A Peek into (a fun) 20 Minutes of Religious School

It is a Sunday morning. The night before, we turned the clocks ahead one hour. The weather is warming up. Spring is in the air. Who is going to show up for Religious School? The answer is “almost everybody!”

Students and families started entering the building around 9am. The students began to form a line behind a table in the lobby because it was Hot Cocoa and Muffins Sunday! Students (and some families) got free hot chocolate and their choice of a homemade muffin to start the day. 

This was a fun and delicious way to begin and there was a lot of education involved in this 20-minute block of morning arrival. Families were encouraged to bring a reusable mug for the hot chocolate, and they did! (This means that families were reading the weekly School News that is sent out every Sunday morning as a way to communicate school news and information.)  Reusable mugs reduce waste, are better for the environment, save money and encourage sustainable habits. This also fit in perfectly with our tzedakah project this year in which we are donating money to help keep the ocean waters safe and clean! Our temple community is committed to Tikkun Olam, working to repair the world and our young students are active participants in helping to make the world a better place.

While the students were receiving their hot chocolate and muffins, there were a lot of “todah rabah” (thank you) and “b’vakasha” (you’re welcome) from both the students and adults. Todah rabah is often a word of the week and one that students use often and b’vakasha was the Word of the Week on that very day. Allowing the students the opportunity to both use the Words of the Week and to hear them being used is a positive and meaningful way for everyone to use Hebrew. 

In addition, though the hot chocolate and muffins were free, there was an opportunity to donate to our tzedakah fund for the year. Students came in putting money in the jar and I heard talk about the joy of making a difference. Every penny and dollar this year helps support The Center for Coastal Studies, as they work to protect our coastal communities and marine ecosystems. We are getting closer to our goal of $500, but we are not there yet! 

So, in twenty minutes students enjoyed yummy treats, helped to repair the world, worked on their Hebrew, added to our tzedakah project and worked together as a community of learners and friends! Not a bad way to begin a morning of Religious School at Congregation Shalom!