Education – 4th grade (Blatt)

9/14: Today in class we worked on:

  1. We had an awesome second session of school.
  2. First, since our Tzedakah project this year is supporting Israeli hospitals, we looked at the famous Chagall windows of the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem.
  3. Afterwards, we went on a scavenger hunt of the JCYS building and found out, among other things, that Veteran’s Day is the favorite holiday of the security officer who helps keep us all safe each week during religious school.
  4. Next, we explored the experiences of American Jews during colonial times and saw, through an in-class reading, how the Shadarim, special messengers from the land of Israel, helped the colonial Jewish communities stay connected to Judaism.  The talmidim were surprised to learn that people would get into fist fights in synagogue during these times over who got the best seat in the sanctuary!
  5. At Shira, Morah Alexa led 4th – 6th grade in songs for the upcoming chag of Rosh Hashanah. 
  6. Back in class we saw how Jewish leaders Gershom Seixas and Haym Saloman helped the American patriot cause during the Revolutionary War. 
  7. Finally, at Tefilla, led by Rabbi Prass and Morah Alexa, 4th – 6th grade heard the Shofar as we started the last week of the outgoing year of 5785. 
  8. All in all, it was a great day at Religious School for the 4th graders!
  9. L’Shalom, Moreh David

Homework to be completed by next class:

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9/7: Today in class we worked on:

  1. We had a wonderful first day of school. 
  2. The whole school gathered to start off the year with a fun assembly which included prayer, hearing the shofar for Elul, minute to win it Jewish style, and confetti ‘canons’! It was lovely to have so many parents join us!
  3. Then, 4th grade parents joined me to learn what their students will be doing this year while the students stayed with Morah Alexa and the madrichim.
  4. After meeting with parents, our 4th graders gathered and we started our learning.
  5. First, we decided that supporting hospitals in Israel, such as the Hadassah Hospital would be our Tzedakah for the year.
  6. Afterwards, we saw how the Expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal led to America eventually becoming a haven for our people.  We looked, through a short play, how Jews lived in different countries in 1650, just prior to the first arrival of Jews in what became the United States.  In our study, we compared how Jews lived in England, Holland, Germany, Poland, the Turkish Empire, and Yemen.  Everyone thought Yemen was not a good place to be Jewish then.
  7. We discussed what liturgical items the first Jews in America might have brought with them to help them stay close to Judaism.  Philip Ayzenberg was surprised to learn that there was actually one Jewish person, Asher Levy, already living in New Amsterdam when the “23” new arrivals first reached the colony.
  8. Since, we had some time we looked at “summer recipes” from the Museum of the Jewish People in Tel Aviv.  Everyone liked the “Israeli Fruit Cake” and Layla Brand thought it was interesting that a person “named Sarah” had managed to get so many of her recipes posted on the site!
  9. We ended the day with all of K – 6th grade together for shira led by Morah Alexa.
  10. Students received lollipops on their way out to celebrate the tradition that Jewish learning should be sweet.
  11. All in all, it was a great first day of Bait-Sefer Ha-Datit!

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A