Hey – Fifth Year – Wednesday (Florsheim)

10/14: Today in class, we worked on:

  1. We enjoyed an all school T’Fillah led by Rabbi Prass.  He asked us to think about how we tell time.  The learners had some great answers.  He then pointed out that our prayers also tell time (insertion in Gevurot tells the season, which prayer for peace tells time of day, etc).  After t’fillah we had announcements, and the always fun word of the week and our weekly trivia.
  2. We have been learning about the different movements within Judaism, including Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist Judaism.
  3. We have been comparing these movements to Reform Judaism by exploring differences in prayer, clothing, kosher practices, Shabbat observance, and the roles of men and women in Jewish life.
  4. Conservative Judaism
  5. Next week, we will conclude our learning about the different Jewish movements by exploring Orthodox and Hasidic Judaism and comparing their traditions, beliefs, and practices with Reform Judaism.
  6. We had an all school Hebrew thru Movement led by Rabbi Prass. We were able to learn new Hebrew words (and review earlier ones).  We also heard a report one of our 4th grade students did on October 7th for her secular school.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. This week, share what you learned about the different Jewish movements with a parent or family member!
  2. Teach: Explain one difference you learned between Reform, Conservative, and Orthodox Judaism.
  3. Discuss: Ask your parent what they find interesting or surprising about these different ways of practicing Judaism.
  4. Ask: Find out if your parent has any questions about Conservative or Orthodox Judaism. Write down one question you would like us to explore together in class.
  5. Be ready to share one thing you discussed with your family and any questions you came up with!

10/7: Today in class, we worked on:

  1. We had an all school t’fillah led by Rabbi Prass.  In addition to our growing number of prayers, Rabbi Prass showed us the now 1+ week old lulav and his collection of etrogim from the last 21 years as we ended the 4 Tishrei Chagim.  He then reminded us that this is the 3rd yahrzeit of October 7th.  We lit a yahrzeit candle, and then he taught us about 2 Israelis, Hersh and Gabriel who were part of October 7th.   What he read to us was a little about what they did on October 7th, and more about the way they lived. Finally, Rabbi Prass handed us literal footprints and asked us to write ways we can walk in their footsteps of how they lived.
  2. Back in class we covered the following:
    • Judaism is personal: We discussed how Judaism can look different from person to person, and that having different beliefs or practices does not make someone a better or worse Jew.
    • Different Jewish movements: We learned that there are different movements within Judaism, including Orthodox, Modern Orthodox, Hasidic, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist Judaism.
    • Reform Judaism: We learned that Reform Judaism values Jewish traditions while giving individuals more freedom to decide which practices are meaningful to them.
    • Reform prayer: Men and women generally pray together, and women can be rabbis, cantors, Torah readers, and leaders of services.
    • Reform Shabbat and kosher practices: Reform Jews celebrate Shabbat and may observe kosher traditions in different ways, depending on the individual.
    • Reconstructionist Judaism: We learned that Reconstructionist Judaism views Judaism as an evolving civilization that includes religion, culture, history, values, and community.
    • Reconstructionist traditions: Reconstructionist Jews continue many Jewish traditions and celebrations while also finding new ways to make Judaism meaningful today.
    • Reconstructionist prayer: Men and women generally pray together and have equal opportunities to lead services, read Torah, and become rabbis.
    • Reconstructionist Shabbat and kosher practices: Individuals and communities may decide how they want to observe these traditions, sometimes connecting them to modern Jewish values.
    • What we noticed: Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism both emphasize equality, community, Jewish values, and finding meaningful ways to practice Judaism today, while still maintaining connections to Jewish tradition.
    • Our classroom rule: We discussed the importance of listening without judging. We do not have to practice Judaism the same way as someone else in order to respect and learn from them.
  3. Kitah Daled & Hey enjoyed Hebrew thru Movement led by Rabbi Prass where he showed us the open sefer Torah since we just celebrated Simchat Torah. 
  4. On the way out, and since Sukkot is over, Rabbi Prass cut the Etrog into smaller pieces and offered each interested learner a piece to taste.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. This week, have a conversation with a parent, grandparent, or another family member about your family’s relationship with Judaism.
  2. Ask them:
    • What is most meaningful to you about being Jewish?
    • Is there a Jewish tradition, holiday, ritual, or memory that is especially important to you?
    • What is something about Judaism that you hope our family continues for future generations?
    • Has your relationship with Judaism changed as you have gotten older?

9/30: Today in class, we worked on:

  1. We had an all school t’fillah led by Rabbi Prass.  He asked us, “What do you notice that is beautiful inside sanctuary?”  Then Rabbi Prass pointed out that we are in the middle of the Holiday Sukkot which helps us notice that which is beautiful outside, and how prayer/t’fillah helps us notice that which is beautiful both inside and outside.
  2. In class we:
    • Reviewed the Jewish Diaspora — We learned about how Jewish communities spread to different parts of the world after the destruction of the Second Temple and why our ancestors moved to new places.
    • Jews in Spain — We learned about the long history of Jewish communities in Spain, including the Golden Age of Jewish life, the challenges Jews faced under Christian rule, and the eventual expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492.
    • The Crusades — We learned about the Crusades and how some Crusaders and mobs attacked Jewish communities in Europe. Jewish communities faced violence, destruction, and pressure to convert.
    • Blood Libel — We learned about the false and antisemitic accusation that Jews murdered Christian children and used their blood for religious purposes. We discussed how these completely false accusations led to violence and persecution against Jewish communities.
    • Jewish Life in Europe — We discussed how, despite persecution and discrimination, Jewish communities continued to build families, synagogues, traditions, and strong communities wherever they lived.
  3. Kitah daled & hey went outside for a special visit to the סוכה (Sukkah) with Rabbi Prass. The children enjoyed learning about the אתרוג (etrog) and לולב (lulav) and practicing the blessings for Sukkot. 🍋🌿They each had the opportunity to shake the lulav and etrog.
  4. Next class, as requested by students, we will be learning about the different Jewish movements and their differences. For example; reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and Hasidic Judaism.

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

9/23: Today in class, we worked on:

  1. Today started with an all school T’fillah in the sanctuary led by Rabbi Prass. Rabbi Prass started the t’fillah asking the learners, “Why is it important to fast on Yom Kippur (if you are both healthy and post B’nai Mitzvah age)”.  The children had some really deep, interesting answers.  
  2. Reviewed what we learned last week about the First Temple, its destruction, and the Jewish people’s return to Jerusalem.
    • King Cyrus: We learned about King Cyrus of Persia and why his policies were important to our ancestors. He allowed Jews to return to Jerusalem and supported the rebuilding of the Temple.
    • The Second Temple: We learned why the Second Temple was so important to Jewish life and how it became the center of Jewish religious life in Jerusalem.
    • The Destruction of the Second Temple: We learned about the Jewish revolt against Roman rule and how the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in 70 CE. We discussed how this changed Jewish life and led Jewish communities to focus more on synagogues, prayer, Torah study, and community.
    • Masada: We learned about the Jewish rebels who fled to Masada after the destruction of Jerusalem. According to the traditional account, the people at Masada chose to resist rather than surrender to the Romans.
    • Freedom and Identity: We discussed what freedom means and why people throughout history have sometimes been willing to make major sacrifices to protect their freedom, beliefs, and identity.
  3. Questions We Discussed
    • • Why do you think the people at Masada chose to resist rather than surrender?
    • What does “freedom” mean to you?
    • Is freedom worth making sacrifices for? Why or why not?
    • What would you be willing to give up to protect something that was very important to you?
    • Why do you think maintaining Jewish identity was important to our ancestors?
    • How can losing an important place, such as the Temple, affect a community?
    • How do you think Jewish life changed after the destruction of the Second Temple?
    • What are some ways that we continue to keep our Jewish identity and traditions alive today?
  4. Daled & Hey went outside for Hebrew through movement led by Rabbi Prass. This is a fun activity where the students learn verbs by doing the action of the verb said in Ivrit.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. This week, we learned about how our Jewish ancestors moved from place to place while carrying their history, traditions, and stories with them. Now, let’s learn a little more about your own family’s story!
  2. Ask a parent, grandparent, family member, or another adult:
    • Do you know where our family came from? What countries, cities, or communities did our ancestors live in?
    • Do you know any stories about your grandparents, great-grandparents, or other ancestors?
    • What family stories do people tell over and over? Why do you think your family continues to tell them?

9/16: Today in class, we worked on:

  1. Today started with an all school t’fillah led by Rabbi Prass.  He introduced what T’fillah will be like for the school year, including that all the students will be wearing kippot during this time together. If your student would like to wear their own personal kippah, they are more than welcome to do so.  We also practiced the word/letter of the week and heard some announcements.
  2. In class we talked about:
  3. The Origins of the Jewish People: We learned about the origins of our people in the ancient Near East and the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
  4. Joseph and Egypt: We learned how Joseph and his family came to Egypt and how the Israelites grew into a large population over many generations.
  5. Slavery and the Exodus: We discussed how, according to the Torah, the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt and how Moses led our ancestors out of slavery toward freedom. We connected the story of the Exodus to Passover (Pesach) and discussed why we continue to tell this story today.
  6. King David and King Solomon: We learned about King David, the establishment of Jerusalem as the capital, and King Solomon and the building of the First Temple.
  7. The First Temple and King Cyrus: We learned about the Babylonian exile and how King Cyrus of Persia allowed our ancestors to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. We discussed why Cyrus is remembered positively in Jewish history and how his policies allowed Jews to practice their traditions.
  8. Discussion question examples:
    • What makes a group of people a people?
    • If a group of people moves somewhere else, do they stop being that people? Why or why not?
    • Why do you think Pharaoh became afraid of the Israelites as our population grew?
    • Why do you think freedom is such an important part of the Exodus story?
    • What do you think our ancestors wanted future generations—including us—to remember about their experience?
    • If you had been an Israelite leaving Egypt, what is one thing you would have been most excited about? What is one thing you would have been scared about?
    • Why do you think having a strong leader, like King David or King Solomon, was important to our people? What qualities do you think make someone a good leader today?
    • What do you think it meant to our ancestors to have a place like the Temple where our people could come together?
    • What makes a place feel like the center of a community? What places are like that for us today?
    • How do you think our ancestors felt when the First Temple was destroyed and they were forced to leave their homes?
    • If you had been one of the Jews living in Babylonia, what parts of Jewish life would you want to make sure your children continued? Why?
    • What can we learn from our ancestors about keeping a community and culture alive during difficult times?

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. My Family Story
    • This week, we learned about how our Jewish ancestors moved from place to place while carrying their history, traditions, and stories with them. Now, let’s learn a little more about your own family’s story!
  2. Ask a parent, grandparent, family member, or another adult:
    • Do you know where our family came from? What countries, cities, or communities did our ancestors live in?
    • Do you know any stories about your grandparents, great-grandparents, or other ancestors?
    • What family stories do people tell over and over? Why do you think your family continues to tell them?
    • Bonus Question:
      • Is there a Jewish tradition, holiday, food, name, or story that has been passed down in your family?
  3. Be ready to share one interesting thing you learned with the class next week!

9/9: Today in class, we worked on:

  1. We enjoyed a brief all-school assembly with Rabbi Prass.  The students were very curious about the beautiful sanctuary remodel.
  2. By the end of class, students learned that:
    • Everyone has a different background and experience with Judaism.
    • We can learn from each other by asking questions and sharing our experiences.
    • Judaism includes many different traditions, holidays, prayers, stories, foods, and values.
    • It’s okay not to know the answer—asking questions is an important part of learning.
    • We each have different things we want to learn about Judaism this year.
    • Jewish learning can connect to things happening in our everyday lives.
    • Rosh Hashanah is more than just the Jewish New Year—it is a time to reflect on the past year and think about the year ahead.
    • Rosh Hashanah encourages us to think about who we are and who we want to become.
    • Making mistakes is part of being human, and Judaism gives us opportunities to reflect, apologize, make things right, and try again.
    • Think-Pair-Share helps us think independently, listen to someone else’s perspective, and share ideas with a larger group.
    • Our classroom will be a place where we can ask questions, share opinions, disagree respectfully, and have fun while learning about Judaism.
  3. It was great to meet the parents and explain the curriculum and the year-in-review.
  4. Aleph – hey enjoyed participating in the Hebrew thru Movement with us and learning about the class in the year in review and hearing the sound of the shofar for Elul.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Students will interview a parent, grandparent, or another family member:
    • Ask them:
      • What is your favorite Rosh Hashanah tradition?
      • What is your favorite Rosh Hashanah food?
      • What is something you remember about Rosh Hashanah from when you were my age?
      • What is one thing you hope for in the coming year?
  2. Then, students can share one interesting answer with the class next week.