Religious School Parent Bulletin April 12, 2013
I hope everyone had a wonderful Passover break. It is a pleasure to have your children back in school.
Mazal Tov 7th 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 5th and 6th 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 5th and 6th Graders), 9:00am, Evergreen Cemetery
The 5th & 6th 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
7th/8th Grade Siyum, 6:15pm, Epstein Chapel
Join us as we celebrate the accomplishments of the 7th and 8th Grade class. These students will be leading the Mincha and Maariv (afternoon and evening) services, as well as speaking during the 3rd 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/1st 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!
2nd 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.
3rd 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!
4th 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.
4th 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.
5th 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!
6th 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.
7th – 8th Grade – Jacob Kotz
The 7th and 8th Graders did a wonderful job on their Yom HaShoah presentation!