A NEW YEAR, A NEW BLOG!

The students in Kitah Dalet have been talking about the basic tenets of the high holidays, specifically the laws, customs, and traditions associated with Rosh Hashanah. We shared our ideas about apples and honey, and then planted the seeds and asked our students to dig a little bit deeper into other possibilities for eating these traditional Rosh Hashanah treats. We talked about the proverbial which came first idea, and the symbolism behind the shape of the apple, the seed, tree, and fruit. Then we added a sticky twist and talked about bees, honey, flowers, and pollination. It was wonderful to hear our students pushing themselves to think beyond the basics, and recognize the connection to the traditions was firmly planted in the idea that everything we do falls right back to GOD and creation. Please ask your child to share these concepts with you, it is certainly a new twist to an old story. 

On Tuesday afternoon, our discussion centered around tefillah, teshuvah, and tzedakah, the Jewish ways to move forward in the new year. We talked about setting goals for ourselves, making amends to those we have hurt with our words or actions, and fixing the wrongs we have committed. After a brief introduction to new beginnings, we compared Rosh Hashanah to the secular new years we participate in as Jews in our community. We talked about the differences between goal setting in September, new year resolutions in January, and doing teshuvah at Rosh Hashanah. We talked about the importance of following through with our commitments as part of doing teshuvah, and accepting responsibility for our behavior as part of making the world a better place. Finally, we talked about making meaningful apologies and the three steps to true repentance. Please ask your child to share these steps with you, and encourage them to do true teshuvah with a family member they may have harmed. 

Wishing you a new year filled with peace, health and happiness, G'mar Chatima, Tova!