bouncing baby boy of 8.  He was quite a few years older.  So needless to say, Abe was not feeling so well. And as he was reclining in his tent, he saw 3 guests walking in the distance.  Abraham JUMPS up, greets them, washes their feet (and we think that modern people have no sense of hospitality :)) and feeds them.  Later, he will learn that they are angels, and they will bring him news of his impending fatherhood. But for now, Abraham is just hurting, and then running, washing and feeding.  I use this short passage to teach the kids the importance of hospitality, or in Hebrew, Hachnasat Orchim.

And Abraham does not go about being the hostest with the mostest casually. He literally puts his own pain and needs aside and HASTENS, the Torah tells us, to meet his guests' every needs. I love this passage, because it so beautifully and literally displays that Judaism is a religion of ACTION. We can't just sit around and wait or sit around and pray, we NEED TO DO.  Kids have a hard time getting this.  Us adults have had fevers, been weeks on end sleep deprived, so sick and tired that we can't see straight, and somehow we get up and feed our kids and care for them and even though every bone in our body is aching, we don't get a day off.  Remember the first time your infant had the stomach flu and then you got it and somehow your child had the gall to get better first and need to eat and stuff?  Remember how you thought "wait a minute… I don't feel well. What do you mean you need something?!"  Well the kids have not had to put their own needs aside to help others in the same way that us parents had to do.

So we learned.  We experienced.

We had an "Abraham," the fabulous Estee Moss and we had a Doctor Adam (an insert to the story), we had some guests, we had some others who helped the whole mishigas run smoothly.  In order to have a handicap, as Abraham would clearly have had, Estee could only use one hand and one eye.  Doctor Adam made sure she followed these rules and was safe.  Our Abraham had to RUN across the pavilion and greet our guests.  She had to converse with them in Hebrew (we had a Hebrew cheat sheet on hand) and tell them a joke.  Then she had to RUN across the pavilion and build her tents and welcome her guests into the tents.  Then she had to RUN across the pavilion and get wet wipes and hand sanitizer and the RUN back to the guests to clean their hands (no feet.) Then she had to RUN across the pavilion to get food and RUN back to hand feed them. She had to do all of this with a smile on her face.

And she did. That is, until Mother Nature decided to roll a ginormous storm cloud right on top of the pavilion. Perhaps God was displeased about the hand vs feet thing?!  Can't win em all.  The kids were pretty freaked out about the storm, but we did take 5 minutes before stormageddon rolled in and we went over the text.

We discussed how Abraham was in a hurry to help his guests.  He put his own needs aside to do it.

we RAN (Jews are, after all, people of action :)) back to the classroom to avoid the storm.  We talked about how we cannot necessarily invite strangers into our homes, but how can we learn from this story and make it work in modern life.  THe kids decided they can give to Yad Ezra.  We also talked about other "homes."  For instance at school, when a new kid comes in, we can save them a seat at the lunch table.  And when we see someone in need, instead of waiting to do something, we can do it immediately.  

I told them the story of the Lubavitcher RAbbi, Schneerson. I read a biography about him this summer by Tulushkin ( I recommend it). So one of his minions came in and told the Rebbe that he had found a girl who wanted Shabbat Candles and he was going to mail them to her, so she could light them next week.  The man thought that the Rebbe was going to be super excited. Instead, the Rebbe said "why must she wait a week to perform this mitzvah?"  The man looked at his watch and said, "but Rebbe.  Shabbas starts in 12 minutes and we are in Crown Heights and she lives in Maryland!"  The Rebbe said "I'm sure you will figure something out."  (I love this)  So the man called the home, asked the girl if she had birthday candles, told her the prayer and had her transliterate it in note form, and then told her he would mail the candles the next week, but in the meantime, she could perform the mitzvah."  He made it happen in under 12 minutes, ran back to the rabbi, and the Rebbe said "Good. Why must one wait a second longer than they need to to perform a mitzvah?"

And with that note.  HASTEN all of you to live a good life, to prepare for a wonderful New Year. May you and your families not have to wait a second longer to live meaningful, happy, peaceful lives and may God bless you with a sweet and wonderful new year.

And remember, your kid now knows that he/she must put his/her own needs aside to help others.  So next time you feel sick, scream for little Samuel to take care of things!

- Morah Leah

Kitah Bet Update

Dear Parents,

Since my last update to you. , we have been learning about the holiday of Rosh Hashanah. Your children are creating something for you to use to enhance your holiday celebration . They will take these home on Sunday.

I have shared several books with the class  to compliment our Rosh Hashanah learning. "Talia and the Rude Vegetables"   and "What's the Buzz?" are two we have read . Ask them about these and why Morah Robinson read them for Rosh Hashanaj . We will continue our holiday study with different activities and text.

We began our Hebrew reading learning and we will finish our first lesson on Sunday . Your children will bring reading homework to complete with you on Sunday.

We missed Sari on Tuesday and were happy to have 100% attendance last Sunday.

If you know your child will be absent, please send me an e-mail before class.

Shabbat Shalom, I will see everyone on Sunday.

Davida Robinson

Morah Katz Hebrew Update

Dear Fourth through Sixth Grade Families:

We have been quite busy in Hebrew over the past couple of weeks, getting all of our supplies, as well as getting to know all of the teachers and students. Since the Fourth Graders are new to our team of teachers this year, we have begun to evaluate each student's reading ability, strengths and challenges.  We hope to have the Fourth Graders situated in their each individual reading group over the next several weeks.

The Fifth and Sixth Graders were assessed last year and have already been assigned to a teacher and a reading group.  As the year progresses, we will continue to monitor each individual student's reading progress and need and will make adjustments to the groups as needed.  We are all looking forward to working with your children to encourage their independence, confidence and fluency in their Hebrew. 

We look forward to a great year and wish you a Shana Tova!!

B'Shalom, 

Donna Katz

Morah Schlussel Hebrew Update

Dear Parents,

This last week has seemed to have zoomed by.  Again we began each Hebrew school day with Tefillah led by Assistant Cantor Gutman. The children are participating beautifully . They are getting to know the melodies and the chanting of these important prayers. They primary prayers we are focusing on in tefillah is with Ashrei, Ein Keloheinu, Adon Olam, and Aleinu, 

We began our Kol Yisrael book in 5th and 6th grade. The lesson introduces the Barchu prayer. I gave the students a sheet taken right from the book to practice at home. It is just a few lines of reading practice and it will be a good review before our next class on Sunday. Ask your child to show you the sheet and if you have time, it would be great if you could sit down and review those few lines together.

We continued  testing the 4th graders to decide how to divide them into appropriate reading groups.

If I do not get another opportunity before Rosh Hashana, I want to wish you together with your entire families a Shana Tova Umetukah - A happy, healthy and sweet New Year.

                                     Shabat Shalom,  Toby Schlussel

Morah Levinson Hebrew Update

Dear Kitah Dalet, Hey and Vov families,

So far things are going well in our classes. I unfortunately was out last Sunday and really missed the kids, but they were in great hands and I heard they had a nice day of learning :).

Tuesday was a very productive day for all 3 grades:

 The 4th grade teachers began reading testing and assessments with the students, which we will finish up this Sunday. Our goal is to create reading groups that will help each child improve their reading skills at a pace they can feel comfortable with.

The 5th and 6th graders were introduced to their text books, did some reading review and also worked on letter/vowel/word worksheets in order to "revitalize" their Hebrew knowledge.

Everyone sounds wonderful during Tefillah this year! It's great to hear all of the beautiful voices singing the prayers along with Cantor Gutman :)

Wishing you a peaceful weekend and Shabbat Shalom,

Morah Dona Levinson

Kitah Zayin Update

Dear 7th grade families,

We had an exciting week of class at CSZ! Last Sunday, to begin our unit on Shomrei Adamah, or guardians of the Earth, we took a nature walk to a nearby park. Each student had a color swatch and tried to find something in nature that matched their color. This exercise encouraged students to truly look at the beauty in nature around us all the time. Back at CSZ, we looked at four traditional t'fillot, or prayers, that we say in appreciation of natural beauty. We then split into groups and explored verses from the Torah that explain our responsibility to be "guardians of the Earth." For example, one text tells us that just as we are commanded to rest on the 7th day each week, so too we are required to allow our land to rest - we are not allowed to work our fields - every 7 years! 

On Tuesday, Scott Unger, owner of Beaverland Farms and a leader in the urban gardening community in Detroit, came to speak to our 7th graders. He told us how he became involved in urban farming, showed us pictures of the work he has done in the Brightmoor neighborhood, and connected his farming and community building work to Jewish values. Together, we planted lettuce and shared jam made from strawberries on his farm. The students asked wonderful questions and saw a true local example of Shomrei Adamah. 

Scott's visit helped set the stage for our field trip this coming Sunday, September 21, to Eden Gardens in Detroit. You all should have received a permission slip email from Allison - please respond to it to confirm that your child can come with us! At Eden Gardens our teens will work alongside Detroit teens in the garden to put the Jewish value of Shomrei Adamah, guardians of the Earth, into practice. We will also begin learning about the partnership between Black and Jewish communities in Detroit. Please send your child in clothes that are appropriate for outdoor work in the garden. 

Please arrive promptly at 9:30 am this Sunday, September 21. The bus will leave CSZ at 9:45 am to depart for Eden Gardens. We will return to CSZ at 12:35 pm. 

Again, please email Allison (agutman@shaareyzedek.org) to notify us that your 7th grader has permission to attend our field trip to Eden Gardens in Detroit. This will be an incredibly valuable experience and we really hope your child will attend!

Have a wonderful weekend and a Shabbat Shalom!

Rachel and David

Kitah Alef Update

Dear Parents,

We have completed learning our first letter Alef.  Please feel free to look at your child's workbook and see their work. (Pages 23-25). They are eager to learn and excited to study new letters and vowels. We talked about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I asked the students to tell me what special Mitzvot they have done this year and what they would like to continue doing in the coming year and what are some things they are sorry for.

Hugh

•  Held the door open for his brothers
• Things he's sorry-he blocked an area at school so his friend couldn't get through

Justin -

• Helps mom with the baby
• Things he's sorry about - Sometimes doesn't listen to his sister

Zachary 

• helped the housekeeper make his bed
• he and his sister sometimes fight, she always hits him and sometimes he has to fight back

Olivia

• Helps mom and dad wash dishes
• Doesn't do bad things

Arielle

• Helped her brothers clean up their stuff
• Never did a bad thing

The purpose of this exercise to to help the students understand why we fast and the purpose of repenting. We discussed how people celebrate holiday's differently and some of the students shared their stories of how they celebrate holidays.

We began our Chai workbooks and started with Torah. The students learned the blessings for challah, wine and Shabbat candles. They learned we give thanks to God for many different things. We will work in our Torah books every week and today we began with Lesson 1; What is Torah? We talked about Adam and Eve and God's creations. Every week, we will review the previous letter and vowel and add the next letter. The goal by the end of the year is to have your children reading sentences.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Have a great weekend!

Morah Dresner Wais
(Lisa)          

Kitah Vav Holiday Update

Dear 6th Grade Parents,

This week we continued our High Holiday preparations by studying the shofar. We learned that a shofar can only come from a Kosher animal and the different sounds that the shofar will make on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We also learned that the ram's horn we blow on Rosh Hashanah is meant to call us to attention and make us realize the seriousness of the High Holidays. The High Holidays are a time when we reflect on being better people and better Jews. We also spoke about עֲקֵידַת יִצְחַ (Akedat Yitzchak--the binding of Isaac) and the symbolic connection between Abraham and Isaac's devotion to G-d and our own devotion to the Almighty.

As a very special treat, Dr. Cohen was our special guest this week. He brought with him various kosher shofars which he blew for us...including a GAZELLE shofar! Thanks, Dr. Cohen!

Shavuah Tov,
Morah Hollenberg

Kitah Hay Update

Dear 5^th Grade Parents,

We've had a fantastic few class sessions. The children are very excited about our fall holiday project:         Re-imaging the Sukkah. Our children are re-imagining the ancient structure known as a Sukkah; built during the Jewish harvest of Sukkot since biblical times (Leviticus 22:26-23:42). During Sukkot we celebrate and give gratitude for the harvest. For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the Sukkah – reciting a special blessing – and otherwise regard it as our home. Weather permitting, some even sleep there.

We are challenging our children to explore what a halachic Sukkah could look like when incorporating the Jewish values (Hachnasaht Orichim – Welcoming Guest, Chesed – Kindness, Bal Taschit – Do Not Destroy, etc.) that they've learned about at CSZ over the last several years.  The Sukkah also comes with parameters.

·         The structure must be temporary.

·         It must have at least two-and-a-half-walls.

·         It must have a roof made of shade-providing organic materials through which one can see the stars.

The twist on this competition is that the kids only need to build a mini sukkah – not to exceed 1 ft. x 1ft. in height or length.

We will showcase our children’s model Sukkot for all families on Sunday, October 12.

Ask your child what sort of building materials their team is using to re-imagine the Sukkah? What Jewish mitzvot or values does he/she think are the most important to incorporate into building a Sukkah?

A few other housekeeping notes:

·         The children are working in chevruta (small groups of approximately 4 students) to craft their model Sukkot. Their regular attendance is especially appreciated as we create these community models.

·         Please send you child with a tote or backpack to carry their Religious School materials in on both Sundays and Tuesdays.

Thank you,

Morah Cillia Kleiman

Jewish Values and Torah Scholars in Kitah Dalet

Our Kitah Dalet students are an extremely bright, energetic, and thoughtful group, and this week we encouraged them to participate in a meaningful discussion about Jewish values.   We arrived at a community definition and decided that values are behaviors that are important to a group of people with common interests.  Expanding on this definition, students brainstormed values important to us as a community in general, and more specifically to us as a Jewish community.  Students learned the importance of upholding the values of a group, and recognized that when group members fail to uphold the values of a community, the community slowly disappears.  Fortunately for us, our ancestors have been quite clear regarding the importance of maintaining consistent Jewish values throughout time.  We talked about family values and passing on values to future generations.  Finally, we looked at the Chumash and discovered the Torah is the foundation for living a Jewish life, passed on to us for generations. 

Our discussion on values was a perfect introduction to our Tuesday afternoon High Holiday review.  Although students learn about the holidays every year, they are introduced to more advanced concepts and ideas as they mature.  Students examined the original text in the Torah commanding us to celebrate an occasion on the first day of the seventh month, where we should do no work and hear the horn.  They interpreted this to mean we shouldn't go to work, and we should hear the shofar, which was pretty awesome for fourth grade Torah scholars.  We talked about the concept of Teshuva, and the importance of looking inward to improve our relationship with GOD and others.  We talked about working on finding our flaws and turning things around when we fall short of our goals or expectations.  This is quite a sophisticated concept, and we will continue our discussions next week.  Until then, please ask your child to think about teshuva, turning things around with those they have hurt. 

Torah Strong! We are ready to go!

Hi All -

We had a fantastic 2nd day of religious ed. Today we learned our Torah Strong! themes; we will use these themes to frame all of the learning we do this year.

For our mifgash (our intro 15 minutes), we were a bit time tied, so we did it in 5 minutes.  We discussed names and the importance of names.  The kids were REALLY REALLY into learning what their names meant.  They also got a GIANT kick out of learning that my name means "weary one."  Au contraire!

I will bring a Hebrew/English book in next week, so that the kids can look up their names.

First, we began with our bracha over Torah study (ends "la'asok b'dvrei Torah"), then we did our 1 footed Hillel's Rule Core strengthening, our Chazak! Chazak! V'nei Chazek 'Guns' Show and our Wrestling with Judaism stance. Please ask your child what each of these mean and what the physical movement is that goes along with them.  We will begin each day this way, to help start our learning with a single focus that will thread throughout the year.  In a nutshell, we are reinforcing that : studying Torah is holy work, that we need to treat others the way we want to be treated, that learning Torah will help strengthen us and that it is O.K and even expected for us to wrestle with our faith.

We then headed out for some Torah Strong Fun!  I was channeling my inner Richard Simmons, and we went out and did the following:

Activity One:

Chumash Hold: With 2 spotters - kids have to hold 2 bibles over their heads in each hand for 1 minute

Needed: 4 Torahs, stop watch

Teachable Moment: Moses HELD the 10 commandments over his head for all of Israel to see. They were STONE! He was OLD. This took INCREDIBLE STRENGTH.  This strength is both physical and spiritual. To UPHOLD THE TORAH, especially in a non-Jewish world, IT TAKES STRENGTH. It is not easy... that is what makes it rewarding. We TRY to uphold as many of the 613 commandments as we can and we “live Torah.” To do this we must be Torah Strong!

Pass out sheets that say: Torah Strong means we need inner STRENGTH to LIVE JEWISHLY

Activity Two:

Don’t Miss the Mark Archery: Students will be given 3 magnetic arrows OR the slingshot (choose method of choice). Students must try to hit the 613 in the middle of the dart board.

Needed: music stand, dart board, magnetic arrows, slingshot and balls

Teachable Moment: There is no direct translation in Hebrew for the word “SIN.”  The closest word means to “miss the mark.” Think of this as like playing darts. We TRY to hit the bullseye - that is our goal, but when we fail we “miss the mark.” This does not mean we are bad or evil, but that we must keep practicing to get it right and we need to FOCUS on our goals.  To be Torah Strong we need to have the commandments as our GOALS and when we fall short and “miss the mark,” we need to NOT give up, but keep practicing to live righteously!

Pass out sheets that say: Torah Strong means we need to keep our eyes on the goals and Aim for righteousness - don’t miss the mark

Activity Three:

Learning From Our Mistakes March: Students will be given a bin with fragments of rocks in it PLUS a replica of the 10 commandments.   2 Students will need to walk backwards (so they are holding the bin, but not facing it... this will be AWKWARD) in a straight line while marching!

Needed: plastic bin, rocks, replica of 10 commandments, start and end cones

Teachable Moment: A midrash tells us that the 1st 10 commandments -- the ones that Moses threw on the ground and broke with the Israelites were worshiping the golden calf -- were ALSO in the ark with the complete 10 commandments. Therefore, when the Jews were wandering the desert, the ark was HEAVIER PLUS the broken rocks would have clanked together to make noise.  This constant noise served as a REMINDER that they had made a mistake and it helped remind them to learn from that mistake!  To be TORAH STRONG we need to remember our mistakes to grow and move on. We must not dwell on our mistakes, but we MUST LEARN from them!

Pass out sheets that say: Torah Strong means that we need to remember our mistakes so that we may learn from them.

Activity 4:

Hit it out of the Ballpark / Aim High: Students will use the inflatable bat and balls. The object is to hit the ball as far as they can.  Because the ball is inflatable, it cannot go FAR, but it can go HIGH! The kids want to hit it UP as far as they can.

Needed: inflatable bat, inflatable ball

Teachable Moment: To be Torah Strong and live Jewishly, we must AIM HIGH!  We must always keep our eyes on God and try to RISE UP and BE HOLY.  To do so, we need to STEP UP and focus our attentions on constantly reaching ourselves above where we are.

Pass out sheets that say: Torah Strong means that we need to RISE UP and BE HOLY.

Activity 5: 

It is a marathon, not a sprint: Students will need to jump rope for as long as they can without stopping.

Needed: jump rope

Teachable Moment: To be Torah Strong we need to remember that it is a  LIFELONG commitment. We don’t just learn it all and then fizzle out after our bnai mitzvah.  We need to commit ourselves to the LONG HAUL and pace ourselves. There is a LIFETIME of learning and improving that we can do. Torah Strong people reflect each year to see where they came from and what they want to accomplish. As Jews we try to increase our level of commitment and observance so that we are constantly moving upward.  Our goal is to know at the end of each year that we lived more Jewishly than we did before

The kids had a lot of fun doing all of the activities and learning through fun movement.  We then went back in the classroom to recap, and we discussed that through Torah study, we will commit ourselves to grow spiritually each year.  We also discussed that this is a very personal path, and that it is different for each of us.  However, our goal is to make an EDUCATED and CONSCIOUS choice to move up the path of holiness.


Please feel free to contact me with ideas, thoughts, concerns and comments.  


Your children are a blessing.  It is such an honor to teach and learn with them and from them. I can't wait for next Sunday.


HAve a great week,

Morah Leah

Kitah Hey is Reimaging the Sukkah

Dear 5^th Grade Parents,

We’ve had a fantastic few class sessions. The children are very excited about our fall holiday project: Reimaging the Sukkah. Our children are reimagining the ancient structure known as a Sukkah; built during the Jewish harvest of Sukkot since biblical times (Leviticus 22:26-23:42). During Sukkot we celebrate and give gratitude for the harvest. For seven days and nights, we eat all our meals in the Sukkah – reciting a special blessing – and otherwise regard it as our home. Weather permitting, some even sleep there.

We are challenging our children to explore what a halachic Sukkah could look like when incorporating the Jewish values (Hachnasaht Orichim – Welcoming Guest, Chesed – Kindness, Bal Taschit – Do Not Destroy, etc.) that they’ve learned about at CSZ over the last several years.  The Sukkah also comes with parameters:

·         The structure must be temporary.

·         It must have at least two-and-a-half-walls.

·         It must have a roof made of shade-providing organic materials through which one can see the stars.

The twist on this competition is that the kids only need to build a mini sukkah – not to exceed 1 ft. x 1ft. in height or length.

We will showcase our children’s model Sukkot for all families on Sunday, October 12.

Ask your child what sort of building materials their team is using to reimagine the sukkah? What Jewish mitzvoth or values does he/she think are the most important to incorporate into building a sukkah?

A few other housekeeping notes:

·         The children are working in chevruta (small groups of approximately 4 students) to craft their model Sukkot. Their regular attendance is especially appreciated as we create these community models

·         Please send you child with a tote or backpack to carry their Religious School materials in on both Sundays and Tuesdays.

Thank you,

Morah Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Hey Judaica Update

Dear Parents,

It was wonderful seeing your children this week. 

This year I am planning to use their Hebrew names. If you could please discuss their name and how you chose that name with them and have them prepared to discuss it on Sunday, September 14 in class.

From now until Mid October, we will be learning, in depth, about the holiday of Sukkot.  On Sept. 14 we will start this Unit and begin a project that will merge both together holiday and important values in celebrating Sukkot.

The children will be creating miniature Sukkot that will express values that they hold dear. Using the specific laws in building a Sukkah they will work in groups to design and build a Sukkah that expresses their vision and values.

Shabbat Shalom,

Morah Kleiman

LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF 

BUILDING COMMUNITY IN KITAH DALET

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. 

Our Tuesday afternoon rotation begins in the Chapel where we daven together as a community, and then we regroup to 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

Opening Day Photos

Hebrew Update from Morah Levinson

Shalom Kitah Dalet, Hey and Vov families,

This past week we definitely got off to a great start! It was wonderful to see so many familiar students as well as meet a few new ones! Everyone had a chance to share a little bit about themselves with the classes, and also tell about their summer experiences. Together with Morahs Katz, Schlussel, Zachor and Sable, we divided the students into reading groups, and also played a few Aleph-Bet refresher games. It’s incredible to see how much the kids retained even after such a long break from Hebrew school! Kitahs Hey and Vov had a chance to write down on a piece of paper what their own personal wishes and goals are for the coming year, as it pertains to learning Hebrew – a sort of “time capsule”. On the last day of school, the kids will go back and read what they had written, and hopefully will find that they met their own expectations.

I am confident that this will be an awesome school year!

Have a wonderful weekend and Shabbat Shalom!

Morah Dona Levinson

7th Grade Update

Dear 7^th grade Families:

We had a fantastic first week of Religious School! On opening day we did some icebreakers and teambuilding exercises which built connection and solidarity between the teens. We feel it is important to build community within the classroom especially this year, as we will be taking the students out into the broader Jewish community to do service projects. Community must start in the classroom, and we feel the first week of class was successful in this regard.

We also introduced the idea of social action as a Jewish value. We examined Jewish texts which emphasized the importance of “not standing idly by (Leviticus 19:16)” and that “all of Israel is responsible for one another (Shevuot 39a).” We watched a video about Jewish involvement in the Civil Rights Movement and did some reflective activities. What if you saw an injustice happen right in front of you? What would you do? What does our tradition teach us about what our responsibility is in the face of injustice? These were some of the questions we delved into this week.

Next week we will be getting into our first unit of study which is the ethical responsibility of “Shomrei Adamah” (protecting the earth/environmentalism). We will examine texts from the Torah and some Aggadah (traditional folklore). On Sunday, we will take the teens on a nature walk in Southfield to kick off our  "Shomrei Adamah”. On Tuesday a Jewish Detroit urban farmer, Scott Unger, owner of Beaverland and Farms will come in and speak to the class about the Jewish values that inspired him to start a farm in the City of Detroit. We look forward to connecting our learners with the land and with their Jewish heritage.

On Sunday, September 21 our class will travel to Eden Gardens , a grassroots project and collaboration between the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue and the African American neighborhood block club.

Eden Gardens is a place where local Detroiters can learn life skills such as eating healthy, cooking, sewing, farming, and canning. The community project is a place where youth can learn leadership skills and make decisions on what they would like in their neighborhood ultimately guiding them to make better decisions in their lives and in our world. Our teens will work alongside Detroit teens in the garden to learn abut the values of Shomrei Adamah. 

We joyfully anticipate all that lies ahead with our 7^th grade learning community.

Your 7^th grade teaching team,

David and Rachel

Kitah Aleph Update

Dear Parents,

We are off to a great start for the new religious school year. We began with the letter Alef (A) and I briefly discussed vowels with  the students.  They all seemed so eager to learn that I thought getting right into the learning process was working well. We discussed the upcoming holidays and many of the kids gave examples of what they know about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  We talked about some of the things we will be learning which is holidays, alphabet, vowels and many many more exciting things.  Each student will be given a workbook that they should bring to class every Sunday and Tuesday. Please have them keep their supplies in a tote or back pack so they can feel more organized. We will be working on the Chai Curriculum on Tuesdays but if your child is only attending Hebrew School on Sundays, please let me know and I will make sure they are caught up with the rest of the class.

Looking forward to getting started in our new books. On Sunday, we will be discussing the upcoming holidays and what it means to repent along with fasting and the importance of what holidays are.  If you have any questions or concerns, please email me at Tigers1984@aol.com and I will be happy to discuss any issue that you may have.

Thank you,
Morah Lisa Dresner Wais

6th Grade Holiday Update

Dear 6th Grade Parents,

It was a pleasure meeting and teaching your children this week! I'm pleased to report that my class is highly animated and quite clever. I look forward to exploring even further into the Jewish Holidays with them.

In the mean time, I wanted to fill you in on what we covered this week. We began this evening's lesson by discussing the Hebrew month of אלול (pronounced Elul) and how this month does not have any Holidays, and why that might be. We also spoke about how the name of the month is symbolically appropriate as the letters of אלול form an acronym for the words of the verse

אני לדודי ודודי לי

"Ani l'dodi v'dodi li" (I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine) (Song of Songs 6:3), and what that means as it pertains to G-d's relationship with the Jewish people.

As a modified version of the "two truths and a lie" game, we then took some time to reflect on two things we like about Jewish holidays (either our own family's personal traditions, or things that all/most Jews do to celebrate Jewish holidays), and one thing we don't understand about a Jewish holiday. I encourage you to continue discussing this with your children to explore these ideas further.

Shavuah Tov (Good Week),
Morah Hollenberg

6th Grade off to a Great Start!

Hi All -

Today we had a FANTASTIC first day of religious ed. Sadly, half of our comrades were in a b'nai mitzvah meeting, so our "official day 1 with Morah Leah," will begin next Sunday. Today we had our mifgash (our centering of the day).  We began with a quick name game, moved on to a group activity that involved tearing papers, and ended with a quick quote and joke.  Our paper tearing activity involved the leader (moi) telling a blindfolded group to fold and tear a piece of paper a certain way.  Naturally, at the end of the activity, 90% of the kids' papers did not look like mine. We then discussed the importance of having 1) a good leader who gives clear directions and 2)listening and following those directions.  This brought us to our quote of the day, which is a Jewish proverb that reads "Learn first, then make your opinion."  We discussed how we need to actively learn to fully realize our Conservative Judaism.  Conservative Judaism, by definition, is CHOICE THROUGH KNOWLEDGE. We don't willy nilly decide to observe certain mitzvoth vs. others. We learn, we analyze, we decide what fits best for us and works for our own Jewish Spiritual Journey.  We discussed how this year we are going to learn a lot, and our job is for me to 1) accurately and effectively teach and for the kids to 2) engage and listen so that we all can make informed choices on our Jewish Journeys.  HOW?! You might say.  Well.  By entering the kids' world of course.  We spent the last few minutes coming up with lists of things that the kids like. What?  Well: I need to brush up on my Fantasy Football jargon, my Zac Efron knowledge, my Hunger Games motifs, my Minecraft skills, my Xbox 360 abilities, my Fault is In our Stars emotions etc… I am up for the challenge.  Together, we will make this class rock!

Next Sunday please have your child come in comfortable clothing that is weather appropriate.  We will be heading outside for our Field Day Torah Strong! Games.  I can't wait.

A few final housekeeping items:  please make sure that your son or daughter has BREAKFAST before he/she comes.  There are no bagels anymore.  Please make sure that your son has a kippah on when he enters the building and please make sure that your child comes with ideas, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.  I promise to do my part to make the class fun, interactive, relevant and informative.

Please feel free to email me if you have specific questions: leahgawel@yahoo.com

See you Sunday, if not before,
Morah Leah

p.s.  Joke of the day : What Israeli prime minister succeeded the first?
A:  The second.

har har.  Clean Jewish jokes are hard to find. The kids were "like what?!?!  whatever."  bing batta boom!

Kitah Bet update

Dear Parents,

 It was a reunion of sorts for me this morning. I  happy to have so many siblings of my former students and to see all of you again. We can skip some of the introductory business and get to work, and that is what we did today...

It was a great opening day in Kitah Bet. I hope your children agree with me on this observation . . 

Our temporary room is very homey and roomy and we will be very comfortable in it  as long as need be.

We began our day with a word search which  was an outline  for me to explain to your children a little bit what we would be learning and doing this year. This should be in their take-home folder and can be recycled. 

We began our "Bracha Book" which will be an ongoing piece of work for the year. Today we entered the "shehecheyanu" prayer into our Bracha book to celebrate our first day together.

I shared with your children the book "The First Gift". It is a book about  parents' giving us our  name.  They received a homework assignment for you to complete with them about their name. They will share this with the class during the next week. Did your children tell you about your homework assignment? They were very excited that you had homework!

There is always lots of "business' to talk about at the beginning of the year. Today I told your children that bringing a water bottle to class would be a good idea. They may also bring snacks to class as long as they are Kosher. 

I sent this first e-mail to all the e-mail addresses I had for your family. Please let me know what e-mail addresses you would like me to use when I send out e-mails.

I want to make this year this best possible for you and your child. If you have any questions or concerns or anything I should know to make for the best experience, please let me know.

We missed Ivy and Addison today. I will see everyone on Tuesday in the lobby.

Davida Robinson

Welcome to Kitah Hay (5th grade) with Morah Kleiman

Dear Parents,

I am so excited to be welcoming back your children to my class this year!

Through the study of Torah, the 5th grade Congregation Shaarey Zedek learner will find that our ancestors’ narrative fortifies the foundations of their Jewish identity by actively connecting them to generations - past, present and future; reveals an adaptive code of Jewish ethics and ritual behavior relevant to modern Jewish life; and spiritually strengthens them as engaged, dynamic 21st century Jews.

We will study the following texts: 

Abraham as father of the Jewish People

-Sarah and Hagar, Isaac and Ishmael; Gen. 16:1-16; Gen. 21:1-21; Gen. 23:1-20

Isaac

-The search for Rebecca; Gen. 24:1-67

-Death of Abraham; Gen. 25:7-11

-Rebecca; Gen. 25:19-26

Jacob

-The Birthright: Gen. 25:27-34; Gen. 27:1-28:9

-From Jacob to Israel; Gen. 28:10-22; Gen. 32:4-33:20

-Rachel and Leah; Gen. 29:1-32:3

Joseph

-Conflict with the brothers; Gen. 37:1-36

-Potiphar; Gen. 39:1-23

-in Prison; Gen. 40:1-41:43

-As Zaphenath-Paneah; Gen. 41:37-41:57

-Reconciliation with brothers; Gen. 42:1-45:28

-Descent to Egypt; Gen. 45:16 - Ex. 1:7

This year we will look in depth at the holidays of Sukkot, Pesach, and Shavuot and how they translate to our lives in 21st century Detroit.  I am looking forward to continue to partner with you in further developing your child's Jewish Education. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Sincerely, Cillia Kleiman Cillia39@aol.com

Welcome to Kitah Zayin (7th grade) with Moreh David Lerner and Morah Rachel Rudman

Greetings 7th grade parents!

We are so excited to have the privilege of facilitating the educational experience of your children. We wanted to send this email to you in order to introduce ourselves and give you a taste of the fantastic new curriculum we will be unveiling this year.

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is David Lerner and I am the Director of Youth and Young Adult Programming for Congregation Shaarey Zedek. This will be my 3rd year teaching 7th grade at the Religious School. I also do private Bar/Bat Mitzvah tutoring, which many of you know as I am currently tutoring your kids. I am truly looking forward to delving into our new curriculum which we created this summer. I would also like to introduce my fabulous new co-teacher, Rachel Rudman.

Hello! I just moved to Detroit from NYC and am so excited to be back home in the mitten. I have a MA in Hebrew and Judaic Studies from NYU and have spent the last 8 years teaching and participating in diverse Jewish communities. Last year, I worked as a full-time community educator at Temple Israel Center in White Plains, NY, specifically with teens in education, outreach and engagement. I think David and I make a great team and I am excited to jump into the learning with your children!

Our new curriculum is based on a service-learning model by which learners will examine Jewish values and traditions, rooted in Torah, through the lens of community-building and service. Each unit will focus on a particular Jewish value that will be translated into unique classroom experiences mixed with off-campus community service projects. There will be a rich blend of text studies, facilitated discussions and service projects ranging from urban farming in Detroit to an ADL (Anti-Defamation League) learning initiative. This will truly be an impactful learning experience for our 7th graders that they will hopefully carry with them throughout their Jewish journey.

We are both looking forward to a new and exciting school year!

B’shalom,
David Lerner and Rachel Rudman

Hello all 6th Graders and 6th Grade Families!  I am super excited about starting this Sunday!  Please make sure that you come ready to learn, have fun, and get your "Torah on!"  Can't wait to see you soon. - Morah Leah

Kitah Dalet Update

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, exploring our history, celebrating the holidays and life cycle events, 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 strong, safe, and successful 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

Welcome to Kitah Bet (2nd Grade) with Morah Robinson

Dear Kitah Bet Parents,

Welcome to Kitah Bet!!  My name is  Davida Robinson and I will be your child’s “Morah” this year. I have been teaching 2nd grade at Shaarey Zedek for 17 years. I want to welcome you and your child to a fun-filled year of learning.

The emphasis of the Kitah Bet  curriculum is learning to read Hebrew. We will be reviewing basic letter sounds and  vowel sounds, and learning to put them together to learn to read. Our reading program is based on learning to read the siddur.

     On Sundays we learn about the weekly Torah portion  in class through activities and text. There is also multi-grade “tefillot”(prayer) time  on Sundays.

Holiday studies is part of the kitah bet curriculum. As they occur we will learn about them. Another part of the kitah bet curriculum is Jewish ethics-learning about “g’milut chassadim”  ( acts of loving kindness).

I will be  sending  regular communication, where I will update you on what’s happening in our kitah. I would love to get feedback from your end. If you have any questions, please e-mail me morahrobinson@yahoo.com or call me on my cell at 248-867-2210.  Please share with me any special needs or concerns , so I can do my best to allow your child to have the most positive learning experience possible.

I hope the classroom time we spend together will reinforce a love of being Jewish and living Jewishly  in your children.

B’shalom,
Davida Robinson

Welcome to Hebrew from Morah Katz

Dear Shaarey Zedek Family-

Shalom!  I’m Donna Katz, Hebrew Specialist on Sundays and Tuesdays. I have been teaching Hebrew at Shaarey Zedek for over 20 years and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to teach Hebrew again this year.  I was born in Israel and moved to Michigan with my family when I was 10 years-old.  I am a graduate of Hillel Day School, Andover High School and Florida Atlantic University.  I have a passion for teaching Hebrew and try to make it as enjoyable for the kids as possible. I am married and have three wonderful children, Ryan (19), Danielle (17) and Ari (13). Our family is thrilled to be celebrating Ari's Bar Mitzvah at CSZ on September 13!

We will be learning Hebrew by working out of the Kol Israel book series, as well as supplementary Hebrew reading packets, using a variety of engaging games, projects and special programs.  Most importantly, we will enjoy and build a love for Hebrew, Judaism, Shaarey Zedek and our community.
I hope you will contact me with questions, comments or suggestions.  My email is Dgktz@sbcglobal.net.  I look forward to meeting you and your family.  In the meantime, I wish you and your entire family a Shana Tova, a Happy and Healthy New Year!


B'Shalom,
Morah Donna Katz

Welcome to Hebrew from Morah Levinson

Dear CSZ Religious School Parents,

 Shalom!  My name is Dona Levinson.  I am one of the Hebrew reading teachers, and this year I will be teaching Kitahs Dalet (4th), Hey (5th) and Vav (6th).

This is my 16th year teaching at the Shaarey Zedek Religious School, and I also taught preschool at Beth Hayeled for 5 years.  As a graduate of Shaarey Zedek, I am very grateful to be a teacher here and to be a part of such a warm and meaningful congregation. The daughter of an Israeli father, I spent many winters and summers vacationing in Israel and visiting with my relatives.  In am fluent in Hebrew, and in my 20’s lived in Israel for 5 years. I feel a very strong connection to the language, the people and the country of Israel.  I would like to welcome you and your child to a wonderful year of learning!

  I am very excited to teach Hebrew reading to 3 grades this year!  I look forward to helping the students improve their reading skills, as well as to instill a love, appreciation and understanding of the language.  Kitahs Dalet and Hey will will be learning various blessings and tefillot which pertain to Shabbat and the Jewish holidays, and Kitah Vov will be working on their reading as it pertains to both B’nai Mitzvah preparation and the prayer service.

 I am so happy to have the opportunity to teach your children this year!  I’m sure we will have a wonderful year together.  If at any time you need to contact me, please feel free to email me at: dona_levinson@yahoo.com or leave me a message with the Hebrew school office.

Warmest regards,
Dona Levinson

Welcome to Hebrew from Morah Schlussel

Dear Students, Parents, and /or Guardians,

I would like to welcome you back to Shaarey Zedek Religious School and introduce myself.

I have been a religious and public school teacher for many years. My own Jewish education consisted of a day school education which began in kindergarten and continued until I completed high school. I hold a dual degree in education and religious studies from Stern College for Woman, Yeshiva University and a Master’s degree in Hebrew Letters from the Midrasha. I have taught at Shaarey Zedek Religious School for 47 years.

I will be teaching the 4th, 5th and 6th grades this year on Sunday mornings and Tuesday afternoons and our focus will be on Ivrit (Hebrew language) with an emphasis on Teffilot (Prayers). The students will approach their studies in many different ways so that it will be interesting and exciting. The book we will use is from the Kol Israel series. It will be supplemented with Hebrew reading packets, and a variety of engaging games, projects and special programs.

Please bring a school bag with your supplies every time you come to learn at Shaarey Zedek Religious School and remember to bring a coin for Tzedakah.

I look forward to meeting each of you and to a rewarding and successful year filled with much learning and accomplishment.

If at any time you need to contact me, feel free to reach me at my home phone 248-557-3810 or my email tobyengelschlussel@gmail.com.

L’hitraot,
Toby Schlussel

Welcome to Hebrew from Morah Zachor

Dear Shaarey Zedek Families:

Shalom!  My name is Aliza Zachor and I am excited to be your child’s Hebrew Teacher on Tuesdaysat Congregation Shaarey Zedek.  Born and raised in Israel, I have been teaching Hebrew for over 40 years.  I am a graduate of Tel-Aviv University and Levinsky Seminar for Teaching.  I am married, a mother of two and grandmother of four. 

I look forward to working together, cooperatively, with you and your child to encourage and enhance his/her interest in Israel, Mitzvot, Judaism and Hebrew.  We will be learning Hebrew primarily from the Kol Israel, book series. In addition, we will build on concepts of tikkun olam and connecting to God and the Jewish people through acts of tikkun olam. 

Our classroom will always be open to you, to visit, inquire or join in.  You may email me at uzachor@comcast.net with any questions, comments or suggestions.  We will have a great year! 

Shana Tova!

Morah Zachor

Welcome to Kitah Vav Chagim (6th grade holidays)

Dear Parents,

I will be teaching your children about the Jewish Holidays this year. So, I thought I would take this opportunity to introduce myself.

I was raised in Michigan where I graduated from Hillel Day School and I was confirmed in the Shaarey Zedek Hebrew High School. After high school, I moved out east for college and beyond. I spent years in Boston, New York, Israel, London, and Washington, DC. I recently returned to Michigan to be near family and work as the In-House Counsel for the Michigan Jewish Institute.

I am trained as a lawyer and I am PASSIONATE about education; in particular Jewish education. Over the years I have worked with various aged students in both formal and informal educational settings. From camps, to staffing Olympiyada and Birthright in Israel, to running a pre-school summer camp program and teaching in Hebrew Schools--I love being in the proverbial  'classroom'.

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to share my love of Judaism with your children. If there is anything I can do to enhance your child's learning experience, please do not hesitate to let me know. I look forward to a wonderful year of learning and growth with your children.

Shannah Tovah (Have a Great Year),
Morah Emily Hollenberg

Welcome to Kitah Gimmel (3rd grade)

Dear Parents,

As your child’s Religious School teacher, I would like to extend a warm welcome to Kitah Gimmel. I am looking forward to an exciting and rewarding year with your child. I began teaching at Shaarey Zedek in 2000. I was born and raised in Colombia, South America, in a small conservative Jewish community. I finished High School there and went on to earn my college degree from the University of Texas. I moved here when I married my husband 28 years ago. I have 3 children and they are all graduates of Congregation Shaarey Zedek’s Religious School.

The third grade curriculum at Shaarey Zedek focuses on four main areas of study: Hebrew, Shabbat and Holidays, Israel, and Jewish Values. We will be using the Aleph Bet Quest series with online practice for Hebrew reading. Shabbat will focus on the Friday evening service and rituals in the Synagogue and at home.  We will continue to expand the students’ knowledge of the Jewish holidays, as well as their love and connection to the Land of Israel, and living a life filled with holy moments.

Both Tuesdays and Sundays will include Tefillah time, where the students will learn new prayers and practice the ones previously learned, while at the same time have a hands on experience about what they are learning in class.On the first week of school, your child will receive textbooks and a folder with handouts that we will use during the year. Please make sure that your child brings those items in a school bag to class every time. There is an incentive/bonus system for having all materials, completing all class work and homework, bringing in Tzedakah, and following the class rules. Please help your child understand the importance of all these tasks. Also, please check your child’s bag on a regular basis for any notes, homework, work done, or projects.This year, I started a website where you can find information pertaining Kitah Gimmel: news and happenings, calendar, curriculum, etc. I will soon send you the link to our website.

I am always willing to discuss any issues or concerns you may have. Please leave a message in the school office or email me; I will gladly get back to you as soon as I can. My email is: fane628@gmail.com. Please also visit our Kitah Gimmel class website.  Thank you in advance for your cooperation and for being my partners in your child’s religious education. I look forward to meeting you soon.

Fanny Sherman