This Shabbat we continued talking about responsibility and analyzed the different roles of responsibility in the Maccabees’ stories. We then discussed mitzvot and common types of good deeds. (Tzachi’s Class)
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This Saturday we read the story of Rebecca and Isaac. We talked about Rebecca as the representation of kindness by her consideration in offering water to the camels at the well, and how kindness can sometimes mean going beyond what is asked of you. (Raya’s Class)
The new year has brought with it some grave concerns about anti-Semitism in our country and escalated tensions in our world, and at moments like this, I am reminded of Rabbi Tarfon’s words from Pirkei Avot: You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it. I am so proud of our seventh graders who have been engaging in hard work during Tikkun Olam class here at Yachad learning about various issues facing their generation and gearing up to do something about it.
This shabbat we continued talking about Hanukkah. Our lesson was focused on the Hebrew vocabulary of the most common Hanukkah words. In addition, we finished our day with the well earned Sufganiot (doughnuts for Hanukkah!). (Tzachi’s Class)
Last week we read a book called ‘What is Hanukkah?’ by Harriet Ziefert. The kids were happy to be able to recognize and name all the symbols of Hanukkah. We talked about the Maccabees’ battle and victory over the Greeks and how the Maccabees took the responsibility to clean the Temple from statues of Greek Gods and reclaim it for Judaism. (Raya’s Class)
Hi families!
Hope you all are having a terrific holiday season and gearing up for a happy new year! Last week at Yachad, the 7th graders participated in a special Hanukkah celebration after their regular Tikkun Olam and elective classes. The students chose one of several fun holiday options including Hanukkah-themed Charades, Kahoot, and Escape the Room (the kids in the picture featured managed to “escape” – aka find all of the candles hidden in the room to fill the menorah – with only seconds left!)
A couple of announcements as we head into the holidays….
Hi 4th Grade families, I just came across these eight little Chanukah write-ups, and I thought they could be nice jumping-off points for any families who love having discussions together around their menorahs. Feel free to use any at home that are your style.
Also, here are a few of the Tuesday kids playing dreidl together at the very end of the day. One player has only one piece of gelt left, while the other just won a zillion; they wanted to pose at the height of drama. (We were relieved that we’d decided beforehand that we’d split all our gelt evenly at the end. Indeed, these two good-natured students also enjoyed a house rule that, when they rolled a Nun, the luckiest dreidl-player could pay “taxes” to help out his less-lucky playmates. We all liked that we had everyone taking care of each other. Chocolate healthcare for all??)
Happy Chanukah,
– Morah Leora
Reminder that you’re invited to our Chanukah party, just a few days away, on Dec 20 — just sign up here: https://cbebk.shulcloud.com/holidays/hanukkah-youth-family-celebration-2019
Our 4th Grade scholars are taking a historical tack on Chanukah this year. Through games, discussions, and illustrating a book together, we learned about the military history of this holiday: what’s supported by historical research (the Jewish uprising against the Syrian-Greeks! Rededicating the Temple! Guerrilla warfare!), and what legends were probably added in afterwards (the miracle with the oil! dreidls!). We talked about why we teach these cool legends, even the parts that probably didn’t happen that way historically. According to one 4th Grade scholar — and I agree — “We can learn true things, even from stories that aren’t true.” In this case, we’re learning about standing up for what is right. We’re learning that great stories can inspire our people towards peace, and towards uprisings, too.
We focused on who was an upstander in the Chanukah legends. We’re ready to stand up for what’s right even today – whether that’s protesting, talking to people in charge, emotionally supporting somebody who needs help, or other ways to help create change when change is most needed.
We also enjoyed knowing that we can love our non-Jewish friends, while also being proud of who we are; our uniqueness and our diversity. (In my humble opinion, that’s the True Meaning Of Chanukah – though I’m sure the kids consider snacks and modern presents to be much more significant factors, hah!)
Happy almost-Chanukah, 4th Grade families!
Our 4th Grade scholars enjoyed learning the story that they thought they knew, but *didn’t* know: the historical basis of Chanukah. It’s not just the friendly story with the oil, it’s got exciting military stuff in it, too!
If your kid was among those fascinated by learning a complex military history, and you want to be even further up on the history than they are, with some Game-Of-Thrones-level political intrigue, here’s a 6min read on it: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/the-revolt-of-the-maccabees-the-true-story-behind-hanukkah-1.5343197 (Hellenizing means to become like Greeks.)
Here’s the text of the story that I wrote for 4th Grade. The students chose a page to illustrate with their friends, either to take home, or to create our own Chanukah scroll to display in the classroom. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Pbk-_n6ktdCjuw2r2su-O5wOGi6tsj2s8Ky7Idttbio/edit?usp=sharing
For a historically-minded child: Enjoy going into the historicity of this holiday story. Which parts do you think really happened, and which are probably legendary? Why do we tell marvelous legends even if they probably didn’t technically happen just how they’re told — what truth can we learn, even from the bits that were probably added after the fact?
(For example: the story about the oil was probably added because the Talmudic rabbis were living under oppressive Roman rule, and the teenagers in the community wanted to fight back against the Romans. The Roman army was a LOT bigger than the Syrian-Greek army, and the wise Talmudic rabbis were afraid that, if they told these youngsters a story in which we totally won against a big oppressive army, their teenagers would be inspired to fight the Romans… and the Romans would wipe the floor with them. So, the Talmudic scholars tried to protect the teenagers, by emphasizing a story about oil lamps, instead of emphasizing the one featuring a military victory against a larger oppressor. So – we can learn that it’s really important to protect people in our communities. We learn the power of stories, whether for war or for peace! What would your child have done, would they have emphasized the truth, or would they have emphasized a safer story, instead? Why?)
For a creative child: Whenever we make art based on Judaism, we emphasize that Judaism belongs to the students, and that they get to make art, music, math, whatever they like out of it. What is their favorite medium in which to create? How might they use their Judaism as the raw material for a song, a math problem, a dance, a work of art, a scientific inquiry?
For a child who loves to change the world: Next class, we’ll take the Maccabees into the modern era, and talk about others who stand up against oppression for what is right. What problems do they see in the world, who is helping to fix those problems? How might they bravely help, now or in the future?