WHAT'S A VALUE, AND WHAT'S VALUABLE?

On Tuesday afternoon, we introduced our Middot and Mitzvot Program. We had a meaningful discussion about Jewish values, and decided that values are behaviors that are important to a group of people with common interests. Expanding on this definition, students brainstormed values important to us as a community in general, and more specifically to us as a Jewish community.  Students learned the importance of upholding the values of a group, and recognized that when group members fail to uphold the values of a community, the community slowly disappears. Fortunately for us, our ancestors have been quite clear regarding the importance of maintaining consistent Jewish values throughout time. We talked about family values and passing on values to future generations. Finally, we looked at the Chumash and discovered the Torah is the foundation for living a Jewish life, passed on to us for generations. 

TABLE TALK:  
What values are important to your family? 
Are these Core Democratic Values or Jewish values? 
Is there a difference?      

Please remember to register for our Fall Fix Up Program.  

Have a meaningful Shabbat, and enjoy the weekend!  

A VERY JEWISH HALLOWEEN

One of the many goals in Kitah Dalet is to teach our students to live a Jewish life in a non-Jewish world. We often talk about what separates us as Jews from the community, and what makes us active members of society. We talked about passing on the lessons of our ancestors through actions, and began to explore just what is expected of us as young members of our Jewish community. With that in mind, next Tuesday is Halloween, and because we are part of a larger community, and not necessary a larger Jewish community, we do not have Religious school next Tuesday afternoon. Not because we are celebrating Halloween as a community, but because our neighbors are. 

As whole, the Jewish community does not celebrate Halloween, but we do dress up for Purim! So, save those costumes and think about adding a Jewish twist or a tzedakah piece to your Trick or Treat Traditions. While it is important to support our neighbors in their celebrations, and equally important to not separate ourselves from the community, there are many ways of participating in a custom without observing it the way others do. Some suggest Jewish children share in the celebration by greeting their neighbors and giving out candy. It is certainly possible for our children to get excited about giving to others, and then the underlying theme for them is that Halloween is about giving.

A noted Rabbi and educator, Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht, once noticed the similarity between Purim and Halloween. In both cases, children get dressed up and go door to door receiving gifts of food. The distinction between the two is that on Halloween, the children only receive, whereas on Purim, the emphasis is that the children learn to give. The fact that they might receive in return is of secondary importance.  

To reinforce the value of giving, and to encourage the act of helping others, we will be collecting all extra wrapped candy you have. Please talk to your children about giving to others, and help them turn an everyday moment into a Jewish experience. 

TORAH, TORAH, TORAH

For those of you wanting a one word description of what we do in our class every week, I would have to say TORAH. The Torah teaches us the skills we need to be a partner with GOD. We learn Jewish values to help us live a Jewish life from the Torah, and most importantly, the Jewish people live for the Torah. In our core class, we spend quite a bit of time turning and twisting the words in the Torah to help us understand the importance of living a Jewish life in a non-Jewish world. The Torah challenges us to think and to take responsibility for our actions, and no matter how often we study, speak, teach, say, learn, or live Torah, there is always more to explore. We are teaching our students to turn the Torah over and over, in order to better understand the words passed on from generation to generation. The take away every week, is we are created in GOD’s image, and we are here as GOD’s partner. The stories are great, the imagery even better, but most importantly, it is the values we learn from the Torah that really stick with us. 

We use the Chumash as our classroom text, and our students are becoming quite adept at navigating the words in these sacred texts.  These skills came in quite handy when we began to dive deep into the story of Creation on Tuesday afternoon. Students read the beginning of the text, identified the six days of Creation and learned GOD saw all that GOD created as good. However, there was one thing GOD created where HE failed to praise HIS work, but instead blessed it. Please ask you students what they think about being blessed rather than being praised. 

I look forward to volunteering with you and your family during our Fall Fix-Up.  Please be sure to register online for this wonderful community service activity. 

TORAH IS THE HEART OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE

Our Kitah Dalet class has started to explore the lifelong lessons our Torah teaches us.  Students compared the handwritten text found in the Torah to the printed words in the Chumash, better known as the Five Books of Moses, or the big red book found in the seat backs in the sanctuary.  Students learned to navigate the Chumash, looking for book, chapter and verse. We had a mini Torah Scavenger Hunt, searching for clues hidden in the words of Torah. We learned many of our customs and traditions start with a basic phrase in the Torah, interpreted through time to keep Judaism alive and well. Our discussion continued with the basic understanding that the Torah teaches us to live a Jewish life. 

As our fall holidays come to an end,  we unrolled the Torah and learned the last word in the Torah is Israel, and the first word in the Torah is Bereshit.  If we take the last letter, or lamed, and the first letter, vet, and put them together, we can make the word Lev, or heart.  We talked about the phrase "Torah is the Heart of the Jewish People," and we had a lively discussion about what happens when Jews no longer live by the words of the Torah.  We talked about the heart being the life line for people, and the Torah the life line for Jews around the world.  

Please ask your students to share their ideas of Torah with you, they have much to say, and Torah is always better when shared with others.  Finally, please feel free to post a message or a comment on the blog, and encourage your children to read the blog with you.  It provides a great learning opportunity and reinforces the thoughts and ideas we talk about in class.