Ma y 7, 2023
Aleph
1 - This week we learned about Lag B’omer.
We read a book called “Sadie’s Lag B’omer Mystery”.
We learned that Lag B’omer is the holiday we celebrate between Passover and Shavuot.
It is the 33rd day of the counting of the Omer.
We completed a word search with Lag B’omer words and made a bonfire out of fun treats!
Lag B’omer is celebrated with bonfires, picnics and fun!
Morah Suzanne, Parker and Max
Aleph 2
Hi families,
After we finished school and class photos, the students and I continued learning about Israel this week. I was so pleased to hear that a few of them even took time during the week to research and learn more about the Dead Sea! We learned about the ways people in Israel live that are similar and different from the way we live here. This included talking about Kibbutzim and Moshavim and listening to the book, Chicken Man, to deepen their understanding. Ask them what job they’d like to have if they lived on a Kibbutz!
It’s hard to believe we only have one more day of Hebrew School. Everyone has been working really hard to keep their Siddurim open to the correct page and participate during morning Tefilah as well as listen and participate in class. As a result, they’ve once again filled their pompom jar. To celebrate their accomplishment, to mark the end of the year, and to celebrate Shavuot (because I have to throw learning into the prize) we will be making our own pizza, having ice cream, and wearing PJs on 5/21. If you have any concerns or questions about this, please let me know.
Have a great week!
Morah Jen, Hannah, and Parker
April 30, 2023
Aleph 1 - Hello families!
This week we talked about Israel.
Israel’s birthday was this past week and we talked about all the different parts of Israel and how they are special.
We read a book called” Ella’s trip to Israel “about a girl who travels with her family to Israel.
We watched a video on the Dead Sea and how people float!!
We made Israeli flags too!
For a special treat, we ate hummus with crackers and drank mango juice. If anyone was allergic they did not have. They ate the items that they were permitted to.
Have a great week.
Morah Suzanne, Parker and Max
Aleph 2 - Hi families,
It was so nice to see everyone after a few weeks apart! Since we just celebrated Yom Haatzmaut, we spent the day learning about Israel. After talking to students about what they know about it, we discussed the different regions including the Negev (ask them what Negev means), the different bodies of water in Israel, and some major cities using maps, books, and videos to help with our understanding. They even got to hold a chunk of salt from the Dead Sea. We will continue our discussion next week as we start to wrap out what has been a fabulous year together.
Have a great week,
Morah Jen
April 23, 2023
Hello Aleph 1 families!!
Happy Spring.
This week we had music with Alex and learned about the Mezuzah.
We learned that every Jewish home has a mezuzah on their doorpost and that the mezuzah contains the words of the Shema. We know that the mezuzah asks God to keep our homes safe.
We recited the prayer and then made our very own mezuzah!
Have a great week!
Morah Suzanne, Parker and Max
Aleph 2
Shalom,
Today we had a giant review of Hebrew letters through games. The students used puzzles, blocks, cards and magnetic letters to identify letters learned this year. They also earned points for saying Hebrew words beginning with the letters called. We learned about Israel's birthday, which was celebratedf earlier this week and read a book sbout an imaginary trip to Israel stopping ub najor cities all over the country.
Morah Jen, Parker and Hannah
March 26, 2023
In class we read the book “More than Enough” by April Halprin Wayland. The book repeatedly says “Dayenu”- “it would have been enough.” Students were asked to think about some experiences and gifts which they are thankful for and the class responded, Dayenu! For the past two weeks we have focused on the first and second of the Ma Nishtanah, this week we focused on the 3rd and 4th questions. Then the class talked about the order of the seder and did an art project related to this. In Hebrew, we reviewed the following letters: Shin, Samech, Lamed, Daled, Tav, Aleph, Nun, Bet, Yud, Chet, Mem, Tet, Vav, Pey (for Pesach), and introduced the letter Hey (for Haggadah), which means “telling”. It was a wonderful morning of learning
March 19, 2023
Hello awesome Aleph families!!
What a fun day we had! In preparation for Passover we watched the movie the Prince of Egypt.
We enjoyed popcorn, Matzoh brittle and got to wear our PJs!!
Since Passover is around the corner, we learned new songs during Shira/Tefillah, which can be sung at your Passover seder.
Have a great week!
Morah Suzanne, Morah Jen, Parker, Hannah, and Max
March 12, 2023
Section 1
Hi Parents,
The Aleph students have been working so hard and did such an amazing job at the class Shabbat so we’d like to reward them with a special day of activities this Sunday. That being said, Passover is coming up so our special day will incorporate learning about the holiday by showing the movie The Prince of Egypt while providing some nut free, kosher snacks (including some Passover favorites). Kids are also encouraged to wear pjs and bring in a stuffed animal. If you have any concerns about the movie or the snack, please reach out to us no later than noon on Friday.
Thank you for all your support!!
Best,
Morah Suzanne and Morah Jen
Section 2
Hi families,
We did it! The class filled their pompom jar and earned a prize for this Sunday. Please see the email from Rabbi Kornsgold for details. Aside from celebrating their accomplishment, we discussed the different backgrounds Jewish people have and their exodus (like the Torah book that we’re currently reading from and the story of Passover…see what we did there) from various countries. We looked at a map and discussed Sephardic and Ashkenazi origins and the languages Ladino and Yiddish. We read the books Buen Shabbat, Shabbat Shalom and When Jessie Came Across the Sea and listened to a song in each language. Finally we started a family tree which the children brought home to finish with your help and discuss their personal/family journey. In Hebrew the kids learned the letter vav. They also had music today which is always a fan favorite!
Have a great week,
Morah Jen and Parker
February 26, 2023
Section A
Hello Aleph families! This week we learned about Joseph and his amazing rainbow coat. We talked about his father Jacob and that Joseph had 11 brothers! After reading the story, the students all answered questions about Joseph and his family. After that, we all decorated our own technicolor dream coat! If the students finished early, I had a color by number coat to complete.
In Hebrew class we reviewed the letters by playing four square. What a fun game!
Following that, we went to the sanctuary and practiced the songs and tefillot for our Class Shabbat. The kids did a great job!
Don't forget our class Shabbat will be this Friday, March 3, please arrive by 5:20pm, so the kids can rehearse with Cantor Lissek.
Hope to see you all there!
Morah Suzanne, Parker and Max
Section B
Hi families,
This was another busy week for kitah aleph! We started the day by trying carob as a carry over from our Tu B'shvat lesson…it was was not great!!! But since all of our brave students (and Morah and Madricha) tasted it despite its foul aroma, the class earned a giant pompom. Next we continued our Shabbat discussion, listened to some fun a capella Shabbat songs, and did a Shabbat related craft. We ended the day practicing for our family Shabbat. The students and I are so excited for Friday and hope everyone can make it!
Morah Jen and Hannah
February 12, 2023
Aleph
Section 1
Hello Aleph 1 families! This week our class had music with Alex. We sang new songs and some familiar ones. We also began practicing for our class Shabbat which is on March 3. Our class talked about Havdalah. We learned a lot about it including what it is, how many prayers we say and what special items we use to mark the end of Shabbat.
We read a cute book called “Welcome” because we always encourage the students to be welcoming and supportive of everyone. Finally, we learned the letter lamed and played a fun game putting the Hebrew letters together to make words.
Don’t forget, Sunday the 19th there is no religious school (Presidents Day Weekend). See you all on the 26th! Morah Suzanne, Parker, and Max
Section 2
After Shira/Tefillah. The class reviewed material from the prior week. Then, we talked about Shabbat. The students had so much to say about Shabbat! Afterwards, we practiced the songs the class will be singing at their Class Shabbat, March 3.
During Hebrew time, the students learned the letter lamed and played a fun game putting the Hebrew letters together to make words. Next week they will continue talking and learning about Shabbat, in addition to making a Challah cover. Reminder – no class this Sunday, 2/19.
February 5, 2023
Section A - Hello families!! What a busy Sunday we had. This morning, during Tefillah, Rabbi Wolk told us the story of Honi and the Circle Maker, who met a farmer who was planting carob seeds. The story explained it takes 70 years for a seed to grow to a full grown tree that gives fruit. Honi wondered why the farmer would bother if he would not be around to see it. The farmer explained he is not planting the seeds for himself. He is planting these trees for future generations.
Rabbi Wolk told this story because this week we celebrated Tu B’shvat, the birthday of the trees.
In class, we continued the discussion and talked about all the awesome things that trees give us. We read through our BJL beginnings worksheet further continuing the conversation of Tu B’shvat. We worked on a Tu B’shbat word search and coloring page, we watched a cute video of the holiday, we read a book called " Mr. Tempkin climbs a tree" and best of all, we had a mini Tu B’shvat seder with dates, apricots and dried kiwi.
Parker continues to teach the students Hebrew letters and how to write them.
Have a wonderful remainder of the week.
Morah Suzanne, Parker, and Max
Section B -
January 29, 2023
Section A
For this week's lesson, our students learned about a Jewish meal. We started the day having a discussion about Jewish foods. The kids had to think of a typically Jewish food and then tell us what holiday or occasion that we normally eat that food. I will send you all a picture of the students responses.
We read the BJL beginnings pamphlet about a Jewish meal and learned that a Jewish meal begins and ends with a blessing over bread. We talked about the importance of God and how God created everything in the creation of bread. We recited the bracha over a challah and then got to enjoy it!
We watched a cute video of children eating typical Jewish foods including lox, babka and brisket!
In Hebrew, Parker taught the students the letter Aleph which does not make a sound. He also reviewed previous letters taught.
Next Sunday, February 5th, whichever class has the most parents attend Shira/Tefillah (and then the PTO meeting) will get a special snack. Hopefully our Aleph class can be the winner!
See you Sunday!
Morah Suzanne, Parker and Max
Section B
Hi families,
This week we continued our discussion of mitzvot and tzedakah. Everyone was very excited to do the art project that went along with our lesson and will be bringing home their beautifully painted tzedakah boxes next week. We also read the book Bagels from Benny to further explore the different ways we can do mitzvot and to loop into our previous lesson about how we’re partners with God. In Hebrew, the students reviewed previously learned letters using a movement game to help them remember the sounds each letter makes.
Have a good week!
Morah Jen, Hannah, and Parker
Sunday, January 22, 2023
Section A - Hello Aleph 1 families!!
This week we learned all about Tzedakah.
We talked about what Tzedakah is, what it is used for and how important it is to give. We read a Jewish folktale about the idea of Tzedakah and each student had a chance to read a passage from our Tzedakah worksheet.
We listened to an amazing song called “ put it in the pushke the Tzedakah box” the whole time.
Ask your children about it!!
We learned the letter tzade for Tzedakah and made our very own Tzedakah boxes.
They know that they can put money in the box when they hear good news, before lighting Shabbat candles and at holidays.
If you can, please send your child to TIRS with a small bag. Sometimes we have a lot of things to bring home and it's hard for their little hands to carry everything.
Thank you!! Morah Suzanne
Section B - Hi parents,
This week we explored the concept of mitzvot in the context of stories in the Torah. We read a book and watched a video that corresponded to these topics. The children also continued to work on their book illustrating parshiyot. In Hebrew they learned the letter צ. Finally we talked about the number and types of mitzvot and came up with examples of each kind.
Have a great week!
Morah Jen
January 8, 2023
Section A –
Hello families! Happy New Year!
Although Parker and I were not there in class, the awesome Denise Abadi subbed for our class and she said the kids were great!
The lesson for the day was about mitzvot. - What is a mitzvah- the children gave examples of what they do that is considered a mitzvah. They talked about things they should do and things they should not do.
They read the book - Its a, Its a, It's a mitzvah. and discussed the biblical story of Abraham and Sarah and how Sarah did the mitzvah of welcoming guests. They reviewed Hebrew letters and Alex, our new music teacher, taught them Od yavo Shalom. Check out the post on the FB TIRS group to see the video of them singing.
Remember that next week there is no TIRS. Looking forward to seeing you all on January 22.
Section B -
Hi parents,
It was great to be back and see everyone after our break! I went to Israel over the vacation and brought back some Israeli snacks for the students to taste. The snacks weren’t universally loved but I was very proud of them all for trying new things (Bamba Metuka/ sweet bamba, Falafel flavored bissli, and halva). Next we had a very special music class followed by Hebrew review. Check out the post on the FB TIRS group to see the video of them singing. The students took turns identifying Hebrew letters, saying their sounds, and writing them on the write board. Last we had a discussion about the Chumash and reviewed the stories in the first book via discussion and an art project that will continue throughout the year.
Have a great week!! Reminder – no school on Sunday, January 15.
Morah Jen and Ava
December 11, 2022
Sec. 1 Hello families! Thank you to all who participated in our family education project. The Aleph class focuses on the theme Hebrew names. Our program emphasizes what our Hebrew name is and who we may be named after. Since the students will use their Hebrew names throughout religious school, the aleph class is a great time to learn your name, how it is spelled, what it means and what special person you may be named after.
I hope you all got to know one another during our ice breaker activity. Creating beautiful posters and jewelry with our Hebrew names was very special to us. I enjoyed watching all the work and effort you put into making these memorable posters. I am glad that some of the students felt comfortable getting up to share their wonderful poster with the group. I am sure all the parents were proud.
The book read at the end of the program was a cute story explaining that each Hebrew name is special to each person.
Once again, thank you for those who participated in this project. We will have the posters laminated for you to keep forever. Please also save the bracelets/necklaces you made with your Hebrew name. We will all be wearing them at our Class Shabbat Celebration (March 3). Thank you!!!
See you soon!
Morah Suzanne, Parker and Max
Sec. 2
Thank you to everyone who came out for our family program! Everyone did a great job learning about their Hebrew names and many even decided to present on the stage to the whole group. Next Sunday there will be school-wide Chanukah activities and then we have a few weeks off. I hope you all have a restful break and a Chanukah sameach!
Morah Jen, Ava, and Parker
December 4, 2022
Section 1
Hello Aleph families. Today we had our fun Chanukah boutique. The students had a chance to purchase gifts for family members!
Our friend Henry won a raffle prize. Yay Henry! We learned some facts about Chanukah, learned how to play dreidel, and made edible dreidels!!
We had such a fun class! Don’t forget, this Sunday, December 11, is our family education program. Please bring a photo of who your child is named after.
Thank you!! See you on Sunday!
Morah Suzanne, Parker, and Max
Section 2
Hi families,
We had a very exciting day on Sunday! Not only did your children get to shop at the Chanukah boutique but we also earned our class PJ day and ice cream party! To give the fun an educational edge, the children learned the Hebrew word for ice cream and practiced recognizing their Hebrew name, both spoken and written in Hebrew. I’m Hebrew class the kids had a blast playing dreidel!
I look forward to meeting you all at the Family Education program on Sunday.
Have a great week,
Morah Jen, Ava, and Parker
November 20, 2022
Hello Aleph Families! Today we talked about God as our partner. The learning goal was for the students to understand that they are partners with God. We started our day with a story called " God in Between" by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso. It is about a town of people who have no windows or roads by their homes and are wondering if there is a God. There are two people who do have windows and the townspeople ask them to go in search of God so that their problems will be solved. They went to the mountains, dessert, the sea, etc and did not find God there. When they returned to the town, the man and the woman helped the townspeople build roads. The moral of the story is that God is between us and our partner in life.
We brainstormed a list of ways that we could be partners with God. The students came up with great answers. We then followed that up with an activity sheet where they had to color, cut, and match the pictures of what God created and what people created.They found a partner and played the matching game with a friend! You may have seen a cup with the cards brought home.
Some students played spot it. That game can only be played with a partner so it further brought the concept of partnership to light.
The students reviewed Hebrew letters and learned the letter Nun today.
SAVE THE DATE:
December 11- our family education project. For this day, please have photos of the person who your child is named after. (Hebrew name) We will be creating beautiful name bracelets and posters with the children.
Thank you for all your support.
November 13, 2022
Aleph 1 and 2:
Hello aleph class families! Today was a fun filled day! We learned about the Tower of Babel. We read the story and learned that the people built a tower up to the heavens. God was upset because the people were trying to upstage the power of God so God made it that all the people spoke different languages. The people could not communicate and they got frustrated and left the area.
To represent this idea, the students learned how to say hello in several different languages! We joined with the other Aleph class and played Tower of Babel bingo using M and M's for the chips. They had a blast!
To show that we do not always need to speak to communicate, we did a team building activity where the students had to get into height order without speaking! That was fun!
From there, we each created our own towers out of Lego.
We reviewed our Hebrew letters by creating letters out of modeling clay. They created a gimel, dalet, hey, bet, tav, mem, final mem and shin. They did an amazing job!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful kids with us every Sunday!
November 6, 2022
Aleph -Hello Aleph families! This week we learned the story of the Garden of Eden.
The students had to sequence the story and then we made snakes using strawberries and bananas.
We learned the letter Hey while reviewing the previous letters we worked on over the last few weeks.
Please let us know if you ever have any questions! Have a great week!
Aleph 2 -
October 30, 2022
Aleph 1- Today we spoke about Shabbat and started the lesson by reviewing last weeks lesson on creation. The final day of creation, day 7, is the day that God rested. We call this day Shabbat. Going around the room we charted what do the kids already know about Shabbat. Many of the kids knew that we light candles, say prayers, and have a family dinner. Using a prayer book, we practiced the three main Shabbat prayers, it was so wonderful hearing how many of them knew them already. We then read a story titled, The Friday Nights of Nana. The story is about a grandma who is preparing the Shabbat meal with her granddaughter. For our craft we created Shabbat challah covers. Each student had a choice to include their Hebrew and/or English name on the cover. I hope you highlight this cover at one of your next Shabbat meals. In Hebrew lesson, Parker reviewed all the letters we have already learned, including shin, tav, bet, gimmel, resch, men, and final mem. The students did an action for each letter to help them remember. Since the rain prevented us from using the playground, we stayed inside and played pass the stuffed challah!
Please remember our Family Education program is on December 11th. You will be receiving more information as it gets closer.
Aleph 2-
Hi families,
This week we continued learning about Abraham and Sarah but this time in the context of the mitzvah of Hachnasat orchim (welcoming guests). We watched a few short videos and had discussions to learn about the concept, how Abraham and Sarah did hachnasat orchim, and how we can do it in our lives with friends, family members, and strangers alike. They are doing such a great job participating and remembering previously learned concepts so they’re very close to earning a class prize. In the spirit of democracy they came up with a list of possible prizes and then voted to determine the winner. In a few weeks they’ll be treated to a well deserved pj’s and ice cream party…more details to follow.
In Hebrew, the children did a fun movement game to practice the sounds different Hebrew letters make and they learned the letter ג (gimmel).
Please remember to send your child to Hebrew school with a water bottle, kippah, and if you’re able, tzedakah.
Please remember our Family Education program is on December 11th. You will be receiving more information as it gets closer.
Have a great week!
October 23, 2022
Aleph 1- Hello Aleph 1 families. This Sunday our class learned about Creation. We talked about how God created the world in 7 days. Starting from Sunday as Day 1 and continuing until Saturday, our day of rest, which is Shabbat. The children had fun putting the cards in order of when God created it! Day 1- Day and Night. Day 2- Sky and Water. Day 3- Plants. Day 4- Sun, moon and stars. Day 5 - fish and birds (including dinosaurs) Day 6- Animals and People and Day 7- our day of rest- Shabbat.
We made beautiful drawings of all the days of creation. Some of the students wanted to bring home their pictures, the others I will hang up in the classroom to admire.
Parker taught the children Mem and final Mem today with a review of the other letters we worked on the past few weeks. They worked on finding the shin, mem, final mem, bet, tav and resh on a sheet and had to color each Hebrew letter a different color.
Have a great week!
Aleph 2- Hi families,
This Sunday we took a step away from learning about Jewish holidays and started at the beginning (Bereshit). We reviewed the number of books in the Torah, the name of the first book, and some stories found in it, such as Adam and Eve and Noach. We then went deeper into the story of Abraham and Sarah. We read some of the Torah text using the book, Lech Lecha and looked at a map of their journey to Canaan. Based on that text we talked about what it means to be a blessing and what a covenant is. The kids each wrote and/or drew some ways that they are a blessing and together we made a class covenant (photo will be sent next week). In Hebrew class, the children learned the letters mem (מ) and final mem (ם) and reviewed previous learned letters.
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October 16, 2022
Section 1 - Morah Suzanne
After Shira/ Tefillah, the class ate snack in the sukkah and had the chance to shake the lulav too!
We talked about Simchat Torah and learned many things about this holiday. We learned that we walk around the sanctuary 7 times. It takes a year to read the Torah from beginning to end. Bet is the first letter in the Torah and Lamed is the last letter. Together lamed and bet make the word lev, which means heart. We created our own Torah scrolls out of pretzels and fruit roll ups! In Hebrew, we learned the letter Dalet,which is the first letter in the word degel, which means flag! Then, we waved flags to celebrate Simchat Torah!!
Have a great week!!
Section 2 - Morah Jen
Today we spent some time in the sukkah admiring the decorations we made last week, smelling the etrog, and shaking the lulav. The kids also had fun doing a scavenger hunt in the sukkah. Some items were hard to find so we used the Hebrew words for hot (cham) and cold (kar) to help them figure out where the items were located. Back in the classroom we completed the book, This is the Sukkah that name Built. Some students wrote their name in English and others wrote them name in Hebrew. We also read a bit about Simchat Torah and learned the first and last words in the Torah. Based on that, we figured out that the first and last letters of the Torah spell לב (lev or heart). Finally we completed a craft to go along with that new discovery. In Hebrew, Parker reviewed previously learned letters and introduced the letter dalet ד.
SUNDAY, October 9
Aleph – Section1 - Suzanne
Hello Aleph families!!
I hope you all had a meaningful Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Today we began our discussion on Sukkot. The students learned all about the holiday including the following:
1- it is a temporary dwelling 2- it is a Mitzvah to eat and sleep in the sukkah 3- we typically hang fruits and vegetables in the sukkah to represent the harvest 4- we shake the lulav and etrog all around us to show that God is all around us.
In Hebrew, we learned the letter resh and reviewed the letters shin, Tav, and bet.
We decorated flags to hang in the Temple Israel Sukkah and made edible sukkot using graham crackers!
We also read “The Best Sukkot Pumpkin Ever” by Laya Steinberg What a fun filled day of learning!!
Have a great week!
Morah Suzanne, Parker and Max.
Aleph - Section 2 - Jennifer
Hi families,
This week we learned about Sukkot by reading the book, Night Lights by Barbara Diamond and watched a LEGO sukkot video (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SRHkgWGyn4Y). We talked about our experiences sleeping and/or eating in a temporary shelter be it a sukkah or a tent. In Hebrew, the children learned the letter ר (resh). The children are also getting very good at finding their name written in Hebrew as part of our morning activities. Last, we did a craft to hang in the sukkah.
Please remember to send your child to TIRS with a kippah and water bottle each week. We also collect tzedakah, so please send in some coins each week if you are able.
B’Shalom, Morah Jen
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Aleph 1
Hello awesome Aleph families! Happy first day of TIRS! After an amazing opening assembly, our class had some get to know you activities. There are 12 students in out section and we are looking forward to getting to know one another. We promised to be respectful and kind to everyone in our class. Each student had a chance to share their wishes for the new year with the rest of the class. Many of the students said they wanted to have fun and to learn a lot! On our first day we learned the letter 'shin' and talked about our Hebrew names.
It is wonderful getting to know your children and I look forward to a great school year.
Shabbat Shalom, Morah Suzanne, Parker (Hebrew madrich) and Max
Aleph 2
Hi Parents,
We had a great first day of Hebrew school in Aleph 2! We played some getting to know you games, talked as a group about what we already know about Rosh Hashanah, and read a book about it. The students also learned about the letter ש (shin) including the sound it makes and some words that begin with it. I look forward to a wonderful year of learning and fun with your children!
Reminders: Please send your child to school each week with a kippah and a water bottle. We will also be collecting tzedakah each week so please feel free to send some coins in with your child.
B’shalom, Morah Jen