The First Day & Night: Rosh Hashanah & Havdallah

Students explored a story about the first Shabbat and the first night and found similarities between Rosh Hashanah and Havdallah (the ritual ceremony that marks the transition of Shabbat to the rest of the week). Through listening to the story, playing a game and reflecting on the comparisons students came away with ideas about how we enter into new beginnings and transitions. In Hebrew through Movement students played with the words challah, kita and shofar.

During the family program students and parents focused on Teshuva (returning to our best selves), Tefillah (prayer) and Tzedakah (justice), pillars of the High Holiday season. Students engaged with these core pieces through song, dance and games while parents explored them through biblical and Talmudic texts and modern psychology. At the end students and parents rejoined to share their learning and brought home the continuing conversation about how to work on these pieces and kavod (respect) as a family.

Questions to ask your child:

What did friends share that they do at night?
What did you learn about the first Shabbat?
What did you learn about the filling-in-the-Torah-story (midrash) about the first night time ever?
What are some things we can do on Rosh HaShana?
What are some things we can do for Havdallah at the end of Shabbat?
What are some things that are the same about what we can do for Rosh Hashana and Havdallah?

Announcements

We look forward to activities with students in the rotunda following Yom Kippur services on Wednesday!