Am Yisrael SJS Highlights: Sun, May 7 & Wed May 10, 2017

Camp Am Yisrael: Learn-By-Play (0-3 year olds)

Every time I walk into this room and see so many adorable little children with their parents, grandparents and/or other family members I am reminded that this class is unique. We love our Sunday morning gatherings with this group. We encourage this group to continue meeting in the upcoming school year and will be talking about that the next couple of weeks. -Mr. Sherman

Gan (3-6 year olds)

We discussed the difference in size between Israel and Illinois. The children were shocked at how small Israel really is. We read the story “Sammy Spiders trip to Israel” which the children seemed to really enjoy. We also made a good bye book for Zack who will be leaving for college in the Fall (shh…this is a secret). Tefillah was filled with lots of ruach (spirit) as always. -Morah Lynn

Aleph (1st Grade)

This week the Aleph students were able to celebrate Israel in Omanut (Art Class) by each student making his/her own painting of the Israeli flag. Students continued to learn about Israel when they returned from Omanut. Some facts they learned were:
~Israel is the bridge between Asia and Africa
~Israel is surrounded by lots of bodies of water. For example the Jordan River, the Red Sea and the Dead Sea
~Israel has over 500,000 birds that migrate there every year
Students also added the letter “Pey” to the letters they have learned so far this year. -Mrs. Berlow

Bet (2nd Grade)

Shalom,

This week we started a conversation about Mother’s Day, that has a strong connection to the values espoused in the Torah. We talked about Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel and Leah and the role they played in Jewish history. We continued working in Hebrew Step-By-Step folders and had Omanut (Art) at the end of the session. -Morah Anna

Gimel (3rd Grade)

Shalom Gimel Families,

This week we explored how trying to bring about Shalom, peace, is central to Judaism and the Jewish people.

Recap: We looked at the “Oseh Shalom” prayer once again and explored how the value of Shalom is central to our prayer services. We also discussed the holiday of Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israel Independence Day”), specifically how it is celebrated in Israel. We emphasized the importance of working toward peace in Israel. In addition, we explored ways that kids are great examples for bringing peace in their own ways in the Middle East, as they play and interact with children of other religions and cultures. Finally, the students explored their own capacity to create peace by using the Peace-o-matic 5000.

Table Talk: What do we know about Israel as a family? If you have not as yet traveled there, what do you think it would be like to go to Israel?

MyShalomLearning Activity for next week: 3.7.4 Shalom Week 4

Write a few sentences about which unit you enjoyed learning about this year (or remember the most) and why. Please upload your writing to My.ShalomLearning.org.

Ivrit: This week the students studied the בָּרְכוּ (Barchu) and יוֹצֵר אוֹר (Yotzer Or). The students translated the lines of the prayer, and considered the meaning behind it. The students looked at the themes from the lines:

בָּרְכוּ אֶת יְיָ הַמְבֹרָךְ

בָּרוּךְ יָיְ הַמּבֹרָךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יָיְ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם יוֹצֵר אוֹר וּבוֹרֵא חֹשֶׁךְ עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם וּבוֹרֵא אֶת הַכֹּל

Blessed is G-d who is blessed

Bless G-d who is blessed forever and ever

Blessed are You, Lord our G-d King of the universe who forms light and creates darkness who makes peace and creates all things. Blessed are you Lord, who forms light.

The students looked at the meaning behind “G-d formed light and darkness” and where it’s referring to.

Next week:

Next week we will finish our ShalomLearning Jewish values lessons, with the completion of the seventh and final unit of the curriculum. We will wrap up this unit with a review game. As we view the Jewish value of Shalom as an important goal for our students and their families, we will explore at how we can use each of the previous values to create Shalom and Shalom Bayit.

***Announcement for next week’s class! Wednesday, May 17^th ***

In Jewish tradition, we will end a section of study by sharing a sweet treat so that our learning lingers “as sweet as honey on our tongues.” If you so choose, please provide your student with a small, sweet (below you will find a list of some items they wished to bring – please feel free to revise accordingly) to celebrate with at the end of class. Then we will say together, “Chazak, chazak, v’nitchazek, may you be strengthened and may we strengthen one another,” to close our year as we would close our study of a section of Torah.

Aiton – Fruit roll ups

Nate – Bagels, cream cheese, clementine’s

Issac – carrots/fruit/vegetables/plates

Allie – doughnuts

Sivan – plastic forks

Reece – lemonade

Luca – cups

Tatum – chocolate/marshmallows

B’Shalom,

Mrs. Sender & Morah Myra

Dalet (4th Grade)

The Dalet class led Sunday Morning Minyan for the first time this week! Following our official introduction to the Am Yisrael minyan community, we enjoyed an educational brunch with Rabbi Newman Kamin. This was an opportunity for parents of Dalet students to get an up-close look at the learning we have been doing throughout the school year. -Hazzan Szenes-Strauss (Mr. S.)

The Dalet Class continued working on the most challenging prayer in our repertoire, the Ashrei. Our focus was decoding the words through games. In order to access the prayers that the students as a whole chant so beautifully, please go to the following link on our website: https://www.amyisrael.org/practicing-tefillah.html. -Mrs. Moustakis

Heh (5th Grade)

We were introduced to the Empty Bowls Project, a fundraising effort to help alleviate food insecurity. In preparation for what we hope will be many Empty Bowls dinners, students sketched out designs for actual bowls that they will decorate in the coming weeks for use in this unique program. Please ask your child for more details about how this program works. -Hazzan Szenes-Strauss (Mr. S.)

This week our class continued discussing the meaning of the Omer. The students also learned about the 33 of the Omer, or Lag Ba’Omer and Shavuot. Our focus on Shavuot is how the slave nation became a free nation with law and a leader went forward to Eretz Israel. Finally, we discussed the reason that we eat dairy on this holiday. -Mrs. Moustakis

Shalom,
This week students were learning tunes to ” Gesher Tzar Me’od“, “Ani ve’atah” and “Amar Rabbi Akiva.” Later, during rehearsal with Cantor Simon, the students did an outstanding job singing together as a group. -Morah Anna

This past Sunday in Torah Trope, the Heh students reviewed the “choreography” of the Torah service and studied the Torah (aliyah) blessings. Students learned that you congratulate a person who has received and aliyah by saying “Yashir Koach,” and the honoree responds “Baruch t’hi’ye.” -Mr. Lerner

Vav (6th Grade)

We went to the Sanctuary to pair with Zayin students. During our time in the Sanctuary we practiced important tefillot (prayers) with coaching from Zayin. Several students incorporated creative motion and music with their text learning. -Hazzan Szenes-Strauss (Mr. S.)

This past Sunday in B’nai Mitzvah Academy, the Vav students reviewed the “choreography” of the Torah service and studied the Torah (aliyah) blessings. Students learned that you congratulate a person who has received and aliyah by saying “Yashir Koach,” and the honoree responds “Baruch t’hi’ye.” We also reviewed the blessings after the haftarah. -Mr. Lerner

Zayin (7th Grade)

Continuing out unit on the power of speech, we studied a text from the beginning of Genesis as well as one from Numbers Chapter 12. Students were asked to compare these, and consider what each has to say about the way our choice of words and the intent behind them can change the world. We also watched a video on tzara’at, an illness in the Torah commonly translated as “leprosy,” but actually referring to a spiritual malady, commonly associated with inappropriate speech, whose symptoms do not exactly match any illness known to modern medicine. -Hazzan Szenes-Strauss (Mr. S.)

This week in Zayin the students looked at the French election and the two candidates. The students looked at the possible effects on the Jewish community, Israel, and international policies if each of the candidates were to win the election. This led to further discussion on international policies and how they effect us as members of the Jewish community. –Mrs. Sender

Prozdor (8th Grade)

This week we learned what the definition of conflict is and how it pertains to Israel. In order to understand conflict it helps to try and see where it started, if possible. In the simplest of forms we tried to see where the Israel/Arab conflict started. We drew a family tree of Abraham and Sarah and Hagar. It was a very important review of our Avot (Patriarchs) and Imahot (Matriarchs). The students asked many questions about Hagar and her role with regards to Abraham. Please ask your child what the connection between the Jews and Arabs has in common. Lastly they were questioning the believability of Sarah actually having a child in her 90s. It was very excited to see how many questions the students have and this demonstrates clearly the importance of continuing Jewish learning throughout life. -Mr. Arnet

Pardes (9th & 10th Grades)

Pardes students visited the Islamic Foundation in Libertyville on Sunday. The students showed amazing intellectual curiosity and asked a multitude of well thought out questions. Our host openly said we had the sharpest students who ever visited them. Students discovered parallels between Islam and Judaism, including dietary restrictions and the requirement to be good stewards of the Earth. -Cantor Simon