Education – Hey Wednesday (Wilgus)

4/17: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today we were privileged to have two speakers from the Mobile Museum of Tolerance, part of the Simon Weisenthal Center, come speak to us about how propaganda was used by the Nazis to spread their beliefs and ‘otherwise’ those they felt were inferior people. We looked at the different ways propaganda can be used, and then looked at ways to consider things and posts we see today and question what is truth and what is not.
  2. We also joined the rest of the school for our all-school Model Seder and the 7th grade presented on Elijah and why we say Next year in Jerusalem. Rabbi Prass will be emailing you a video of what our class did.  I hope you have a chance to view the video.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Keep reading Hebrew aloud at least 15 minutes every day, focusing on the dialogues in your text book.
  2. Have a great Passover!

Reminders:

  • Wednesday, April 24: NO Wednesday Hebrew School
  • You can always access the school calendars by clicking here.
  • You can always access the entire CBA calendar by clicking here  

4/10: Today in class we worked on:

  1. We went to T”fillah and I can see and hear the students really participating. The all-school t’fillah was led by Rabbi Prass.  Rabbi Prass led a discussion about What were your reactions to the eclipse? How can we recreate the unique factor in the eclipse?  Why do we need to recreate these unique moments?  The learners had some wonderful answers.  We then pointed out that our Jewish calendar and stopping for moments of t’fillah help mark unique moments.
  2. Today we worked on our presentation for next week’s model seder. Students were tasked with explaining why we invite Elijah to the Seder and why we say Next Year in Jerusalem.
  3. We then learned about the 2 Torah scrolls we hold in trust from communities in the current Czech Republic and how they came to live at Beth Am.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Continue to read Hebrew aloud for 15 minutes a day, focusing on the dialogue in chapter 4 of your Hebrew book.

4/3: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today, we began with an all-school t’fillah in the sanctuary led by Rabbi Prass.  He pointed out that most families have that someone that repeats stories over and over.  He then led us in a discussion about Why is THAT family story, being told over and over, a good thing?  And why is that family story, something that strengthens you?  The learners had lovely responses including that the main reason we need to appreciate these stories is because they usually contain a lesson that we need to internalize. We then saw how the last section of the kedusha prayer spoke about telling of God’s greatness.
  2. Today we continued our study of the Shoah by learning about Terezin, the so-called ‘show’ camp where Nazis showed the International Red Cross and others that they were not mistreating the Jews on specially arranged visits. Terezin was originally a walled fortress built to house about 15,000 people and ended up housing over 150,000 deported Jews and others, especially WWI honorees, musicians, artists, and other well-known personalities. Most of those sent there were eventually sent to Auschwitz or Treblinka to their deaths. The video we watched can be found here: https://youtu.be/CGHjogwQWeY?si=Tv0OpFizSouhMVly
  3. We also discussed one of the most well known poems from the Shoah that was written by a young man at Terezin, I Never Saw Another Butterfly.
  4. Then we worked in groups to discuss Elijah the Prophet and his role in the Seder for our Model Seder on April 17th.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Continue reading Hebrew aloud at least 15 minutes each day, focusing on the dialogue for chapter 4 in your Hebrew book.

3/20: Today in class we worked on:

  1. We began the day with an all-school T’Fillah led by Rabbi Prass.  We talked about why we need “collective wins” and how we feel with ‘personal wins’.  Then we talked about the story of Purim is both a collective win for the Jewish people and a personal win for Mordechai and Esther.
  2. Today we watched part of an online presentation called Eva.Stories. It is based on the diary of a young girl from Hungary and her family’s experiences under the Nazis, told from the perspective of if Instagram was around then. The video can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/eva.stories/?hl=en
  3. Students read from the Megillah in front of the whole school.  The megillah has no vowels just like the Torah! They did so awesome while performing the Mitzvah!   You can watch them on the CBA YouTube channel by clicking here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rza5PVPtMpQ   

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Continue to read Hebrew aloud for at least 15 minutes each day.

Reminders:

  • March 24- March 31: CBA Religious School & Hebrew School Spring Break
  • April 3: Wednesday Hebrew School Resumes
  • You can always access the school calendars by clicking here.
  • You can always access the entire CBA calendar by clicking here.

3/13: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today, we began with an all-school t’fillah in the sanctuary with Rabbi Prass.  Rabbi Prass led a short discussion about “In what ways does silence makes you feel good/positive?” and “In what was does silence make you feel challenged?”  Then we talked about how each t’fillah has a silent moment for private prayer.
  2. Then we reviewed texts students will read from Megillat Ester next week for Purim and discussed the make up of the Tanach – the whole of the Jewish Bible which contains the Book of Esther.
  3. We had an incredibly interesting testimonial from one of our congregants and grandfather of one of our 7th grade students, Les Sgnilek, whose parents survived the Holocaust, met in a WW2 Displaced Persons Camp. He shared the experiences he had as someone who was born in a Displaced Person Camp and growing up as a child of Shoah survivors.  He also shared that this was the first time he had ever spoken about this publicly, and his motivation for finally doing so was the October 7th attack on Israel.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Practice reading your words for Megillat Esther next week.
  2. Continue reading Hebrew aloud for 15 minutes a day, focusing on the dialogue for Chapter 4 of your Hebrew Book.

3/6: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today, we began with an all-school t’fillah in the sanctuary led by Rabbi Prass.  He asked the students “how can you make someone feel special?” and “Why should you make someone feel special?”  The students had lovely answers.  Then we connected this to the kedusha prayer, how we can remind God, how God is special, and God needs us.
  2. Today we continued our studies on the Shoah learning about a family who was able to leave Germany and escape to Shanghai in China. We looked at copies of their documentation to leave Germany, along with their U.S. citizenship documents and found out that many of them eventually settled in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. We also discussed personality traits that allowed people to fight back, help hide those persecuted, and saved Jews and others whom the Nazis had targeted. We discussed which traits students thought were important and others they thought should be included. Traits included leadership, social responsibility, compassion, courage, and more.
  3. We will be joining the rest of the school in reading the Megillah in a couple of weeks for Purim. Students have been assigned 4 words to read in order – and sheets were passed out with them to practice. These sheets must be returned for next week’s class!

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Practice reading Hebrew aloud for at least 15 minutes each day. Focus on the words you have been assigned for the Megilah reading and on the dialogue in chapter 4 of your Hebrew book.

2/28: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today, we began with an all-school t’fillah in the sanctuary with Rabbi Prass.   He led a discussion on things that ‘lift us up.’  Then we looked at the line in the kedusha prayer “kadosh, kadosh, kadosh” which has us act like the angels, lifting us higher, closer to God’s throne.
  2. Today we had PERFECT ATTENDANCE!!!!!!
  3. We began the class writing down our own answers to the following 3 questions: When did the conflict in Israel start?; Who is the conflict?; What is the conflict about? We collected their answers and shared them anonymously. Each of the students had really insightful answers. AND the variety of their answers created an interesting conversation.  The point of this exercise was that we can have different opinions around this heated topic, AND discuss it in a civil way.
  4. We continued talking about Israel.  We agreed on definitions on the words Genocide, Apartheid, and Colonization.  Then the learners were asked to move around the room based on their feeling as of Israel is committing or not committing those respective crimes.  Their thoughts and answers were respectful and productive.
  5. The remainder of the session returned to our Shoah (Holocaust) unit.  Our congregant Magda & George Roth joined us, as did many parents, and a brother and an aunt.  Magda and George are the children of Shoah survivors.  They shared their parents’ story from the Holocaust. And part of their message is to be involved with civil life and to vote, because the Nazi party was voted in, and we can make sure that an evil party is not voted in, by being engaged in our community.

Homework to be completed by next class:

N/A

2/21: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Before class started, we attended Tefillah, led by Rabbi Prass. He led a discussion about the reality that we all have felt ‘low’ at least point in our lives.  Then we shared someone who has helped lift us up.  Then Rabbi Prass pointed out that in our prayer Gevurot, it praises God for being the source/inspiration for lifting up “those who sleep in the dust.” The students contributed some interesting answers.
  2. Today we continued our study of the Shoah with a special lesson looking at the timeline of what happened. Sometimes it is hard to understand when specific events happened in relation to others, so this activity looked at the years leading up to the war and the war itself, and students taped specific events under the years taped to the wall and then we discussed what they had learned or questions they had.
  3. We also reviewed vocabulary for chapter 4 in our Hebrew books.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Continue to read Hebrew aloud for at least 15 minutes a day, focusing on the dialogue for Chapter 4.
  2. Remember to join us this Sunday at the synagogue for our Food Pantry field trip at 12 noon!

2/14: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Before class started, we attended an all-school Tefillah, led by Rabbi Prass. He talked asked all of us to share a strength we all admire/aspire to and why.  The students contributed some interesting answers.  Then we talked about how the prayer Gevurot talks about God’s strength in helping others.
  2. Today we watched most of “The Devil’s Arithmetic,” a movie based on a book of the same name. A young girl is transported back in time during a seder to the town of her aunts and uncles and experiences some of the Shoah first-hand. We discussed issues, questions, and feelings after ending the moving about ¾ of the way through. The moving is available on YouTube to watch and can be seen at the following link: https://youtu.be/oQVL-yKLw1Y?si=LHEail4fVNnYTV80

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Finish watching the movie if you were in class; please watch the whole thing if you were unable to join us.
  2. Continue to read Hebrew aloud for at least 15 minutes each day. Work on the vocabulary in chapter 4 of your textbook,
  3. Please RSVP to Rabbi Prass about the 7th Grade “Field Trip” to the food pantry on 2/25.

2/7: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Before class started, we attended Tefillah, a brief service, led by Rabbi Prass. He talked about who/what makes us feel protected, why that is such a special feeling, and how we feel when we don’t feel protected.  Then we looked at the last line of the Avot v’imahot which Blesses God for the being the “Shield of Abraham and Help of Sarah”
  2. Today we continued our discussion on the Shoah. We watched a video created by students about this history of the Holocaust and students noted key moments they learned about or were disturbed by and we discussed them together.
  3. We also worked in our Hebrew book on vocabulary and exercises from last week that were homework.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Continue to read Hebrew aloud for 15 minutes each day. Focus on the new dialogue in chapter 4 and practice the new vocabulary words.

1/31: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Before we went to our classroom, we attended an all-school Tefillah, a brief service, led by Rabbi Prass. We discussed what it means to know someone who has a WOW Factor, and how God is the ultimate example of one having a Wow Factor in our prayer, Avot V’imahot
  2. Today we continued our study of the Shoah by learning how Hitler came to power. We watched a short video and discussed key points students learned and key things that disturbed them to learn. We also looked at our packets for some more information.
  3. We also continued in our Hebrew book playing a vocabulary game and doing page 38 together.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Continue reading Hebrew 15 minutes a day out loud. Complete pages 39-41 in your Hebrew book. Write 3 unique sentences in Hebrew using vocabulary we have learned together.
  2. Here is a link to the video we watched: https://youtu.be/HkLsufEhYCo?si=w1jcDuHlaCLSDKQu

1/24: Today in class we worked on:

  1. At the beginning of the session, we attended an all-school Tefillah, led by Rabbi Prass. He led a discussion about who has our back and what it feels like to have someone’s back.  This led us to see how the opening lines of the avot v’imahot talk about God having our back due to the individual relationship God has with our ancestors and us. It was a very interesting conversation.
  2. Today we continued our lessons on the Shoah by learning about the history of antisemitism. We discussed situations students have experienced with it, and what it is, and its history.
  3. The daled and hey classes joined together for our weekly round of Hebrew Through Motion, led by Charlie, where we continue to add on Hebrew words for trees in preparation for Tu Bishvat

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1.  Continue reading Hebrew aloud for at least 15 minutes a day. Work on exercises in chapter 3 in your textbook. Write 5 unique sentences using the vocabulary we have covered so far.

1/17: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today we began our semester learning about the Shoah, the Holocaust. We began by looking at the history of rulers from around the world, starting with Pharoah Ramses II. Students were shown a list of leaders both good and bad and asked who they knew of. They then broke into groups to decide which of the rulers they either knew about and wanted to discuss briefly, or wanted to learn more about.
  2. They were then asked who they thought was missing from the list, which side they belonged on, and why. Students came up with a wide variety of rulers they thought should be on the list: on the bad side – Hitler, Kim Jong-Un, Osama Bin-Laden, and King George III. On the good side they said Barack Obama, Bill Russell, Jackie Robinson, Harriett Tubman, and more.
  3. We discussed whether leaders were important, what they do, and the fact that although someone may be a leader does not mean they are no longer human and can be subject to mistakes even if they try to do the right thing. We chatted how history is written often by the winners, and so may be skewed or even wrong depending on one’s point of view. And the importance of having good leaders who care about the people instead of seeking power and wealth for themselves.
  4. Our day began with an all school Tefillah, a brief service, led by Rabbi Prass. We talked about times “When I a time you have not been able/allowed to speak? And “What bothered you about that?  How did that feel?”  That was our segue into the first prayer, ‘adonai sifatai” God open up my lips. 
  5. Daled & Hey classes participated in Hebrew thru Movement, led by Rabbi Prass, where we added on Hebrew words for trees in preparation for Tu Bishvat. 

Homework to be completed by next class: 

  1. Continue to read Hebrew aloud for 15 minutes each day, focusing on the dialogue for chapter 4 and the vocabulary for the first 4 chapters of your book.

12/20: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Our day began with an all-school Tefillah, led by Rabbi Prass.  We talked about the success of the Israel Art Fair CBA co-sponsored and how we helped them. We also talked about ways we can bring light during these days of less sunlight.
  2. Today we wrapped up our semester on tzedakah. Students worked together on an activity to build a tower and then discussed if they could have been more successful if they had all worked together. We spoke a bit about how that was like tzedakah – we can do more to fix the world if we work together. We also worked in groups reading a text from the Torah that relates the requirement from God that we take care of the poor in our communities – referring to our fellow human beings as ‘brothers’ to reinforce us as each other’s keepers and responsible for caring for one another.
  3. We chatted a bit about next semester how we will be learning about the Holocaust all semester and some of what to expect.
  4. We then joined the rest of the school for a special pizza dinner.

Homework to be completed by the next class:

  1. Continue to read Hebrew aloud for at least 15 minutes a day. Practice the dialogue in chapter 3 of your Hebrew book and finish the exercises in chapter 3. Have a great vacation!

Reminders:

  • December 24th: CBA Religious School & Hebrew School Winter Break Begins
  • January 14th: Religious School Resumes
  • January 17th: Wednesday Hebrew School Resumes
  • You can always access the school calendars by clicking here.
  • You can always access the entire CBA calendar by clicking here.

12/13: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Our day began with an all-school Tefillah, a brief service, led by Rabbi Prass. We also lit the Chanukah candles and discussed miracles that happen in our lives.
  2. Today we discussed the concept of giving to others that has long been associated with Chanukah. Students looked at gelt and discussed why it looks like money, and then decided how they would choose to donate those funds, by choosing between different types of organizations that help people. We then looked at some Talmud text that prioritizes how we should help people and who we should help first.
  3. We then worked on our Hebrew, learning body parts, and reviewing new vocabulary in our book.
  4. Daled and Hey students were able to enjoy Hebrew thru Movement led by Madrich Charlie.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Continue reading Hebrew aloud at least 15 minutes each day. Practice reading the dialogue in chapters in Chapter 3, and complete the first 2 pages of exercises. Also complete any other exercises you have not completed.
  2. Here are some online Hebrew games to play:
    1. https://wordwall.net/resource/18267604/hebrew-%d7%a2%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%aa/hebrew-vocab
    1. https://wordwall.net/resource/17907893/hebrew-%d7%a2%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%aa/hebrew-%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%aa
    1. https://wordwall.net/resource/8405030/hebrew/hebrew-letter-and-sounds

12/6: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Our day began with an all-school Tefillah in the sanctuary, a brief service, led by Rabbi Prass. Hailey H and Ashley B. helped lead. We also talked about two things going on Israel: The first was the good news of how many hostages have been released, AND the work of how many hostages still need to be released.  Secondly, we also watched a video about, sufganiyot, the special Chanukah jelly doughnuts. That was a delicious experience!
  2. Today we discussed responsibility and change. Students defined responsibility and discussed the benefits and drawbacks of change, and further defined that change had many meanings – small changes like the change of milk available at lunch are one thing, and moving to a new school or state is another. We discussed whether change is something to be afraid of or open to, and studied a bit about Moses, when he saw the burning bush in the desert and tried to avoid the task that God set for him to go to Pharoah. Students posited why Moses would try to turn down the job, and how things might be different for us if he had done so.
  3. We also studied and practiced the brachot for Chanukah.
  4. The last ten minutes of class were spent playing “Hebrew Through Movement.” Kitot daled and hey joined together and were led by Charlie. Several of our students were able to lead the group in this activity today.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Practice reading Hebrew aloud for 15 minutes each day, working on the dialogue in Chapter 3. Work with online resources at least 45 minutes before our next class. These will help with vowel recognition and vocabulary.
    1. https://wordwall.net/resource/18267604/hebrew-%d7%a2%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%aa/hebrew-vocab
    1. https://wordwall.net/resource/17907893/hebrew-%d7%a2%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%aa/hebrew-%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%aa

11/29: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Our day began with an all-school Tefillah, a brief service, led by Rabbi Prass.  We discussed the recent ‘better’ news coming out of Israel regarding the hostages being released.
  2. Today we had a “Stump the Rabbi” session with Rabbi Prass, where students were free to ask him any questions they had on Judaism. Rabbi Prass also offered an update on what is going on in Israel and Gaza, and answered more of the students’ questions.
  3. We then worked on the brachot for Chanukah, reading them together and translating them.
  4. Daled & Hey students participated in Hebrew through Movement led by our madrich Charlie.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Continue reading Hebrew aloud for at least 15 minutes each day. Practice reading the dialogue in chapters 1-3 and finish any exercises you have not completed.
  2. Here are some online Hebrew games to play to increase your vocabulary as well:
    1. https://wordwall.net/resource/18267604/hebrew-%d7%a2%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%aa/hebrew-vocab
    1. https://wordwall.net/resource/17907893/hebrew-%d7%a2%d7%91%d7%a8%d7%99%d7%aa/hebrew-%d7%a4%d7%99%d7%a8%d7%95%d7%aa

11/15: Today in class we worked on:

  1. We had an all-school t’fillah led by Rabbi Prass.  We talked about the Rally for Israel in Washington DC (https://www.marchforisrael.org/ ) where Rabbi Prass and 5 other members of CBA attended in person.
  2. Today we continued our studies of tzedakah by playing the Budget Game. Students were broken into groups to manage a budget of $1525 per month for a family of 4 to cover housing, food, transportation, health care, incidentals, and more. Students chose for several options in each category and were not able to go over budget. After they were done, students expressed frustration and dismay at the inequities involved and discussed ways of making things more fair. We will continue this lesson next semester with a visit to the synagogue’s food pantry to volunteer for an afternoon.
  3. We ended the day with an all-school Hebrew thru Movement led by Charlie.
  4. I really enjoyed meeting our parents yesterday. Thank you for coming. Have a wonderful and fun Thanksgiving break.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Play the online version of our budget game at www.playspent.org. This version offers a variety of options and situations as you try to navigate living on a fixed income.
  2. Continue to read Hebrew aloud at least 15 minutes a day. Write 5 unique sentences in Hebrew using the vocabulary we have learned so far this year.

11/8: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Our day began with an all-school Tefillah, a brief service, led by Rabbi Prass. As part of the t’fillah, we read the English translation of a new song (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZHU0MfZAMw) written about Israel’s current situation and watched a video showing how Israelis from all walks of life are helping the soldiers and others who are in need.  Ask your student about the song.
  2. Today we discussed the concept of hunger and food insecurity. We learned how millions of people around the world live on just $2.50 a day – and many less than that since the pandemic. We discussed programs that were put in place to help people during the Covid lockdown that have been suspended, which led to a discussion on the role of government in helping the most vulnerable. We learned how the Torah specifically commands us to care for the poor, the widow, and the orphan, by leaving the corner of our fields and any dropped produce for them. Since we do not live in an agrarian culture now, we can donate food, time, and other items to local food banks and other organizations that help the poor.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Continue to read Hebrew aloud for 15 minutes each day. Create 5 unique sentences in Hebrew using vocabulary we have learned so far.

11/1: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Participated in Tefillah with our entire school community.  In connection to the bakasha (intermediary prayer) for Peace in Jerusalem, Rabbi Prass led us in a conversation about who are people we pray for, and who do we pray for in Israel.  The learners had beautiful answers.
  2. Today we discussed the concept of personable responsibility. We studied the parshat that discussed the actions of Adam and Eve in the garden and their reactions when they chose to eat of the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This led to a detailed discussion of what Adam and Eve knew and how they came to make their decisions.
  3. Gimmel, Daled, and Hey Participated in Hebrew Through Movement with Rabbi Prass by doing yoga in Hebrew
  4. We had a fun session of vocabulary of our new words in our Chapter 3 of our Hebrew book.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Read Hebrew aloud at least 15 minutes a day.
  2. Practice reading new vocabulary.
  3. Wrote 5 new sentences using new vocabulary.

10/25: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Our day began with Tefillah and several videos of Israeli soldiers commenting about how happy they were to receive notes from our CBA Students. 
  2. We then met Rabbi Prass and Charlie to study “Hebrew thru Movement” with kitah gimmel and hey. Several students had the opportunity to lead the group in Hebrew. We always enjoy this activity!
  3. Today we discussed the concept of identifying the suffering of others. We talked about how we recognize people are in pain or experiencing a rough patch, and then ideas on how we can help.  We talked about how this is something that we grow into doing and often requires an ‘awakening’ that results in us actually seeing the world around us. We studied how the Torah tells us Moses had to work his way into being successful in helping others and recognizing how he could help and not make things worse.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Homework: Continue to read Hebrew aloud 15 minutes each day. Finish exercises in chapter 2 if you have not. Write (in Hebrew) 5 unique sentences using the vocabulary we have learned so far.

10/18: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Our day began with Tefillah led by Rabbi Prass. As part of t’fillah, we discussed the situation in Israel, and the students expressed some interesting opinions and asked several excellent questions.
  2. Our class was able to enjoy going outside with Kitah gimmel and daled class and Rabbi Prass and Charlie for Hebrew thru Movement.
  3. Today we continued learning about tzedakah and repairing the world by learning about the prohibition in the Torah of standing idly by when someone is in danger. This mitzvah has been discussed for years by Rabbis and is commonly thought to apply to much more than just standing by if someone is in danger – it applies to all areas of our lives. If we can do something to make something better, we should. We also learned about Rabbi Tarfon who said in Pirke Avot – “You are not required to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it,” meaning none of us are expected to fix everything, but it is incumbent on all of us to work toward making the world a better place.
  4. We continued in our Hebrew book, working on vocabulary in chapter 2 to do with travelling.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Read Hebrew aloud at least 15 minutes a day and complete the exercises in chapter 2 in your book.

10/11: Today in class we worked on:

  1. Our day started with our weekly T’fillah which including Rabbi Prass leading a discussion on the the events in Israel. Our students contributed some very sophisticated ideas stressing the need for peace between all people. At the end of the t’fillah we sang hatikvah.  We also made a video which is posted (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMMdC6zEYEY  or https://fb.watch/nDL6OdZC0n/ ) so that Israelis know they are not alone.  In the video each learner was able to say, “My prayer for Israel is……….”
  2. Today we continued to learn about tzedakah by learning about the concept to tikun olam – repairing the world. Tzedakah is much more than donating money. A Jews we are commanded to join with God to repair the world and leave it in a better shape than it was when we got here. This can include simply being kind, to helping others, to planting trees, picking up garbage, donating food, money, talent to issues we care about and more.
  3. We worked together on the beginning of chapter 2 in our Hebrew book.
  4. At the end of the day, the entire Hebrew school gathered to taste an Etrog. Why? Because every year a handful of learners ask “What does it taste like?” So now that the holiday is over, we sliced it up, and asked for a representative from each class to sample it: Here is the video of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzSkwJl43t0    

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Read Hebrew aloud for 15 minutes a day, practice reading the dialogue in chapter 2 and the 1st 2 pages of exercises in chapter 2 in your Hebrew book.

10/4: Today in class we worked on:

  1. .  We discussed times we personally have celebrated in the last week, and how we Jews have so many celebrations this month.
  2. Today we continued to learn about tzedakah. We reviewed what we have learned before and began suggestions on potential tzedakah projects for our class to raise funds this year.
  3. We learned about Rabbi Maimonides’ ladder of tzedakah, and worked to put the correct levels onto a ladder in the right order in an online game.
  4. We joined Rabbi Prass and Charlie to shake the lulav and etrog with kitah gimmel and daled.
  5. We then worked in our Hebrew book, reviewing our homework and beginning chapter 2.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Read Hebrew aloud at least 15 minutes a day – focus on the dialogue in chapter two, and practice the new vocabulary in chapter two.

9/27: today in class we worked on:

  1. We began the day with a community wide Tefilla. Rabbi Prass led t’fillah and a discussion about what was one Jewish thing we did between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
  2. Today we discussed the concept of tzedakah. We looked at how we feel when we give or receive a gift, and why that is. We discussed the root of tzedakah, which is  tzedek – justice and why students thought that would be the basis of the word and concept of tzedakah. We then continued to study some Torah text about tzedakah and define what it means. Great job everyone!
  3. We were joined by Moreh Charlie for Hebrew through Movement, and some of the students even called out the words for their classmates. We then continued in our Hebrew book, reinforcing the vocabulary in this chapter, and then completing one of the exercises together.

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Continue to read Hebrew aloud for at least 15 minutes each day. Complete the exercises in chapter 1 of your Hebrew book 6-9.
  2. Think up ideas for our class tzedakah project for the year.

9/20 Today in class we worked on:

  1. Today was a great first day.
  2. Students joined Rabbi Prass and the rest of the school for a brief assembly and then we went to class.
  3. We went over general rules and expectations, what we will be learning this year, and dove right into our lesson.
  4. Students were asked to translate and discuss the words to “Al Shlosha Devarim,” which they learned as a song in Sunday school. “The world rests on 3 things: on Torah, on Avodah (service or godly work – sometimes translated as prayer), and on Gimilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness).”
  5. We discussed what that means, how we can live up to this tractate from Pirke Avot (Ethics of our Ancestors), and why we would begin with this as our first lesson together this year – this semester we will be studying tzedakah, making the world a better place, addressing issues like hunger and poverty, and ways to make a difference.
  6. We then reviewed our Hebrew letters and vowels by playing a game and began the first chapter of our Hebrew textbook.
  7. Thanks for a great first day!

Homework to be completed by next class:

  1. Practice reading Hebrew out loud at least 15 minutes each day. Practice reading the dialogue in Chapter 1 – practice asking classmates you are in regular school with the questions and answers in the initial dialogue.