Prayers for Peace

After studying Tefillah for a year together, it's obvious that the Kitah Dalet students are deep thinkers who are ready for peace in our busy ever changing world.   

Here are their words from our Tefillah journal Sunday May 3rd.

Dear GOD,
I hope that there is peace in the world and no war will happen because they need to end soon.  That there are no fights in my family like with my brother and sister and that we find a way not to argue.

Blessed are you ADONAI our GOD.  Please grant everybody living in Baltimore to get rid of the riots and come together to be safe and pray.

Dear ADONAI our GOD.  Let there be no more riots so that we can have baseball games.  Let there not be hunger.  Let there be freedom to be who we want to be.

Blessed are you ADONAI to please stop world hunger and make the world a place of peace.   Stop the riots and stop people from trying to take over the world.

Please GOD, 
Grant peace for all people in the United States and the world.  Mae it so we can be peaceful.  This is because if people started fightingd affect me in negative ways. 

To take a deep breath.  Close your eyes.  Understand where you are.  Look at the world around you.  If it is not peaceful, make it. If it is peaceful, keep it like that.  You make the world what it is.

Blessed are you ADONAI our GOD. Let there be peace throughout the world my GOD, my ruler, who brings me to this Earth and the people Israel.  We can all contribute and have the power of control in all of us.  May there be peace in Israel and the world.

Praise Hashem, our GOD, ruler of the world who tries to make peace in Kenya Africa.

And for that...we say.....

April 19th -- My Jewish Holiday! Please join us!

Holiday projects are due on Tuesday so that we may rehearse for our special event, next Sunday at 10:30, My Jewish Holiday.  Each student will present his or her holiday poster or power point and presentation (maximum 5 minutes).  Then we'll enjoy some of the special foods associated with these unique new holidays.  Please join us!

RSVP to ceh1492@hotmail.com if you can, so we will have enough chairs and snacks to go around.

Although the Holiday presentation will be the highlight of our year, classes will continue and there is still much to learn.  We will be diving into the modern Jewish holidays of the month of Iyar and working on at least one more portion of Tanakh.

It is very, VERY important that students continue to work on Hebrew now and hopefully during the summer.  They have learned so much, but must continue to use it to keep it.

Thanks for all your support for your students and for us!
Morah Elisheva (and Morah Alli!)

Hamantaschen and homework

The recipe for Morah Betsy's Hamantaschen will be going home Tuesday, and post to our blog Wednesday along with Morah Elisheva's recipe.  The dough is the hardest part.  You can use a store-bought sugar cookie dough or pie crust dough in place of homemade if you are short on time.  The chocolate used by Morah Betsy was a kosher chocolate spread from Israel mixed with chocolate chips.  Kosher canned pie fillings or jelly make quick fillings.  Or fresh fruit dusted with corn starch and sugar....

All students should have the assignment for "My Jewish Holiday".  They are ready to begin work on either a poster or power point.  If they, or you, have questions - email Morah Elisheva at ceh1492@hotmail.com   The most difficult part remaining for most students is finding an appropriate special reading from Tanakh -- Torah, Prophets or Writings.  I can help if students are stuck, but students should make an effort to find something first.  Parents can absolutely help.  START NOW!!!

During the break it would be A GREAT MITZVAH for studens to practice Hebrew.  They can practice writing Hebrew letters or words, practice reading, practice prayers, with or without Berman House.  We'll be recognizing STARS whose Hebrew decoding skills are excellent or have made great improvement.  Our focus is on reading fluently with correct vowel sounds.

Shalom!

Purim fun

Shalom!  Kitah Dalet has created a Purim program which we will video on Sunday.  The video will be shown at the Purim Seuda, and perhaps posted online.  The script for the program is at right, under homework.   (Note - some students chose to create art or to run sound effects or to do other off-camera work.  It is truly a class project, however, with everyone having input.)

March 1st is our Purim carnival from 11:30 to 1:30.  Please encourage costumes.  I'll be offering prizes for best costumes.  And I'd hate to be the only one dressed up.....

We have scheduled hamantaschen baking as well!  That is scheduled for March 3rd.  We hope you will also try to bake some at home.

An early Happy Purim to you all.  Then onwards to Pesach....
Shalom,   Morah Elisehva

Coming soon......

Shalom!  On Tuesday we'll be running a Tu B'Shevat Seder for the 2nd and 3rd grades.  If your family would like to use our seder booklet, please email me and I will send you a copy.  (The copy is our generic seder, not quite the personalized one we'll be presenting.)

Very soon we will be assigning our end-of-year project, My Jewish Holiday.  I have posted it under homework at right in case you wish to get a jump on the project.  I know there will be questions, so feel free to email me or to leave comments below.

Hopefully all of you have had a chance to share g-dcast.com videos of Yitro and Tu B'Shevat (Honi's story).  I hope you will choose to view other g-dcast videos as well.  They are a great way to  discuss Torah themes, even though they sometimes veer from the Torah text.  Let me know if you are aware of other online Jewish resources you enjoy with your families.

Our Tzedaka cause is now the Israeli Cancer Research Fund, which has financed many scientific breakthroughs and treatments.  Cancer has touched most all our lives.  This is a chance to do something to save lives.

Shalom for now,
Morah Elisheva

Back in action....

Yikes!  Sorry to be late with the new post.  I (Morah Elishva) was out for weeks with bronchitis and Morah Alli was snowed under working for two.  (Morah Gayle helped out a lot!)  We hope to be back to weekly or bi-weekly posts now.

With the new calendar year Kitah Dalet will begin studying special sections of Torah and Tanakh.  We will still be studying holidays, and will prepare a special Tu B'Shevat celebration for the younger grades to enjoy. But more of our class time will be spent on our holy books.  In March students will begin working on their end of year project, My Jewish Holiday.

Our study of Hebrew and T'fillot is ongoing.  Students need to practice at home with Berman House.  It would also be VERY helpful if students practiced Hebrew reading and writing.  Morah Alli will be sending more information shortly.

Our new Tzedaka cause is the Israeli Cancer Research Fund.  The Fund provides money directly to Israeli researchers. Here is their website:  http://www.icrfonline.org/  They have helped fund discoveries including Doxil, Gleevec, and the RAD 51 breast cancer gene.  Please encourage your students to donate, and feel free to send in donations of your own.

Please email us or comment if you have any questions/comments/suggestions.....
Shalom!

Challah & Chanukah

Shalom!  It's been a great month.  The posters were wonderful -- the students worked hard and learned a lot. Fell free to stop in and see.  And our Challah baking was wonderful.  A big thanks to our kitchen magician Morah Betsy.  Her recipe is at right if your students want to try it again (and again!  mmmm)  Our next two classes will cover Chanukah, and will include an all-school celebration.

I hope that your family will consider sending in an extra Tzedaka donation for Sunday for our Tzedaka cause, Mazon.  Hunger is a real problem in our country, but we can make a difference.

Morah Alli and I are hoping students can keep up their Hebrew practice over the break.  It doesn't take long for new skills to erode.  The new Berman House website has learning games to keep skills sharp.  You can challenge your students to a game - if you're brave.  (Ask how the challenge Morah Elisheva to Hebrew went.  I WILL be practicing and preparing for a rematch.)

Two more packed classes to winter break.
Shalom!