Dear Families,
This Sunday is the final Sunday class before spring break, Wednesday will be our last class of the month.
Classes will resume Wednesday, April 4th for 3-6th graders or Sunday, April 8 for K-2.
Here is a link to practice Mah Nishtanah at home.
Click here! (includes a video about the parsha!)
We all live with rituals. Whether it’s the time and place we brush our teeth in the morning or singing our children good night songs, rituals provide the infrastructure by which we live our lives. Without rituals, without certain daily repetitions of consistent behavior, our lives would be unbearably chaotic.
This week we begin the book of Leviticus. This portion and in fact much of the book of Leviticus is full of details about ritual, especially those related to how and when to bring sacrifices for worship. While prayer long ago replaced sacrifice in Jewish tradition, sacrifices were the expression of ancient religions. Those sacrifices were brought on many occasions: for example, when one was guilty of sin, whether intentionally or unintentionally, when one was grateful, or when one was celebrating. Ritual in Leviticus provided a concrete manner for people to express a wide range of emotions and states of being.
While everyone has some kind of rituals in their lives, these rituals can be performed unconsciously, without much significance. They can also be opportunities. Rituals can be used to signify something deeper about the moment; they can be used as teaching moments. What kind of songs are sung at bedtime? What kind of rituals do you introduce to your children around getting dressed in the morning? Can there be a ritual instituted so that family members show gratitude for having sufficient food on the table?
TALK TO YOUR KIDS about ways your family creates value in their lives through rituals.
CONNECT TO THEIR LIVES:
Summer Fun for Everyone!
Ready for the first independent overnight experience for your child? Yotair, Capital Camps’ Rookie Camp (August 14-17) packs an entire summer of overnight fun into four awesome days, leading right into Summer Family Camp! Learn more at 301-468-2267 or on an upcoming tour: 3/25, 4/15, 4/22, 7/1, 7,18, 7/15, 7/29, and 8/5. Also: Extend your summer at Capital Camps with Bubbie-Zadie Family Camp (June 1-3) and/or Summer Family Camp (August 17-19)! All the best parts of summer camp shared with family – swimming, ropes course, sports, dance, music, and the Capital Camps Shabbat experience. Visit capitalcamps .org for more information or to RSVP for a tour.
Summer Fun at Capital Camps
Don’t miss out on summer fun for children and/or the whole family at Capital Camps! Experience our challenge course, lake and aquatics center, sports fields, arts offerings, and more with traditional 2, 3 and 4 week sessions and during Family Camp (August 17-19). New camper grants are available! Learn more at 301-468-2267 or on an upcoming tours: 3/25, 4/15, 4/22. Visit capitalcamps.org for more information or to RSVP for a tour.
Shabbat shalom,
Luisa Moss
Director of Education and Youth Programming
