Kitah Zayin Update

Dear 7th Grade Parents,

This week we reviewed and learned new aspects of Chanukah. We discussed the details of the story and played games using our old and new insights into the Festival of Lights. We learned the difference between a Menorah and a Chanukiah as well. Ask you kid what the difference between the two ritual objects is! We're really excited to celebrate this year!

On Tuesday, Rabbi Dahlen led our class in Torah Lab and then we studied Talmud surrounding Chanukah rituals.

Happy Chanukah Everyone! See you on Sunday for our Chanukah Happening.

Best,
Morah Hollenberg

Kitah Bet Update

Dear Parents,

We are continuing our Torah studies, as we follow the rest of the world in reading the Torah.  We are learning the same parsha that is being read in synagogues around the world. Please check your e-mail for weekly riddles about the parsha ha'shavua.

We are continuing with our Hebrew reading . Please check your child's take-home folder for homework. They are to read to you and return the paper signed to me. Thank you for partnering with me in teaching Hebrew reading.

We are learning about the holiday of Hanukah. This Sunday is an all school program that begins at 10:30 am .Please check school e-mail blasts for more information. We will begin in our classroom at  9:30 and then join the program. Sibling are welcome!.

 We will have class on December 20 and then we will begin again on January 10.

Wishing you all a Happy Hanukah and Happy New Year!


Davida Robinson

Kitah Hey Update

Dear Parents,

This week we reviewed the Jewish Values of Hachnasat Orchim (Welcoming Guests). The students were asked how they would make a stranger feel more comfortable in their home? Some of their answers were, "Being friendly", "offer them a snack", "trying to find a common interest (TV, games, sport teams, etc)". We continued learning about the importance of Bikur Cholim (visiting the sick) in bringing happiness to the patient or elderly which could have a direct affect on their recovery.

While reviewing the history of Chanukah, we learned that miracles took place in the holy temple every day. However on  Chanukah  we make a special blessing for the miracles that happened. Those are the blessings we say when we light the Chanukiah.  We are celebrating religious freedom, then and now.

Our students will publicize and celebrate the miracles of our CSZ community with a special celebration this Sunday from 10:30 am-12:15 pm.  I hope you will join us and bring the rest of your family. It will be lot's of fun.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Shabbat Shalom,

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Vav Update

Hello All!

 

We had a busy week this week! On Sunday we helped organize and pack totes for Project Night Night.  We will be stuffing totes for PNN during Sunday's Chanukkah Happenings (10:30 - 12:15! Come and join us for an amazing day of celebration for Chanukkah), and the kids helped to prepare the items.  We also put the tote bags together for an order this week. We spent some times talking about homelessness and children in need. The kids were especially receptive and interested in the issue.  We talked about how it is our COMMANDMENT in the Torah to perform mitzvoth and not just a "good deed" or "charity."  The kids were excited to help and we got a lot accomplished.

Tuesday was dedicated to working on our public speaking techniques for our D'vrei Torah Workshop.  For those kids who did not write their yet, they spent time with Morah Dworin working on writing their speeches.  The kids will ALL NEED TO TAKE THEIR SPEECHES HOME AND TYPE THEM.  Please email me at:lgawel@shaareyzedek.org with questions.  Please also have the kids send me an electronic copy of their d'var Torah and bring a hard copy in on Sunday. After the break we will invite you in to listen to the kids deliver their speeches. WE have been working hard for 6 weeks on this unit, and I am so excited about what the kids have generated. It is good stuff!

 Please join us at 10:30 on Sunday for Chanukkah Happening.  It is like a Purim festival and Mitzvah day rolled into one! The kids come for regular religious school hours, and then at 10:30 the festival opens up for the entire community. It is appropriate for ALL Ages.

Thanks for all you do!  Looking forward to Sunday,

Leah

Kitah Gan Katan

Hello Families,

This Sunday we were extremely busy learning  about  Hanukkah! We learned  about  the Greeks and how they were very mean to the Jewish  people .  They wanted us to worship  their gods and  not our one and only. That made us very sad. The Greeks destroyed  our temple and we had only a little  bit  of  oil that lasted  8 whole days. That was a great miracle. 

We sang a lot of Hanukkah  songs and made our very  own  Monarah  and draidles. 

 Have a very Happy Hanukkah !!!

 Morot Zoya and Alexis 

Hebrew Update

Dear Parents,

 

This past Sunday, we began our day with Tefillah . We reviewed some of the Shabbat Shacharit (morning) prayers and then headed to our classrooms.

 The 4th, 5th and 6th grades concentrated on the blessings that we chant when we light the Chanukiah on Chanukah. We also spent time reading the words for "Hanerot Hallalu", a CHanukah song.

There were only two Chugim this past Sunday. Ask your children which Chug they went to. Some of the students made some very artistic collages relating to our Chanukah text study.  You can see them displayed in the hallway. Stop and take a look. They are really creative. 

On Tuesday, we again began with Torah Lad led by Rabbi Dahlen. We  continued practicing the portion of Tefillah related to the Torah service. Students had an opportunity to perform the various aliyot in the Torah service in preparation for their B'nai Mitzvot. We continued the day  by reading the "Maoz Tzur" with the 4th and 5th graders. This text gave them new vocabulary for pronunciation and taught them one of Judaism's most favorite CHanukah tunes.

 

This Sunday, we are having a special The Chanukah Happening program for the entire family . 

Come and join your children in what promises to be a fun day. 

All the festivities begin right after Tefillah. I hope to see you all!

Have a Shabbat Shalom, Toby Schlussel

Hebrew Update

Dear Parents,

 It seems that Thanksgiving was yesterday, but Chanukah is right around the corner and we at Shaarey Zedek have begun preparing for the Holiday. 

 In Teffilah on Sunday, Rabbi Dahlen compared the entire Shabbat prayer service to a football game. From the beginning prayers (Birchat Hashachar) to the passages of praise (Psuchei D"Zemrah) , to the Shacharit (Morning Amidah) , Torah reading , and Musaf ( Additional Amidah), and the final concluding prayers. It was a great comparison because  they all are football fans and   relate to the game..

This helped them understand the order and significance of the  prayer service.

 The fourth, fifth and sixth graders began reviewing the reading and chanting of the three Chanukah Brachot (blessings). 

We also had the opportunity to choose from many different Chugim opportunities. 

 On Tuesday, we continued our review of the Shabbat service with Rabbi Dahlen and the 4th and 5th graders reviewed the Chanukah Brachot again and began learning the song "Hanerot Halalu" (These Candles) that we traditionally sing after lighting the Chanukiah. 

 If you can, practice chanting the blessings for the lighting of the Chanukiah with your children, it will reinforce what they have learned and  will be a lot of fun for all of family. 

 Have a Shabbat Shalom.

 Toby Schlussel

Kitah Zayin Update

Dear 7th Grade Parents,

This week we learned the Torah's perspective on the Environment. We did a close study of Bereishit Chapter 2 verse 15's commandment for man to "dress the Garden of Eden and Keep it" and came to understand what that mean for us today. Then we studied the concept of Bal Tashchit (do not destroy or waste) which we derive from Devarim Chapter 20 verses 19-20. We also discussed the Torah concept of Tzar baal chayim--you should not distress animals. We even learned that the torah teaches us to feed our animals before we feed ourselves.

The class had questions and wanted to learn about discrimination and the origins of it. So, we also learned a little bit about the history of slavery and the difference between the slavery we learn about in our American history books and the slavery in the bible. There are strict rules about having a slave in Jewish law and how to treat a slave, releasing them, etc.

Ultimately we learned about respecting one another and appreciating our differences. But, most importantly we learned not to tolerate discrimination and bigotry and to stick up for others if discrimination or bigotry arise in order to quash it.

On Tuesday, the class began the first of a four session series of Talmud text study on the commentary surrounding Chanukah.

Best,
Morah Hollenberg

Kitah Vav Update

Hello 6^th Grade Parents –
 
We have had a busy, busy week!  It’s been a productive time at CSZ.  We continue to work on our D’vrei Torah workshop on Tuesdays.  If your child has missed any Tuesdays, it is Imperative that he/she come to me before class/after class/email me/call me to catch up.  This workshop, which was led by Rabbi Starr, is now in the writing phase.  If your child has not studied the text with us over the last month, than he/she will need to do some guided studying at home.  I am 100% available via email:lgawel@shaareyzedek.org to answer questions.  Please share this email with your child.  The parsha that we are working on is Parsha Lech Lecha.  You can get the Torah text here: http://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading_cdo/aid/2474599/jewish/Lech-Lecha-Torah-Reading.htm

The writing part will be done in class the next two weeks. This should be ample time to write a draft.  Your child will then need to type up a draft at home and spend no more than an hour total cleaning up the draft for a final copy.  Since we had a lot of absences, we have pushed the deadline for this back a week. We will spend December 6 th and 13^th writing our D’vrei Torahs.  A typed copy (emailed to me or handed in) is due on December 20^th.   We will present them to our 6^th-7^th grade Torah Service Workshop when we return to Hebrew school post Winter Break.  We will also schedule a parent day, so that you can come in hear the kids’ speeches. 

The kids have been working hard understanding the portion.  It is tough with 6^th graders, as they often are developmentally very concrete thinkers. Reading between the lines of Torah text and coming up with personal connections to the text is a new skill.  Our hope is that the kids 1) find some meaning in the Torah text 2) find personal connection to the torah text and 3) feel comfortable writing about and speaking about this connection. 

I have high hopes. This class is very bright; I have no doubt that these great minds will have some interesting ideas to share.  More information on dates relating to the D’var Torah Workshop will be coming. Stay Tuned!

In our Sunday class, we are continuing to learn about Kosher Laws.  I am using a teaching technique called :Question Formulation Technique. The purpose is to teach students how to ask meaningful questions with intentionality. The rules to the exercise are as follows: 1) ask as many questions as you can. 2) Don't discuss, judge or answer ?s 3) Write ?s as stated 4) change any statements to a ?. The prompt was: Keeping kosher brings us close to God. Look at the AMAZING questions these students generated fromthis prompt: * Why does eating kosher bring you closer to God? * How do you get close to God by eating kosher? *Do different types of kosher foods bring you closer to God than others? *Why do we keep kosher? * Does God keep kosher? * Why do animals have to die at all to keep kosher? *Why do we still keep kosher? *can you keep a little bit kosher? * Can you be close to God without keeping kosher? * What other benefits are there from keeping kosher? * Will God like you if you don't keep kosher? *Who created keeping kosher? Is there a mitzvah that gets you close to God without keeping kosher? *Are there foods that are kosher sometimes but not others? *Are there any instances in the Torah that command you NOT to keep kosher.

I was so impressed by their level of thinking. Next week we will learn how to classify our questions and how to reformulate our closed ended questions into open ended questions. 
We also played a quick game of Angry Birds.  The game consists of birds being tossed at pigs, so it lends itself quite nicely to the teaching of kashrut!

 Thank you for sharing your sweet kid(s) with me.  Looking forward to a great December and an even better second semester starting in January. 

Please block off your calendar for our December 18^th Chanukkah Happenings event for the entire family.  It runs from 10:30 – 12:15.

Warm regards,

Leah

Kitah Hey Update

Dear Parents,

 As the students entered our classroom, they were greeted by our Patriarch Abraham.

He brought them into a very nice large comfortable tent that he shares with his wife Sarah. He asked Sarah with the help of Yishmael (his son with Hagar)  to please hurry and bake fresh bread and bring fresh cheese while he washes the guests feet. Abraham offered the students food, drink and a nice comfortable place to sit in the tent.  He then proceeded in telling the Story about the three Angels, disguised as men, that had visited him recently. Each Angel had a specific mission; one to visit Abraham for he was recovering from Surgery( teaching the Mitzvah of Bikkur Cholim - visiting the sick). The second to reveal to Sarah that she will have a son, and the third to warn Abraham about Gods plan to destroy the cities of Sodom and Gemorrah.

 Abraham showed the students how the Mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim (hospitality) is a very important Jewish value. Welcoming guests is not just greeting someone who comes to your home, but also includes being inclusive with friends not tolerating bullying, being friendly and happy and appreciative with what we have.

 We will continue our Torah studies this week and start preparing for the Mitzvot of Chanukah.

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

 Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Bet Update

This last Sunday we caught up on some Torah learning, as well as Hebrew reading. Here is a riddle about the Parsha  ha'shavua we learned about. Please read it with you child and either e-mail me the answer or have your child share their answer with me in class.

 
Here is a riddle about our Torah learning today.

Isaac and Rebecca star in our Torah study this week.

With their twin sons, one  outspoken and one meek.

There was unfairness and lying to win the birthright

With a trick to their father  Isaac and his poor eyesight.

Isaac’s blessings were given to one son

Who was the lucky one???

Kitah Gan Katan Update

 

Hello to our Wonderful Families, 

 

Sunday was a very busy day  for us a Kitah Gan Katan.  We have started our unite on Shabbat. As the children  were very busy playing, I told them that in five minutes we have to start cleaning and getting ready for Shabbat. We had the full effect. We cleaned up our classroom, had to take  our  Shabbat  "showers " and put on our nice Shabbat  clothes. We had to sing Shalom  Alichem. Which brings in the Sabbath. Light the Sabbath  candles and said  Kiddush, washed our hands for the challah, and said the blessing. We then "ate a beautiful  Shabbat dinner. Boy were we hungry, all the delicious  foods  that was prepared."

 We are hard at work in bringing  our very own "Shabbat  Boxes." We so far did our very own Kippot and Kiddush  cups. 

Next week we will start  on Hanukkah, since it's right around  the  corner. After Hanukkah  we will continue  with our Shabbat  boxes.

 Have a great weekend.

Morot Zoya and Alexis 

Kitah Zayin Update

Dear 7th Grade Parents,

As you know, last week we began learning the Torah commandment to "Love you neighbor as yourself."

This week we learned how to be a mensch. We came to understand the true meaning of this Yiddish word which represents our ideal conduct. A mensch, as we learned, is a decent, upright human being--it's what we strive to be and be known as!

Last Tuesday we focused on the American Thanksgiving Holiday and literally counted our blessings in an effort to make it to 100 Jewish blessings. We learned about Rabbi Meir's teaching in the Talmud that we should make 100 blessings each day. Then we prepared dry soup in a jar for homeless folks to make at their convenience in shelters in Detroit.

Best,
Morah Hollenberg

Kitah Vav Update

Hi all! I hope that you have a peaceful, meaningful, and amazing food laden holiday weekend.  May your family be kind, the shopping lines be short, your patience be endless, your meal be delicious, and may your children not complain about their food touching or appearing too mushy.  My son is 15.  We STILL have that argument.  Sometimes the peas roll into the mashed potato. The. Horror.

 We’ve had an action packed week at CSZ.  On the last Sunday we met had our Kashrut lesson.  In case your child told you that I was wearing a giraffe pj costume, he/she was telling the truth. We read the same 8 lines we have been working on in religious education and the kids had to find out what was odd about them.  Now we have studied these lines inside and out, but it was not until today that the kids noticed that Abraham serves his guests milk and meat at the same meal.  Ask your kids how the rabbis reconcile this conundrum?!  Answers: 1) The Torah is not in chronological order, hence the kosher laws were NOT given after this narrative (ok, but…) and 2) Abraham was SUCH a good host, that naturally he waited 8 hours between the milk and the meat dishes. (ok… but?!)  and often, in Judaism we are left with more questions.  But I like that we are allowed to question.  I explained to the kids that our religion ENCOURAGES us to question that which does not make sense. To wrestle with it…

The kids then looked up popular food items online, and they searched for the symbols on the boxes. They were super surprised at what was kosher and what was not.  The kids also loved using their phones for “legal” Rel Ed searches. They broke up into groups according to their specific animals. Each kid had an animal mask on. Ok: The BEST part of my day was watching 17 6^th graders all put on a foam animal mask meant for a toddler, with ZERO complaint. In fact, there was a palpable sense of enthusiasm when they knew they could dress up.  And that, my friends, is pretty cool.  It is also worth noting that nobody thought it was odd that I was wearing a one piece giraffe costume. Apparently my regular work garb is not quite as professional as I thought?!  Who knew J?

 We talked about the importance of kashrut, whether we identified with it, how we felt about it, whether we would be willing to try it.  As a woman who has kept kosher for a long period of time, and also not kept kosher for an equally long period of time, it was good to talk openly and honestly.

 We then looked at images of ironic kosher foods: Christmas Fruity Pebbles, Baconaise,  Bacon Flavored Lays Potato Chips, and discussed how one could come up with some false assumptions based upon that packaging.  In our next lesson we will discuss the kosher industry and how kosher foods have taken on a life of their own outside of the Jewish world. 

Kitah Hey Update

Dear Parents,

 The last time we met, our Torah class was greeted by our Matriarch Sarai, her husband Avram led the learners in and Sarai proceeded to tell us about her travels to the Land of Canaan (Israel). She traveled with Avram and nephew Lot & his family from Haran to Canaan through Egypt. She told the class about her Covenant with God. God promised her husband that his descendants would be as many as the dust on the earth & stars in the sky. 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 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 daily. 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.

 We discussed ways in which the kids practice Shalom Bayit at home or in school. Many realized that we all compromise throughout life on a daily basis.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Shabbat Shalom,

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Gan Katan Update

Shalom to our Wonderful Families,

When our class met last, we talked about what we are Thankful for in our lives. We thank God when we wake  up  in the morning  and  say, "Moda  Ani" We say thank you  God that we woke up and that we are healthy. We say thank you  to God that we have food to eat, that's  why we say our blessings  before  we eat. We talked  about that we are thankful  for our families, mommy's  and daddy's  and our siblings. 

 We are thankful  to our parents or sharing your precious  children  with us. Check out our display in the Berman Hallway what your children  are thankful  for.

 Shabbat Shalom,

 Morot  Zoya and Alexis