Kitah Hey Update

May 12, 2017

Dear Parents,

Where has our school year gone?

We continued our Torah studies, discussing the Jewish values it teaches us through the stories it tells.

Abraham & Sarah became the father & mother of a great nation - Israel. They showed us how to live and advocate for Justice. They exemplified the meaning of Hospitality.  They opened their home to anyone who was in need. They lived a life of Shalom Bayit - Peace in the home - by compromising. The life they lived was authentic and a wonderful example for their children, family, servants and friends (all of which followed in Abraham & Sarah's teachings). They too became "team players", part of the Jewish people -עם ישראל. Believing and committed to the Covenant with God.

Our learners have discussed how they practice these values in their own life at home and in school. Being grateful, sensitive, happy, content and kind.

Have a happy Mother's Day and I look forward to our last few days with this bright & sensitive group of students. I also look forward to seeing you at our Torah celebration on our last day May 21.

It has been a privilege working with your children!

Shabbat Shalom

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Gan Katan Update

May 10, 2017

Hello Parents, 

Sunday we had a really busy morning. We had both classes combined and the wall opened. We Learned  about the holiday of of Shavout. How the Jewish people  received the Torah.  God went to other nations and asked if they wanted His Torah and they each said, "NO!" Cause it's something that is forbidden and they want to do it then they can't.  When God  came to the Jews  and asked if we wanted His Torah we said together as a whole nation,  " we will do and we will listen." We received  the Ten Commandments, we the Jewish  people  have to follow.  We made our very own Ten commandments.  Each child told us what they thought was the right thing to do and what not. We talked about  if God listens to our prayers  and if He answers them.  I loved  hearing what they had to say.  

We also talked about a very special holiday that is coming  up this Sunday.  Mother's

Day.  Your child made something very special for you.  We told them to give it to you on Sunday. 

The children worked really hard on your gifts, we hope that you will love them as much as we loved making them for you. 

Happy Mother's  Day to all you special  Mama's!! Thank you for sharing  your wonderful  children with us!!

Kitah Gan Team!! 

Kitah Vav Update

May 9, 2017

And a final blog post from the 6^th grade!  It has been a lovely year with your crew!  We spent the week wrapping up our unit on Moses and leadership.  Ask your child about the attributes of an unlikely leader and what makes an unlikely leader a GOOD leader. 

Just a few things:  we do NOT have Sunday school on Mother’s Day.  We have 1 more Tuesday and the final Sunday on May 21^st.  PLEASE COME TO meet your child from 11-12 for our Have Torah, Will Travel Celebration.  It is expected that all children have an adult with them, as our teachers will be running the stations at our event.  Your child is welcome to be under the supervision of a friend’s parent; however, please be aware that the teachers CANNOT be responsible for the children during the 11-12 time frame.  Thank you for your help.

It has been a great year and I have enjoyed learning and laughing with your kids.  Looking forward to a few last hurrahs and then have a WONDERFUL summer.  Stay in touch!

Warmly,

Leah

Dear Parents,

It had been a long time since we have all been together, lots of vacations, holidays and absences, so it was great to all be together last Sunday.  We celebrated Yom Ha'atzmaut  with lots of fun activities. We made hummus and Israeli salad. In class we put together a  puzzle of the map of Israel and then your kids made a watercolor of Jerusalem. We created a memory/matching game of "Israel " words and we played that.

We are continuing with our Hebrew reading and will try to complete all the letter and vowels in the time remaining. We have class this Sunday, May 7, Tuesday, May 9, Tuesday, May 16 and our last day of class is Sunday May 21.

Wishing you all a Shabbat shalom,

Davida Robinson

Kitah Gan Katan Update

May 3, 2017

Happy Week to our Fabulous Parents:

Sunday, we reviewed about Mezuzahs for the kids that missed out last week. We went on another Mezuzah hunt through out the shul. We had a great time looking at all different types and shapes of Mezuzahs.  We finished our projects,  which are coming home Sunday. We hope that you will enjoy them as much as we learned and made them.

Have a wonderful rest of your week.

Morot Zoya and Alexis 

Kitah Hey Update

May 2, 2017

Dear Parents,

Our Torah study and Jewish Values continue with Jacob taking his mother Rivkah's advice and running away to Haran. He travels to his uncle Laban's house and on his way he finds himself on Mount Moriah, spending a night in the very same spot his grandfather Abraham connected with God and the spot the Holy Temple would be built in the future. Jacob declares this spot to be a holy spot where Jews can pray and bring sacrifices to God. God changes Jacobs name to Israel and he continues to journey to Haran and falls in love with Rachel. 

The story has many twists to it and Jacob ends up with two wives and works for Laban as a shepherd for 14 years. Rachel teaches us what a righteous person she is. She did not want to shame her sister Leah when her father tricked Jacob and how she compromised to avoid putting her embarrassing her sister Leah. The kids reviewed which of Jacob's names best fit each part of his life. We will continue the story and lessons we can learn on Sunday.

Your child has an opportunity to enter the Jeffrey Weinberg Memorial Creative Writing Contest. Please take a look at the letter brought home or on line. Their essays must be emailed by Wednesday. May 17. There are three categories to win.

Shabbat Shalom

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Vav Update

May 2, 2017

Hi all –

We had a fantastic week this week.  The spring fever seemed to have subsided a bit. JOY!

On Sunday we had extended chugim for our Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations to celebrate Israel’s 69^th birthday!  The kids made dead sea salt scrub, hamsas, and Israeli food.  Fun was had by all… and quite a mess. Whew! Clean up was brutal! J But, I hope your child had a great time!

In class, we did something a bit different to try and break things up.  I am trying to get the kids moving a bit to keep them engaged.  We discussed Jews in terms of being refugees since our unit on Moses leads us to the point where the Israelites are wandering for 40 years.  We spoke about why the Jewish people are always wandering (including some current Jewish pre-teens, who tend to wander the halls at CSZ J) and what makes them keep landing on their feet. We discussed how Jews are like a compass (the kind used in geometry, not a compass rose), and how one foot is fixed in Judaism and one foot – the one that moves – is your nationality.  That foot can move, but it always comes back to the fixed foot of Judaism.  Our true home is our religion, and this makes us portable and makes us suited and adaptable to move.  We then did an activity where we made a Jewish star with our bodies and then had to immediately move into a symbol that represented America.  The kids chose the 3 branches of government (I was impressed). The kids were really engaged and into the lesson.

On Tuesday we made our yads with Gail Kaplan. They are BEAUTIFUL!  I hope everyone uses them for their bar or bat mitzvah!

Have a wonderful week and only a few more weeks until our big Shavuot program on our last day of religious ed, May 21^st.  Please make sure to join your child from 11 – 12.  WE have lots of things for the older kids, including tying your own tzit tzit, writing with a sofer and much more!  It’s going to be great.

Have a good one,

Morah Leah

7th Grade Class Update

May 1, 2017

Dear Parents,

This Sunday we learned about the time period we are currently experiencing-- the Omer. We learned that the Omer leads from the second night of Passover up to the holiday of Shavuoth. We learned the details, basis, and method of counting the 49 days of the Omer and why we do it.

Then we learned about Rabbis Akiva and Shimon Bar Yochai and why this Omer time period is a time of modified communal morning, and what that means. We discussed how and why we mourn the loss of potential Torah knowledge and insights with the passing of Rabbi Akiva's 24,000 students prior to Lag Ba'Omer (when the epidemic stopped). We also learned about the importance of respecting one another and learning from every person with whom we interact.

Then we learned about the significance of Lag Ba'Omer (the 33rd day of the Omer) and how it is celebrated in Israel and throughout the world. We learned that children in Irsael set bon fires on Lab Ba'Omer. These fires commemorate the light Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai shed on hidden Torah knowledge when he revealed the Zohar (Kabbalah) on his deathbed, on Lag Ba'Omer.

After focusing on the Omer we learned about this week's Israeli National holidays of Yom Hazikaron and Yom Haatzmaut--Israel's Memorial Day and Israel's Independence Days. We discovered how they are commemorated/celebrated in Israel. We also spoke about the fact that all citizens must serve in the military in Israel and the impact that has on Israeli society.  

We also took some time to begin writing our essays for the Weisberg Writing Award competition. Please make sure they are finished and submitted before the deadline.

I hope you had a meaningful Yom Hazikaron and a celebratory Yom Haatzmaut! Don't forget to count the Omer until Shavuot!

Best,

Morah Hollenberg

Kitah Hey Update

4/26/2017

Dear Parents,

Hope everyone had a great vacation and a wonderful Passover. It was nice welcoming back our students this week and hearing about their holiday and how the Seder was meaningful to them.

We continued our Torah study, discussing the relationship of Jacob and his brother Esau. The learners retold the story of Jacob receiving the blessing from Isaac and the birthright from Esau. The special blessing was Jacob's (and Jewish people's) family treasure. When asked to fill in blank "one of my family treasures is?" The students' answers were: 

                        Siblings getting along

                        Not fighting

                        Going on family vacation 

                        Shabbat dinner

                        Spending time with grandparents 

All really special things to treasure!

This week we commemorated Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Memorial Day) Our class visited "the Butterfly: An Art Exhibition in the new wing, off the main lobby at CSZ. Our class contributed a beautiful stained glass butterfly inspired by the poem "the Butterfly", written in 1942 by a child in Terezin Concentration Camp. Our butterfly represents endurance, change, hope, and life. 

Our lessons have focused on how small acts against injustice can ultimately create an environment where hate cannot flourish.

Shabbat Shalom

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Vav Update

April 25, 2017

Hello all –

We are entering the home stretch of religious school. It is always difficult when we come back after Passover, as the kids are in Spring Mode.  I have am wondering if wearing a giant inflatable dinosaur costume at all times might help, and am willing to take that plunge, if need be.  We shall see. It is always good to keep a trick or two in your back pocket. J In the meantime, while I know that spring sports are here and the kids’ schedules are crazy, just a gentle reminder that they are in Judiacs class from 11:25 – 12:15, so if they leave at 11:30, they  miss all of their Judaics lesson… and my giant inflatable dinosaur costume. And that’s just tragic.  Please make sure if your child needs to leave early, that he/she circles back with me BEFORE or AFTER class the next week, so I can catch him/her up.  And, of course, there is always the blog.  This past Sunday we began with 15 kids and I had 4 by 11:45.  And such is spring.   So, as for Sunday, we don’t have much to report, as we REDID the lesson on Tuesday.

Since I am typing this Tuesday morning, let’s pretend that this class went as follows.  In my mind, this is EXACTLY what is going to happen, but who knows.  Usually I am at least 20% right. J But this is the lesson planned. First, I will look stunning in my inflatable T-Rex costume and the kids will ALL be there and then they will all leave to go on to play baseball AFTER religious ed and naturally, win their games.  They will then go home, eat all of their veggies without complaint, and their chicken (even without fried breading on it), not torture their siblings, do their homework, brush their teeth without leaving globs of toothpaste in the sink, and go to bed by 9:00 p.m. with the day’s clothing neatly tossed in the hamper.  Just so you know: this happened.  I guarantee it.

Tuesday plan:  We learn about Moses as an imperfect leader.  Why? One might ask… because I want the kids to know that YOU TOO can be like Moses.  You do NOT have to be PERFECT.  But you can have GIANT positive impacts on the world and on the Jewish people.  We discuss what it means to be a leader, what characteristics leaders hold – both positive and negative.  We then discuss in popular culture what the characteristics those leaders hold.  We see a short google slide show that Morah Leah made.. naturally, the internet does not go out and the Smartboard works perfectly.  Then, The kids do an activity that involves lemons and leadership (ask them about this… it’s a good one), and it ends by making homemade lemonade.  Yum.  On Sunday we will move on to discuss specific characteristics of Moses and tie them in to characteristics he shares with other leaders that they are familiar with.

Please mark May 2 as an important date – the kids are making their YADS with Gail Kaplan.  These are the ones that they use for their Bar/Bat mitzvahs!  They are BEAUTIFUL and are generously sponsored by CSZ. 

Please also mark May 21^st from 11- 12 in your calendar.  You will meet your children for the last day of religious school for the all school, family Shavuot program.  Looking forward to having you there.

Have a great weekend,

Leah

Kitah Gan Katan Update

April 24, 2017

Welcome Back! Hope everyone had a great Passover Holiday.  

Today we have learned a lot, very busy in our Gan Katan class.  We started learning about Mezzuah. We learned what goes in the Mezzuah, the Shema. We went on a hunt around the shul to look at how many different types of Mezzuahs we could find. We even went to Rabbi Starr's office and he showed us a Mezzuah that he brought from Israel. It was the stones of the Kotel, very cool to see.  

We are making our very own Mezzuahs to take home. Keep an eye out.

Hope you have a great week!!

Morot Zoya and Alexis 

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Dear Parents,

What a great week in Kitah bet!! On Sunday we had  an experiential learning day of Pesach. Your children helped make "Maror". Proud to say everyone  tasted it and many came back for more. They also created a bowl to  use at the Seder for  either Maror, salt water, or Karpas.

On Tuesday we joined the entire school for a "Chocolate Seder". Kitah Bet was well represented and participated  as part of our learning community.

During our brief time together, I hope your children got a taste ( no pun intended) of this joyful holiday. I shared some fun Pesach stories, we listened to some Pesach song parodies and played a Pesach memory/matching game to familiarize them with the Pesach story and celebration.

There is an app available for the  4 Questions that you get  for your i-phone or i-pad.   It is something your kids  can play with for the next couple weeks to learn the 4 QUESTIONS  and there are also activities to play.

I am looking forward to hearing about your seders and Pesach when your children return to class.
Wishing you all a chag kasher v'sameach. Happy Passover.

Davida

We will not have class again until April 23.

7th Grade Class Update

March 30, 2017

Dear 7th Grade Parents,

We had a meaningful visit to the Holocaust Memorial Center this Sunday. After our docent-led tour, we heard from a survivor, Mr. Martin Lowenberg, about life in Germany pre, during, and post WWII. He spoke to us about the importance of love and the terrible consequences of hatred. 

On Tuesday, we prepared for Pesach by enjoying a chocolate seder with the rest of our friends in the CSZ Religious School.  We learned about the structure of the seder while eating some delicious chocolate sweets, and we had a very competitive search for the chocolate afikoman.

We do not have another Sunday class before Pesach. I wish you all a chag Kasher v'sameach! Happy Passover!

Best, 

Morah Hollenberg and Moreh Fidel

Kitah Vav Update

March 27, 2017

Hi All –

We had an eventful 6^th grade week out of the classroom: First the Jewish Historical Society field trip and then the Chocolate Seder! The kids were busy, busy learning and moving and grooving this week. I hope that they have an EXCITING spring break and a restful Seder and that they get whatever fun, rest, sleep or silliness that they need to in order to keep their eyes on the prize from April til the end of school.

I know that it is hard to imagine, but HOW is it that the school year is almost over?  It always seems to just creep up on me! 

At your Seder table this year, ask your child to share a bit about how Anti-Semitism played a role in the Passover story.  Ask your child why Pharaoh was afraid of the Jewish people, and what Pharaoh did to resolve this issue.  It is also worth noting how this Anti-Semitism has continued to play a role in history from this point until – quite sadly – today. The kids discussed at length why they think that people have continued to dislike and fear Jews, and they know the stereotypes that have been repeatedly associated with the Jews.

Next year, may we all celebrate our Seders in Jerusalem and in, God willing, a world free of Anti-Semitism and hate. In the meantime, thank you for sharing your thoughtful, children with me. It is my pleasure to play, pray and learn with them.

Warm regards and Happy Passover,

Leah

Dear Parents,

We are in Pesach mode in Kitah Bet . Unfortunately we do not have as much time as I had planned for, to cover the material but we will do the best we can. Your children should have brought home their Elijah/ Miriam cup for you to use at your seder.This Sunday we will be making Maror and a serving dish for either the Maror or salt water.
On Tuesday there will be an all-school Chocolate Seder.

We are continuing with our Hebrew reading and last week we learned the the Hebrew letter "Tet" and a new vowel. As aways, there are practice reading sheets for your child to practice at home with you.
Thank you for partnering with me in this.

Shabbat shalom,

Davida

Kitah Hey Update

March 22, 2017

Dear Parents,

What a great week of Jewish learning we have had! Thanks to Mrs. Rachel Rose, our class created a beautiful stained glass mural which will hang in the newly refurbished wing, outside of the boardroom at CSZ. This was our Project Based Learning unit on Passover. Our learners analyzed the Poetry of Pavel Friedmann's "The Butterfly". Creating a comparison between the Holocaust and Passover  The learners expressed small acts against injustice can ultimately create an environment where hate cannot flourish. The art piece will be displayed during the Michigan premiere of "the Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terezin" premier Spring, 2017.

We are planning our field trip this Sunday, March 26 to Jewish Detroit, sponsored by the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan. Please make sure your child is here at CSZ to board the Bus at 8:45 am.

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

Shabbat Shalom

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Vav Update

March 21, 2017

Hello friends! It has been another busy week at CSZ and I cannot believe that it is spring. I know I sound so old, but WHERE DID THE TIME GO?!  I swear it was Sukkot yesterday. Then again, in my mind 10 years ago was 2005, so what do I know….

Alas, some important housekeeping:

THIS SUNDAY IS THE JEWISH HISTORICAL BUS TOUR OF DETROIT:

If your child is in 6^th grade and did NOT RSVP for this trip, you do NOT have religious school on Sunday. 

All children who RSVP'd and sent in permission slips prior to Wednesday will board the bus at the FRONT entrance of CSZ at 8:45 a.m. PROMPTLY.  The bus will LEAVE at 9:00 a.m. The bus leaves rain or shine.  If school is canceled for some reason, the trip is canceled as well.

Eat a hearty breakfast and dress for the weather.

The bus will return no later than 1:00 pm. Ask your child to text you when they are on the way back to CSZ, but ask your child to stay OFF of his/her phone during the trip, please.

Please remind your child to be on his/her best behavior during this trip; several other synagogues are sharing the bus with us and we want to represent the BEST of CSZ and our children!

In other news:

Sunday the kids finished up their research on the history of propaganda and antisemitism and how Jews have been portrayed in the media. They found many patterns throughout a span of 90 years.  It is quite troubling.

On Tuesday we moved back to the Torah and to the consequence for Pharaoh’s antisemitism, he set the Jews up to fail.  The Jews were given a ridiculous amount of work to do and not enough materials to do.  What did we do? Did we band together to get the job done?!  Heck no!  We whined. We complained. We blamed each other. We pointed fingers.  We got UGLY.  Some things never change J

The kids studied what happens when groups of people feel maligned and oppressed and desperate. We discussed how this translates to modern day (still very relevant in everyday life) and how we can do things DIFFERENTLY to get a better result.   How did we do this?!  With LEGOS of course.  Ask your child what on earth Legos have to do with the Exodus story.  I hope something sunk in!

Til next time.  Enjoy your break and have a wonderful Passover!

Leah

7th Grade Class Update

March 19, 2017

Dear Parents,

     This Sunday we learned about the media coverage and other sources of information that was leaked to the world about the anti-Semitism and the German intention to annihilate Eastern European Jewry. We also discussed the American response to Hitler's Final Solution.

     We learned about the St. Louis ship which was supposed to protect 900 or so Jews from death at the hands of the Nazis and how its occupants were denied entry to Cuba and the US only to be admitted by other European countries which were later occupied by Germany.

     Then we spoke about our responsibilities to foreigners facing persecution and current perspectives on taking in refugees in the US. We discussed the balancing of taking care of Americans in need and foreigners and the challenges that arise with these issues. We kept the conversation factual and did not discuss the political issues at all.

     Finally, we visited the maker space to make butterflies which will be displayed in CSZ for the DSO Defiant Requiem series.

     Next Sunday, 3/26/17, we will meet at the Holocaust Museum in Farmington Hills for our lesson. There will be no 7th-grade class at the synagogue next Sunday, 3/26/17.

Best,
Morah Hollenberg

Dear Parents,

Purim was a lot of fun. On Sunday we packed Mishloach Manot for you and the community. We had a Megillah reading, and some more Purim fun in the classroom.  With Purim behind us,  it means only one thing... Pesach is coming!! On Tuesday we began to learn about Pesach.

We finished lesson 14 in our  Hebrew reading books this past Tuesday . My hope is to complete our reading book by the end of the year. Ever time we meet I hope to complete a lesson, now that they have the basics of decoding.

During the next few weeks we will be creating items for you to use at your seder and teaching your children the 4Questions so they can participate in your family seder. Through our Torah study of the book of Shemot we have been learning the back story to our celebration of Passover. In the coming days I hope we can connect our history and celebration of Pesach together for your kids.

.
Shabbat Shalom

Davida

7th Grade Class Update

March 15, 2017

Dear 7th Grade Parents,

This week we had an awesome time celebrating Purim together! We made mishloach manot to give to friends, made parcels for the poor, listened to the Megillah and enjoyed all sorts of treats. We certainly enjoyed socializing together as well!

We also took some time to discuss and prepare for our upcoming trip to the Holocaust Memorial Museum. We are eagerly anticipating our discussion with a Holocaust survivor at the museum. 

On Tuesday, we learned about various Jewish resistance attempts and learned about specific instances of righteous gentiles risking their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.  We also learned the history behind the liberation of the camps, and we read firsthand accounts from Allied soldiers about their first encounters with the extermination camps.

Please let us know if your child has any particular concerns or questions that you would like us to address.

Best, 

Morah Hollenberg and Moreh Fidel

Hebrew Highlights

March 15, 2017

Dear Parents,

This past Sunday was Purim and our classes began the day assembling "Shalach Manot" for our families and for friends. 

We continued by discussing,reading and exploring the Megillah of Esther with Rabbi Starr and Rabbi Dahlen. 

We continued onto Chugim.  Each student chose the Chug she/he wanted to attend. They all related to Purim.  We finished the day with our Hebrew Classes focusing on Purim.

We began our day on Tuesday with Teffilot led by Cantor Gutman. The 4th and 5th grades began their study of the Pesach Hagaddah which we plan to continue  in the coming weeks leading up to the holiday. 

Shabbat Shalom,  

Toby Schlussel

Kitah Gan Katan Update

March 28, 2017

Hello Parents, 

Sunday was extremely busy in our classroom. Since last week we learned the whole story of Passover, this week we talked about what the term Seder means.  (Your children  will be able to explain  to you what chametz means too). Seder is Order. We have a specific order in which we lead the Seder. Chametz is wheat bread that we can't eat on Passover.  

We talked about what makes something chametz.  In order for matza not to be chametz, it has to be in the oven for 18 minutes.  If it is longer than 18 minutes it means then the dough becomes chametz and we can't eat it on Passover. 

We made our very own book on Passover: ex (Seder plate, Seder plate what do you see) you could do this at your Seder dinner.  The children also made their very own Afikoman bag. They had to do their own sewing with thread and they put jewels on them. We hope that you will enjoy their beautiful work! 

Have a wonderful  Passover Holiday! 

Morot Zoya,  Alexis and Emma 

March 23, 2017

Hello Parents, 

We had a very busy Sunday morning.  We started learning about the holiday of Passover. We acted out the whole story. How the Hebrews were slaves to Pharaoh in Egypt.  How he made us work every day and every night. The Hebrews didn't even get paid for all their hard work.  

God sent us Moses to get us out of slavery. But Pharaoh harden his heart and said,  " No, No, No, I will not let them go!"  There were 10 bad things that God did to the Egyptians, at the last plague the death of the first born sons ( of course we told the children,  that the babies got sick) only then did Pharhoh let the Hebrews go! 

This Sunday we will finish the story and bring home lots of Goodies.

Have a great weekend

Morot Zoya and Alexis 

March 15, 2017

Shalom To Our Gan Katan  Families:

We had a fantastic time celebrating the Holiday of Purim! It was a lot of fun seeing our friends dress up. 

Our morning was filled with fun things. 

• First, we packed shaloch manot to our friends at Yad  Ezra. Then we packed for our families. 

• While we packed we also played really cool games with our friends. 

• Then we went to the chapel and all the clergy were there dressed up as Trolls! It was very funny to see our Rabbis and Cantors wearing different color wigs and tutus! 😃

• We got to hear the Megillah and when we heard the name of Haman, we used our groggers that we made and shook them so hard to erase his evil name. ( Booooooooooo Haman).  We got to dance around the chapel that was a lot of fun! 

• We then ate cookies that had three corners,  They were shaped like the hat that  Haman used to wear.  Boooooo!!!  

It was a lot of fun celebrating  Purim with your children! Thank you for sharing them with us!!!

Enjoy your families!!!

Morot Zoya and Alexis 

Kitah Hey Update

March 15, 2017

Dear Parents,

We had a fun filled week starting with the Holiday of Purim and continuing our JHSM's Traveling Trunk interactive in class lessons during religious school on Tuesday. 

We continued our studies on how the many Jewish Social service organization began and developed to help the needs of our community from 1880-1920. The students learned how they began and where they were housed and what agencies they developed into today, helping all of the Jewish community. 

Please fill out the Waiver/Permission slip sent home with your child and return to me as soon as possible for our upcoming trip on March 26. 

You should have all received an email about the trip with details. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me.

Shabbat Shalom
Cillia Kleiman

Morah Gawel Class Update

March 15, 2017

Hi All –

FIRST:  PLEASE RSVP for the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan’s Settlers to Citizens Bus T our of Historic Jewish Detroit.  The bus loads at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, March 26^th at CSZ and leaves PROMPTLY at 9:00 a.m.  WE DO NOT HAVE REGULAR RELIGIOUS SCHOOL ON THIS DAY FOR THE 6^TH GRADE, AS THE KIDS WILL BE ON A FIELD TRIP.   ALL CHILDREN NEED A TOUR WAIVER PERMISSION SLIP.  You can click on the attachment or pick up one from the religious school. *****

We have had an eventful week, as usual.  One of these days I will tell you that it was boring, but I’m guessing no day soon! J  Sunday was Purim, and while we only had 3 kiddos in class, we partied like rock stars.  We had a special day filled with mishloach manot packing; all of the Purim Parcels were donated to Jewish Senior Life.  We also played carnival games with Ramah, made creative Purim Parcel containers in the Maker’s Space, and made hammantashen during chugim.  The entire shul smelled divine with the aroma of chocolate chips and cherry filling. I ate my weight in the forgotten hammantashen and leftover Hershey Kisses. Good times! The clergy put on a rocking Purim Shpiel for us and the Hebrew teachers finished the day off with some Purim learning.  Fun was had by all… all 3 that is!  But we were happy to have so many of you the night before at the Purim carnival.  It was a blast. 

On Tuesday we continued our discussion of antis-Semitism and Jews and how we have been portrayed in the media.  The kids looked at specific advertisements from every 20 years pre and post World War II and looked for the same themes and motifs that we saw in the images we studied last week. This work will culminate in creating some posters to help combat the Anti-Semitic sentiments in our own culture, and then we will move on and study our Exodus unit more in depth.

Looking forward to a WARMER week next week and more learning with you people,

Leah

Kitah Zayin Class Update

Dear 7th Grade Parents,

On Sunday we learned about the Warsaw Ghetto and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising led by  Mordechai Anielewicz, who was the first commander of the Jewish Fighting Organization in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.  I showed the class pictures from my trip to Israel including pictures from a kibbutz renamed in memorial to Mordechai Anielewicz. The class was really interested in learning about the Jewish past and future which we learned through the history of the founding of the State of Israel and the Partisan fighting which led to the establishment of the State of Israel.  

 

On Tuesday, we continued to learn about the Holocaust.  After learning about the ghettoization and transport of Jews into concentration camps around Europe, we transitioned to discussing the next step of the Final Solution: the death camps. 

 Although incredibly sad, the students handled the material very well.  We learned about the function of the death camps, saw firsthand footage of their liberation, and had a chance to view the photos of Auschwitz that I took when I traveled to Poland in 2012.   

Next week, we will discuss the liberation of the death camps further, while also learning about various examples of heroic Jewish resistance during the Holocaust.

 Please let us know if your child has an particular concerns or questions that you would like us to address.

 

Chag Purim Sameach!

 

Emily and Matt

Kitah Vav Update

Hello all! Happy early Purim! We hope that you join us tomorrow night for some CSZ Purim festivities! We have had a fabulous week, albeit one with some serious discussion.  We are in the  middle of discussing anti-Semitism, and its place within the narrative of the Exodus story.  Your child should be GOOD TO GO for retelling the Passover story this holiday!  We read the beginning of the text and discussed how the new Pharaoh was concerned with how MANY Jews there were and how he did not know Joseph. This mean that he did not know how the Jewish people had helped Egypt; he had no context for them other than what was in front of him.  What was in front of him?!  A whole bunch of Jews.  And he was worried. In fact, he was a bit paranoid.  Pharaoh thought that the Jews were going to join up with another army and try and defeat him.  Pharaoh did not like the Jews simply because he was scared of them.  It began with FEAR.

After we looked at the text, we moved on to look at various pictures from advertisements and cartoons that depict Jewish figures in antiemetic ways.  These images span from the 1930s to political cartoons from publications that are only weeks old.  We studied the various similarities in how the Jews are portrayed: big noses, hunched over, animalistic, vampires, hairy, homeless looking, beast like, greedy looking, beady eyed, blood sucking, controlling, crazy, big eared, ugly, insane.  We talked about WHY would Jewish people be portrayed in such ways?! We will continue discussing this and talk about why these images KEEP popping up in modern day publications.  We are also going to talk about HOW we can combat these stereotypes.

We have a FANTASTIC adult learning piece that ties into this, which is scheduled for Thursday, April 27^th at 7pm called Turning Words into Action which will be led by the Education Department from the Michigan Anti Defamation League. I highly recommend attending!

Have a wonderful holiday and can’t wait to see you IN COSTUME!

 Leah

Kitah Gan Katan Update

 

 Good Week to our Fabulous  Parents, 

 Sunday we were very busy learning  about the  holiday  of Purim. Purim is a very joyous  holiday for the Jewish people.  The wicked  wicked man named Haman wanted to kill all the Jewish people,  because  one Jewish  man named Mordachi did  not bow to Haman.  He told Haman we have only One God, and we don't bow to any other gods!! The wicked wicked man Haman was furious  with  Mordachi and wanted to kill off all the Jews.  But thank God for queen Esther who came to our rescue and told the king  of Haman' s horrible  scheme and saved all the Jewish people. ( Short Summary of the story)

 We had a fun time learning  about the story of Purim. Every time we heard the name Haman we Booooooooooooed him!! We made groggers  so that when we hear his name we could shake it to erase his name.  We made mask of either,  Haman,  Queen Esther or her uncle  Mordachi.  Boy did we have a blast!! 

 Hope you enjoy celebrating Purim with your families!!

Morot Zoya  and  Alexis 

 

Kitah Hey Update

Dear Parents,

 

We continue our unit on Jewish Detroit. Studying the challenges in Eastern Europe and finding Religious Freedom and Economic opportunity in the United States, specifically Detroit Michigan. The children took on the rolls of different immigrants and learned that they left Europe not knowing a word of English, but were  willing to work hard and be a full citizen and joined the U.S. Army.

 Our learners also studied and analyzing the poem "The Butterfly" by Pavel Friedmann. He was born January 7, 1921, in Prague and deported to Terezin , a Nazi concentration camp. The students analyses and compared the poem to the story of Passover. They came up with some amazing analogies. We will culminate this project with a display that will be presented to CSZ and can be viewed before Passover in the Synagogue Lobby.

Our class has lots of exciting experiences coming up this month.

 I hope to see you all this weekend as we celebrate the holiday of Purim here at CSZ both  on Saturday night and Sunday during religious school.

Shabbat Shalom,

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Bet Update

Dear Parents,

We have continued our Purim fun with a Purim play ( costumes and all!) and a G-dcast video about Purim. Ask your kids about this, they loved it. On Sunday we have an all Purim morning where we will listen to the megillah and make mishloach manot for our family and the community . If you haven't already done so, please send in treats so we can perform the mitzvah of mishloach manot.

We are moving  along in our Hebrew reading. As we learn more letters and vowels, I am introducing new tools to help everyone decode to be able to put our letter and vowel sounds together to read. I have received some reading homework from your kids.  Thank you!! If you haven't been reading with them, it's not too late. Everyone can use the practice!!

Shabbat Shalom and Chag Purim Sameach!

Davida

Kitah Hey Update

Dear Parents,

Our class has started a new unit on the history of Michigan's and Detroit's Jewish community. We have had an educator from the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan work with the students this past Tuesday and for the next month.  They have brought Detroit's Jewish history to life, using an interactive curriculum designed for religious school students from 5th - 7th grade.  The students were introduced this week, to early pioneers who traveled by canoe from Montreal, Canada and returned for Rosh Hashanah every year. We played a game, using Yiddish expressions and learned about the ways these entrepreneurs made a living. It was lots of fun and the kids really enjoyed it. They were sent home with a form to fill out about their personal history. Please help them complete this for Tues. if they were absent I will give them a copy on Sunday.

Our class really absorbed the materials taught and had fun while doing so. We are all excited about be a part of this educational program.

Any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me.

 Shabbat Shalom,

Cillia Kleiman

Kitah Bet Update

Dear Parents,

We have begun learning about the holiday of Purim.  We made a match/memory game to familiarize ourselves with "Purim" words. We have read stories, watched a fun video and created a "grogger" from recycled materials. We will continue this week with some more fun Purim activities. On March 12(Purim) we will have an all school megillah reading as well as other Purim activities.
Be happy, its Adar!!

We are continuing our Hebrew learning on Sundays and Tuesdays and our Torah study on Sundays.
After Purim we will begin our Pesach learning  and your child will be making  some things for you to use at your family seder as well as learning  parts of the seder.

Shabbat Shalom,

Davida

Kitah Vav Update

After a long February break, it was great to have our kiddos back! We are moving on to our new unit, Shemot and Moses.  We begin with our unit on anti-Semitism.. Anti-Semitism>!  Moses>?  WHAT?!  Actually, the story of Exodus begins with anti-Semitism.  The Pharaoh is scared of the Jews.  He is worried that they are becoming to numerous and will overtake him, so he orders the death of the baby boys.  And so begins the story that we tell on Passover.  His hatred toward the Jews begins with fear. 

 We began the conversation of anti-Semitism by discussing Harry Potter and JK Rowling’s use of the word: Half Blood, Pure Blood, MudBlood and Muggles.  We discussed how this was similar to the discrimination and use of language used to describe African Americans during and after slavery and to describe people of Aryan decent during the Holocaust.  This comparison really speaks to the kids and it helps the “get it.”

 The kids shared a lot about some discriminatory issues that were going on in their schools. I was appalled to hear about how many antiemetic issues they were dealing with.  I know that the recent election and the political climate leading up to it has really amped up the hatred against Jews in the country.  It is so disheartening to hear that the children are being affected by this in such a personal way. 

Tuesday, our 7^th graders came in to discuss the Holocaust, which they had been learning about in depth and to talk about how antisemitism lead to this terrible tragedy.  We talked about how propaganda led to this tragedy and what the stereotypes were that brought about this propaganda. We also talked about how the story of Purim also hinges on a deep seated hatred of the Jews.

 

We live in trying times.  Sadly, it is so apropos to our children what they are learning in Hebrew school.  However, I am glad  that they are learning subjects that are relevant to their lives and their world and hopefully that they are prepared to face whatever unfortunate hatred comes their way.

 Til next time.

Leah

Kitah Gan Katan Update

 Hello Parents and Welcome Back! 

 Sunday was pretty  busy  for  us in Gan Katan.  We learned about giving  Tzedakah ( charity).  How some people in our communities don't have much, ex: food,  clothing,  toys, money and a roof over their heads. 

 We talked about  the mitzvah of giving  Tzedakah, how it's a commandment in the Torah to give tzedakah to those who are less fortunate  then us. 

 We talked about places where one could  donate their money to, example: (Yad Ezra is our local kosher  food pantry, animal shelter places  where you could donate  your gentle used clothes). 

 We made our very  own  Tzadekah  boxes for each families to take home next week.  Once your Tzadekah boxes fills up, you could decide  as a family where the money should go. 

In my family Yad Ezra  is very important.  Once our Tzedakah  box is full, we drive to Yad Ezra  and give them our money. It makes us feel better  knowing  that  people  in our communities  will have food  for their families. 

 Charitably, Yours

 Morot Zoya and Alexis 

7th grade class update

Dear 7th Grade Parents,

 This week, we continued our unit about the Holocaust.  Throughout our unit, we have found that our students have struggled to grasp the enormity of the number "6,000,000," so we read the stories of individuals who perished in the Holocaust.  The stories that we read were about people of varying ages, backgrounds, and experiences, which provided a way for the students to humanize the overwhelming horrors of the Shoah.  

 We continued by watching the movie "Paperclips," a film about Holocaust education, and then had 2 safety drills. We discussed the fact that each paperclip represents an extinguished life. We also talked about prejudice and discrimination. When we returned from the safety drills we talked about why we went to/plan to gather in  the lower level in the event of bomb threat and other questions that arose. 

Lastly, we learned about the ghettoization of Eastern European Jewry as an intermediary step towards the Final Solution.  We discussed how it would feel to be separated from the rest of a city and crammed into crowded living spaces.  The students were particularly struck by the overcrowding in the ghettos, as we learned that the Warsaw Ghetto held over 400,000 Jews in 1.3 square miles, which is the same area of Central Park.

 Please let us know if your child has an particular concerns or questions that you would like us to address.

We hope you can join us for our class visit to the Holocaust Memorial Center on Sunday, March 26 at 9:30 am. This is a parent and child together visit.

 

Best,

Morah Hollenberg and Moreh Fidel

Kitah Bet Update

Dear Parents,

We are continuing our Torah learning in the book of Shemot . Shemot is the book of the Torah that retells the exodus from Egypt. As we are learning of the Exodus I am connecting this to  Passover as a reference point to the holiday. We will have lots more Passover learning in the weeks to come.

In Hebrew, we are moving along learning our letters and vowels and decoding Hebrew words. As always , it is important for your kids to practice with you at home to reinforce what we are doing in class. I appreciate you partnering with me in doing this.  There should be parent-companion worksheets in your child's take-home folder.

Enjoy your mid-winter break. I will see everyone on Sunday, February 26.
Shabbat Shalom

Davida

Kitah Gan Katan Update

Good afternoon Parents:

 Sunday we learned  about  Tu B' Shevat ( the birthday  for the trees). I know it seems weird that here in Michigan it's very cold and the trees  are very bare. But in Israel  it's spring. The trees are blooming, fruits  are growing  and flowers too.

 We learned about what kind of fruits grow on tree, and so we made  our very own button trees. The children  did beautifully.  We also made our very own classroom friendship  tree. They put their hand  prints on the tree and formed their friendship  with their classmates.  You could check it out on our classroom bulletin board.  

 We read one of my favorite  books: The Giving Tree.  From Shel Silverstien.  

 Shabbat Boxes did go home with your child.  They worked really  hard  on them.  We hope  you will enjoy  them and use them every week. 

 Enjoy  your  break!

 Morot Zoya and Alexis 

Dear Parents,

Over the last week I  have introduced your children to the holiday of Tu B'Shevat.  We did lots of activities to learn about the holiday , but eating foods associated with the holiday was probably the most impactful and delicious. We ate several of the 7 species ( olives, dates, figs, & wheat-in the form of a cake!) We played a bingo game learning more about fruits and  trees that grow in Israel. We also compared Tu b'Shevat to Earth Day in America. It was a fun lesson. Tonight is the beginning of Tu b'Shevat. Ask your kids if they can tell you any of the 7 Species, ( barley, wheat, pomegranate , grapes, olives, wheat, figs, dates)  or about the book Honi and the Carob Tree.

We are continuing our Hebrew learning as well as our Torah learning. Please continue to read with your children the parent-companion sheets that your children bring home.

Shabbat Shalom and Happy Tu b'Shevat
(enjoy some fruit tonight in honor of the holiday)

Davida

7th grade class update

Dear 7th Grade Parents:

 

This week we continued learning about the Holocaust and how the Jewish spirit persevered despite the atrocities our people endured. We were surprised to learn that Jews managed to keep track of and celebrate holidays despite the fact that they were held captive in Nazi concentration and death camps.

We discovered that the Jews of the Theresienstadt Ghetto managed to smuggle a maple tree sapling into that ghetto in honor of Tu B'shevat the holiday we are celebrating this coming Shabbat. And we explored why this would be so important to the people living in that Ghetto at that time. 

We also had the privilege of hearing the story of survival of Linda Cohen's parents from Linda Cohen directly. She really brought her parents life journey to life for us. Just as we had been learning, her parents survived on faith and with the hep of Righteous Gentiles. They witnessed true miracles. 

 Lastly, we also learned about the history of World War II.  Students were taken aback by the speed and strength of the Nazi's conquest across Europe, and we discussed the role of the Holocaust within the greater context of the war. 

 Please continue to keep us informed if your child has an particular concerns or questions that you would like for us to address.

 Best,

 Morah Hollenberg and Moreh Fidel

Hebrew Highlights

Gan Katan Blog

Good Afternoon, 

 

We are finishing  up  our unit on Shabbat. We had a pretty  busy  Sunday  morning.  We decorated  with jewels our canvas frames and we put our Shabbat dictations  on them. 

Lastly  we painted our very own candle  sticks, that you could light with your child on Shabbat.  

 

We read two adorable  Shabbat books:

Bim and Bom A Shabbat Tale.

By Daniel J. Swartz

The Sundown Kid A Southwestern Shabbat

By Barbara  Bietz 

 

Have a great week!!

 Morot  Zoya and Alexis 

Kitah Hey Update

Dear Parents,

 Our Torah story continues.... The students were served Lentil soup, reminiscent of Jacobs soup that Esau traded his "birthright" for. It was delicious but only satisfying for a short period of time. We discussed how sometimes we do things at the spur of the moment when you should think for a while before making an important decision.

 When asked the question "what is so important to you that you would never sell" the kids spoke about their grandparents . They told us about how important  they are in their lives. They help them with all sorts of things and are always there for them.

 Our class took part in a Tu B'shvat Seder. It was inspired by Hazon. We spoke about the importance of trees and the fruits that they produce. We were served fruits of the "Seven species" that are written and described in the Torah. These fruits are grown in Israel. We are enjoyed and reviewed the blessings of gratitude for these fruits. Our program ended with a Birthday Cake in honor of the Holiday.

 Shabbat Shalom,

Cillia Kleiman

 

 

Morah Gawel Class Update

Hello All:

We had a fantastic week! I am pleased to announce that the kids were ROCK STARS during tefillah on Sunday!  The stars were in alignment!  It was a win for more than just the Patriots. Go team CSZ!

 We finished up our unit on Sodom and Gomorrah. We talked about the parental/child relationship between God and Abraham and how Abraham negotiates with God via flattery and guilt… sound familiar?!  Your kids knew EXACTLY what I was talking about when I said that Abraham used guilt and then flattery to get what he wanted from God.  Apparently there are some pros in the classroom. Trust me, my kids are among them.  “Mom, why won’t you go to my game? You always go to Sams?”  or “Gosh? Is that a new outfit?  It looks great.  Hey: any way I can…”  I can spot it a mile away… that “they want something statement.”  Well, Abraham wanted something… and God was going to let him play it out.  Abraham didn’t want God to destroy the cities. Abe’s concern was that there were righteous people mixed in with the wicked.  So, Abraham began trying to whittle down a number with God.  If I find 50 people, 25, 10…. And so on.  It doesn’t go so well for the folks of S and G, but we don’t really delve into that in class. Our point is to talk about Abraham’s actions. FIRST he literally STANDS with God, and then he CALLS GOD OUT on what he considers to be an unreasonable action and then he tries to persuade God to change his (sorry to genderize here… I am doing it for lack of the vocabulary needed to discuss God in a precise way.. I have to work on that ) mind. That takes COURAGE.. that takes CHUTZPAH.. and that takes, in the immortal words of some of my 6^th graders “balls.”  Alas, a few more gendered parts, but we were not going to get into a body parts talk today…

 The kids really connected with the story.  They LIKED that Abraham argued with God. They could understand what it must feel like for Abraham to not feel like he was being listened to.  It’s typical tween angst.  (Poor Abraham… being comparted to a tween). But it is a portal for them to really get into the story, so I like to introduce them to Abraham this way.  We then discussed the “how do you really know if the people in Sodom and Gomorrah were really wicked?”  We didn’t discuss what they did (it is some pretty heavy stuff); instead, we talked about is someone ALL bad or ALL good?  Can someone be half half?  Can someone be 80/20?  Can someone be all bad now, but then in later life be good?!  How do we know that the people in S and G were not going to be good people later on?!  I like to bring this up, because – and back to the tween thing – the kids are at a wonky age where being mean is kind of a thing L.  It’s tough to be in middle school.  The kids are insecure, and hence, they put on different hats and try out different friends.  They are also moody and lash out and say unkind things and then the next day, they don’t even remember it.  But I don’t have to tell you that. You live with a tween!

 So we played the game Bamboozled.  I LOVE this game.  It is a game by Jellybelly with jellybeans.  You spin a spinner and get a color. The color could be 2 flavors.  One is good and one is gross. Say: barf or peach ; toothpaste or blue raspberry; booger or vanilla; fart or chocolate pudding.  You get the picture. Typical 8 year old humor.  Anyway: the rules are as such: NOBODY is forced to play and NOBODY HAS to eat anything.  The last thing I want is someone barfing.  The kids can spit it out (I did), get a drink and “chase” it with another piece of candy.  The kids were all really good sports.  And the purpose is to show – two flavors look EXACTLY the same on the outside. You just don’t know.  It could be good and it could be bad.  In order to find the good, you have to give it a chance.  And sadly, sometimes you have to spit it out and try again.  But people are like this. We can’t tell always by how someone acts and looks like what they are REALLY like on the inside. We need to give them a chance.  It was a good lesson. I just wish I would stop getting rotten egg flavored jelly beans. 

 Tuesday we had our TubShvat Sedar.  The kids got to enjoy different kinds of fruits (ask them what classifications they were in) and say the prayers associated with each fruit.  The booklet we used is from Hazon, you can download it and use it at home. It’s a beautiful publication:

http://hazon.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/FamilySeder.pdf

 Finally, please consider donating any of your random “stuff” for our Maker’s Space!  We are also collecting gently used children’s toys for our programs.  Both donations are tax deductible. 

 Have a great week,

Leah

Kitah Bet Update

Dear Parents,

In Kitah Bet we are continuing with our Hebrew learning. Please  check your child's take-home folder for "homework" (parent/child reading) for you to do with your child.

In our Torah study, we have started the  book of Shemot with the rest of the world and  are creating a pictorial Torah. Stop by and see our work. I have been  connecting our Torah learning  to Pesach  as we travel from slavery to freedom.

This week we will learn about the holiday of Tu 'Shevat and do some  fun activities and food tasting!

Shabbat Shalom
Davida

Kitah Gan Katan

Hello to our Wonderful Families:

This pas Sunday we continued with our Shabbat unit. We decorated  our shabbat  boxes  and we made our very own shabbat  placements. We also did dictation  on "What we love about  Shabbat."

The kiddos  had really interesting  things  to say. You'll get the chance to see them,  once we are done. We also read: "Sammy Spider Celebrates Shabbat. "

Have a great week!! 

Morot Zoya and Alexis 

 

5th Grade Judaica Update

Dear Parents,

"People of the book". Have you heard the Jewish people called "the people of the book"? Our learners have, this expression is used to mean that we are a studious people with a great love of learning and respect for education. Even though Jews make up only a small part of the population, there are a very large number of scholars, doctors, and scientist among us. In fact, many Nobel Prize winners have been Jews. 

Our book is the Torah and we Jews are the people of the Torah. It is the Torah that binds us together as a people. Torah verses are contained in the prayers we chant at services.

Our learners studied the Shema in depth with Rabbi Dahlen this week. The Shema is found directly in the Torah. We spoke about "Holocaust Memorial Day" and why it was chosen in late January. Our learners spoke of their great grandparents and grandparents who were survivors and how Jewish education was important to them, just as you have made our religious school important to your families by sending your children here to be educated Jewishly.

Thank you for your commitment and devotion and letting me partner with you in your child's Jewish education.

 Shabbat Shalom,

Cillia Kleiman

6th Grade Update

HI All-

On Sunday we spent a good portion of our day discussing the Holocaust.  In honor of Holocaust Remembrance Day, we spent some time dissecting our feelings on the Holocaust.  We did not learn about it, but rather had a discussion session that centered around what our relationship is with the  Holocaust.  We had 2 students who are grandchildren of Holocaust survivors.  Many of the kids voiced feeling MAD about the Holocaust and SAD about it.  Many also said they felt like they SHOULD feel about it, but they felt too removed from it.  It did not seem to affect them where they are at.  A student brought up the current situation regarding refugees and he thought that the Holocaust was relevant because of what is going on in the world.  Another student remembered a few years ago hearing that there could be another Holocaust and that made him nervous.  We had a good class with lots of open dialogue.  It’s important to give the kids room to speak without feeling “taught” or “judged,” and I am glad that they felt comfortable sharing. Next year they will learn about the Holocaust in our 7^th grade curriculum; we have a fantastic unit specifically designed for the 7^th grade student.

We have finished our discussions on lying and laughter in Judaism and are moving on to discussing the role of the Jew in wrestling with God.  Our narrative brings us to the point where Abraham negotiates with God to try and save the people of Sodom. We are discussing the dynamic between God and Abraham as a parental one.  God is testing Abraham; Abraham is testing God = the two are “dancing” a bit to try and see just where the boundaries are and just how far each player can be pushed.  The kids are learning about the tricky role of trusting in God, all the while trying to negotiate with God.  As Jews, we are supposed to play an active role in our relationship with God.  It is not a blind, submissive relationship.  God blesses the biblical forefathers and foremothers who push back, who stand up, who try and help others.  We are going to be working on learning how we can take some of those lessons and apply them into our lives today.

Anyway, lots going on in Morah Leah’s 6^th grade! As always, we are moving forward and enjoying the chaos, the crazy and the world of being a 6^th grader.  These kiddos are all fantastic.  Their energy and drive are a win.  Here’s to a great late winter and early Spring.

Have a wonderful Shabbat,

Leah