VAV (6th) Blog 22-23

Thank you to everyone who attended the Family education program. We took a deep dive into the meaning of tefillin and learned how to put them on.  We also talked about the upcoming year of B’nai Mitzvot and students expressed their feelings about the next year.

Please reach out to Alex Olinger for further updates on Judaic Studies and Cantor Lissek for updates on B'nai Mitzvah Basics.

Judaic Studies

In preparation for the Vav Class Shabbat on December 16^th, we studied two prayers for the State of Israel.  One prayer comes from our Siddur and we recite it every Shabbat.  The second prayer was written during a previous conflict in Gaza and reflects the pain felt by Israelis at that moment.  The class will be working on their own prayers for Israel, which we will share with the congregation at the class Shabbat.  Student will consider three things in writing their prayers:

1. What are you feeling right now?
2. What are you asking God for?
3. What do we need to do to make our prayers come true besides asking God?

The Vav class spent time talking with Rabbi Wolk, Alan, and AJ about the situation in Israel. Students had a chance to share their feelings and ask questions.

This week in Kitah Vav we talked about self care and how it relates back to Judaism. We also talked about what it means to be a community. 

Judaic Studies:

Last Sunday we wrote our “Passover survival guides”. This was a pamphlet created by your kids. The pamphlet explained from their perspective the most effective way for someone who has never been to a Seder to “survive” it. During the next few sessions we will be doing a deep dive on the Exodus story and comparing it to the movie Prince of Egypt. 

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This week in Kitah Vav we continued our study of our Jewish identities. We focused on our Hebrew names and how we name people and what our names mean. 

Judaic Studies -

This week in Kitah Vav we talked about our personal Jewish identities. We wrote “I am” poems about being Jewish. We talked about how our Jewish identity changes as we change and how it grows with us. 

Judaic Studies

This past week in Kitah Vav we came up with expectations and a B’rit Kehillah for our class. This was my first week with the class so we spent time getting to know each other and setting classroom expectations for the rest of the year. As a class we developed S.C.O.O.P.  This is our acronym that reminds us of our expectations. 

S.C.O.O.P. stands for -

respect for SELF

respect for CULTURES

respect for OTHERS

respect for OPINIONS

respect for PROPERTY

I look forward to seeing everyone next week! Reminder – NO SCHOOL on January 15 

Hebrew

Tuesday Vav students continued working in their Mitkadem binders. Some students completed their unit on the Friday night Kiddush where they learned that the Kiddush is recited as we make Shabbat a holy time and that the prayer recalls the creation of the world and the exodus from Egypt. Other students are working on the blessings for an Aliyah to the Torah where they are reflecting on what it means that God chose the Jewish people to receive the Torah and putting the acts of the Torah service in chronological order.

Wednesday Vav students started a new conversational Hebrew reading curriculum which will supplement their Mitkadem activities. They learned how to introduce themselves and state where they are from in Hebrew. They enjoyed learning by reading a Hebrew play about four people that meet in the airport on their way to Israel. 

Wednesday Vav students (in Margaret’s class) started a new conversational Hebrew reading curriculum which will supplement their Mitkadem activities. They learned how to introduce themselves and state where they are from in Hebrew. They enjoyed learning by reading a Hebrew play about four people that meet in the airport on their way to Israel. 

Students began working on the Torah portion which they will be speaking about at their upcoming Class Shabbat Celebration on December 17. Looking forward to celebrating the first Class Shabbat Celebration of the year with you and your children.

This past week, the students took a break from learning about the weekly parasha. Since there have been recent antisemitic incidents in some of the surrounding schools, we wanted students to have a safe space to share their feelings and ask questions. The staff and clergy at TI and TIRS are always available to talk with you or your children about issues which are on your mind.

The class studied the weekly parasha Lech Lecha. Students learned how to find a Torah portion by looking up the book, chapter and verse given to them. Students looked at the different promises God made to Avram and talked about the journey Avram was embarking on.

This week the class began our study of the Torah portions in Bereshit.  We learned about how God created each person as a unique individual and studied a Hasidic teaching that advises us to balance our pride and our humility.

Judaic Studies

On the first day of Vav class this year we spent some time getting to know each other.  Then we discussed the structure of the Five Books of the Torah and what it means to have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah portion and how we can find our portions.  Finally (and most importantly to the students), we discussed what makes food “Jewish” and learned about the B’rachot (blessings) we say before we eat.

Shabbat Shalom,

Rabbi Wolk