Jewish History Class

In our Thursday Jewish History class (which is shared with both fifth and sixth grades together), we've been reviewing some of the major events in the early history of our people.  For now, we are focusing on sequencing key events from Avraham, the first Jew, until the destruction of the Second Beis HaMikdosh (Temple).  From learning about the weekly Parsha and yearly holidays, the students already have a lot of prior knowledge about these time periods, but don't always know how to place them in historical context.  This is something that we will continue to review and work on over the coming weeks.

Here are a few interesting questions that we have discussed.  Ask them of your child and see how many they can answer, but first give them a try on your own.  Do you know...
- How many millenia of Jewish History are there? (following the Jewish calendar)
- Who first led the Jews in conquering and settling the land of Israel after they left Egypt?
- Who ruled over the Jews before they had kings?
- Who was the first Jewish king?
- Which Jewish king made Jerusalem the capital of Israel?
- Which Jewish king built the first Beis HaMikdosh (Temple)?
- What happened to the 10 "lost" tribes?
- Which Jewish holiday story took place first Purim or Chanukah (this one is tricky!)?
- What were some of the names used throughout of history to refer to the land of Israel?

We will be continuously reviewing and adding these types of Jewish History trivia to our students "database" of knowledge - revisiting and discussing again and again, so that they truly retain the information.

For our next lesson, the students will be discussing the fascinating life stories of: Devorah the Prophetess and Shimshon (Samson).   For your reference you can read more about these individuals online, via these links:
Devorah the Prophetess
Samson the Mighty

MY GOALS FOR THE CLASS:

Learning about Jewish History helps us understand the Jewish people, because it is the story of how we got to where we are today.  Learning about Jewish History helps us understand not only what happened in the past, but also what it means to be a Jewish person now.   Learning Jewish History helps us understand how the story of our people is all part of our unique mission: to help make the world a better place.

Over the course of this year, we will go on a journey “traveling” through different time periods of Jewish History – “meeting” people who played an important role in Jewish history, and “experiencing” major events that impacted the nature of our story.  Our goal will be to begin the journey in biblical times and then “travel” to the modern-day. 

In our class, we will be studying from the books “SAND AND STARS” by Yaffa Ganz.  This set is an excellent beginner’s textbook on Jewish History for Young Adults.  I highly recommend that you consider purchasing a set of these books for your own home, so that you and your child can learn more about Jewish History together.   They can be purchased online (here's a link to the first volume on Amazon) or at most Judaica book shops.

 

Kaporos!

Dear Parents,

Today we learnt about the meaning of the custom of Kaporos. As soon as we were done we were able to practice it at the school payground. Enjoy the pictures!

Have an easy fast and a Gmar chatima tova, may you be sealed in the book of life!

 

How is Yom Kippur Observed?

An overview of Yom Kippur’s traditions and customs Yom Kippur commemorates the day when G‑d forgave the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf. Forty days after hearing G‑d say at Mount Sinai, “You shall not have the gods of others in My presence; you shall not make for yourself a graven image,” the Jews committed the cardinal sin of idolatry. Moses spent nearly three months on top of the mountain pleading with G‑d for forgiveness, and on the tenth of Tishrei it was finally granted: “I have pardoned, as you have requested.” From that moment on, this date, henceforth known as the Day of Atonement, is annually observed as a commemoration of our special relationship with G‑d, a relationship that is strong enough to survive any rocky bumps it might encounter. This is a day when we connect with the very essence of our being, which remains faithful to G‑d regardless of our outward behavior. And while it is the most solemn day of the year, we are also joyful, confident that G‑d will forgive our sins and seal our verdict for a year of life, health and happiness. For nearly twenty-six hours—from several minutes before sunset on 9 Tishrei until after nightfall on 10 Tishrei—we “afflict our souls”: we abstain from food and drink, do not wash or anoint our bodies and do not wear leather footwear. We are likened to the angels, who have no physical needs. Instead of focusing on the physical, we spend much of our day in the synagogue, engaged in repentance and prayer. Preparations On the day before Yom Kippur, the primary mitzvah is to eat and drink in abundance. Two festive meals are eaten, one earlier in the day, and one just prior to the onset of Yom Kippur. Some of the day’s other observances include requesting and receiving honey cake, in acknowledgement that we are all recipients in G‑d’s world and in prayerful hope for a sweet year; begging forgiveness from anyone whom we may have wronged during the past year; giving extra charity; and the ceremonial blessing of the children. Before sunset, women and girls light holiday candles, and everyone makes their way to the synagogue for the Kol Nidrei services. On Yom Kippur In the course of Yom Kippur we will hold five prayer services: 1) Maariv, with its solemn Kol Nidrei service, on the eve of Yom Kippur; 2)Shacharit—the morning prayer; 3) Musaf, which includes a detailed account of the Yom Kippur Temple service; 4) Minchah, which includes the reading of the Book of Jonah. Finally, in the waning hours of the day, we reach the climax of the day: the fifth prayer, the Neilah (“locking”) prayer. The gates of heaven, which were open all day, will now be closed—with us on the inside. During this prayer we have the ability to access the most essential level of our soul. The Holy Ark remains open throughout. The closing Neilah service climaxes in the resounding cries of “Hear O Israel . . . G‑d is one.” Then joy erupts in song and dance (a Chabad custom is to sing the lively “Napoleon’s March”), followed by a single blast of the shofar, and the proclamation, “Next year in Jerusalem.” After the fast we partake of a festive after-fast meal, making the evening after Yom Kippur a yom tov (festival) in its own right. We immediately begin to look forward to the next holiday and its special mitzvah: the construction of the sukkah.

Rosh Hashanah lesson/arts and crafts

Dear parents,
On the Friday before Rosh Hashanah we learnt about the month of Tishrey(The first month of the Jewish calender). Each student got her own calender for the month of Tishrey  and had to mark down the hebrew dates of Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur and Aseret Yemey Tshuva (The days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur).
At the end of the lesson each student had a chance to create a beautiful glass honey dish and a personalized Rosh Hashana card which hopefully you enjoyed on Rosh Hashana.