Chag Sameach!First, a special thanks to all the parents who joined us on Sunday morning for the Sukkah activity, the teachers for facilitating Sukkah decoration making, and Martie Adelman for minding the fort while I was out of town. A special thank you to Louis Leibowitz for generously sponsoring the yummy treats for this great community building opportunity.
Sukkot is one of my favorite Jewish holidays because it is such an experiential holiday. Sunday, I spent the morning helping my parents put up their Sukkah. Both Sunday and Monday we ate al fresco in our temporary dwelling. I smelled the luscious citrus fragrance of the etrog and the earthy smell of the myrtle, willow, and palm frond as I unpacked our lulav and etrog.
Kitah Alef (K-2)
Teacher: Limor Dahan
Today (Sunday) we:
-talked about why we celebrate Sukkot and why we build a Sukkah?
(We celebrate Sukkot for seven days, eating, playing and even sleeping in the Sukkah! The holiday recalls in the the Jewish people going out Egypt and building Sukkot in the desert so they will have a place to sleep at night.)
-learned about Hachnashat Orchim, welcoming guests (friends and families) to our Sukkah .
-connected the dots on an Alef-Bet activity to create a Sukkah.
-learned the Hebrew letter Samech.
-reviewed the four species (Arbaat Ha’minim)– lulav (palm branch), Arava (willow), Hadas (myrtle), and Etrog.
-concluded our day by making and hanging decorations for our Tikvat Israel Sukkah.
*Please remember your blue ATID folder each Sunday! 🙂
Kitah Bet (3-4)
Teacher: Meirav Shahar
Today (Sunday) we:
-learned about Sukkot
-read the story “Ari Engineer and The Sukkot Express”
-worked on the letters Samech and Vav
-made dove decorations to hang in our Sukkah at home
-created beautiful decorations using recycled CD’s to make suncatchers for our community Sukkah with the help of the parents who helped hang the decorations in the Sukkah
Our tzedakah total as of today: $42.02!….Lets keep that going!
Kitah Gimel (5-6)
Teacher: Yosef Landy
Today (Sunday) we:
-discussed the rules of succot
-explored the sources of the four species and why we shake them everywhere
-demonstrated the shaking of the minim (species)
-watched a parody video, called “Shake Lulav” (like Taylor Swift’s “Shake it off”)
-took turns reading the succot rules (Dr. Seuss style)
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Teacher: Luisa Moss
Today (Wednesday) we:
-discussed the fragility of the Sukkah and how it can be a lesson for the fragility of our own lives
-explored how Sukkah is not a closed structure and we cannot close ourselves off to poverty and homelessness
-talked about how the Sukkah has sides but an open roof, this helps us keep in touch with outside and reminds us of our vulnerability.
-defined Hachnasat Orchim (welcoming of guests) and discussed what good etiquette is for being a good guest and host
-Read, translated, and then recited the bracha for lulav and then performed the mitzvah of shaking the lulav
