Class Summary, Middles – November 2009

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The main focus of last session was on the Ten Commandments. The students were introduced to the story of the Ten Commandments in a puppet show-type format. We followed the show with a discussion of each of the commandments. Of particular interest was the second commandment (commonly known as “do not make idols”) which in the details actually states that only were the Israelites not to make idols or any images of Yahweh, but they were to not “make any sculptured image or any likeness of anything that is in the sky above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth.” We talked about this essentially meant people could not make pictures, sculptures, drawings, etc of anything in the natural world. I think they all decided that is not necessarily a commandment they felt they would want to follow (or one that makes sense to them). (more…)

Class Summary, Middles – October 2009

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Last session our focus was primarily on Sukkot. We played Sukkot Trivia (download here) and learned about how Sukkot is both a celebration of the harvest and a commemoration of the Exodus from Egypt. The kids really had a great time with the trivia game. We also discussed how Sukkot is about cooperation…working together to build and decorate the Sukkah, just as people work together during the harvest. To practice cooperation we played one of the students’ favorite games…the human knot. Everyone stands in a circle, reaches across the circle and takes the hands of others, and then the group works together to untangle the the knot and make a new, untangled circle. We had a great time and no one lost any limbs! The students made paper lanterns to decorate the Sukkah at Tom and Barbara’s. (more…)

Class summary – Middles, September 2009

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Session
Sept 13, 2009

We spent the early part getting to know each other. We introduced ourselves and each shared the favorite thing we did this summer.

Next the topic of discussion was about what it is to be Jewish. Quite a bit of time was spent talking about the major holidays throughout the year:

    Rosh Hashanah
    Yom Kippur
    Sukkot
    Chanukah
    Tu B’Shvat
    Purim
    Passover

We also discussed some key Jewish values (Tzedakah, Tikkun Olam, taking responsibility for our own actions) and talked about how we would be working with the pre-school class on a Tikkun Olam project throughout the year. (more…)

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