3rd Grade Newsletter, December 2024 Recap | Kislev 5785

What is in this newsletter?

What did the students learn: Content and values from this month's curriculum


What did students do: Crafts, games, songs and other classroom experiences


Hebrew corner: A recap of Letter of the Week


Torah Corner: A selected text students learned this month


The Shabbat table: Questions and conversation starters for the family Shabbat, holiday, or weekday dinner table about the 3rd grade curriculum


Coming Attractions: What you can expect from the next month at the JLL

What did the students learn?


This year's Torah content focuses on the stories of our fathers and mothers: Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob, Rachel and Leah. Students learned about the birth of Isaac, followed by the birth of Isaac and Rebecca's children, Jacob and Esau. Students also learned about Jacob stealing the blessing from Esau and Jacob's dream.

What did the students do?


Students learned the story of Jacob's dream. Students read about him dreaming of angels, and getting a promise from God that his descendants will inherit the land of Israel. Students made their own angel craft. They wrote on their angels one memory from JLL that they will take with them through winter break. At the end of the session, they hung their angels on a ladder, making our own Jacob's ladder.

Hebrew Corner


Letter of the Week

Every week we explore one letter of the Alef-Bet, the Hebrew Alphabet. This is the first taste of Hebrew for many of our students. Over the last few weeks, our letters have been:


  • Hey (ה) - as in hakhnasat orchim, hakol b'seder, hamotzi
  • Aleph (א) - as in ometz lev, Aron Hakodesh, ahavah
  • Bet (בּ- as in bimah, b'vakasha, brit
  • Nun (נ) - as in nes, ner, and nisiyah tovah

Torah Corner

In the birth story of Jacob and Ishmael, the Torah manages to convey a huge amount of information about these two archetypes in only a few short verses.

Isaac pleaded with God on behalf of his wife, because she was barren; and God responded to his plea, and his wife Rebekah conceived.

But the children struggled in her womb, and she said, “If so, why do I exist?” She went to inquire of God,

and God answered her,

“Two nations are in your womb,

Two separate peoples shall issue from your body;

One people shall be mightier than the other,

And the older shall serve the younger.”

When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb.

The first one emerged red, like a hairy mantle all over; so they named him Esau.

Then his brother emerged, holding on to the heel of Esau; so they named him Jacob.



(Genesis 25, 21-26)

The Shabbat Table



Here are some conversation starters about what students learned:


Knowledge Questions:

What is the meaning of Jacob's name? Which twin was covered with hair?

What do some people do during the Shema?


Comprehension questions:

Why did Isaac favor Esau, and why did Rebekah favor Jacob?

How are the five senses used in the story of Jacob stealing and tricking his father to get the blessing?


Opinion Questions:

In class we talked about how the Jewish people are an extended family. How do we treat our family?

Coming Attractions

We are looking forward to see everyone for the Family T'filah on Sunday, January 12, 2025.

Noam Vinokor-Meinrath, 914-723-5226 ext. 8525

WRT Stands with Israel


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