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| Ezra-Habonim, the Niles Township Jewish Congregation 4500 Dempster Street, Skokie, IL 60076-2093, (847) 675-4141 Fax: (847) 675-0327, www.ehnt.org, email:admin@ehnt.org |
| Class Updates |
| K-2 |
| Our Tzedakah collection reached $18.00 - enough to plant a tree in Israel through JNF! Thank you to all contributors! Today we learned about the history of Israel and the Jewish people from the year 70 to 1948 - a quick overview focused on the importance of Israel to Jews everuywhere. We started reading a story about a little Russian boy and his parents who immigrate to Israel. It particularly resonated with Leo, who made several helpful comments about learning a new language in a new country, even though he was born here! Shavuah tov (a good week), Liz Nichols |
| Gimmel |
It’s very clear there’s been great progress in learning the Shabbat service. Your children recite and chant the prayers confidently and clearly. We chanted the Ashrei responsively, and all the children participated. We spent this week finishing our discussion of the Ten Commandments and what Commandments we’ d add to the first Ten Commandments. Our class decided there should be commandments protecting all animals, the environment and all humanity. Last Saturday I gave a history lesson on the Jewish Eastern European migration to America. Your children were surprised that Stalin wasn’t a Tsar! We also discussed how Jews lived when they came to America. I concluded by talking about the “American Dream”—children having more opportunities than their parents. Lucca told us about celebrating Seder in Brazil. His descriptions of the various Seder foods were riveting. I’m uncertain whether I could have drunk Eggwhite mixed with honey. Before we knew it, it was time to go upstairs. Your children sang Ein Keloheinu and Aleinu very well. Please call me if you have any questions. |
| Aleph |
On Saturday, we practiced reading the difference between the letters ayin and tzadee. The children seemed to be getting these mixed up, so we did intensive study to keep them straight. Please help them in listening to them read aloud from the pages in their primer. We also did more exercises in their 10 Minute Hebrew Reader to improve and increase their reading fluency. As always, the children were wonderful during our services and I am so proud of their knowledge of what the prayers mean, as well as their reading/singing them. We actually learned the sign language for Oseh Shalom and the students loved it! In addition to our Mishehbayrach prayer, we also said kaddish for Sonya. Many of the children knew her and all had met her when I asked her to come in to introduce her during a service this year. I know that some of you will argue the technicality of unrelated children saying kaddish, but the children got so much out of having a ritual to express sadness. I stand by "B'Shem Chinuch" - in the name of learning! We will be studying about Lag B'Omer and Shavuot this week. Unfortunately, Shavuot is a holiday that often occurs after school is over! I hope that many of you were able to attend the IsraelFest activities yesterday at the Weinger JCC in Northbrook. A great time was had by all who attended! B'Shalom, Trudy |
| On Tuesday Dr. Ross led the students in the Shabbat prayers concluding with the Ashrei which teaches us that people are happy when they are close to G-d. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gvvcTZMOqM&fe ature=related In class as part of the Holocaust curriculum we learned of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising through the words of the brave resistance fighters and through the pictures from the Nazi Archives many of which appear here: http://www.google.com/search?q=warsaw+ghetto+u prising&hl=en&client=safari&rls=en&prmd=imvnsb&t bm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=eMSmT5XS FomO8wTRuLXZAw&ved=0CGkQsAQ&biw=1207&bi h=643 We studied Shavuot and learned some holiday conversational Hebrew in preparation of the holiday. Hag Shavuot ochlim giveenah. (On the Holiday of Shavuot we eat cheese.) On Shabbat we continued our davening and hope soon to sound like this when we do Psalm 150: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7EuUoJAnoQ&fe ature=related Our double portion of Acharei Mot and Kedoshim took over most of the class as we learned how to be holy. It is from this parsha that we learn to love our fellow as ourself, the basis for the famous comment by Rabbi Hillel that the essence of Torah is "what is hateful to yourself do not do to your fellow. The rest is commentary, now go and study." I was particularly pleased that our students figured out the importance of why the sacrifice must be eaten within two days. Since there was a large amount to consume, you would have to share with others. Isn't that part of being holy? Shalom, Michael Rosenberg |
| Daled-hey |