Kitah Bet Update

Dear Parents,

As we continue to move along in our Hebrew reading I ask you to please review with you children what we are doing in class by  reading the "parent-companion " worksheet with them. Most of you should have lesson 3 at home. Please let me know if you do not have it.

 We are continuing our Torah study weekly, with the rest of the world as the Torah is read. Last week we read the parsha "Lech-Lecha". As part of our learning we learn that Abraham and Sarah received new names. We segued into a lesson about our names. Your children should have brought home some homework for you about their names. Please fill this out with them and return it to class on Sunday so they can share the story of their name with the class.

 We will continue this  week learning the parsha Vaera and Toldot as we learn about hospitality and welcoming guests.In this lesson I will teach your children about the importance of the Jewish  virtue of welcoming people to our home, to our classroom and community. I will also use this opportunity to teach about Thanksgiving with a Jewish twist.

 This past week I sent home two riddles for your children to answer, many of the e-mails were returned. Please respond to this e-mail so I will have the correct e-mail to reach you at. Allison Gutman is sending this e-mail out for me.

 Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom  & Happy Thanksgiving

 Davida Robinson

Hebrew Update

Dear Parents, 

 This week has flown by and I wanted to let you know what our classes accomplished. 

We began both Sunday and Tuesday with teffilah led by Rabbi Dahlen. He expanded on the discussion we had about the purpose of prayer and the Torah reading being the  re-enactment of receiving the Torah  on Mount Sinai.

We practiced putting on the tallit and the bracha we make when we put it on. The students each put on the tallit, made the bracha,  and told us what it felt like when they wrapped themselves in the tallit. 

 

Chugim were so much fun on Sunday. We added a few new options. Ask your children about the Chug they attended. I helped with a Hebrew Name Chug that related to the parsha "Lech Lecha", that we read in the synogogue this last week.  We made necklaces and bracelets with our Hebrew names on them. They were really colorful and artistic. 

In our Hebrew classes, we continued sharpening our reading skills and we played a game with reading Hebrew word flash cards. 

 I want to wish you an early HAPPY THANKSGIVING . We all have a great deal to be thankful for. 

 Shabbat Shalom,

 Toby Schlussel

7th 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 studied a Jewish folktale and texts which illustrate and expand upon this Mitzvah. We learned about the friendship of Jonathan and David in the Torah and a folktale of friends who are willing to sacrifice their lives for one another. Together we figured out the boundaries of friendship.

Then we focused on another Mitzvah, bikur cholim--inquiring about/caring for the sick. We made chicken soup to distribute to sick congregants. Boy was it tasty!

On Tuesday we reviewed the story of Abraham convalescing after his brit milah and how God visited with him to perform this important Mitzvah of bikur cholim. Then we discussed what qualifies as bikur cholim and how to be respectful of the sick individual in our performance of this mitzvah.

I wish you all a great weekend and good health!

Best,
Morah Hollenberg

Kitah Vav Update

Hello All!  Hope you are having a wonderful November.  Someone told me the other day that Thanksgiving is in a week.  Just for the record: That CANNOT be true. I absolutely REFUSE to allow it. I mean WHAT?!  I literally packed up the sandals and swim goggles that were tossed about ( and I mean that quite literally.. it was quite the scene) the mudroom YESTERDAY.  In the Gawel house, we said our goodbyes to summer yesterday. I feel like I still have a season to get through before Thanksgiving.  And alas, the world moves on… So, a few helpful housekeeping dates to keep in mind:

We HAVE religious school on Tuesday November 15, Sunday November 20, Tuesday November 22.  Can’t wait to see you there.

 We are OFF – That is NO RELIGIOUS SCHOOL ON: November 27^th

 Regularly scheduled programming returns: Tuesday November 2^nd

Life at CSZ 6^th grade:

We are off and running and in the full swing of things.  Until the Winter Break, we will be running a dual curriculum.  On TUESDAYS we will study the Torah service during Tefillah with Rabbi Dahlen and our D’var Torah workshop will be with Rabbi Starr.  It is imperative that your children do everything possible to BE HERE ON TUESDAYS.  These lessons are going to prepare them for their bar/bat mitzvah dates and give them the skills they need to participate fully in Jewish synagogue life.  IT is also an hour and a half a week of UNDIVIDED attention from our fantastic rabbis, and that, my friends is truly amazing.  Those two men work their tushies off and both put in insane work weeks.  Personally, I cannot stress how much it says about CSZ and the value that we put on our youth, that both rabbis have dedicated this time to preparing our 6^th graders for their B’nai Mitvah and lifelong Jewish learning journeys. I also know from personal experience how important it is for your children to have a relationship with the Rabbis.  Both of my kids consider Rabbi Starr as one of their “Designated adults” that they trust and respect and look to for guidance.  It is invaluable.  The time that your children spend with Rabbi Dahlen and Rabbi Starr WILL help shape their Jewish futures, and I am so pleased that they get this opportunity. 

 It is also important for your child to be here Tuesdays, because the information that they receive those days IS NOT repeated on Sundays.  On Sundays we will continue with our study of the narrative strands in the parsha Vayera, and looking at the Jewish values, lessons, ethics and behaviors that stem from that parsha.  IF your child must miss a Tuesday session, please make sure that he/she emails me or talks to me ASAP, so that I can fill him/her in on what was missed.  This workshop will culminate at the end of December with a written D’var Torah that will be published for the class, and delivered in front of the class and their families.

On SUNDAYS, we are working on reading Vayera.  We are finishing up our lessons on visiting the sick and welcoming guests.  This past week we put both lessons to work and we helped out our kindergarten teacher, who is recovering from surgery.  This week she was unable to pick up children or get down and play with them, so we hosted her class and offered personal 1 on 1 play, learning and snack time.  Each 6^th grader was paired with  a 3-5 year old and was given the task of replicating Abraham’s behavior in the text we studied.  The kids had to visit with Morah Emma and inquire as to her health and recovery, welcome a preschooler guest into our indoor playroom, offer him/her food and drink, spend 20 minutes attending to his/her needs and then instilling 1 lesson that was gleaned from our reading of the text.  This could include: being kind to others, helping those who are sick, putting others’ needs before our own etc…  The kids were ROCKSTARS.  Our support staff and our early childhood staff sat and watched with their jaws open and they kept saying “those 6^th graders are INCREDIBLE… I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS… THIS IS SO GREAT.” The kids were kind, patient, attentive, helpful. They were rockstars.  I am so proud.

This upcoming Sunday we will continue with our Varyera learning and move into the laws of kashrut. This is one of my favorite lessons – we toss angry birds at plastic pigs.  More on this later.

Have a fantastic week and a meaningful Shabbos.

Warm regards,

Leah

 

Kitah Hey Update

Dear Parents,

 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

Shalom to our Wonderful Families:

 Sunday  was a very busy day for us at Kitah Gan  Katan .  We learned about Noah and the Great Flood. God did not like the way people  treated one another. They were very mean. So God went to Noah and told him, " go tell  my people  to do Tishuva ( repenting ), or I will bring upon the whole world a great big flood." The people did not  listen to Noah and ignored  him. God then said, " I want you to build  a big ark ( boat ) and bring all the  animals two by two, and bring your family with you. I will bring the flood for forty days and  forty  nights. "

That's what God did. When the flood ended ,  God made  a rainbow as a promise  to us, that He will never flood the world like that again .  

We were very busy making flood with the ark and a beautiful  rainbow  to remind us that God always keeps his promises. 

 Shabbat Shalom,

 Morot Zoya and Alexis 

7th grade Update

Dear 7th Grade Parents,

As you know this week we participated in the community wide Fall Fix up. Helping folks in Metro Detroit winterize their homes was a great launching off point for this week's lesson from the Torah to "Love you neighbor as yourself."

On Tuesday we learned this Torah commandment and explored what it means according to the Rabbis and ourselves. Then we delved deeper into what it really means to "Love your neighbor as yourself" through various real life scenarios. We began exploring the boundaries of friendship and Jewish values.

On Sunday, we will be continue our learning of v'ahavta l'reacha kamocha (loving your neighbor as yourself) as our tweens prepare soup for CSZ members that are homebound or ill.

Best,

Morah Hollenberg