7th Grade Electives Resume
It was so wonderful seeing so many of you here at Yachad last week for our first Moving Traditions family session. We really enjoyed hearing families and students share perspectives with each other, and we hope that you will be able to join us again for our remaining 7th grade family sessions on Thursday 2/27 and Thursday 4/30. When the dates get closer, I’ll send out a reminder to you.
This week, we resumed our regular Yachad programming with the Tikkun Olam block followed by the elective block. Our students in Tikkun Olam classes had really interesting discussions including: our Defend Refugee and Immigrant Rights group talked with Rabbi Timoner about her recent trip to the border, our Standing Up for the Differently Abled class learned what disability protections look like in Israel, and our End Hunger class explored the challenges facing low income families in our community through an activity that simulated setting up a budget to feed a family. For electives, our students engaged in a boys’ discussion group, a girls’ discussion group, an LGBTQ discussion group, Torah Study, Jewish Cooking, Holocaust Studies, Jewish Arts & Crafts and Judaism and Pop Culture. The students have two more weeks of this elective, and then we will give out surveys to assess their elective preference for our final trimester of electives this year. Also, just so you know, we will be wrapping up the content portion of Tikkun Olam in the next few weeks and moving into our action/service portion after February break. This will include multiple opportunities for students to find a way to make a difference in the Tikkun Olam theme they are specializing in this year. More details to come soon!
If you’d like to talk to your child about what they’re learning at Yachad, here is a quote from Torah that all of our Tikkun Olam classes discussed this week: “Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor.” (Leviticus 19:16) You may want to ask your child the following questions:
- What do you think verse from Torah means?
- How does this verse connect to some of the content you have been learning in your Tikkun Olam class?
- In what ways are we standing idly by the blood our our neighbors now? In what ways are we not?
Announcements
Upcoming Closures: No Yachad on MLK Jr Day, Monday 1/20. But we have a special MLK family event in the rotunda (see below)! Yachad classes ARE happening on Saturday 1/18.
MLK Repair The World Day of Service @ CBE CBE is hosting Repair The World’s family MLK activities in our rotunda: There will be three service projects conducted simultaneously: mural painting (children with adults welcome), poetry writing (adults welcome), and packaging hygiene products for St. John’s Bread & Life (all ages welcome). Because each project involves a lot of work, they will be completed over the course of two shifts (9:30-11:00, 11:00-12:00), which people can register for via the Repair the World brand new MLK website (please search for this event on 1/20- there is no direct link).
Tu B’Shevat Dinner, Save the Date 2/7
Please save the date for a Yachad-wide (all families K – 12) Tu B’Shevat Shabbat dinner on 2/7, 6 – 8pm
Shabbat in the Home, Save the Date: Friday, 4/3
As we enter into our third theme of the year, kesher/connection, we are excited to share that each grade will have a Friday evening where families can host each other for Shabbat dinner! This will be a wonderful way for students and parents to get to know each other outside of the walls of Yachad and to share in the joy of Shabbat together at home. Our 7th grade date will be Friday, April 3. More info coming soon!