Shul School Newsletter

Week of Sunday, October 15th, 2023

Dear Parents,

This week we returned to our regularly scheduled Shul School classes. It is nice to be back in a normal routine. Our students were thrilled to be in class with their peers again learning about this week's Torah parshah.

This week's parshah is Bereishit. Our students read the story of creation with their classes and talked about what they would like to see in the world they create as they continue to grow and blossom. Our youngest children spoke about everyone in the world getting along, homes for people and animals, and food for anyone who is hungry. Our older children spoke about the nuances they currently see in the world. They said they think about how they will go about creating a world they are happy and proud to live in.

B'Shalom,

Chaviva Sands

Rabbi Hoffman

Visits the Classroom

Rabbi Hoffman visited the Parparim, Devorim, and Nesharim classes this week. In the Parparim class they explored chesed, kindness, and how to practice it in their everyday lives. Rabbi Hoffman also fielded questions from them about the war in Israel and answered them with age-appropriate responses. Since they are learning about kindness, the Parparim class suggested a project to provide support to IDF soldiers and civilians in Israel so they know they are not alone.

Rabbi Hoffman also visited the Devorim and Nesharim classes this week to answer their questions about the war in Israel. It is a time of great uncertainty and worry. Shir Chadash Shul School is doing all we can to provide our students with the support they need and the age-appropriate knowledge they seek.

Gan Update

Teacher: Emma Baron

Today the Gan class learned all about the 6 days of creation! After reading a few books about the creation story, they made their own creation story books that can be read at home. The children worked hard to create an image for each day of creation. They did a fantastic job. Send us a picture of you and your child reading their creation book at home to include in our next Shul School newsletter.

Please note, the next Gan class will take place on October 29th.

Ilanot Update

Teacher: Penina Berman

This week the Ilanot class learned about Shabbat and the six days in which G-d created the world. They read "A Beautiful World" by Yael Gover and did a worksheet that specified what was created on each day. They did another worksheet related to Genesis and drew/colored what they would put in their own world if they were the ones creating it. Lastly, the students had a pop quiz about the seven days. Eva, Jonathan, Rachel, and Noa each got a question right and won an extra Shir Shekel for the day! They can't wait to see what Shul School has in store for them next week!

Parparim Update

Teacher: Scott Hart

This week the Parparim class continued their class focus on chesed, kindness. They began with a bracha followed by singing songs about chesed and a short video on it. Isobel greatly enjoyed the "Elmo" video on kindness. She also reminded us to say the hamotzi before we ate our snack. Ezra liked the story of Noah's Ark and the kindness shown to the animals in the story. Near the end of class, Rabbi Hoffman visited the classroom to teach us more in depth about what the Torah says about chesed. He also answered the class's questions about the war in Israel in an age appropriate manner and comforted the children on the topic.

Devorim Update

Teacher: Sierra Sager

This week the Devorim class learned the first stories in Parashat Bereishit. These stories include that of creation, Adam and Eve, and Cain and Able. They focused on the story of creation and the idea of b'tzelem Elohim, being made in G-d's image. The Devorim class went on a scavenger hunt around the shul searching for items made b'tzelem Elohim. When they found an item that was b'tzelem Elohim, they took a polaroid picture of it and hung it in their classroom to remind them that they are surrounded by G-d.

Nesharim Update

Teacher: Ali Perez

This week, the Nesharim class discussed the creation story, the Jewish value of emet (truth) and seeking knowledge, and what it means to treat ourselves like we are created in the image of G-d. Along with their great discussion, they made frosted mirrors that say "b'tzelem Elohim" on them. Now, every time they look at themselves in the mirror, they are reminded of their own divine spark.

Reflection for the week: What can you do differently this week to treat yourself like you were made b'tzelem Elohim?

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