Kitah Zayin Updates

Dear Parents,

This week we made our final preparations for Shabbat by making potato kugeletes (mini kugels) and taco salad. It was a lot of fun working together to hastily prepare these shabbat delicacies!

On Tuesday we began a unit learning about the differences and similarities between Sepharadie and Ashkenazi Jews. Please continue these discussions with your children at home as we have asked them to come prepared to discuss their personal family heritage/lineage on Sunday.

Best,
Morim Hollenberg and Rice

Hebrew Update

Dear 4th - 6th grade families, 

 On Sunday, the 6th graders practiced reading the prayer Ain Kamocha - אין כמוך. This is one of the very first prayers we say leading up to the Shabbat morning prayer service. This prayer describes God as the eternal Ruler of the Jews, and also helps to set the stage for us to receive the Torah, as if we ourselves were at Mount Sinai with Moses. We had a discussion about why we praise God rather than the Torah, and the kids had very good ideas. Ask them to share their thoughts on this with you. After we practiced reading each line several times, we read and discussed their meanings. We sent a copy of the prayer home with each child so that they may practice it at home.

 We finished our first cycle of the Chugim (electives) and will start our new cycle next Sunday.

 The 4th and 5th graders continued reading and learning the blessings - ברכות that we say over various types of food and drink, and reviewed the 6 words that form the blessing "formula".  Afterwards, we learned an important rule -- most Hebrew words are built on "roots". A root usually is made up of 3 letters (not vowels) that form the foundation for related words. We read and reviewed many different words, and the kids then had to figure out what the words meant based on their roots. One of the words we learned was Amen - אמן, which is the root word in אמונה - "faith". The skill of identifying root words, is the foundation for understanding the meanings of many Hebrew words.

 On Tuesday, the 6th graders had another wonderful "Torah Lab" session. The Torah Lab is designed to allow each student the opportunity to become familiar with the Torah service and procedures, so that they will be prepared for their upcoming bar and bat mitzvot. This week the focus was on learning the different honors that happen during the Shabbat service: Gabaim (checkers, editors), Hagbah and Galilah (lifting and dressing the Torah), Aliyot, opening and closing the Aron Hakodesh, putting the tallit on the bar or bat mitzvah, and the Torah processional before and after reading from the Torah. The students really enjoyed learning about and participating in all of the honors, and we will continue to work on them over the next few weeks.

 The 4th and 5th graders learned and practiced reading several lines from different blessings that contained the 6 letter blessing formula. We also worked on reading different letter and vowel combinations in our HaSefer books. We will continue to incorporate this helpful book into our weekly routine, as it gives the kids a great opportunity to perfect their letter and vowel recognition. They all did great job, and with every day that passes it is obvious that their reading skills are improving :)

 Have a restful Shabbat with your loved ones, and we will see you on Sunday!

 

6th Grade Judaica

Hello All! We had a fantastic week.  This week we began our Torah study with the parsha (Torah portion) Vayera.  This is the portion where Abraham welcomes 3 strangers, who happen to be angels; where Sarah is told that she will give birth to a baby, even in her advanced age; and where Abraham argues with God about destroying Sodom and Gemmorah. We will study this portion in depth – to the tune of from now til January.  So, your kids should be TORAH SCHOLARS on parsha Vayera.

On Sunday, we reviewed our 5 books of Moses in Hebrew and English, we looked at some photos of modern day Bedouin sandals (ask your child why Abraham washed his visitors’ feet)  and tents. This is the closest I can come to giving them an idea of what Abraham’s life was like!

We then headed outside to LIVE our story. One student dressed up as Abraham and he had to RUN to welcome his guests, RUN to help them lie down under a tree, RUN to get them water, RUN to wash their feet, RUN to feed them, RUN to get them cows and then STAND over them and make sure that they are content. IT was HILARIOUS. Since Abraham would have been recovering from his bris, our Abraham needed a disadvantage , so our Abraham could only use one hand and one leg.  We had a lot of laughs, and I think that the kids got a first hand look and feel for how Abraham would have dealt with this challenge!

We “brought it home” by discussing how Abraham was a Jew of ACTION. How as Jews we must DO.. We are people of action.

In order to hit the point home that we are Jews of doing, on Tuesday we reread our text and planned to host our youngest friends Kittah Gan-Kittan on Sunday.  We spent our period planning out how we can be good hosts and live the life that Abraham shows us.  On Sunday, we will put our plan in action and act out the part of being the “hosts with the most.”  With snacks, toys, crafts and our fabulous 6th graders, it is destined to be wonderful.

Have a great week,
Leah

Kitah Bet -October 29

Kitah Bet - October 29, 2015

Now that we have begun our Tuesday classes we are developing a class routine.  On Sundays we have t'feelah  with kindergarten and 1st grade. Also each Sunday  we learn the parsha ha'shavua through varied activities and will connect this to  our other learning as  it presents itself. Please check your children's take-home folder to see the work they have done. Ask your children what story their parsha posters show.  I have also started to send riddles home each week that reinforce what we have learned in class. Please read these with you children  and either e-mail or  write out the answer and have your child  bring it to class.

We are starting a " g'milut chassadim"  ( acts of long kindness) unit  and we will be doing this on both Tuesdays and Sundays.  Our "ivrit"(Hebrew) learning will  continue on Sundays and Tuesdays with lots of different activities to teach Hebrew reading.  Some of you have received an e-mail from your children using an app where they can write and read what they wrote, they love doing this.  There will be a homework sheet for you to do with your child each time they finish a lesson. This involves listening to them read the worksheet and then sign and return it to class. When your child completes the  reading homework and riddles  they will receive an  extra credit and there will be a prize after 5 extra credit points.

Please let me know if you know in advance if you know that  your child will be absent. You can either text me @ 248-867-2210 or   e-mail me at morahrobinson@yahoo.com   I always appreciate feedback from you and your children to create the best experience for them.

Shabbat Shalom
Davida

Kitah Vav Update

Hi All –

 We had a lively week for the 6^th grade Religious ed! On Sunday, the kids were CHAMPS! We were running a special program for the preschool and kindergarteners about taking care of their bodies.  We decided to integrate the 6^th grade class into this program to help the lil ones.  Each 6^th grader was paired with a shortie and they: jammed to dance tunes, snacked on fresh fruit and veggies, made colorful placemats and decorated chef hats.  I would like to tell you that your kids were CHAMPS. Absolute CHAMPS.  Our young kids span the gamut: prickly, hyper, introverted, extroverted, artistic, not so artistic etc…. They are all their own unique selves. Your children got every single kid to participate in each activity and to really enjoy and delve into what they were doing.  I was so impressed to see how the 6^th graders “figured out” the unique character of their partner. IT was heartwarming.  The kids’ behavior was perfect; they were on task; they were enthusiastic; they were profoundly patient with their partners.  At the end of the activity, when the lil ones were gone, the 6^th graders said that they LOVED working with the pre-k kids and that they wanted to do it again. I am going to talk to Morah Emma and plan some upcoming events so that we can partner again. It was a giant success.

 

Tuesday, however, was not a giant success L.  More specifically, my class was not a giant success.  This was largely my fault and I am sorry. Class began with a fantastic scavenger hunt that our Ramah fellow, Miles planned.  The kids scavenged all over the shul looking for clues to learn the order of the Torah service. The kids were running the halls and yelling, goofing, all good stuff. They had a blast. When they were done, they had the energy of 3 year olds strung out on chocolate milk and pixie sticks.  Now this is not my first rodeo. I have been a parent for almost 16 years… I have taught for 20 years… and yet, when I looked at my wonderful students who were literally bouncing off of the walls, I continued to throw gas on the fire. I had planned this incredible (so I thought) program to learn the sections of Tanakh (the red Etz Chayim that we use during services) and we were going to learn about it while playing football. More specifically, by recreating the MSU vs U of M game from last week.  This was my first mistake…. Once I threw the MSU and U of M lens into the day, the crowd went wild…. I swear this is more contentious in Michigan than when people discuss the Iran deal.  You DO NOT joke about the U of M or MSU rivalry and it is no learning experience … it is LIFE…. And yet, I didn’t quite grasp this….  So we went outside, I had our Torahs  out; I had created these cool football field charts that were converted into Torah sections; we were ready to go. NOT! Things got a bit wild.  The learning was not at the level that I’d like and the kids were more wild than I would like.  I take responsibility.  2 crazy activities after a long day of school was too much. Live and Learn. I promise that next Tuesday will be more productive and less wild.

HOWEVER, we did get a very basic understanding of the Tanakh structure in and we will reinforce this more in-depth this Sunday, HOWEVER… I have figured out a way to do it by playing PRETEND football .. on the board… in my room. This should be injury proof and a tad more contained. Fingers crossed.

So apologies all around for the bumps and bruises and hurt feelings on Tuesday.  I promise to be more thoughtful of how I present the information in the future and I think outdoor football will be tabled for a while. However, this is not to say that we don’t have fun planned for the future… indeed: I have a desk worth of exciting and innovative lessons planned for the kids… but I think the Green and White and Maize and Blue allusions need to take a back seat for a while.

Hail! J and Go State!

Be well, thanks for all you do and looking forward to a great year of learning and laughing with your kiddos. We have a GREAT group of 6^th graders!

Morah Leah

 

 

Kitah Hey Update

Dear Parents,

 Our Torah class was greeted by our Matriarch Sarai. She welcomed each of us as we walked in to Room #2. After we sat down , she proceeded to tell us about her travels to the Land of Canaan ( ancient Israel) with her husband Avram & nephew Lot & his family and their Covenant with God. God promised Avram that his descendants would be as many as the dust on the earth. After which their names were changed to Abraham & Sarah.

We learned that their possessions, cattle & servants became plentiful & started to cause some problems by getting in each other's way. Abraham suggested to Lot that it was time to separate . There was plenty of land for both of them & asked Lot to choose whatever part of the land he wanted for his family. Whatever was left Abraham would keep.

The  Jewish value taught was that of " Shalom Bayit" Peace in the Home. To keep the family on good terms Abraham compromised. 

 

The kids made their own covenant with God. When asked what would they like God to do for you ?  Some responses were;

                         Help guide my dreams

                         Protect me & my family

                         Feed the poor

                         Stop war

                         Lead me in a good direction

 

In response to what are things God wants you to do? Some responses were;

                        Keep Kosher

                        Do Mitzvot

                        Be a Mensch

                        Give Tzedakah

                        Make good choices

 

I thought these were wonderful responses & I'm sure you do too!

 

Shabbat Shalom

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Bet Update

Dear Parents,

 I wanted to share with you a class update today, rather than wait until Friday for the religious school  e-mail blast.

 Today our Hebrew reading books arrived and this was a very exciting event in our class. These books will remain in the class ( one less thing to be forgotten at home).  We have spent the last three classes on lesson 1 , learning three Hebrew letters and one vowel sound. Today your children brought home homework to complete with you. It is a reading sheet for them to read with you and  then they are to return it to me signed. Please check their take-home folder for these .

Some of the students  began lesson 2 today , we will finish this on Tuesday. It appears from listening to your children that not all of them will be attending class on Tuesdays. If you could clarify this for me, I would appreciate that. Our reading program continues on Sundays and Tuesdays. Our Torah learning is on Sundays only.  We will be adding  a tikun olam ( repairing the world) unit shortly.  I will keep you posted on what we accomplish in class so your child can stay current. If you would like your child to bring home their reading book so they can do work at home, that is up to you.

Today in our Torah study we learned the parsha "Lech-Lecha". Your children made star cookies and completed a Lech-Lecha coloring packet. They also created a Lech-Lecha poster showing a very  important part of the parsha. Please check their take-home folder for all this work, and then leave it at home. Ask your children what two promises God made to Abraham. 

-that his descendants will be as many as the stars in the sky

-that his descendants will be a great nation ( Israel, the Jewish people)

They may even tell you Abraham was the first person to believe in one God, and not pray to idols.

I would love to know what they can tell you about our Torah learning.

I will soon start to send home riddles, using e-mail that reinforce what we learned in class. Please read these with them and reply . They will get extra credit for trying.

We missed Zachary and Levi today. Hope to see everyone on Tuesday.

B'shalom

Davida Robinson

 

Hebrew Update

 Dear 4th - 6th grade families,

 It was another great week at religious school! The kids are all getting back into the swing of things nicely :) 

Sunday morning began, for all three grades, with Tefillah in the small chapel lead by Cantor Gutman.  

The 6th graders played an aleph bet game, and also practiced reading different letter and vowel combinations from their reading books. Look-alike letters can pose a problem for some readers, and we will continue to work hard on learning ways to differentiate between them. We then practiced the prayers before and after reading from the Torah.  

In the middle of the day, the kids all went to the Electives (Chugim - חוגים) that they chose: challah braiding, Gaga Ball, Drama (Teatron - תאטרון ), and Jewish pop culture. This is a new addition to our Sunday schedule this year, and the students seem to enjoy it.  

The 4th and 5th graders also read from their reading books, and the focus was on blessings. We discussed how our tradition offers us daily reminders (blessings - ברכות) that allow us to turn simple daily events into special ones, and how every ברכה begins with the same 6 words, or "formula". Ask your kids what the 6 words are. We continued the lesson by reading and learning several different blessings that we say over various things that we eat and drink.

On  Tuesday, instead of the usual Torah service, the 6th and 7th graders participated in a very special program -- The Amazing Torah Service Scavenger Hunt, created and lead by Miles Greenspoon, our newest Ramah Detroit Fellow. The students were divided into 5 separate teams. They were given different locations in the synagogue and religious school where they needed to run to (the kids loved the running part!) and an activity to do at each station. Once they completed the activity, they then needed to locate the clue in that area for their next location and activity. The program provided a fun and creative opportunity to become familiar with the components and procedures of the Shabbat Torah service, and the students all had a great time! 

The 4th and 5th graders continued reading together from their books, this time focusing on the prayer Yotzer Or - יוצר אור.  This is the prayer we say at the beginning of the morning prayer service, when we give thanks for the wonders of creation, including light (אור ), darkness (חשך )and peace (שלום ). We then discussed the 2 ways in which God brought light into our world -- nature's light from the sun, moon, and stars, and the light of Torah's wisdom. We also discussed 2 ways in which people can add light -- by performing acts of loving kindness, and by contributing to the Shalom in our family and community. Then for the last few minutes of class, we played a game of tic-tac-toe using various words found in the prayer.

 It was a very productive and educational week, and everyone learned a lot! We look forward to seeing everyone again on Sunday.

Wishing you a peaceful Shabbat, 

Morah Donna Katz

Morah Dona Levinson 

Morah Toby Schlussel 
Morah Aliza Zachor

Kitah Zayin

Shalom Kitah Zayin Parents, 

It has been a great pleasure meeting and teaching your children.  This week we have been learning about Shabbat. We discussed about the importance of shabbat, why did God command us to observe and keep it. We decided to cook for shabbat in our classroom.  On Tuesday we made yummy Isrealie salad. The students enjoyed cutting our ingredients and then eating them.  This following Sunday,  we will be making potato kugel and Toca salad. Can't wait to enjoy our delicious shabbat meal.

Shabbat Shalom! 😃

From your kitah Zayin Teachers. 

Welcome to Kitah Bet

                                                                                                                          

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 18  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 a  multi-grade “tefillot”(payer) time  on Sundays.

Holiday  studies are  a 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 lovingkindness)

I will be  sending  regular updates on the religious school blog 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 @ 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

Kitah Hey Update

Dear Parents,

Our first full week of Religious school was great! Our spirited group of learners started our Torah class by looking through the first chapters of the Book of Bereshit. The kids searched for both Abram's & Sarai's names in Hebrew and looked where in the Chumash their names were changed to Abraham & Sarah. We discussed why there names were changed and the commitments they & God made to each other.  The kids also saw on an ancient Map of Israel & surrounding countries & current Map, the route the "First family" took to get to Israel. 

Through the stories of our Sacred Scripture, both biblical and rabbinic, I hope your children will gain an understanding of what God commands us and how to live a life of meaning and purpose. 

Thank you for partnering with me in your child's Jewish education. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me.

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Zayin Update

Dear Parents,

Over the past month we've been learning about the Jewish holidays as we've experienced them. It's been quite a feat!

Now that this cycle of holidays has concluded, this week we delved further into our 7th grade curriculum by focusing on the Mitzvah of Tzedakah (צדק). We discussed how the root of the word Tzedakah is Tzedek which means both "righteousness" and "justice". This lead to a meaningful discussion about the connections between charity and acts and righteousness and justice. We also spoke of ways that we are and can continue to be charitable.

On Tuesday we made our own tzedakah boxes to put these thoughts and learning into action.

Best,
Morim Hollenberg and Rice

Kitah Vav Update

HI, all. We had a fantastic Sunday! The kids got to fling chickens across their heads and toss garbage across the room. It was actually a very Jewish action... ask them WHY we did this!  We then went outside for our Torah Strong Games.  This is akin to Torah study having a baby with elementary school field day.  It is fun, but a bit more meaningful, and there are no popsicles. The kids began with their "CORE work" which is our Hillel pose. The children have to stand on one foot and suck their abs in. While on one foot, they must say "treat other people, the way you want to be treated."  There is a famous story about one of our great sages, Rabbi Hillel.  A sassy fellow came up to Hillel and tried to razz him by saying "tell me all that Torah says while I stand on one foot." (poorly paraphrased, but you get the idea). Anyway, instead of shooing away this person, Hillel said the Golden Rule.  Basically, Torah is summed up to treating others well.  And of course, since us Jews always need the last word... Hillel included a sidebar : " all the rest is commentary."  This year we will focus on the BIG stuff. I want the kids to see how Torah relates to their lives,  and by creating connections and memory connections, I hope to make it easier for them to see the relevance that Torah has to their lives TODAY!  We also learned our "Gun's Show" pose. This is where we make a big muscle (ok my bicep is not super impressive) and we say: " Chazak! Chazak! V'nit Chazek!"  (Be strong! Be strong! Be strengthened!) We say this line every time we finish reading one of the 5 books of Torah. I want the kids to realize that we strengthen ourselves and our community by studying Torah. Finally, we went outside for our big 5 Torah Strong activities: The Chumash Hold, Don't Miss the Mark, Learn From Your Mistakes, Hit it Out of the Ballpark and Torah learning is a Marathon, not a sprint.  The kids: did weight lifting with Torahs, shot arrows at a target, hit baseballs, ran with rocks and jump roped, ALL in the name of Torah.  Please take a second and ask them why we did all of this!  The kids were lovely, engaged and willing to "put it out there." I am excited to work with them. Please feel free to contact me anytime with thoughts, concerns, questions etc... Have a great week, Morah Leah

Hebrew Update

Dear 4th - 6th grade families, 

 We finally had our first full week of learning together, and the school year is off to a great start! 

 On Sunday, we joined the 7th graders for Tefillah with Allison. Everyone sounded wonderful, and it was such a pleasure to hear all of the beautiful voices singing the prayers together once again. 

 All of our students were given a reading assessment to complete. The purpose of the assessments is to help us create reading groups for the school year that will help each child improve their reading skills at a pace they can feel comfortable with. 

 On Tuesday, we introduced something new to the 6th graders. This year, in lieu of regular Tefillah, we will be focusing on the Shabbat morning Torah service with Cantor Gutman. This will help to better prepare the kids for their upcoming bar and bat mitzvot. The goal is for each student to feel confident reciting the prayers and blessings, and to make sure that they are familiar with every aspect of the service. Once they begin tutoring for their "big day", they will only need to focus on learning their individual portions. This will hopefully help eliminate some of the stress. They seemed very happy to get a head start on their preparations!

 The 4th graders played reading games, and worked on "revitalizing" their Hebrew knowledge. It's wonderful to see how much they remember from last year! We had a nice visit from our new Ramah fellow, Miles. He spent a few minutes getting to know our students :)

We look forward to an amazing year of teaching and learning. Thank you for sharing your children with us!

Wishing you a peaceful weekend and Shabbat Shalom, 

 Morah Dona Levinson 

Morah Toby Schlussel

 

Morah Katz's Hebrew Happenings

Shalom! 

We finally had our first full week of Religious School and are beginning to settle into our new Hebrew routine. 

On Sunday, we began our day with an inspiring tefilla session, concentrating mainly on the Shacharit Service (Morning Service).  We read/sang the Ashrei, Modeh Ani, Ma Tovu and Shema.  We discussed the "blessing formula" of Baruch Ata Adonai Eloheynu Melech Haolam.... We, as Jews, can follow this blessing formula when wishing to bless and/or pray for anything.  For example, we can say "Baruch Ata Adonai Elohaynu Melech Haolam Asher blessed us with our mother and father."  In other words, we can individually insert any personally meaningful item. 

Following Tefilla, we divided into our 4th-5th Grade and 6th Grade sections.  All students were given individual Hebrew assessments and, with the help of our Madrichim, each student was placed into his/her appropriate reading level group. 

From Hebrew, the students entered the all new, fun and exciting Chug (elective) of their own choice.  Some kids made and braided challahs, some played "Gaga Ball," (similar to Dodge Ball), some decided to participate in our Teatron (Drama), while others chose to watch parts of Mulan and discuss the hidden Jewish values in the movie.

On Tuesday, we began with the 6th and 7th Graders in the small Chapel and discussed the "Torah Lab" for the year.  We will be concentrating mainly on learning the ins and outs of the whole Torah Service, giving our pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah kids a head start on learning many of the blessings and rituals needed for their upcoming simchas.

All-in-all it was a busy and very productive week.  I wish everyone a Shabbat Shalom!

L'shalom
Morah Donna Katz