It’s time for the final tzedakah countdown of the school year! Renee’s Kindergarten / 1st Graders collected an additional $7.50; Natalie’s 2nd Graders collected an additional $9.00;  Liora’s 3rd Graders collected an additional $18.50; Sarah’s 4th Grade class collected $23.50 and MeMe’s 6th Graders collected an additional $25.50. This makes our grand total for this school year $308.47, meaning that we will need to raise $391.53 next fall to have enough for everyone to have a letter of the commissioned Torah in his/her name. Yasher Koach to all!

Good news! We are now offering online registration for Religious School. Expect an e-blast next Wednesday with more information.

This will be the final Parent Bulletin until school resumes in August. Wishing everyone a restful, relaxing summer!

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Sunday May 5
Teacher Appreciation 11:30am, Cantor Falkow Lounge
Join us for the end of the last day of Religious School as we honor our teachers, celebrate our Outstanding Judaic Educator and raffle off the IPod for “You Pray, You Play,” our Shabbat incentive program. Refreshments will be served.

Saturday May 10
Shabbat Family Experience 6:00pm dinner in Cantor Falkow Lounge; 7:00pm service in Epstein Chapel
Join us for the final Shabbat Family Experience of the year as students from the Religious School and Tucson Hebrew Academy lead the Friday night service and everyone can enjoy a delicious dinner. For a part in the service, contact Rabbi Ben Herman and to RSVP for the dinner by May 6, contact Kim.

TEACHERS’ CLASSROOM RECAPS:

Kindergarten/1st Grade – Renee Hulsey
We had a very busy Sunday at Religious School this week. We learned all of the parts of the body in Hebrew, starting with rosh (head), which starts with resh. Rosh was our MITZVAH 613 letter of the week. We also learned about the Torah. Next week is our last week of Religious School for this year. I hope to see everyone!

2nd Grade – Natalie Guerin
It has been my great privilege and joy to work with your children this year. I have learned so much from them and hopefully, I’ve taught them well. I enjoyed watching them process new information: For example, in discussing the Noah story, one asked me, “But different animals live in different climates, so how were they all there to get on the same boat?” Please consider getting the CD from Rabbi Herman that goes with the Hebrew books we used this year. The students enjoyed using it and it would keep Hebrew current for them during the summer.

3rd Grade – Laura Olesen
The 3rd Graders had a good week! In Hebrew, we reached the end of our book and workbook. I will be encouraging them to practice over the summer! They have also been learning the Ashrei and doing a good job. In Judaics, they enjoyed learning about Shavuot and the traditions connected with it. They had a small Shavuot quiz, followed by a good discussion. Looking forward to seeing everyone Sunday!

4th Grade – Sarah Artzi
We had a wonderful last full week at religious school. On Sunday, my Hebrew students finished up a review activity to recap the topics we studied this year. On Tuesday, they worked on the covers for their prayer books that they have been working on throughout the year. I plan to bind these up and hand them out on Sunday. In Judaics on Sunday, students had their last chance to work on their final project. Students who were done with their presentations worked together practicing with one another. On Tuesday, we drew a giant map on the board and students placed each of the historical events we've learned this year on their maps and on their own personal timelines.

5th Grade – Courtney DeYoung 
On Sunday and Tuesday in Judaics, we did tie-dying, and each kid wrote about how their tie- dye relates to the life cycles we face every day. The students’ parents are welcome to come in to class at 11:15am on Sunday for a presentation about it. In Hebrew, we have been discussing what they have learned along with finishing up and taking home books. It has been an incredible year!

6th Grade – MeMe Aguila
It has been a wonderful year for 6th Grade. We accomplished lots of things, beginning with learning about our Jewish American History from pre-Revolutionary War to modern day. We moved on to our Prophets, only getting to a few of them. We had a visit every Tuesday from Rabbi Robert Eisen about the special journey of becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah. In Hebrew, we made it almost to the end of our book. We had a lot of fun with Hebrew vocabulary words trying to be able to have a conversation. It was a great year and we had a lot of fun with much laughter in the class.

7th – 8th Grade – Jacob Kotz
The 7th and 8th Graders discussed what they have learned in regard to Israel and the media and how they will apply that knowledge to future studies.

Rabbi Ben Herman

I look forward to seeing the 7^th and 8^th Graders at our Siyum tomorrow evening at 6:00pm! The students will lead the Shabbat afternoon and evening (Mincha and Ma’ariv) services.

Please join us on Sunday, May 5, 11:30am – 12:00pm in Cantor Falkow Lounge for our end-of-the-year Teacher Appreciation. This is a special time to acknowledge CAI’s outstanding teaching staff, as well as to announce the winners of the Shabbat incentive program, “You Pray, You Play.” Refreshments will be served.

We’re still collecting tzedakah so that all students can dedication a letter in the torah commissioned for the Mitzvah 613 Torah Project. The Kindergarten and 1^st Grade collected $36.52, the 5^th Grade gave $13.69 and we received an anonymous donation of $32.00 … making our total so far $224.47. Yasher Koach, everyone! 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, April 27
7^th/8^th Grade Siyum 6:15pm, Epstein Chapel
Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of the 7^th and 8^th grade class. The students will lead the Mincha and Ma’ariv (afternoon and evening) services, as well as speak during the Third Meal (dinner) about what they have learned this year. There is no charge for dinner, but please RSVP to Kim.

Sunday, May 5
Teacher Appreciation 11:30am, Cantor Falkow Lounge
Join us at the end of the last day of Religious School for the year as we honor our teachers, acknowledge Renee Hulsey, named the JFSA’s “Outstanding Judaic Educator” and raffle off an IPod for the Shabbat incentive program, “You Pray, You Play.” Refreshments will be served.

Saturday, May 10
Shabbat Family Experience 6:00pm Dinner in Cantor Falkow Lounge; 7:00pm Service in Epstein Chapel
Join us for the final Shabbat Family Experience of the year as students from the Religious School and Tucson Hebrew Academy lead the Friday night service, followed by a delicious Shabbat dinner. For a part in the service, contact Rabbi Herman; to RSVP for the dinner, contact Kim by May 6.

Teachers’ Classroom Recaps:
Kindergarten/1^st Grade – Renee Hulsey
We had a great time this past week in class. We learned another letter as part of the Mitzvah 613 Project. We also learned about the holiday of Yom Ha’atzmaut, which celebrates Israel’s independence. This year, Israel is celebrating its 65^th birthday! We learned why the Israeli flag has a Magen David (Jewish star) in the center and a blue stripe on the top and bottom. Ask your child to share that with you. Lastly, we enjoyed a very special snack (cake pops) to celebrate my “Outstanding Judaic Educator” Award given by the Jewish Federation of Southern Arizona. I look forward to seeing all of my students this Sunday.

2^nd Grade – Natalie Guerin
We are on a "Hebrew Marathon" to try to finish our Hebrew books before the end of the year.  Often, there are entire pages of words that the students should be able to read. Today, I was so proud of them for reading all 26 words perfectly! They tried it individually, and then asked if they could work in teams. They decided that the whole class would be one team and it was marvelous to watch them work it out together and offer me the correct word.

3^rd Grade – Laura Olesen
The 3rd Grade had a good week; they are just about at the end of their Hebrew books! They were able to reinforce their skills using the computer Hebrew program that they love so much. In addition, they are continuing to learn new prayers. They are also learning about Lag B'Omer this week and I hope they will experience Lag B'Omer this Sunday with their families!

4^th Grade – Rodin Molina
We had a busy week. In Hebrew, we continued learning about brachot (blessings): Students learned how to identify brachot we say before performing mitzvot and practiced saying food related brachot over actual food. In Judaics on Sunday, students who were done with their final "Jewish Hero(ine)" project went with Sarah Artzi for a "values auction," (see below) while students who needed some extra time made use of the computer lab. On Tuesday, students had their final chance to work on their project in class, and students who had finished practiced "getting into character" and rehearsed for their presentations for Sunday, May 5.

4^th Grade – Sarah Artzi
In Hebrew this week, we concluded our in-depth exploration of the Amidah. We reviewed the themes of each section — connecting with our ancestors,
God's powers, holiness, giving thanks, peace — and tried to create relevant connections to our daily lives. We then held a "values auction" where we selected four major Jewish values and each student had to "vote" on which one he/she felt was most important and why. It was a wonderful, deep and meaningful conversation.

5^th Grade – Courtney DeYoung
On Sunday, we went to Evergreen Cemetery, where we met Rabbi Eisen. He taught us many Interesting things. He showed us where past congregants are buried and explained what an incredible impact they had on our synagogue. We learned about the process behind burying Siddurim and other holy books. It was an amazing experience. REMINDER for STUDENTS: Please have for Sunday a paragraph or two reflecting your experience at the cemetery, (e.g. how you felt, what you learned, anything you found interesting.) In Judaics, we are nearing the end in our life-cycles book. We discussed the process behind sitting Shiva and will soon be working on an overall review. In Hebrew, we are pages away from finishing the Hebrew review packets, and within the last few classes we will go over all of them.

6^th Grade – MeMe Aguila
The 6th Grade took a field trip this past Sunday to the Anshei Israel Geniza (site where holy objects are buried) at Evergreen Cemetery. We got a history lesson from Rabbi Eisen regarding some of our family and congregants buried there. We finished by putting old books and other items in the Geniza. It was a fantastic learning experience. Thank you to the parents who drove us there. In Hebrew, we are almost done with our book, with one more chapter to go. It's been a great year and we are ending on a great note.

7^th – 8^th Grade – Jacob Kotz
The 7^th and 8^th Graders discussed what they can do to advocate for Israel on a local level through local media.

Rabbi Ben Herman

Yasher Koach to all who participated in the Maccabiah (with Or Chadash’s Religious School) and the 3^rd-6^th Graders who participated in the Yom Ha’atzmaut Assembly. Both events were lovely! We are going to do a special religious school program with Or Chadash again next year as this one was so successful!

Mazal Tov to Renee Hulsey for winning the Outstanding Judaic Educator of Southern Arizona! Renee will be recognized at the Jewish Federation Annual Awards on May 2.

Reminder: Please continue to bring in tzedakah for our MITZVAH 613 Project.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sunday, April 21
Geniza Field Trip (for 5^th and 6^th Graders) 9:00am
The 5^th & 6^th Grade class will take a field trip to Evergreen Cemetery as part of the lifecycle curriculum. Rabbi Robert Eisen will discuss funerals and the geniza, and point out graves from our congregation’s history. This is a very important part of the school year and a valuable experience for your children. Parents are encouraged to attend! If you are able to help with transportation, please contact Rabbi Herman.

Saturday, April 27 
7^th/8^th Grade Siyum 6:15pm in Epstein Chapel
Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of the 7^th and 8^th Grade class. These students will be leading the Mincha and Ma’ariv (afternoon and evening) services, as well as speaking during the 3^rd meal (dinner) about what they have learned this year.  There is no charge for dinner; however reservations are a must. Please RSVP to Kim.

Sunday, May 5
Teacher Appreciation 11:30am in Cantor Falkow Lounge
Join us at the end of the last day of Religious School as we honor our teachers and raffle off the prize (an IPod!) for “You Pray, You Play,” our Shabbat incentive program. Refreshments will be served.

Teachers’ Classroom Recaps:
Kindergarten/1^st Grade – Renee Hulsey
What a great time we had this past Sunday at the Maccabiah! We enjoyed Israeli dancing with Michael's mom and Morah Rina from Congregation Or Chadash; a fun art project with Devin (which we will pass out this week), a Shabbat and Holiday trivia game in our classroom, and music with Morah Nichole. It was a lot of fun getting to know some of the kids from Congregation Or Chadash. Don't forget: Sunday is the Israel Festival at the JCC after class. I look forward to seeing all of my wonderful students there!

2^nd Grade – Natalie Guerin
I was not able to attend the Maccabiah on Sunday, but I know my class was looking forward to it. It sounds like it was a lot of fun. On Tuesday, we were treated to, and greatly enjoyed, a concert in honor of Israeli Independence Day.

3^rd Grade – Laura Olesen
Mazal tov 3^rd Graders on your consecration! They were amazing at the Kabbalat Shabbat service. I am proud of each and every one of them. We enjoyed erev (evening) Shabbat dinner and the cake with all their names was beautiful. And thank you for the wonderful gift, I love it. We also had a week filled with our Yom HaShoah memorial and then the students enjoyed the Maccabiah. We are continuing forward in our Hebrew studies.

4^th Grade
This week we had two special events. On Sunday was the Maccabiah: Students celebrated Yom Ha'atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) with a full day of special workshops and activities. On Tuesday, students preformed songs related to Israel that they had practiced for the past few weeks. In Hebrew, students learned the categories of brachot (blessings) related to foods and began learning these blessings for our bracha bee next week. In Judaics, students began learning about Medieval France.

5^th Grade – Courtney DeYoung
The 5^th Grade class began learning about the life-cycle ritual of mourning and Jewish mourning procedures.

6^th Grade – MeMe Aguila
What a wonderful week we had: The students enjoyed a wonderful joint program with Or Chadash, learning Krav Maga, did art projects and made new friends. On Tuesday, we were treated to a wonderful concert that featured our Religious School students and CAI’s Adult Choir. In Hebrew, we are continuing our progress in Let's Talk Hebrew, and will begin the final review process.

7^th – 8^th Grade – Jacob Kotz
The 7^th and 8^th Graders did a wonderful job on their Yom HaShoah presentation! We are also excited about our 7^th and 8^th Grade Siyum on April 27.

Rabbi Ben Herman

I hope everyone had a wonderful Passover break. It is a pleasure to have your children back in school. 

Mazal Tov 7^th and 8th Graders on your wonderful Yom HaShoah presentation on Tuesday!

The 6th Graders brought in another $30.27, and the Second Graders brought in $16.10 making our total for the Mitzvah 613 Torah Project $142.26. Good job, everyone. Keep it up!

I look forward to seeing many of you tonight for 3rd Grade Kabbalat Siddur. Mazal Tov!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Friday, April 12
Kabbalat Siddur, 5:45pm, Epstein Chapel
Join Congregation Anshei Israel’s religious school 3rd Graders as they lead the entire Friday night service and briefly tell why Judaism is meaningful to them. Each student will be presented with a certificate and a personalized Siddur. The service will be followed by a delicious Shabbat dinner. Please RSVP for the dinner to Kim.

Saturday, April 13
Shabbat Family Experience … with USY, 10:30am, Epstein Chapel
The USYers will be joining our 5^th and 6^th Graders in leading the service, followed by a festive Shabbat lunch for religious school families. (USYers will have their own “Ask the Rabbi” lunch with Rabbi Eisen).

Sunday, April 14
Maccabiah, 9:00am, Rabbi Breger Hall
Congregation Anshei Israel’s religious school will be hosting Congregation Or Chadash in a “mini-Olympics” which is Israel-themed. We will play sports, compete in Judaic trivia games, participate in a social action project and have a fun morning. Parents are invited as well, as are Shomrim and Gan Yeladim preschool students. Please RSVP to Kim so that we know how many from your family will be attending.

Tuesday, April 16
Yom HaAtzmaut Assembly, 5:00pm, Sanctuary
Please join us for a special musical assembly to celebrate Yom Ha'atzmaut  (Israeli Independence Day). The concert will feature CAI's Adult Choir and Religious School Youth Choir directed by cantorial soloist Nichole Chorny. The choirs will each sing uplifting Israeli pieces to celebrate this special time of year. There will also be an Israeli sing-a-long! Everyone is welcome!

Sunday, April 21
Geniza Field Trip (for 5^th and 6^th Graders), 9:00am, Evergreen Cemetery
The 5^th & 6^th Grade class will take a field trip to Evergreen Cemetery as part of the lifecycle curriculum. Rabbi Robert Eisen will discuss funerals and the geniza, and point out graves from our congregation’s history. This is a very important part of the school year and a valuable experience for your children. Parents are encouraged to attend! If you are able to help with transportation, please contact Rabbi Herman.

Saturday, April 27
7^th/8^th Grade Siyum, 6:15pm, Epstein Chapel
Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of the 7^th and 8^th Grade class. These students will be leading the Mincha and Maariv (afternoon and evening) services, as well as speaking during the 3^rd meal (dinner) about what they have learned this year. There is no charge for dinner, but please RSVP to Kim so we prepare accordingly.

Teachers’ Classroom Recaps:
Kindergarten/1^st Grade – Renee Hulsey
It was great to see everyone after our Passover break.  Our Mitzvah 613 letter of the week was “samech” as in “sefer” (book). The Kindergarten class continued working on recognizing letters (aleph-vav). The 1st Graders worked on the letter “fay” and the vowel sound “ey.” Next week is our special Maccabiah!

2^nd Grade – Natalie Guerin
The students made a little prayer book to take home, and reviewed The Ten Commandments. We had some great conversations, such as if it is ever okay to tell a lie – ask your student.

3^rd Grade – Laura Olesen
The students have been working hard in preparation for their Kabbalat Siddur (consecration) this week. They have been reviewing and rehearsing their prayers, solos, and Divrei Torah and doing a wonderful job. We are looking forward to Friday … see you there!

4^th Grade – Sarah Artzi
It was wonderful to have everyone back after Passover Break; we even had perfect attendance on Tuesday! My thanks to all of you for making the effort to be at Religious School. This week we took time to discuss Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. On Sunday, we looked at a special memorial candle, or Yahrzeit candle, specifically made to remember those who lost their lives in the Shoah, and read a meditation in their honor. On Tuesday, our 7th and 8th Graders presented a Holocaust remembrance service which they created for the school. This is a difficult topic, and hopefully, it was addressed in a way that encouraged age-appropriate thought and questions.

4^th Grade – Rodin Molina
We had a great first week back from our Passover break. In Hebrew, we began learning about Brachot (blessings). Students learned how to identify a blessing and were excited to see that they already have learned all of the individual words that mark the beginning of a Bracha. Since blessings are about gratitude, students practiced their Hebrew, wrote out the opening to a Bracha, then wrote 100 things for which they are thankful. In Judaics on Sunday, we spoke about Yom Hashoah. Students shared their experiences with this somber holiday and, as a class, we read about Jewish Ghettos during the Holocaust, the conditions in the ghettos and the brave individuals who sought to make a difference. On Tuesday, we continued our regular curriculum on Jewish history and learned about Jewish communities in Israel pre-1948, with a specific emphasis on Tsfat. Students learned about the beliefs and practices of the Kabbalists of Tsfat, and practiced a guided meditation to help understand the way the Tsfat mystics practiced Judaism.

5^th Grade – Courtney DeYoung
On Sunday in our Judaic class, we are learning about divorce in our life-cycles book. As usual, all students participated with such interest and enthusiasm. On Tuesday, we discussed the Holocaust, which gave everyone a better understanding before the Yom Hashoah program that the 7th and 8th Graders put on for us. In Hebrew on Sunday, we discussed the past six chapters in our workbook. All of the students wrote down the chapters’ vocabulary words to take home and study. I hope by this coming Saturday, they know up to chapter 3 in vocab!

6^th Grade – MeMe Aguila
It was great to get back after our Passover break. In Judaics, we talked about the Yom Hashoah, the importance of remembering what happened, and books that they have read: Number the Stars, The Devil's Arithmatic, and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. In Hebrew, we are moving right along with our conversations from the book. We are having a lot of fun combining learning from the book and Hebrew games.

7^th – 8^th Grade – Jacob Kotz
The 7^th and 8^th Graders did a wonderful job on their Yom HaShoah presentation!

Rabbi Ben Herman

Religious School Parent Bulletin March 15, 2013

Hope to see you at our Passover Family Workshop on Sunday! This event is for the entire family.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Sunday, March 17
Religious School Passover Family Workshop 9:00am – 12:00pm
The entire family is welcome to join us for a fun-filled day of learning. Make a matzah cover or Seder plate, bake matzah, go on a Haggadah Scavenger Hunt and attend a Model Seder. Passover goodies will be served. The Shomrim and Gan Yeladim preschool families are encouraged to join us as well!

TEACHERS’ CLASSROOM RECAPS:
Kindergarten/1st Grade – Renee Hulsey
The Kindergartners and 1st Graders had a busy Sunday. We learned another letter as part of the Mitzvah 613 Project. The letter we learned was Yud, as is Yerakot, which means vegetables.  We also started learning the Four Questions for Pesah. We are pretty good with the first two, and we will continue to practice. Don't forget that we will be collecting tzedakah all year. I look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday for our Passover Family Workshop!

2nd Grade – Natalie Guerin
This Sunday is a special Passover program and we hope the class and their families will be there to participate. Hard to believe how little time is left in the school year! We hope to finish our Hebrew books, our Bible stories and we're planning some fun special activities. Please remember to send in tzedakah to help with the Torah Project.

3rd Grade – Laura Olesen
We had a wonderful week! The students practiced their upcoming Kabbalat Service and are doing well with their solos. I am encouraging them to practice all prayers at home using the Anshei Israel site. They enjoyed the marching around Jericho with the Kohenim (priests) blowing the Shofars. We began our new chapter about Devorah and the location of Har (Mount) Tavor. The class also did a good job on their Hebrew recitation of the Havdallah blessings. I look forward to seeing you at the Passover Family Workshop on Sunday!

4th Grade-Rodin Molina
On Sunday we combined 4th Grade classes to do some group learning in both Hebrew and Judaics. In Hebrew we learned about the importance of understanding common prefixes and suffixes. Students made their own memory game and then played it in pairs. In Hebrew students chose their historical figure for their final "Be Your Own Hero" project and had their first research day. On Tuesday in Hebrew, we completed our chapter on the Mi Chamocha and played "Baseball" to review important concepts. In Judaics students began learning about the Ottoman Empire and learned important vocabulary we'll be covering in this chapter.

4th Grade-Sarah Artzi
This week in Judaics we joined with Morah Rodin's class to begin researching our Jewish historical figures. We are off to a great start! In addition, we continued our look at the Hebrew calendar in celebration of Rosh Chodesh Nisan. As the Hebrew calendar is lunar, I've asked everyone to please make a point of looking at the moon and making a note or drawing of what they see. We also calculated when each student's Hebrew birthday is (approximately!) and will plot those next week on our Jewish calendars. In Hebrew, we finished up our study of the Hoda'ah (thanksgiving prayer) and will move on to the final section of the Amidah next week after the Family Passover Workshop on Sunday.

5th Grade – Courtney DeYoung
The 5th Graders finished studying the life-cycle ritual of conversion and moved on to marriage.  In particular we discussed the Hebrew vocabulary words connected to marriage.

6th Grade – MeMe Aguila
The 6th Graders covered their first prophet, Miriam. In Hebrew we played The Holigame and Jewish Jeopardy. We look forward to students returning from BASIS Spring Break!

7th – 8th Grade – Jacob Kotz
The 7th and 8th Graders rehearsed their parts for the 7th and 8th Grade Siyum which will be held on Saturday, April 27.

Rabbi Ben Herman

Religious School Parent Bulletin March 8, 2013

There is a new chart by the Sanctuary doors for Shabbat Attendance. When your child comes to services, we will put a star in the column for his/her grade. There will be a special prize for the grade that attends the most times during the next two months!

Please continue to give tzedakah to your child’s religious school class so that we can raise enough money for each child to have a letter in Anshei Israel’s new Torah. The 6th Graders turned in a tzedakah box with $24.54, making our new total $95.89 towards our goal of $700 by December 2013. Yasher Koach!

Hope to see you at Shabbat Family Experience tomorrow!

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Saturday, March 9
Shabbat Family Experience 10:30am in the Epstein Chapel
Share in this interactive, spirit-filled and participatory service led by children in the Religious School and Tucson Hebrew Academy. Participants will lead services, discuss the meaning of prayers and determine how the teachings from our tradition apply to their lives. For more information and to RSVP, contact Kim.

Sunday, March 17
Religious School Passover Family Workshop 9:00am – 12:00pm
The entire family is welcome to join us for a fun-filled day of learning. Make a matzah cover or Seder plate, bake matzah, go on a Haggadah Scavenger Hunt and attend a Model Seder. Passover goodies will be served. The Shomrim and Gan Yeladim preschool families are encouraged to join us as well!

TEACHERS’ CLASSROOM RECAPS:
Kindergarten/1st Grade – Renee Hulsey
What a great Sunday class we had! We learned the letter zayin, as in zaev, which means wolf. We also learned that kelev is Hebrew for dog, and dag is Hebrew for fish! Pesah was also discussed, since it is our next holiday. Please remember that we are collecting tzedakah each week to help purchase letters for our new congregational Torah!

2nd Grade – Natalie Guerin
The 2nd Graders want to say "Todah Rabah" – "Thank you very much" to Gabe Krouse's mom, Nancy, who joined our class for three Tuesdays in a row to help us make our own kippot. We cut them out of felt, sewed them together and then decorated them. We couldn't have done it without her!

3rd Grade – Laura Olesen
The 3rd Graders looked amazing for their pictures for consecration! They also had their first practice in the sanctuary. Keep up the good work practicing solos and the rest of the service. In Hebrew, we continued with blessings for Shabbat and will begin blessings for Havdallah next week. In Judaics, we are learning about Joshua and Jericho. The students will re-enact this on Sunday.

4th Grade
In Judaics, Morah Sarah Artzi’s class covered the holiday of Rosh Hodesh and finished studying the Second Temple Period. Morah Shifra (Rodin) Molina’s class has been learning about the Spanish Inquisition and the exile of Jews from Spain. Students learned about forced conversion and Crypto-Jews and then completed a matching cards activity and Jeopardy-style game to review vocabulary from the section. In Hebrew, we've been learning the Mi Chamocha prayer, just in time for Pesah. Students have been learning the vocabulary and core concepts from the prayer. On Tuesday, students worked on their handwriting, making a poster with the Mi Chamocha prayer and an interpretive drawing of what freedom means to them.

5th Grade – Courtney DeYoung
On Sunday, we went into depth about growing up and moving away from home. The students were all so engaged in the conversation! On Tuesday, we discussed conversion. The students knew more than I expected. I'm so proud of them! In Hebrew, we began a new packet in conversational Hebrew. They learned how to answer questions regarding who they are and their names. We also discussed rooms in the house and family members. I feel as though they are catching on quickly and will do very well!

6th Grade – MeMe Aguila
In case you don't know about it, ask your 6th Grade student about the MITZVAH 613 project. In class we are taking a few moments to talk about it through the Hebrew letters. Each class we covers one Hebrew letter and a topic related to Torah. In addition, the 6th Graders have a tzedakah challenge: I have asked that each student bring in tzedakah. We are hoping for 100% class participation. That has not happened yet, though I do have a few who have not missed; we are closer each time. There is an total Religious School goal of donating enough money so each student dedicate a letter in CAI’s new Torah. By participation in this Religious School and classroom activity, the students are fulfilling two mitzvot (commandments): giving tzedakah and the 613th commandment to write a Torah.

7th – 8th Grade – Jacob Kotz
The 7th and 8th Graders rehearsed their parts for the Yom HaShoah presentation. We also divided up parts for the 7th and 8th Grade Siyum to be held Saturday, April 27.

Rabbi Ben Herman

Religious School Parent Bulletin March 1, 2013

Please continue to give tzedakah to your child’s Religious School class so that we can raise enough money for each child can dedicate a letter in Anshei Israel’s new Torah.

There is Religious School on Sunday, March 3 and Tuesday, March 5 even though not listed on the Youth Calendar.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Saturday, March 9
Shabbat Family Experience 10:30am in the Epstein Chapel
Share in this interactive, spirit-filled and participatory service led by children in the Religious School and Tucson Hebrew Academy. Participants will lead services, discuss the meaning of prayers and determine how the teachings from our tradition apply to their lives. For more information and to RSVP, contact Kim.

Sunday, March 17
Religious School Passover Family Workshop
The entire family is welcome to join us for a fun-filled day of learning. Make a matzah cover or Seder plate, bake matzah, go on a Haggadah Scavenger Hunt and attend a Model Seder. Passover goodies will be served. The Shomrim and Gan Yeladim preschool families are invited to join us as well!

Rabbi Ben Herman

Religious School Parent Bulletin February 22, 2013

Another great week of learning! I hope everyone is enjoying Rodeo Break and wish everyone a happy Purim!

Please note that there will be no recaps next week.

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Sunday, Feb. 24
Purim Creative Megillah Reading and Festive Meal 10:00 a.m. in Sanctuary
Don’t miss the fin of Purim! Our celebration includes stories, songs, food, hamentashen, magic and more. We’ll start with a creative/family Megillah reading and costume parade, followed by a festive meal, then we’ll be amazed and amused by the magic, comedy and illusions of George Franzen. You won’t believe your eyes! $13 per person at the door.

Saturday, March 9
Shabbat Family Experience 10:30 a.m. in the Epstein Chapel
Share in this interactive, spirit-filled and participatory service led by children in the Religious School and Tucson Hebrew Academy. Participants will lead services, discuss the meaning of prayers and determine how the teachings from our tradition apply to their lives. For more information and to RSVP, contact Kim.

Sunday, March 17
Religious School Passover Family Workshop
The entire family is welcome to join us for a fun-filled day of learning. Make a matzah cover or Seder plate, bake matzah, go on a Haggadah Scavenger Hunt and attend a Model Seder.  Passover goodies will be served. The Shomrim and Gan Yeladim preschool families are invited to join us as well!

Teachers’ Classroom Recaps:
Kindergarten/1^st Grade – Renee Hulsey
The Kindergarten and 1^st Grade had a very busy Sunday. We had a fire drill which went very well; we also learned about the letter “Hey,” as in hiddur, meaning to beautify something. We hope to see everyone on Sunday at the Megillah Reading and Costume Parade, beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary.

2^nd Grade – Natalie Guerin
The 2nd Graders have passed the 100th page in our Hebrew books, with everyone reading very well. Each student started making their own kippot which we hope to finish next Tuesday. Everyone please bring in tzedakah — even a couple coins each class — so that we can be part of purchasing the congregation's new Torah.

^3rd Grade – Laura Olesen
The 3^rd Graders had a great week! They finished the last chapter in their books and have begun the Explorers Bible text! They are also doing a great job in Hebrew. We are reiterating combination endings and they love doing drills with them. They all took home a practice page. Please continue to practice solos; they are sounding good!

4^th Grade
This week in Hebrew we wrapped up our study of the Keddushah with a review and test. Our next unit will be on the Hoda'ah, the "thanksgiving" blessing of the Amidah. For Judaics, the two 4^th Grade classes joined together to learn about and celebrate Purim. On Sunday, our talented actors "took the stage" and acted out the story behind the holiday portraying Esther, the heroine; Haman, the evil antagonist; the pious Mordechai; King Ahashverosh; and his first wife, Vashti. We also had spies, palace guards, and, of course, beautiful women hoping to become the next queen. It was an enthusiastic performance by all! On Tuesday, we discussed the four mitzvot of Purim and fufilled one of these mitzvot by making "Mishloach Manot," small gifts of hamantashen to bring home to our families (if they weren't eaten beforehand!).

5^th Grade – Courtney DeYoung
The 5^th Graders began their unit on becoming a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, focusing on skills of which they are already good, and those on which they need to work.

6^th Grade – MeMe Aguila
The 6^th Graders are finishing their unit on American Jewish History and getting ready to move to the prophets!

7^th – 8^th Grade – Jacob Kotz
The 7^th and 8^th Graders saw a documentary on Yitzhak Rabin. We are getting excited for our service on April 27!

Rabbi Ben Herman

Religious School Parent Bulletin
February 15, 2013

The Kindergarten, 1st Grade and 3rd Grade students have all turned in a full tzedakah box. The K/1^st Graders raised $34.00 and 3^rd raised $37.35 for a total of $71.35 towards our goal of $700.00! That goal will be enough money for each child to have a letter of the Torah in his/her name. Yasher koach (great job) to these students in setting a wonderful example for each of us to follow! I look forward to receiving full tzedakah boxes from the other classes soon.

It was nice to have seven families at our Shabbat Family Experience this past Saturday afternoon. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Sunday, Feb. 24
Purim Creative Megillah Reading and Festive Meal 10:00 a.m. in Sanctuary
Please join us for our celebration with stories, songs, costumes, fun, magic and comedy! We’ll start with a creative/family Megillah reading and costume parade, followed by a se’udah (festive meal) of quiche, cereal, yogurt, mini bagels, fruit and hamentashen. Be amazed and amused by the magic, comedy and illusions of George Franzen. You won’t believe your eyes! EARLY BIRD PRICE $8 per person (ages 3+) OR $20 per family of four with RSVP by Feb. 20 ($13 pp at the door). For more information & to RSVP, contact Barb.

Teachers’ Classroom Recaps:

Kindergarten/1^st Grade – Renee Hulsey
This past Sunday, the students learned about the letter "Bet" as in "Baruch." We reviewed the Hebrew letters that we've learned so far and the 1st graders learned about the vowel that sounds like "oh" and the letter "Tet." We also read the story of Purim and learned about the main characters. Next week, we’ll be learning more about the customs of celebrating Purim, as well as more Hebrew letters. Don't forget to bring tzedakah!

2^nd Grade – Natalie Guerin
The highlight of the week for the 2nd Graders was reading the story of David and Goliath. After we read and discussed it, they enjoyed acting it out. We also read "God's Gift of Shabbat" and made progress learning the Four Questions with Morah Nichole. The children should all be ready to read or sing the Four Questions in Hebrew for your family Seder!

3^rd Grade – Laura Olesen
We had a wonderful week! Thank you to those who returned their quiz on Jerusalem. For those who have not, you can still turn them in Sunday or Tuesday. We finished our section on the Negev and Eilat this week and added stickers to our Israel map. Students also completed their personal Israel maps. I am also happy to know many students are practicing their Hebrew "practice sheets" at home. Way to go! Great job with solos as well!

4^th Grade-Sarah Artzi
This week for Judaics, as part of our exploration of ancient Jewish history, I asked the students to find out if they were Askenazi or Sephardi. We learned that the Hebrew word for Spain is "Sepharad" and that those Jews who originally came from Spain and Portugal were the first Sephardim. Those Jews whose roots are based in Germany and Eastern Europe are Askenazim. As we begin our look at the holiday of Passover, we will start to see how some of these cultural differences come into play. On Sunday, we will be working on a project for Purim in preparation for the congregational Purim Celebration on Feb. 24. 

4^th Grade-Rodin Molina
On Sunday in Hebrew, we worked on prefixes, suffixes and reading. Students learned what the V’ahvata prayer means in English and learned about mezzuzot. On Tuesday, we continued our conversation about the prayer and discussed what it means to “love God” and worked on learning vocabulary from the prayer. In Judaics, students were introduced to the Golden Age of Jewry in Spain. We discussed the origins of the prosperity during this time, learned what life looked like for Jews, and began learning about Maimonides as an important figure who was born during this time period.

5^th Grade – Courtney DeYoung
On Sunday in Judaics, we continued in the life-cycle book, discussing the names that each child had and how they got it. On Tuesday, we talked about responsibilities that they each had as students, children and Jews. In Hebrew, we worked on Chapter 8 in the Hineni Hebrew book. Since we are so close to finishing the book, we went back and practiced reading different pages.

6^th Grade – MeMe Aguila
On Sunday in Judaics, we talked about the Jewish influences in the entertainment industry. On Tuesday, we continued the discussion and talked about the changing Jewish community. In Hebrew, the class completed Chapter 8 in Let's Talk Hebrew and then divided into two groups to write their own Hebrew story using the vocabulary words they've learned in the chapters we have covered so far.

7^th – 8^th Grade – Jacob Kotz
The 7^th and 8^th Graders continued their study of the Holocaust.

Rabbi Ben Herman

Religious School Parent Bulletin
February 8, 2013

Thank you to all of the “World Wide Wrap” volunteers! A special thank you to Religious School parents Mark Cassius and Tidi Ozeri for their help in demonstrating the wearing of tefillin!

One of the Religious School’s bulletin boards in the hallway has been redecorated to reflect the MITZVAH 613 campaign. Each grade in Religious School will be collecting tzedakah through the end of the year to go towards purchasing part of the newly-commissioned Anshei Israel Torah. Our goal is $700, enough for each student to have a letter in the Torah dedicated to him/her. We hope that you will join in this important mitzvah (commandment) and bring a little change as tzedakah every week to put in their class pushke (tzedakah box).

I hope to see you at our Shabbat Family Experience afternoon service this Saturday at 5:00pm. The afternoon service is always a lot of fun, and I look forward to our students’ participation!

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Saturday, Feb. 9
Shabbat Family Experience 5:00 pm in the Epstein Chapel
Share in this interactive, spirit-filled and participatory service led by children in the Religious School and Tucson Hebrew Academy. Participants will lead the afternoon and evening Shabbat services with a delicious meal in between. Please RSVP for the service to Rabbi Herman and for the meal to Kim.

Sunday, Feb. 24
Purim Creative Megillah Reading and Festive Meal 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary
It’s a mitzvah to eat, drink and be merry on Purim and costumes are encouraged! Our celebration includes stories, songs, magic, comedy and fun for all. We’ll start with a creative/family Megillah reading and costume parade, followed by a se’udah (festive meal) of quiche, cereal, yogurt, mini bagels, fruit and hamentashen. Be amazed and amused by the magic, comedy and illusions of George Franzen. You won’t believe your eyes!  $8 per person (ages 3+) OR $20 per family of four with RSVP by Feb. 20 ($13 pp at the door). For more information & to RSVP, contact Barb.

Teachers’ Classroom Recaps:
Kindergarten/1^st Grade – Renee Hulsey
The class discussed tzedakah this week. Since the Religious School is using our tzedakah to purchase letters in the new congregational Torah, we will start discussing some of the letters each week. For example, this week we discussed aleph, which is the first letter in the name of Abraham, the first Jew. Then we walked around our classroom and were able to find a few alephs. In Hebrew, the kindergarten class went on a scavenger hunt for Hebrew letters. The 1st Graders learned the letter tet and the vowel that makes the “oo” sound. In art with Devin, we made groggers for Purim, and Mallory read a story about how Esther saved the day. Next week we will be learning more about Purim.

2^nd Grade – Natalie Guerin
The students had a special treat on Tuesday. As we are now learning a letter in the Torah each class, we went into the sanctuary with Rabbi Herman, who opened up the Torah for us, showed us the size of the panels and how they are put together to form the Torah. It opened to the Ten Commandments, and the children could read the Hebrew and recognize that they knew that "lo" means "no," which was great fun for them. They had quite a few questions that Rabbi Herman answered for them and even stumped him on a couple!

3^rd Grade – Laura Olesen
Another great week! The 3rd Graders are now studying about the Negev, the large desert in Israel. They are also doing a terrific job in Hebrew, as they have been practicing blessings and Birkat HaMazon. Please encourage them to practice the "practice pages" they bring home. I also hope they will continue to practice their solos and prayers for Siddur Dedication. The students are also learning the "Ma Nishtana" in preparation for Pesach. Remember: They can go online to hear their solos. Great job 3^rd Graders!

4^th Grade
This week in Hebrew we learned about the V’ahavta prayer. On Sunday, we covered vocabulary and new suffixes and prefixes and played Pictionary to practice our new words. On Tuesday, the students worked in pairs on writing, using whiteboards, and reading, timing each other. In Judaics on Sunday, students completed an earlier activity about temple times and learned about the difference between Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrahi Jewish communities. On Tuesday, students completed a quiz and played a review game.

5^th Grade – Courtney DeYoung
The 5^th Graders continued studying the life-cycle ritual of brit milah/baby naming.

 6^th Grade – MeMe Aguila
We finally finished all of our reports regarding early 1900's Jewish life in America. The students did a great job! We learned about the contributions that Jewish scientists made, as well as about the first Jewish charities and the Labor Movement. We have almost completed our journey through Jewish American history. In Hebrew we are continuing progress in learning conversational Hebrew and having fun expanding our vocabulary.

7^th – 8^th Grade – Jacob Kotz
The 7^th/8^th Graders did a brief history of the Holocaust, going through a timeline of the key events. They read a poem “At My Bar Mitzvah and His” and looked at some pictures related to survivors and the camps. They also briefly discussed the 7^th/8^th Grade Service that we do at the end of the year. Mark your calendars for April 27!

 Rabbi Ben Herman