Hebrew School Blog

 Being Content with What you Have:

Have you ever tried riding a bike while looking over your shoulder? What happens is that the bike starts to wobble and if you are not careful, you may just hit a rock or a curb and go flying over the handlebars! A person who is jealous by nature is a little like that unfortunate bike rider. He is constantly looking over his shoulder to see what the others have that he forgets to look at his own life and see what blessings he has and the wonderful things in his own life. Actually he is depriving himself of really living HIS life!

Jealousy means looking at what others have and thinking: "Why can I not have what he or she has?" and then plotting, scheming and obsessing over how to get that same thing.

Jealousy can lead to stealing, lying, or even murder. The Torah recognizes the severity of jealousy. Therefore, it is included in the Aseret Hadibrot.

Hashem has given us everything that we need – character traits, spouses, children, circumstances, wealth – for our mission in this world. When we recognize that and are grateful for what we have, we live a happier life.

- happiness

Lets Talk about it:
We are all in this world together – as a team, making the world better for each other. Each of us has a part to do. And Hashem has given each of us whatever we need to do our part. So if we don’t have something, that means we do not need that thing – at this point.
 

Here’s an interesting quote to think about:  "Jealousy comes from a lack of appreciation of our own uniqueness and self worth. Each of us has something to give that no one else has." ~Elizabeth O'Connor

Using a life size game board. Each color represents another category of things in life we are grateful for.

Why is jealousy so bad for the one who is jealous?

What can we do as a family to be more content with what we

Words we learned:
Simcha

We talked about the FINAL part in the story of the book of Bereishit. WHat an amazing story and how wonderful to watch how it all clicked for the kids, knowing how the story unfolded and how the Jews reached Egypt leading up to the story of Passover.

In our scrapbook we matched pictures of each tribe to the blessing that their father Yakov gave them before he passed away.

And... we have been practicing our song that we will perform at the Hebrew School award ceremony! We are very excited about that.

 Truth is the ONLY way!

This Dibrah is translated as: Do not be a false witness. Included in this category is the prohibition against lying. We focused on telling the truth.

As we stated so many times this year: Our mission in this life is to make this world a better place, and Hashem gave each person the tools to succeed in this mission. One of the tools is a sense of justice, a sense of truth. Each of us knows in our soul what the truth is; that is our sense of truth. We must use that sense of truth to make the world a better place.

The world is created in such a way that humans act based on what others say to them (think of Consumer Reports, health studies, etc.). If we want the world to be a better place, where people do the healthiest, best things, we must give them truths so they act accordingly. Lying also causes people to mistrust each other, and negatively affects the cooperation needed for a healthy society.

Torah is the guidebook for making this world a better place. Truth/ honesty is such an important concept that it is included in one of the top 10 categories of all Mitzvot.

Words we learned:
 Emet - Truth

The kids were all ears, so eager to learn all about Joseph and his rise to power in Egypt. They were so anxious to hear what would happen once the brothers finally found out the ruler who was giving them trouble was their long lost brother! We talk about how the brothers hurried back to Israel to tell their father Jacob that they found Yosef and he was still alive.

And this is how the Jewish people ended up in Egypt... (now we finally know how they got there and why the whole Passover story happened.)

Stealing is So wrong!
 

Traditionally, this Dibrah is translated as: Do Not Steal. Actually, it refers to kidnapping,and then all Mitzvot related to the category, such as stealing – including breaking and entering, shoplifting, plagiarism, stealing files from the internet, stealing sleep, intrudingon one’s privacy. The Torah teaches us to avoid all such activities.

We live in a world with others. Our mission is to make the world a better place for others.Stealing does just the opposite. It breaks the trust between people; it causes people to be fearful and isolated. It causes others to be without what is rightfully theirs – given to themby Hashem. Nonetheless, as humans, we sometimes come up with excuses and reasons why this particular act is not really stealing, or that I must do it to get by. Anytime that one has the thought and opportunity to take something that is not his – and he does not –he has fulfilled this mitzvah.

We focused on the challenges of stealing intellectual property (and privacy) usingtechnology (stealing other people’s thoughts, music, privacy, etc.)

TALK ABOUT IT:

Has it every happened to you that you lost something that was important to you? How did you feel? How would you feel if you knew someone stole it from you? Would you feel even worse knowing that it was stolen? Why does the fact that it was stolen make you feel worse?  When something is stolen, you might feel more worried that something else will be stolen. You might feel angry that what was given to you by Hashem was taken from you. You might have to spend money that you can’t easily afford to replace it.Stealing makes this world a worse place. Our mission in

 

this world is to make the world a better place. So, we must do everything to make the world a better place. And we should avoid anything that makes the world less good.
Including stealing!

What are some typical excuses we give ourselves about why it is OK to steal this one time?

What can we do to help us remember how terrible any type of stealing is?

We are moving along in our "Hang with the Ten" lessons on the Ten Commandments.

This week we talked about the 7th one.
 

The Sanctity of the Jewish Family

An important precept of Torah and Judaism is the sanctity of the Jewish family. Anything that gets in the way of that is considered in the Torah to be a terrible transgression against the entire family, against society.

In Judaism, the family is most sacred; the joining of husband and wife according to Torah law is the foundation of Jewish life. A traditional Jewish wedding is replete with traditions and mitzvot which signify the importance and awesomeness of the event – the beginning of a Jewish family. These rituals and customs are culled from many sources: biblical, historical, mystical, cultural and legal. The Torah has much guidance for married life itself – take care of each other, respect each other, raise a lovely Jewish family.

You can read more about a Jewish wedding and marriage on www.chabad.org > Life Cycles > Marriage

Words we Learned:
 

There are

Chattan/ Kallah

– Groom/ Bride

Chuppah -

A canopy which sits atop four poles and is usually ornately decorated. The marriage ceremony takes place beneath this canopy.

Ketubah -

Marriage contract. The ketubah shows that marriage is more than a physical and spiritual union; it is a legal and moral commitment as well.

Lets Talk About it:
The Jewish family is so important to Hashem. Hashem wants us to have peace – Shalom - in the home. He wants children to get along with parents, with brothers and sisters.

We previously discussed some ideas of how we can honor and respect our parents. This brings holiness into our homes.
 

There are so many little things that we can do to help bring more peace and holiness in our homes. Wouldn’t it be more peaceful if everyone respected each other and each other’s things and privacy? Maybe we can knock on the door before coming into someone else’s room. Maybe we can make sure that we have permission before using someone else’s stuff. Maybe we can go find the person and speak face to face rather than scream across the house.

How do you feel when there is no peace in the home? How is peacefulness so much better than peacelessness?  

What are some other ideas that we can do as a family to bring peace and holiness into our home?

We continued to explore the stories of Bereishit (Genesis) and we heard all about Joseph's dreams and how his father Yakov favored him over all the brothers.
We got to decorate a beautiful multi colored coat that we can use to dress Joseph in our scrap books. 
Our story ended with Joseph being sold (by his brothers!) and him ending up in Egypt. 
We are very anxious to get to next week when we will hear the continuation of that story. Morah Tzivie promised us there was going to be a really good ending!

Aleph- Bet
We are nearing the end  of the letters, and we are getting really fluent in knowing each one.
This week we got to act like the big kids and we practiced hebrew letters from the Aleph champ books! we were really good at remembering each letter and some of us were very quick at identifying the sounds of the letters.

Parents are Partners with Hashem in our Creation

 We continued to explore the fifth commandment of honoring our parents. Traditionally, the ten commandments are divided into two categories. The first five are between man and Hashem, the second five are between man and others. This mitzvah of honoring parents is in the category of between man and Hashem. This is because Hashem is the third partner in creating and raising a child. By honoring our parents, we show honor to Hashem for His choice in creating us and setting us in the family in which we find ourselves.

Our parents give us what humans can give to their children – DNA, etc. Hashem gives the Neshama, our soul. And together with Hashem, parents raise their children to reach their fullest potential.

Since everything Hashem does is exact and specific, we must also believe that at birth, through our parents, we are given everything we need to accomplish our unique mission in this world. This refers to our talents, intelligence and even our personality. We show honor and respect to our parents and Hashem for the gift of life they gave us, as well as the tools we need to have a successful life.

Words we learned:
Neshama – soul, spirit. Our parents and Hashem are a great team working together to help us reach our fullest potential. Our parents give us what people can give. From our parents, we get our talents, our looks, our abilities. And then as we grow, they give us love, guidance, and protection.
 

Let’s Talk about It:
Hashem gives us opportunities, circumstances as only Hashem can. Hashem placed us in this family, and this family in this city, so that you will have these friends, these happy times and these challenges – all so that we can reach our fullest potential.

Hashem and our parents – what a great team! Just for us!

Parents: Tell your child something unique and special about him/ her.

 Honoring Our Parents

We began to learn about the fifth Dibrah: Honor your father and mother. This means the parents who gave birth to you and the parents who take care of you. Hashem wanted a specific mission to be done in this world, so He decided to bring our particular Neshama (soul) down. He chose our parents to be the ones who give us life. You wouldn’t be if not for you parents. You wouldn’t be you if not for your parents.

We get our DNA from our parents – our physical, intellectual, emotional attributes. In addition, our parents love, provide for and guide us so that we can become the people we were meant to be. For that we must be very grateful to them.

The name for this character trait is Hakarat Hatov – recognizing the good someone has done for us. Actually, just by virtue of the life they gave us, our parents are deserving of every respect, honor and care we can provide. There are endless ways that we can perform this mitzvah.

Words we Learned:

Kavod – Honor, respect. (same root as Kabed)

Let:s Talk about It:

Hakarat Hatov – gratitude. (lit. acknowledging the good) Our parents do so much for us. They provide us with a home, a place to sleep, food to eat, and clothing to wear. And give us toys or games with which to play. They help us get to school in the morning, and help make sure we do as well as we can in school. They give us of their time. They love us.

In short, parents helped us come into this world, and they help us become the best people we can be. They do so so so much – just for us. We have so much for which we must be grateful to them.

What are small ways that your parents show their love and care for you?

Whe are WE humans celebrating the New Year for trees?!

Because, as the Torah says, "Man is Like a Tree in the Field". We learned all about how we are compared to trees. Simply, we both start small and grow tall, need water and nourishment to stay healthy, small scratch in a seed will effect growth of tree and similarly we need to be well protected and nourished during our youth.

On a deeper level we learned how similar to trees, we need strong roots and foundations. And what are the wonderful fruits that others benefit from? Our mitzvot- good deeds.

Edible flower arrangements.
 

Grades 2 UP
 

Kiddush: The Start of Shabbat

We continued our discussion about Shabbat; we explored the Kiddush.

Friday night at sunset, it is Shabbat, whether we welcomed it in or not. To get the full potential of the Shabbat experience, there are special rituals and customs, including the lighting candles and Kiddush. Before we begin our Friday night meal, we introduce the concept of Shabbat, through a physical act – the Kiddush. Before we even begin our meal, we talk about the underlying institution of Shabbat – that Hashem ceased creating.

Kiddush is from the same word as Kadosh – holy, designation. The Kiddush is a prayer in which we acknowledge the sanctity, special designation of this day.

We fill the cup with wine, and say the blessings. Why wine? Whenever a blessing is said in connection with a special occasion or milestone, it is said over a cup of wine – wedding, brit milah. Shabbat is so important, we say Kiddush over a cup of wine.

Words We Learned: 
Berach – Blessed. from the same root as Baruch and Bracha.

Talk About It:
The Kiddush is a special ritual that we do on Shabbat. The words of the Kiddush help us think about what Shabbat is all about – a day different from all others of the week.

The Kiddush reminds us that Shabbat is a special day of rest, of being together with family and friends. Of being together with Hashem.

The Shabbat is a special, sacred time for Jewish families. Let’s think about special, sacred places for Jews.

Painting our own glass Kiddush Cups.

K-1

Would you believe it?! We are already up to the letter SAMECH. Yes thats for scissors, soup, socks... you get the idea.

We even tried matching the KAMATZ vowel to many of the letters we are already familiar with.

In our BEREISHIT (Genesis) Scrap book, we made a page about twin brothers Yakov (Jacob) and Eisav (Esau). We talked about what our siblings are like, and compared it to how very different Yakov and Eisav were to each other. We heard a story about Eisav trading his birthright for a bowl of soup that Yakov was cooking. And then... we cooked OUR own soup to help us remember this lesson.
Heres a picture of us, in the kitchen while the soup was cooking.

K- 1
It was time for Yitzchak (Abraham's son) to get married. We read a great book all about how they found the perfect girl for him to marry. They new Rivkah was the right girl because she was SO nice! We had a real Chuppah (Jewish wedding canopy) in our classroom, and we each got a turn to make believe we were the bride or groom.

Our scrapbook page showed that the 3 miracles of Sara's tent returned once Rivkah moved in.

Grades 2 UP
 

Shabbat: Shining a light onto the whole week

We explored the fourth Dibrah: Remember the Shabbat and keep it holy. Man is put on this world to be partners with Hashem in creation. Hashem’s plan is that all week through, we ‘manage’ His world – according to His stated will. Six days a week, we work, create things – clothing, food, other things that people need to live down here on earth.

Real life is like a stormy sea, jostling us from one pressure to another. Hashem, who knows the human psyche, the ways of humans – after all, He created us – designated a special day, the Shabbat, for us to stop and rest. Shabbat is like a lighthouse shining a light so we can figure out where we are going, so we can find our direction in life. We use this day for reflection and contemplation about what is that we are supposed to be accomplishing during our lives here on earth.

The ceasing of creativity and time-out of Shabbat acknowledges to ourselves, and to others, that all comes from another source beyond ourselves, from Hashem. We acknowledge that all is really for Hashem – what we do during the week, and what we do on Shabbat.

Words we learned:
Shabbat – The seventh day of the week, designated for rest and holiness.

Kodesh – lit. separated. Separated/ designated for something holy.

Chol – Anything that is not designated as Kodesh (weekdays, etc.)

 Talk about it:

Shabbat is a day different from all other days of the week. Hashem said that it should be a day that we rest from what we usually do during the week, and think about Him.

On Shabbat, we slow down, and do things together with family and friends. On Shabbat, we relax. We have time to think about our lives, about Hashem in our lives.

What can we do special on Shabbat so that we bring a bit more Jewishness into our lives?

What can we do on Shabbat to think about Hashem in our lives?

K-1 Entered their room to find a big tent set up right in the middle of the class. But it wasn't just a regular tent- instead of 1 entrance it had FOUR! And they went on to learn about Abraham and Sara's great hospitality. Always wanting to invite guests in, they had an entrance on each side of their tent, so no matter where the travelers were headed- norht, East, South or West, they'd have a way in to Abraham & Sara's tent.

The kids went on to craft their own wooden "Welcome" Signs to make sure that guests always felt welcome in their home!

Grades 2 UP

What an amazing experience! We got a first hand look at how oil is made. We keep hearing about 8 long days that it took for them to get new oil for the Menorah, and that is why the miracle lasted 8 days. The tiny bit of oil lasted until they were able to get new pure olive oil. But couldnt they just go to the store and buy new oil?!

So we experienced an Olive Press workshop were we saw how oil is made from scratch to finish. From fresh oil to real olive oil! Check out these pics.