10-12-10

OCT 12, 2010


This week’s class introduced the consonant LAMED. It looks a little like a llama (sort of) so our phrase to help remember it is “lamed is a llama.” Our Hebrew yoga is performed by sticking both arms straight up and bending the knees slightly.
We also learned the vowel HOLAM which says “oh” (See box above).

FAMILY PROJECT:
Now that we can read word Shabbat, so I thought it was only appropriate that our first Family Project be about just that! Please see the project sheets below (the kids also have hard copies). This fun project consists of finding Shabbat objects in your home as well as celebrating Shabbat together as a family. For those of you who don’t usually celebrate every Friday night, this will be a great opportunity for your family to come together for Shabbat. On the other hand, if you already make Shabbat a routine, then this will be extra easy for you! I really encourage you to allow the children to participate as much as possible with the meal, prayers, etc.

Additionally, on November 2nd, when the project is due, I was thinking it would be fantastic if our class could have a Shabbat celebration in class. However, this will require everyone’s participation with regard to bringing some food for our “Shabbat dinner.” If everyone could contact me about bringing something, potluck style, that would be wonderful. Our class will pretend it is Shabbat (by lighting candles, saying prayers, etc.) and then we will play Shabbat related games, sing Shabbat songs, etc. At the end of class we will have a prize day so students can cash in the many behavior points they have earned thus far. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments about this project or celebration, and also what your child can bring on Nov 2!

Family Project:: October 12, 2010

LET’S CELEBRATE SHABBAT!


Part 1:
First, walk around your house/apartment and try to find as many Shabbat items as you can. Look for things that you use at Shabbat on Friday night as well as Havdallah on Saturday. Then, draw a picture of each item you find!

HINT: Some things to look for are Shabbat candles, candle sticks, a challah cover, siddur (prayer book), a kippah, shabbat dinner food, spice box, Havdallah candle. You can also do this project at a friend’s or relative’s house!


Part 2:
Help your family celebrate Shabbat! Some good ways to celebrate are helping to cook dinner (and clean up!), lighting the candles, and saying the prayers. Shabbat is about resting, so don’t forget to be restful and most importantly appreciate being together with family!
Please draw a picture of this experience as well!

Shabbat Blessings

(1) This is the blessing over the Shabbat candles. Light the candles and say the prayers together. If you are at home the whole night and it is safe, you should leave the candles lit until they burn out on their own.


Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

asher kidishanu b'mitz'votav v'tzivanu
Who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us

l'had'lik neir shel Shabbat. (Amein)
to light the lights of Shabbat. (Amen)

(2) This is the blessing over the wine. Raise your cup and say the prayer together.


Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha-olam
Blessed are you, Lord, our God, sovereign of the universe

borei p'ri hagafen (Amein)
Who creates the fruit of the vine (Amen)

(3) Ha-Motzi
This is the blessing over the challah. Everyone should rip off a piece and say the prayer together before they take a bite!


Barukh atah Adonai, Eloheinu, melekh ha-olam
Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe

hamotzi lechem min ha'aretz. (Amein).
who brings forth bread from the earth. (Amen)

Part 1 Drawings:
Shabbat Items That I Found in My House!


Part 2 Drawing:
Celebrating Shabbat With My Family!

Weekly Newsletter 10/5/10

This week’s class introduced the letter Tav. By learning this letter and putting it together with the other two letters we’ve learned, we were able to read the word Shabbat. We also practiced our phrases that help us remember different characteristics of the letters:

Tav: “Tav has a toe”
Bet: “Bet has a belly button, bet butts out”
Shin: “Shiny shin shakes right”

To reinforce what we learned in class, ask your children about these phrases and why each one helps them remember the letter.

Homework is the 2 sided Tav worksheet which can be found by:
1. going to torahaura.com
2. clicking “workbook web sites” in the middle of the page
3. click on “Tiyulim”
4. choose the lesson we are on (Lesson four)

*you can also find the answers there if your child needs help!

Weekly Newsletter 9/28/10

Chag Sameach, everyone!

I hope your Sukkot has been a fantastic one. In school yesterday we had a great Sukkot celebration which included the shaking of the lulav & etrog and some fantastic songs led by Cantor Schloss.

In class we started to learn about the next Jewish holiday that is coming up very soon, Simchah Torah. We played several games including fill-in-the-blank Trivia and a car racing game on the computer that asked us Simchah Torah questions as we raced around the track! One of the students expressed gladness that we were playing so many games so we could have a break from learning (so don’t tell them they were educational games!). ☺

We also learned the letter BET which we read in many combinations with last week’s letter and two vowels.
Bet (consonant) says “b”
Shin (consonant) says “sh”
Kamatz (vowel) says “ah”
Pata says (vowel) “ah”

HOMEWORK:
The students were given one page (front and back) of reading and writing focusing on BET. This can be found in their brand new Hebrew School Binders!
***Please be sure to help your child to keep this binder in a safe place so they can find it and bring it with them to Hebrew School every week!

READING RAFFLE:
Students should read the Hebrew on their homework sheet for at least 5 minutes for 5 days of the week. For each time this 5 mins of reading is completed, you can sign and date their yellow card, and they can bring it with them in their binders to be entered into our reading raffle.
*There is a way to download more cards if your child is extra ambitious. More info on this to come!