Beth El Synagogue Center

Religious School Highlights

Gan (Kindergarten):

Looking Back:

  • Torah Stories: We learned the story of Yaakov and Esav and the birthright. This helped us to learn the important value of continuing on Jewish values in our families while we also explored being honest. 
  • Tefillah:  We continue to sing Modeh Ani, Ma Tov, Hinei Ma Tov Umanaim, and Shema. The children have enjoyed being the Chazzan (prayer leader) and helping to give out and collect the sidduring to help with our davening.
  • Holidays: We learned about Purim, focusing on the story, the laws, and the customs.  We read through a child friendly megillah scroll after comparing and contrasting it to a torah. The children made their own version of paper dolls based on the 5 main characters in the megillah. They got to make their own groggers and had a lot of fun practicing using them when different names from the megillah were called out. For Passover, we also learned about the story, the laws, and customs. This included stick puppets of the story, making their own salt water bowls and karpas plates for the seder, and participating in our very own mini seder which included learning about the Ma Nishtana and practicing it a lot.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will be learning about Israel in honor of Yom HaAtzmaut.
  • We will be reviewing the year, including looking to see how full our “buckets” are, and our thoughts of being Jewish.

Thought Question: 

How are the stories of Purim and Pesach similar and/or different?

 

Kitah Alef (1st Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Hebrew Reading: The learners continue to progress in their reading and writing skills. Morah Miri has been coming to work with groups and she, along with our teen assistants, has allowed us to give more individualized support to the class.
  • Hebrew Language and Vocabulary: The Kitah Alef class has been trying their best to respond to questions in Hebrew. There is constant repetition of the routine vocabulary we use, and this helps the children’s recall. Purim was a blast, and we acquired many new words and customs.
  • Torah Stories: We have finished all of the parshiot in Sefer Breishit, just in time for Pesach! Kitah Alef has learned our Torah stories all the way from Creation through Joseph bringing his family to Egypt, the precursor to the Exodus.
  • Israel: Noy and Nimrod returned from their Spring trip to Israel, and are bringing more Israeli fun and culture to us. For Purim, we read a common Israeli children’s book to explore our identity as we focus on dressing in costumes, and then we celebrated Spring with learning and creating kalaniot–the famous red anemones that are Israel’s national flower.
  • Tefillah: We begin each Thursday class with Cantor Gaby and have learned so many new tefillot. We have been practicing the Four Questions and other Passover melodies to share at home.
  • Holidays: We focused on Purim and Passover through reading many stories related to the holidays during our snack time. This helps us feel connected to the various stories of the holidays, as well as the customs and traditions we can do at home. We also connected our Torah Stories–Joseph’s arrival in Egypt and the consequences the Jews faced as a result of their settling there. We are working on all the vocabulary, customs, and traditions connected to the chag.

Looking Ahead:

  • We keep getting better at decoding Hebrew, and look forward to some of the classmates finishing their first PHD books–a huge accomplishment!
  • As we approach Yom Ha’Atzmaut, we will be celebrating Israel a lot! The children have a love and connection to Israel that is admirable. 

Thought Question:

Why is Eretz Yisrael (the Land of Israel) so important for Jewish people around the world?

 

Kitah Bet/Gimel (2nd/3rd Grades):

Looking Back:

  • Hebrew: We are continuing to work through our PHD books, and congratulate learners who are moving on to new higher level books! This reflects a great deal of learning, hard work, and dedication to their Hebrew reading practice. 
  • Holidays: We learned all about the Purim story. Kitah Gimel even wrote a song to a Taylor Swift tune about the Purim story, and performed it for the entire Religious School during Kehilah! Now, we are learning about Passover including the order of the seder, songs and prayers, and looking at different haggadot and seder plates. 
  • Torah Stories: We had a special visit from artist Andrew Galitzer (“ANDiDREW”), creator of our Torah Comics that we use as our class curriculum. We even got to draw our own comics with him! 
  • Tefillah: We have been hard at work with Cantor Gaby as we prepare for Passover. We know the 4 Questions well, as well as other parts of the seder such as Dayeinu, and Avadim Hayyinu.
  • Middot and Mitzvot: We made cards for children in MSK hospital in support of a bat mitzvah project for one of the middle schoolers, demonstrating the mitzvah of comforting the sick. We also explored April’s middah (value) of the month–Emet (truth/honesty) and added our understanding to the hallway bulletin board.

Looking Forward: 

  • We are looking forward to learning modern Hebrew words for things we love: family, ice cream, pets, etc., as we approach Yom Ha’Atzmaut in May.
  • We will continue our Hebrew reading, as well as Torah stories studies in preparation for Shavuot!

Reminders:

  • As the weather gets warmer, we remind you to please send in a water bottle with your child (even on Sundays when they aren’t coming in with a backpack from school!) It helps with constant trips to the water fountain and the environmental waste that comes from using plastic cups. 
  • Also, if you would like to send in tzedakah with your child, we are still raising money for our class projects of helping Israel and those who don’t have enough food to eat. 

Thought Question:

How do you balance honesty with kindness? When are “little white lies” okay, and when do they become problematic?

 

Kitah Dalet (4th Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Hebrew Reading: We are continuing to work on our Hebrew decoding with Phonetic Hebrew Decoding (PHD), and several classmates have progressed to their next book over the last few weeks. Some are working on writing Hebrew script and others are working on Ulpan skills with Morah Miri. We are very proud of their progress and hard work!
  • Tefillah: In addition to singing and praying with Cantor Gaby each week, in class we have been reading, singing and exploring our own connections to the Torah Blessings (for an Aliyah), Ashrei (ongoing), and parts of the Passover haggadah.
  • Torah Stories: We continue using our Kesher Kef curriculum to understand and connect to stories from the Book of Shemot (Exodus). We have focused on connection, bravery, and commitment in the Torah. We have discussed leadership, comparing the text to the Passover story, and Partnership with God. Thank you for continuing to add to our Class Blog to share your ideas! We hope that this fosters conversations at home.
  • Mitzvot: We talk about Mitzvot and being a Mensch (good person). We began a list of Mitzvot that go with the AlephBet  Aleph– Amen (communal praying), Bet – Brachot (blessings) and Bruchim HaBaim (Welcome to all), Gimel – Gemilut Chasadim (Kind Deeds), Dalet– Dor VaDor (generation to generation), Hey – Hachnasat Orchim (Welcome Guests). We will continue this for the rest of the year.
  • Holidays: We enjoyed celebrating Purim and have been exploring Passover, remembering when we all were slaves in Egypt. We have been going over Passover symbols as well as the story and parts of the Haggadah.

Looking Ahead: 

  • We will continue working on Hebrew decoding with fluency, as well as adding the start of the Amidah and reviewing Shabbat prayers. Very few learners are working on their reading logs. I more than encourage practice at home.
  • After Passover, we will move on to the Omer, Lag BOmer and spend time working on Israel and Israeli Independence Day. We will learn HaTikvah, Israel’s national anthem.
  • We will continue working on prayers in class and with Cantor Gaby, and will hopefully start Birkat HaMazon–the blessing after eating a meal.
  • We will continue our reading of Shemot (Exodus) and talk about leadership, satisfaction (wants and needs) and other topics. I encourage people contributing to our class blog.
  • We will be spending time talking about Israel and exploring some Jewish heroes (politicians, war heroes, athletes as well as artists/musicians).

Thought Question:

What mitzvah do you think is the most important to your family?

 

Kitah Hey (5th Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Hebrew & Tefillah: We are continuing to move through PHD, as everyone strengthens their Hebrew decoding skills. We have also been working on the Amidah in class, and are close to saying it perfectly. We have also been working on the Kedushah of the Amidah prayer. We also continue meeting with Cantor Gaby each week to reinforce our Tefillah skills and to focus on Passover songs/pieces of the Haggadah.
  • Holidays: We learned about Purim and what the holiday means to us today. For Passover, one thing that we have learned is that it is one of the three Pilgrimage festivals that were celebrated when the Jerusalem Temple stood.  We have also learned about the items that are found on the Seder Plate and their significance, as well as practicing the “Echad Mi Yodeah” song found at the end of the Haggadah. The song helps us learn about the significance of the numbers one through thirteen in Judaism. For example:  the significance of the number one is that we have only one God, and the significance of the number two is that there are  two tablets of the covenant also known as the Ten Commandments, etc.
  • Torah: We are slowly but surely making our way through the Book of Numbers, focusing on key lessons and moments of our time in the desert.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will finish learning the Kedushah.
  • We will learn about the holidays of Lag B’Omer, Yom Ha-Atzmaut, and Shavuot.
  • We will start learning the Book of Deuteronomy.

Thought Question:

We have been learning about the Five Books of the Torah all year. How do each of the Five Books of the Torah relate to one another? What are the similarities as well as what are the differences between them?

 

Middle School (Kitah Vav-6th; Gesher-7th):

Looking Back:

  • Lifecycles: This month we continued to learn about Jewish traditions for each step of our lives. As we talked about b’nei mitzvah, the learners explored about their b’nei mitzvah parshiot and created presentations to share with each other. After that, we spoke about Jewish weddings, both the ceremony and activities such as the bedeken and signing the ketubah, and used real examples from Alyssa’s recent wedding to help show how it looks “in action.”
  • Jewish Identity & Values: During March and April we began exploring the Amidah. The first prayer, Avot v’imahot, reminds us that we are part of a family with a unique, historical relationship with God. That the prayer mentions the individual names of all the matriarchs and patriarchs reminds us that each individual has his or her own distinct relationship with God. We are also connecting with art as the learners explore their own Jewish identities through their families’ histories.
  • Torah: Continued parashah themes we have talked about are giving tzedakah, Shabbat as sacred time, showing gratitude to God and other people, how we use our words, and attitudes toward things you need to do in your life.
  • Holidays: We learned about the hiddenness of Esther’s name in the Megillah, and how God’s name is not mentioned in the whole story of Purim. We believe that God’s influence is hidden in the story and we connect this to how we “see” God even today in natural miracles and other moments in our lives. We also learned about the four mitzvot of Purim–hearing megillah, giving charity through matanot l’evyonim, sharing food with friends via mishloach manot, and enjoying a festive meal. The learners also planned and ran many booths at the Purim Carnival–we appreciate their help! For Pesach, we looked at the four children, and analyzed the different personalities portrayed through the context of the movie “Inside Out.” We also discussed a source sheet learning why and how we celebrate Pesach, directly from the Torah and other Jewish texts.
  • Israeli History: We learned more about other Zionists who continued the work of Theodore Herzl – one being Chaim Weizmann, who became the first President of Israel. We also learned about how on October 31, 1917, Herzl’s dream came closer to realization when the British Parliament expressed Britain’s official support of a Jewish homeland in Palestine through the Balfour Declaration. We also learned about the Partition Plan in November of 1947 when Britain passed off the job to the UN to divide the land of Israel into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Arab’s rejected this plan and there was civil war.
  • Hebrew & Tefillah: We have been going to the Beth El sanctuary and practicing not only the Torah service we have spent so much time on, but learning the choreography of the Torah service to feel more comfortable as a leader of tefillah. Gesher has continued to work on targeted prayers as they focus on their upcoming b’nei mitzvah.
  • Art: After completing art to tie ourselves to Israel, we are working on individual family trees. As we continue learning Israeli history and Jewish lifecycles, we want to help them make personal connections through their own families’ histories, religions, traditions, food, how their ancestors lived, geography, etc. It will also allow them to better understand how all these things shaped their family’s past and even present. This study will help them establish and embrace their own Jewish identities and feel a stronger connection to their ancestors.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will connect Pesach to counting the Omer up (higher) to the holiday of Shavuot, and how we treat these seven weeks of special days.
  • We will continue focusing on Jewish lifecycle events on Thursdays, as we move to ending marriage, conversion, and death/shiva. 
  • If we have time, we’ll begin to learn about the Book of Ruth in advance of Shavuot. We’ll explore the two stories, commentaries, and history surrounding the megillah.
  • We will continue our family tree projects as we connect our present to our families’ pasts.

Thought Questions:

  • Looking at the parshiot learners have been studying, what morals can we find in them? How can we apply these in our own lives?
  • We are taught that “a person should always utter the praises of God before offering one’s petitions” (B’rachot 32a). How do you think it prepares us to make requests of God?
  • How do you feel connected to your family’s history? How does this inspire or challenge you?

Past Highlights: January & February

Gan (Kindergarten):

Looking Back:

  • Torah Stories: We continue to learn Torah stories and these have included Noah’s Ark, The Tower of Babel, Avraham discovering God, Avraham and Sarah’s tent, and Rivka (Rebecca) at the Well. These helped us to learn values of being kind, visiting the sick, welcoming guests, trusting in God, and taking care of animals. We learned about these stories and values through books, the felt board, building, acting out the stories, and games.
  • Tefillah: We continue to sing Modeh Ani, Ma Tovu, Hinei Ma Tov U’manyim, and Shema every week. The children have enjoyed being the Chazzan (prayer leader) and helping to give out and collect the siddurim to help with our davening. We also participate in Havdallah with the full Religious School each week.
  • Holidays: We learned about Tu BiShvat’s connection to Israel and the value of trees, and we planted parsley so it will be ready in time for Pesach.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will be learning about Purim, the story/history and laws and customs.
  • Soon enough, we will be learning about Pesach.

Thought Question: What is your favorite Torah story that you’ve learned so far?

 

Kitah Alef (1st Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Hebrew Reading: The learners generally love working in the PHD books. They all work at their own pace and are making progress in their decoding and encoding skills. Thank you for making sure that they practice regularly. 
  • Hebrew Language and Vocabulary: With every holiday, we have learned the traditions, vocabulary, and songs. We have shared related stories, as well. We have also begun learning our family members in Hebrew.
  • Torah Stories: We have read up to and including Parshat VaYishlach, when Jacob and his estranged brother Esau reunite, Jacob wrestles an angel, and his named is changed to Yisrael. We are familiar with all of the characters of Avraham, Sarah, Yitzchak (Isaac), Rivkah (Rebecca), Jacob (Ya’akov/Yisrael), Esau, Leah and Rachel and their relationships to one another. 
  • Israel: We love our “shinshinim”, Noy and Nimrod, and have been impressing them with our responses to them — in Hebrew!
  • Tefillah: We have been singing with Cantor Gaby weekly and learning many new tefillot. We enjoy helping lead Kehillah on Sundays, as well!

Looking Ahead:

  • We will continue working through PHD as we add new letters and sounds. 
  • We are working on Purim and will be preparing the children for Pesach once the 2 months of Adar are over. 
  • We continue to review the Hebrew vocabulary we have already learned (weather, body, family) and add some new words each week.
  • We will continue our Torah study of the Book of Bereishit with Parshat Vayeshev, when we meet Joseph! Even though Kitah Alef is not up-to-date with the actual weekly parsha, we get a recap each Sunday by Alyssa in Kehillah. 
  • Our shinshinim have returned home for a visit, and we can’t wait to hear about their trip when they return. The love of Israel and our connection to our homeland is growing!

Thought Question: Why is it important for us to retell the story of the Exodus at the seder(s) every year?

 

Kitah Bet/Gimel (2nd/3rd Grades):

Looking Back:

  • Holidays & Calendar: The Bet/Gimmel kids have been very creative in the past couple of months! To celebrate Tu Bishvat, we created beautiful 3-dimensional tree pictures in our art classes, and we made “Grass-Heads” with our ShinShinim, Nimrod and Noy. We also enjoyed eating special Tu BiShvat foods, such as fruits, crackers, white grape juice, etc. Once we finished the month of Shevat, we also updated our monthly Hebrew calendars for Adar. This year is a leap year on both the Jewish and secular calendars, so we actually get two months of Adar! 
  • Torah Stories: We have been exploring the Torah stories from the end of the book of Bereishit (Genesis) and the beginning of Shemot (Exodus). We enjoy reading our Torah Comics, as well as Bimbam parsha videos and doing skits of the parshiot from Sedra Scenes. Our class loves discussing the events of each parsha, as well as thinking about what lessons and mitzvot we can learn. 
  • Hebrew & Tefillah: Our Hebrew is improving greatly! Every student in our class has progressed to a new PHD book (or will be shortly), and it’s really impressive to hear each student read. With Cantor Gaby we learned new songs for Shabbat and new tefillot.

Looking Forward: 

  • Over the next several weeks, we will be having some serious Purim fun!! I know that we will be creating mask-groggers, and I’m sure we will learn new songs for Purim. 
  • We are also focusing on learning the traditional melody for Ashrei, one line at a time! 
  • Hebrew will obviously be a focus, and we will be learning some of the classic Torah stories, as well as some Jewish folktales.

Thought Question: In Megillat Esther, the scroll we will read on Purim, God is never mentioned. But clearly God is present in every moment! How can we see God ‘hiding’ in our daily lives? Even though we don’t talk about it much, God is present, wearing a mask of parent, child, teacher, stranger!

 

Kitah Dalet (4th Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Hebrew Reading: We are continuing to work on our Hebrew decoding with PHD, and several classmates have progressed to their next book over the last few weeks. We are very proud of their progress and hard work!
  • Tefillah: In addition to singing and praying with Cantor Gaby each week, in class we have been reading, singing and exploring our own connections to the Torah Blessings and Ein Keloheinu.
  • Torah Stories: We have been using our Kesher Kef curriculum to understand and connect to stories from the Book of Shemot (Exodus). We have focused on connection, bravery, and commitment in the Torah. Thank you for continuing to add to our Class Blog to share your ideas! We hope this fosters conversations at home.
  • Mitzvot: We understand the differences between positive and negative mitzvot.
  • Holidays: We enjoyed celebrating Tu BiShvat with special foods/fruits and activities, and we focused on the middah (value) of Tikkun Olam–fixing the world. We also celebrate Rosh Chodesh Adar (the new month of Adar) with games and fun, because we learn in the Talmud that, “When the month of Adar enters, we increase in joy.”

Looking Ahead: 

  • Working on decoding with fluency, as well as adding the start of the Amidah and reviewing the V’Ahavta to our repertoire. 
  • Purim and Passover, including working on our Purim Carnival booth!
  • Continuing our text-to-self connections and family/class blog about Persistence, Gratitude, Leadership, Partnership as we continue our Torah stories. 
  • Exploring more Jewish values with Aleph– Amen (communal praying), Bet – Brachot (blessings),Bruchim HaBaIm (Welcome to all), Gimel – Gemilut Chasadim (Kind Deeds), Dalet– Dor VaDor (generation to generation), Hey – Hachnasat Orchim (Welcome Guests).

Thought Question: What has been your favorite text-to-self connection from our Class Blog so far? Why?

 

Kitah Hey (5th Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Hebrew & Tefillah: In addition to praying with Cantor Gaby weekly, we have been focusing on reading and leading Ashrei in class. We have also started learning the Kedusha prayer for Shacharit (part of the Amidah). We are also continuing to progress through PHD as we move through Books 3 and 4.
  • Jewish History: We have learned the brief history of Jewish text and theology in Ancient/Biblical Israel. We know that the Hebrew Scriptures (Torah, Prophets, Megillot) were written approximately from 1300 BCE. to 200 BCE. Then Rabbinic Literature started with the Mishna (220 C.E.) and progressed to other commentaries, the Gemara (Oral Law, written down), Midrash (interpretations), and the cantillation signs of the Torah/Haftarah (trope) (approximately from 650 to 900 CE).
  • Torah Stories: In conjunction with exploring Jewish history, we are continuing to move through the stories and values of Sefer Vayikra (Book of Leviticus) and have started Sefer Bamidbar (Book of Numbers).

Looking Ahead:  

  • We will practice and perform a short play on Purim and then move into Passover preparations.
  • We will add to our literary activity of the land of Israel to the timeline that we made illustrating major historical events of Israel.
  • After learning about the Book of Numbers we will learn about the book of Deuteronomy. 

Thought Question:  How can we find meaning in the holiday of Purim and relate it to our lives today?

 

Middle School (Kitah Vav-6th; Gesher-7th):

Looking Back:

  • Art: All of our projects are based on our curriculum. We are wrapping up our self-portraits set in Israel, and the learners have been making steady progress on their paintings. For Tu BiShvat, we transitioned to beautiful tree drawings, and we have begun working on our Purim Carnival stations. Because it takes time for our paintings to dry, we often work on two projects at a time. 
  • Lifecycles: After December Break, we moved on to exploring Bar/Bat Mitzvah! We addressed the learners’ own experiences studying for their big day, and learned about the new responsibilities that they’ll have. We also began a text study project. 
  • Text Study: In conjunction with their lifecycles learning, we started a parsha project on Thursdays. Each learner is analyzing their bar/t mitzvah parsha, and will be creating a presentation. They were each asked to think about their parsha in depth, wondering what message/life lesson they could take from their portion. On Sundays, we explore Parshat HaShavua–the parsha of the week, to focus on connecting to the Torah and discussing events, values and mitzvot in each parsha. We began this semester with the selling of Joseph to a life of slavery by his brothers and his life in Egypt from slave to viceroy to the Israelites journey to freedom beginning with the splitting of the sea through the desert with Manna, the ten commandments and the golden calf. Some of the themes we discussed include accepting responsibility, having the faith to go forward, and the importance of obligations.
  • Israeli History: We have been learning more about Israel, as we embarked into “modern” times (as opposed to ancient times). We learned about Theodore Herzl and his idea of making in Jewish homeland in Uganda, and how we would feel about a Jewish homeland not in the land of Israel. We then explored the meaning of Zionism, which then led us to studying about the Kibbutz Movement, including some of the original ideals about equality and communal living, as well as how the Zionist Movement and Kibbutz Movement were related to each in establishing the state of Israel. We have also begun delving into the history of the founding of the State of Israel, beginning in 1920. We will be continuing this subject to help us better understand the conflicts in Israel’s history and present.

     

  • Special Events: We have had numerous special events over the last several weeks! Two of these focused on Holocaust learning, one on Jewish ritual, and one on tikkun olam.

    • Holocaust History: In January, we were privileged to watch the Holocaust documentary Nina and Irena, sponsored by the Mens Club. The learners had the opportunity to ask very poignant questions of the filmmaker and grandson Dan Lambroso, a Beth El alum. Also in January, we visited the Museum of Jewish Heritage, which piggybacked on the documentary and allowed us to further expand on our understanding of the Holocaust and how we should be proud of our Jewish heritage.

    • Jewish Ritual: We also participated with the Men’s Club in the “World Wide Wrap”, which is an annual event focused on introducing and wrapping Tefillin. this event.

    • Tikkun Olam: We also made sandwiches and bagged lunches for Hope Community Services. While we could not participate in the breakfast delivery this time because it conflicted with the World Wide Wrap, our learners still appreciated that their efforts helped those in our community who could benefit from their lunches.  

  • Hebrew & Tefillah: On Thursdays, Kitah Vav and Gesher work on Hebrew reading as well as developing more working Hebrew vocabulary and knowledge with Morah Miri and Nimrod. In addition to finishing up PHD books, they use games, activities and discussion to enhance their learning. On Sundays, we continue supporting our Tefillah curriculum, by delving into parts of the service your children might lead at their b’nai mitzvah. Kitah Vav continues to review Ein Kamochah and Vayehi Binsoa in the Torah service. Gesher has continued practicing Ashrei, Adon Olam, Ein Keloheinu, Aleinu, and Hatikvah. In addition we have reviewed Siddur words and their meanings as well as reading the words without the tune. This helps us to concentrate on the correct pronunciations.

Looking Ahead:

  • In the coming weeks, Kitah Vav will be practicing the whole first part of the Torah in the Beth El sanctuary. 
  • We will finish up our Israel self-portraits and prepare for the Purim carnival in March, before moving on to parsha-themed and Pesach-themed projects. 
  • Learners will create presentations based on their b’nei mitzvah parshas and will present them to the class. Everyone will have the chance to share what they learned as well as learn from each other.
  • We will also begin to explore the book of Ruth with Kitah Vav and Megillat Esther with Gesher!

Thought Question: What are some main lessons we can take from the Torah, and where are those lessons represented?

Past Highlights: November & December

Gan (Kindergarten):

Looking Back:

  • Torah Stories: We learned the Adam, Even & the Garden of Eden story emphasizing the value of listening to rules and choosing what’s right, even if someone is guiding you to not make a good choice. This involved playing a game of choices where children moved to the red or green paper and then shared their thinking of following the rule or not.
  • Holidays: The children have begun learning about Hanukkah. We learned about the story and history from the book, Maccabee!, The Story of Hanukah, emphasizing doing what’s right and pride in being Jewish. The children then got the chance to be Maccabees and march around the classroom and clean up and fix the Beit Hamikdash (Holy Temple), like the Maccabees did (a giant floor puzzle shmeared with marker).
  • Classroom community and mitzvot: The children learned about the mitzvah of tzedakah with the book, Quarters, Dimes, Nickels, Pennies and decorated their own tzedakah boxes. Thank you for sending in the tzedakah money that they collect which they have fun putting in the classroom tzedakah box while singing our tzedakah song.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will explore the Chanukah laws and customs just in time for the holiday.
  • We will continue our Torah stories with Noah’s Ark and The Tower of Babel.


Thought Question: How can we be brave like Maccabees?

Kitah Alef (1st Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Hebrew Reading: In our PHD books, we are becoming familiar with the format and are almost finished with the first chapter. We have begun decoding words and will be receiving more homework in which to practice and become more fluent. 
  • Hebrew Language and Vocabulary: We have been learning the Chanukah vocabulary as well as doing activities and movement using the Hebrew names of our body parts.
  • Torah Stories: We have covered the first three parshiot in Bereishit: Bereishit (Creation, Adam & Eve), Noach (Noah and the Flood), and Lech Lecha (meeting Abraham and Sarah). The learners enjoy discussing the moral dilemmas the characters have been facing. 
  • Israel: We love our “shinshinim”, Noy and Nimrod, and are always excited about the activities they prepare for us! We have been “traveling” around Israel.
  • Shabbat and Holidays: We review the brachot every week and have been working on a Shabbat box in art class with Morah Beth. We have also been preparing for Hanukkah with Cantor Gaby and in class. We have been practicing Hanukkah songs and the blessings.

Looking Ahead:

  • We are very excited for Hanukkah! We will learn about the customs and traditions, as well as read stories about Hanukkah and prepare to light our candles.
  • The children will be introduced to color words, family words, and Tu B’Shevat words.
  • We will continue our study of the Book of Bereishit, including the stories of our patriarchs and matriarchs.
  • We have a much colder climate in the US than our people do in Israel. It is hard to believe that we will soon be welcoming Shevat in the new secular year.

Thought Question: In spite of their oppression by the Greeks in the Chanukah story, what do you think made the Jewish people persist in their belief in Hashem (God)?

Kitah Bet & Kitah Gimel (2nd & 3rd Grades):

Looking Back: 

  • Torah Stories: We continue to focus on Parshat HaShavua (the weekly Torah reading), and Kitah Gimel goes more in-depth after Kitah Bet leaves early on Sundays. Morah Marcia, who is also a professional storyteller, prefers to tell the stories as an introduction on Thursdays, and Morah Ariel reinforces them on Sundays through Torah Comics or Sedra Scenes skits. We have watched the evolution of the Jewish family, starting with Abraham, and are now focusing on his descendents.
  • Hebrew and Tefillah: Our learners continue to be highly motivated as they work in their PHD Hebrew books. Some of our classmates have already moved up to a new workbook, and we’re very proud of everyone’s progress! In Tefillah, we have been practicing the Hanukkah blessings and songs, so we’re ready for our next holiday.
  • Jewish Calendar & Holidays: While the month of Cheshvan is a holiday-free month, we took this time to catch up on making our monthly calendar, and are now preparing for Kislev and Hanukkah.
  • Israel: We love our “shinshinim”, Noy and Nimrod, and are always excited about the activities they prepare for us! We have been “traveling” around Israel.

Looking Ahead:

  • We’ve already been jamming out to Hanukkah songs in the background during class, and now we’re ready to start learning about the history holiday and our traditions. 
  • We are excited to continue our Hebrew reading progress as we develop our fluency and speed.
  • We will continue our Torah stories, focusing on our “doubles”–twins, two wives, and then ending up with 12 sons!

Thought Question: What are some of your family’s Hanukkah traditions? We encourage you to discuss them with your children, so they can share in class.


Kitah Dalet (4th Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Torah: We have compared the Torah with the Bible (the Torah is the first 5 books of the Bible [Tanach]). We learned the names of the first 5 books in English along with a short synopsis of what is in each book.
  • Holidays: We talked about the Jewish calendar and the names of the months. We also learned about the phases of the moon. We began our Hanukkah studies and preparing for the school celebration. 
  • Hebrew: We work with Morah Miri on our Hebrew studies. Each learner continues to work at their own pace, and reads aloud to one of the two teachers. Our goal for the year is to build fluency and confidence with decoding. We also continue to use useful vocabulary. Many learners are doing their Reading Logs and practicing on a regular basis. Yasher Koach (Kudos) to Talia and Shawn, who almost always handed it in. 
  • Jewish Values/Mitzvot: We spoke about mitzvot, and how there are Religious as well as Ethical mitzvot. There are also Positive (things we do) and Negative (things we should not do). We also made connections between Thanksgiving and the idea of giving thanks in Judaism. We connected the holiday of Sukkot with Thanksgiving.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will continue to prepare for Hanukkah by exploring the story, brachot (blessings), traditions and songs. We will read the book, There is No Such Thing as a Chanukkah Bush, Shirley Goldstein.
  • We will celebrate Hanukkah with the residents of Willow Towers assisted living facility.
  • We will be beginning our reading of the text from the Book of Shemot (Exodus) and make connections to the Torah.
  • We will continue to talk about and do mitzvot.
  • We will continue to work on our Hebrew Decoding skills, prayer skills as well as basic vocabulary.

Thought Question:  How can I become a mensch (good person)? What mitzvot can I do?

Kitah Hey (5th Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Jewish History: This has been our focus in November, and the class created a giant timeline illustrating Jewish history. The timeline starts with the first Temple built by King Solomon and ends with the establishment of the modern state of Israel, and includes key “moments” in Jewish history. As we delve into these more, we’ll add more to the timeline.
  • Prayer & Tefillah: We are hard at work learning the prayer “Ashrei.”  We do this by singing the prayer and playing educational movement games, such as “Simon Says.” The leader says verbs which are found in the prayer and everyone else makes physical gestures demonstrating that they know the meaning of the verbs.
  • Hebrew: We are continuing to progress through our PHD Hebrew books. With Morah Miri’s assistance, we are able to differentiate the Hebrew for each learner to work at their own pace.
  • Holidays: We have been reviewing the Hanukkah blessings and songs with Cantor Gaby that we will sing on our field trip to Willow Towers in December.
  • Israel: We love our “shinshinim”, Noy and Nimrod, and are always excited about the activities they prepare for us! We have been “traveling” around Israel.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will be delving more into Hanukkah.
  • We are beginning to explore the third book of the Torah–Leviticus.
  • We will start learning about the modern state of Israel.

Thought Question: How can we compare and contrast the Hanukkah story with what is going on in the world today?

Middle School:

Looking Back: 

  • Lifecycles: In November, we began to learn about Jewish traditions for each step of our lives, including the brit milah, pidyon haben, baby naming, and the upsherin. We talked about the value of naming a child and the meanings behind our own names.
  • Art: In our lifecycles studies, we have focused on infant rituals. As we learned about our Hebrew names, we used them as inspiration for an art project. We also made Hanukkah cards for IDF soldiers, as part of an initiative to maintain morale during this difficult time. We are transitioning to start a drawing or painting depicting ourselves in a location in Israel to connect with our Jewish/Israeli History curriculum.
  • Parshat HaShavua (weekly Torah portion): We review the weekly parasha and  then discuss what we can learn from these stories and how they can relate to us in 2023. Whether it is about God testing Abraham, working with those who are different from us, the story about Esau and Jacob and favoritism, Laban taking advantage of Jacob, or how it feels to be lied or deceived vs. being the one to lie or deceive, the learners have lots of relevant ideas to share. 
  • Hebrew and Tefillah: Kitah Vav has continued working on learning to read and lead the Torah service, and has been working on Ein Kamocha. Gesher is focusing on “fine tuning” key prayers and songs– Hatikvah, Ein Keloheinu, Aleinu, Adon Olam, common Siddur vocabulary and we just started Ashrei. On Thursdays, Morah Miri works with our learners in smaller groups to focus on reading fluency, Hebrew script, and adding in some fun games and activities utilizing Modern Hebrew.
  • Jewish & Israeli History: We continued on our journey in understanding our connection to the land of Israel from Biblical times through present day. We started in the Torah, exploring how Abraham, the Spies and the Tribes (who wanted to remain on the other side of the Jordan and not settle in Canaan) were connected to the Land. We then moved to a deeper focus on the 12 tribes of Israel and more specifically about the 10 lost tribes. We learned about how Eretz Yisrael was split into two Kingdoms, and we then went to the present and learned about some surprising locations Jews live today. We learned about the Judean expulsion to Babylonia and then discussed the importance of continuing our Jewish traditions. We also watched an interview of Margalit Zinati, whose family history testifies to a continuous Jewish presence in the Land of Israel. We then finished the month beginning to learn about the foundations of Zionism and the kibbutz movement. 
  • Israel: In addition to focusing on our ancient connections to Israel, Nimrod, one of our Shinshinim, has been building connections to Modern Israel. In honor of Yom Rabin, a day to honor Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin, our middle schoolers delved into the topic of legitimate protest vs. hate speech, and made important distinctions and connections. 

Looking Forward: 

  • We will be continuing to learn more about the history of Israel and Zionism.
  • We will be writing our own versions of the Shema as a six word story as a window into our identities.
  • We will continue learning about the lifecycle of Judaism, with classes focused on b’nei mitzvah, weddings, and more.
  • We study ancient Jewish texts to understand the story(ies) and miracle(s) of Hanukkah.
  • We will also expand on our Tanakh learning with the stories of Megillat Esther and the book of Ruth.
  • We have an upcoming mitzvah project of making sandwiches for Hope Community Services.

Thought Question: Would we feel as connected to a Jewish homeland if it was somewhere else?

Past Highlights: September & October

Gan (Kindergarten):

Looking Back:

  • Torah Stories: Gan has been introduced to the Torah with the first story of Beresheet. In addition to learning the story, the children played a relay game, finding items that connected to the day of creation they were assigned.
  • Holidays: The children had fun making decorations for the Beth El sukkah after we read a fun book about building and decorating a sukkah and inviting guests to the sukkah.
  • Classroom Community and Mitzvot: We read the book, How Full is Your Bucket?, and the children decorated cups to create their own buckets. Now when they do mitzvot in class (like helping each other, etc.) they get a blue bead (representing a drop of water). They can give each other or themselves beads as they see people doing mitzvot. This helps them to be more aware of opportunities to do mitzvot and letting each other know how they feel about it.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will learn about tzedakah soon, and will ask the learners to do tzedakah at home and bring their boxes to class.
  • We will continue our exploration of Torah stories with Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden.
  • Hanukkah is coming! We will focus on this, including on the story/history and laws and customs of the holiday.

Thought Question: What are ways we can do mitzvot (kindnesses) in the world?

Kitah Alef (1st Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Hebrew: In our PHD books, we started to get used to reading right-to-left and to learn the sounds of and proper formation of the symbols for “resh” and “heh”. We are also recognizing these letters in our Hebrew names and in signs and labels around the room. Additionally, we have been learning the vocabulary of our basic routines and of the holidays we have celebrated thus far. With the help of our “shinshinim”, these are being reinforced.
  • Torah Stories: After Simchat Torah, we started reading the Torah again, and Kitah Alef began to learn the stories in Bereishit. So far, we have read about how Hashem created the world in 6 days and rested on the seventh (Shabbat)!
  • Israel: We see our “shinshinim” weekly, and they always bring us an activity to help us connect to the language and culture of “Eretz Israel”.
  • Holidays: We helped decorate the sukkah and got to shake lulav and etrog for Sukkot. We also met with Rabbi Schuck who showed us a real Torah and taught us a lot about it for Simchat Torah.

Looking Ahead:

  • We are starting to prepare for Chanukah by reviewing the “brachot” with Cantor Gaby, who meets with us weekly for Tefillah. We will be going into more detail as the month of Kislev rolls around. In our reading program, we continue to learn the letters and sounds in Book 1 and actually begin to read, in Hebrew, words and even “tefillot” that we already know.
  • We will be continuing our study of Bereishit. Because of time constraints, we will not be reading a different “parsha” each week but will be moving ahead at our own pace and will finish Bereishit by the end of the school year.
  • We will continue to connect our learning to the land of Israel, its people, traditions, and language.

Thought Question:
Wherever we are in the world, synagogue services are basically the same, especially the texts. Have you ever been to a different synagogue? What did you notice?

Kitah Bet & Kitah Gimel (2nd & 3rd Grades):

Looking Back:

  • Holidays & Calendar: We celebrated Sukkot by creating beautiful decorations and shaking lulav and etrog. After Simchat Torah, we have started with Parshat HaShavua–the weekly Torah story. We have also made Jewish calendars to help us understand how the Jewish calendar works and the cycle of the holidays.
  • Torah Stories: We have learned about Breishit (Creation and Adam and Eve), Noah and the Flood, and Abraham and Sarah, the first Jews, as we follow Parshat HaShavua. In Kitah Gimel, we have been focusing on the Jewish values, or middot in the parsha, such as Abraham pursuing peace. We have been using skits, comics and read alouds as we explore each parsha.
  • Hebrew: Everyone really dove back into Hebrew with our PHD books, and several learners are ready to move into new books!
  • Israel: We love time with Noy, our Shinshinit! We have been focusing on Am Yisrael–feeling part of the Jewish people and caring for our family in Israel. We made cards to send to our Shinshinim from last year, who are now Israeli soldiers, as well as learned about Magen David Adom, Israel’s Red Cross.

Looking Ahead:

  • Next up is Chanukah. We’re learning the brachot with Cantor Gaby, and we’re looking forward to learning new songs.
  • We will continue moving through Parshat HaShavua, as well as focusing more in-depth on our Torah Stories with Kitah Gimel.
  • Our Hebrew progress will continue as we work to improve our reading and vocabulary skills.

Thought Question: Abraham left his home to go to a place that God showed him. Has anyone in our family had to leave their home?

Kitah Dalet (4th Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Torah: We have been talking about the Torah – what it is, what is in it and how we connect to it.
  • Holidays: We explored the Fall holidays and the Jewish calendar. We made sukkah decorations and shook lulav and etrog, and we learned about the parts of the Torah for Simchat Torah.
  • Hebrew: We covered some basic vocabulary about our feelings, the days of the week and the weather. We assessed our Hebrew decoding skills and are working on building accuracy as well as fluency. Morah Laurie encourages practice at home and filling in the daily reading practice log at least 3 times a week.

Looking Ahead:

  • We’ll be preparing for Hanukkah by exploring the story, brachot (blessings), traditions and songs.
  • We will be beginning our studying the Book of Shemot (Exodus) in a few weeks.
  • We will be talking about Mitzvot and categorizing them into Ritual and Ethical Mitzvot.
  • We will continue to work on our Hebrew Decoding skills, prayer skills as well as basic vocabulary.

Thought Question: How do I connect with the Torah?

Kitah Hey (5th Grade):

Looking Back:

  • Holidays: We made sukkah decorations and also shook lulav and etrog for Sukkot. We began reviewing our Torah stories after Simchat Torah, in honor of restarting the year.
  • Torah Stories: We reviewed the stories from the Books of Genesis and Exodus, and the learners retold stories that they remembered from last year.
  • Hebrew and Tefillah: We reviewed the prayer “Ve’Ahav’ta” in class through creative games and activities, and we are continuing to make progress in our PHD books.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will learn about Hanukkah and its blessings.
  • We will learn the prayer “Ashrei.” We have already started this.
  • We will learn about the Book Leviticus.

Thought Question: How do the Five Books of the Torah relate to each other?

Middle School:

Looking Back:

  • Holidays: This month was full of holiday learning! We got to learn about Sukkot, what makes a sukkah kosher, and what the blessings for the lulav and etrog really mean. During our art time, we focused on Ushpizin–the special guests that we symbolically invite to our sukkahs. Each learner picked a combination of guests to invite, both historical and modern, and created a hanging decoration highlighting their Ushpizin and why they chose them. We also focused on Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret, and the joy of getting an extra holiday to spend with family.
  • Torah & Tanakh: On Sundays, we often focus on themes from Parshat HaShavua, the weekly parsha. These themes include how our families serve as our protection, the courage to start something new, what to do if we use hurtful words to others, and how our family’s histories connect us to Israel. On Thursdays, we also started learning about the Tanakh (the complete Jewish Bible), and what each book discusses in the Torah.
  • Jewish Identity & Values: We answered the question: Who Am I?, with the first five things that came to mind. We compared our answers with a partner and talked about our identity. Then, we did the exercise again asking: Who Am I as a Jewish Person? We then made posters, sharing these ideas. In art, we are also exploring the histories behind our names, and how they connect us to our families.
  • Israeli History: We began to talk about the history of Israel and recognizing the Jewish connections to Israel from Biblical times to modern day, starting with ancient Israelites in Canaan. We also learned that Israel was not the only option a Jewish state that the early Zionists considered–Uganda was on the table!
  • Hebrew & Tefillah: During Hebrew, we balance focused Hebrew reading time, Tefillah practice with Cantor Gaby that focuses on parts of the service your children might lead at their b’nei mitzvah, and learning and reviewing specific prayers with Morah Ann and Morah Ivy. Kitah Vav is moving through the Torah service, practicing reading the words, learning what the words mean, and even learning Beth El’s melodies. Gesher started the year focusing on Hatikvah, and is now reviewing the end of Musaf to confirm their pronunciations.

Looking Ahead:

  • We will be writing our own versions of the Shema as six-word stories.
  • We will be continuing to learn more about the history of Israel from Biblical times onward.
  • We will begin to talk about lifecycles, mainly the traditions that come about in Jewish life as we grow up. We’ll start out with the Brit Milah and work our way up to different celebrations throughout the year.
  • We will also delve into different stories within Judaism! For Kitah Vav, we’ll explore the book of Ruth, and for Gesher we’ll discuss Megillat Esther.

Thought Questions: Why do we have so many different books in the Tanakh, and what does each one represent? What is our connection to the land of Israel?

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