Zayin Updates followed by their weekly schedules:
Our Yom HaShoah program focused on the theme of indifference to the suffering and persecution of others. In doing so, it highlighted the response of the American government and many Americans to the plight of Jewish refugees from Nazi antisemitism seeking entrance into this country during the 1930’s. The response was characterized largely by xenophobia, nativism and Judeophobia. The American refusal to admit greater numbers of Jewish refugees was highlighted by the screening of the film, “The Double Crossing: The Story of the St. Louis.” The 80th anniversary of this doomed voyage of some 900 Jewish refugees, turned away by the United States, Canada and Cuba, symbolized the indifferent response of the world to Jews attempting to flee the Third Reich. The lesson that Elie Wiesel took from the world’s apathy in the face of the genocide of European Jewry was that the opposite of love is not hate. The opposite of love is indifference. Another lesson is the need for a Jewish state, the state of Israel, that can serve as a Jewish refuge and haven.
-Written 5-6-19 by Dr. Elliot Lefkovitz
In our Holocaust Education we showed the film The Last Days. Here is a link to learn more about Hans Munch who was featured in this film: https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/hans-m-uuml-nch. The students are learning a lot as they prepare for their field trip to the Holocaust Museum which will be taking place for Zayin students on Sun Apr 28 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
-Written 1-27-19 by Morah Sandra Mieli Kamm, smielikamm@amyisrael.org
Dear Zayin Families,
1. In August 2018 I sent out an email regarding the Zayin Mitzvah Projects Presentations. With our first of two presentations taking place in just over a month, I am resending this message.
2. Due to the large size of this year’s Zayin Class, we are dividing the class presentations over the course of two separate dates: Sun Feb 24 and Sun Apr 14. The presentations will take place following Sunday Morning Minyan — from 9:50 a.m.-10-:30 a.m.
3. We will work with the students at SJS to practice their verbal presentations. Each presentation will be about 2-4 minutes in length.
4. There are a dozen tri-folds on the second floor hallway serving as examples for our students. Here is the link to our Zayin Mitzvah Projects Assignment: https://www.amyisrael.org/mitzvahprojects/
5. Here are the dates that our Zayin students are assigned to present:
Sun, Feb 24 9:50 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
- Tal Belkind
- Aden Creinin
- Micah Friedman
- Ben Goldfeder
- Rachel Kreiner
- Sarah Mae Levy
- Esther Loewenthal
- Alyssa Miller
- Jeremy Schoen
- Jessica Wilson
Sun, Apr 14 9:50 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
- Kylie Brodsky
- Erin Davis
- Ethan Fogel
- Sammy Froum
- Daniel Gordon
- Hayden Joseph
- Lauren Ostroff
- Naomi Szmuilowicz
- Roan Weiss
- Noah Youderian
B’Shalom,
Mr. Sherman/Charlie
-Written 1-22-19 by Mr. Charlie Sherman
Head of School
Am Yisrael Conservative Congregation
4 Happ Road
Northfield, IL 60093
Phone: 847/446.7215 ext. 12
We have followed the lead of JLab students to do more debates. We did one debate on guns and whether, according to Jewish texts and halacha (Jewish law), they should be permissible. Last week we discussed the laws in New York regarding secular studies in yeshivot and the kids debated whether the state should have the right to control what happens in private schools. Specifically the impact in Jewish schools.
Allan Arnet and Annie Glasser have been teaching our Jewish Literacy Lab (aka “JLab) on Wednesdays to serve as an enrichment to this year’s Kitah Zayin learning and help make sure that their literacy for as much Jewish knowledge as possible continues to grow. Yesterday in JLab we rounded out our fourth session with personal commentaries on passages from the Torah. After learning about Rashi, one of the most influential Jewish commentators, and doing a group commentary on the first sentence of the Torah, this week each student did their own! Students either chose passages from their bat/bar mitzvah parshiot or from this week’s parsha.
-Written 1-16-19 by Morah Annie Glasser aglasser@ramahwisconsin.com and Mr. Allan Arnet aarnet@amyisrael.org
We had a later start this past Sunday after an extended tefilah due to Rosh Chodesh and Chanukah. We went thru a series of poems that were prepared for the students surrounding the theme of light. The students took the discussion in many different directions and of course included some of the holiday traditions they celebrate with their families. A few of the children were working on their Torah portions as well. Have a great week.
-Written 12-13-18 by Mr. Michael Aberman, substitute teacher
Today we learned about the power of speaking softly and in control verses yelling. We learn how Yehuda, pleading his case to Joseph, whispered in his ear instead of losing his temper and yelling.
We also saw the power of forgiveness and how Joseph was able to forgive his brothers. Not only was he able to forgive them but he went as far as to say, everything happens for a reason. Had you not sold me into slavery, I never would have ended up in Egypt. I never would have rose to power and I would not have been able to help my people with food. Such a difficult concept to understand but yet such a powerful lesson to learn.
We also started our mitzvah board projects and practiced reading the blessings for the Haftorah.
-Written 12-12-18 by Mr. Allan Arnet aarnet @amyisrael.org and Morah Sandra Mieli Kamm, smielikamm@amyisrael.org
Allan Arnet and Annie Glasser have been teaching our Jewish Literacy Lab (aka “JLab) on Wednesdays to serve as an enrichment to this year’s Kitah Zayin learning and help make sure that their literacy for as much Jewish knowledge as possible continues to grow. Yesterday in JLab we rounded out our fourth session with personal commentaries on passages from the Torah. After learning about Rashi, one of the most influential Jewish commentators, and doing a group commentary on the first sentence of the Torah, this week each student did their own! Students either chose passages from their bat/bar mitzvah parshiot or from this week’s parsha. Some of the selections included:
1. “The cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the Presence of the LORD filled the Tabernacle.”
2. “Now Esau harbored a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing which his father had given him, and Esau said to himself, “Let but the mourning period of my father come, and I will kill my brother Jacob.”
3. “You shall put the Israelites on guard against their uncleanness, lest they die through their uncleanness by defiling My Tabernacle which is among them.”
There has been a lot of deep thinking and creativity in JLab. Next week, students will be given an opportunity to share their commentaries before they are displayed on our classroom wall.
Ask your kids:
Who was Rashi? When and why are commentaries important?
-Written 11-8-18 by Mr. Allan Arnet aarnet @amyisrael.org and Annie Glasser, aglasser@ramahwisconsin.com
Today in class we took a look at a new amusement park that opened up in Kentucky. A group of people built an actual Noah’s ark to biblical scale. It really looks like an amazing place. I was disappointed to find out that the company behind the Ark will only hire straight, Christian people that believe the story of Noah happened as detailed in the Bible. The kids and I spoke about this in detail. Please ask your child for his or her point of view. We also enhanced our prayer vocabulary through scoring games and Hebrew reading.
-Written 11-7-18 by Mr. Allan Arnet aarnet @amyisrael.org and Morah Sandra Mieli
The Zayin and Prozdor students volunteered at the Ark this week. The students had an opportunity to sort the hundreds of items brought in by our congregants. Thank you to the parent volunteers and chaperones who helped make this field trip possible.
-Composed 10-14-18 by Morah Sandra Mieli Kamm, smielikamm@amyisrael.org
In the Jewish Literacy Lab (JLab) we have used a Humash to look at the creation story. After the first 5 days, G-d sees the creation and pronounces them “good.” Why on the 6th day, when G-d created humans, us, doesn’t G-d call us good? We did hevruta study and every student participated in the share-back.
We then studied using the commentator Rashi. We focused on the question “How do we interpret in a beginning versus in the beginning. The students learned that there are potentially commentaries on every word in the Torah.
The students were then engaged in the next class in group discussion Every student participated. This was great set-up for next week when the students wrote their own commentaries!
-Composed 10-10-18 by Morah Annie Glasser, aglasser@ramahwisconsin.com
The students have been focusing on the concepts of Teshuvah (returning to God) and Vidui (Confession). We examined several sources. Two of the most powerful pieces that the Zayin students connected with were videos, followed by discussions and group activities. One video was of a baseball player who finished her college career with an injury and the players from the opposing team carried her around the bases to help her fulfill her dream of hitting a homerun during her college career. We also examined the Chicago Cubs apologies to Steve Bartman, putting to rest of 12-13 year pain that Steve Bartman had endured. It is never too late for a complete and sincere apology!
-Composed 9-17-18 by Morah Sandra Mieli Kamm, smielikamm@amyisrael.org and Mr. Allan Arnet, aarnet@amyisrael.org
Mr. Sherman’s Blog 