Keeping Connected with our Ed Director
Verklempt – “Overcome with Emotion”
Keeping Connected May 2023
I had the joy and pleasure of attending the Kindergarten – 2nd grade Shabbat service last month. Though I find great joy and comfort in all Shabbat services, I was so moved by this particular service. From the very beginning, there was a feeling of happiness and pride in the sanctuary. The youngest students sat in the front row seats without their parents. From my view, I could see their legs dangling off the chairs, not quite reaching the floor yet. They were supported by some of the madrichim from their class and a congregation filled with family members, other students, congregants and guests. These young students were poised, engaged and filled with Shabbat spirit. They helped Rabbi Perry to lead the service, taking turns to read (with confidence and precision) various passages from the prayer book. As Rabbi Perry talked and asked questions, I continually saw their hands shooting up in the air, waiting for a turn to share their own ideas.
At one point during the service, all young people were invited up on the bima to help with a song and its hand movements. From my seat, I beamed ear to ear as I saw our youngest students up there, along with the great role models of a few fourth graders, a young person on the verge of becoming a B-Mitzvah and a 12th grader who will be graduating this year. I was moved to tears by the community of students on the bima, supporting each other, engaged in the song with great spirit and joy, all joined together in our school and temple community. There was such enthusiasm, respect and contagious joy! After the service, and for days following, I shared my own stories of this wonderful Shabbat and the pride I felt for our school. After a long day, a long week, a long month and a long year, it was exactly what was needed to help remind me of all the hard work from so many people that always goes on in our school.
As some of you may know, we are embarking on a bit of school restructuring for next year, due to lower enrollment numbers and budgetary constraints. More information about the school restructuring will be shared over the next few months, but one of the changes will be the implementing of mixed age groups for our Religious School. Students will get the opportunity to attend class with students either older or younger than themselves, creating a stronger community and allowing for many benefits of multi-age environments. The Family Shabbat from April was a clear sign of all good things that can come from a group of students across the age spectrum working together to create something special for our Congregation Shalom community. I will take this as a positive sign for the changes that will be implemented in the coming school year.
FAMILY SHABBAT DINNERS
– This year we tried something new and we offered a free Shabbat Dinner once a month for all students and families from our school community. I hope you got a chance to join us for a dinner or two. Our last dinner for this year will be on Friday, May 5 at 6pm. Please RSVP and plan to join us. We want to try to get as many people as we can to enjoy the Shabbat meal together before the monthly Family Service! I would also love to hear your thoughts and ideas about the monthly Shabbat dinners as we begin to make plans for next year. Please reach out to me with any thoughts or opinions you might have around the Shabbat dinner idea.
REGISTRATION FOR NEXT YEAR
– It is time! Registration packets are being mailed out in the beginning of May. Please fill out and return your forms before June 1. Again, please reach out to me with any questions, comments or concerns.
Here’s to a great end to a wonderful school year.
With gratitude,
Deborah
May
Wednesday, May 3
Hebrew School
Chai School
Friday, May 5
Shabbat Dinner and Shabbat Services
6:00pm – Last Shabbat dinner of the year. All are invited. (It’s free!)
7:00pm – Family Services (3rd grade service and Siyyum HaSefer). All are welcome to attend.
Sunday, May 7
Preschool
K-7th grades
6th grade – All day Kallah
Wednesday, May 10
Hebrew School
Chai School – last one
Post Confirmation meets at temple with Rabbi Perry
Saturday, May 13
Tot Shabbat at 10:00am
Sunday, May 14
NO SCHOOL
Wednesday, May 17
Hebrew School
Sunday, May 21
Last Day of Religious School – Whole School Event with students and families from 9am-11am
Wednesday, May 24
Hebrew School – last day
Friday, June 2
7:00pm – TEACHER APPRECIATION SHABBAT – plan to attend to show appreciation for your teachers and madrichim
Traveling to Israel (with the 3rd grade class)
KEEPING CONNECTED APRIL 2023
I went to Israel last month!
In the middle of March, the 3rd graders and their families “took a trip to Israel “as part of this year’s Family Ed program for them. As they entered Congregation Shalom, they were quickly directed to the airport where they got a passport, answers many questions about their travel plans and got the okay to board the Congregation Shalom El Al airplane. Their tour guides for the trip included Rabbi Perry, Moreh Rich and Morah Madeline. After a plane ride, complete with beverage/snack service and in-plane information and entertainment, the class arrived in Israel. They went to the Hadassah Hospital, a café in Tel Aviv, a visit to the Western Wall and so much more. While in Israel, the students wrote postcards home. They got to practice their Hebrew and explore much of Israel.
I was personally moved by their visit to the Western Wall. After their tour guide explained that people go to the Western Wall to write prayers that are meaningful to themselves, the students took this task very seriously. Here are their writings.
- We pray that everyone is healthy and happy.
- I pray for homelessness to end.
- We hope our family is happy.
- Wishing my family happiness and good health.
- Dear God, I love you.
Coincidentally, I was also in the third-grade class the other day while they were learning more about the Western Wall while watching a LiveCam of the Western Wall. The whole thing was really amazing. Just the idea that we were able to be sitting in Congregation Shalom and watching it in real time was quite moving. The students were so invested in this activity and had so many questions and facts to share. They saw the divided areas, one for the men and one for the women. They saw chairs and learned that some people chose to become a B-Mitzvah at the Western Wall. It was explained to them that the women would be standing on one side looking over the divider to see the boy becoming a Bar Mitzvah. Some of the kids were incensed over the division of the genders. Two of the students made plans to visit Israel and the Western Wall after they become a B-Mitzvah. (They also already picked out what they will wear on their trip!) Someone asked, “I do not see a lot of young people at the Wall. Do you have to have had a Bar Mitzvah to visit?” Other questions included “Why is that person sitting and not standing?” “What time is it in Israel?” and so much more. I was really proud of our 3rd graders and Moreh Rich for engaging in such meaningful and interesting curriculum.
This is just a small snippet of what goes on during Religious/Hebrew School at Congregation Shalom. We are providing our young students with a rich curriculum that allows them to listen, learn, engage, question and enjoy their time at our school.
Wishing you and your family חַג שָׂמֵחַ (Chag Sameach!)
Deborah
APRIL
Sunday, April 2, 2023
Preschool
5th grade – Wimpel Painting
Wednesday, April 5, 2023
NO HEBREW SCHOOL
NO CHAI SCHOOL
Happy Passover!
Sunday, April 9 , 2023
K-7th
K-2 – Family Ed
Tuesday, April 11, 2023\
Post Confirmation at Rabbi Perry’s home
Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Hebrew School
Chai School
Friday, April 14, 2023
Shabbat Dinner and Family Shabbat (lead by the 2nd graders)
Sunday, April 16, 2023
NO SCHOOL (Mass. School vacation)
Wednesday, April 19, 2023
NO HEBREW or CHAI (Mass. vacation week)
Sunday, April 23, 2023
NO SCHOOL (Mass. School vacation)
Wednesday, April 26, 2023
Hebrew School
Chai School
Sunday, April 30, 2023
Preschool
K-7th
A Bit of School Life in Pictures
Friendship Bracelets
We held an amazing Friendship Bracelet sale in February with the profits going right into our tzedakah collection for the year. We were able to add $280 to our tzedakah collection! It is beautiful to see students and grownups around the temple wearing the various friendship bracelets. If you would still like to purchase friendship bracelets, you can go to mayanhands.org and buy some more! (Mayan Hands is the organization that we are collecting tzedakah for this year.)
Tzedakah
The addition of the profits from the bracelet sale helped our weaving get bigger but we still have a ways to go. Please consider giving to tzedakah each week to help us reach our goal this year. We want to see the weaving reach the top of the loom!
Word of the Week
This year we began the idea of offering a Hebrew Word of the Week. The weekly word changes on Wednesdays. Teachers and students try to use the word during conversation or prayer. Some classes have been playing matching games with the Hebrew word and its’ English equivalent. The 6th graders sometime write a story, trying to incorporate as many words of the week as they can. I see families stopping at the Word of the Week board in the lobby and learning a new word. It has been fun to hear various Hebrew words being used throughout the building and seeing confidence and joy in the students as they include some new Hebrew words into their repertoire. I hope you try to learn a new word or two and use it in your daily life.
Preschool
We have a vibrant and spirited preschool class that meets a few Sundays each month. This small but mighty group adds so much enthusiasm and joy to our Sunday mornings. They keep busy all morning learning through reading books, doing crafts, singing songs, movement, food and enjoying a new addition to the classroom this year, a sensory table! The table materials change according to their curriculum. This year the students have explored a table full of Jewish stars, water beads and dreidels and most recently, a table with sand and trees as the class explored Tu B’Shevat. The hands-on nature of this table allows the students to explore, engage, talk and play all while learning in meaningful and enjoyable ways.
I could go on and on sharing the joys and delights of so many awesome things happening inside our temple during school hours! I hope you can take a moment and share some of your own joys and delights surrounding Religious and Hebrew School.
Please take some time to look at the calendar at the bottom of this article. March is a busy month for the school with Purim, Shabbat dinner, lots of Family Ed and so much more!
As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, comments or concerns.
Thank you,
Deborah
March
Wednesday, March 1, 2023 – Welcome Back Rabbi Perry!
Hebrew School
Friday, March 3 – Family Shabbat
Dinner at 6pm
Shabbat Service at 7pm
Sunday, March 5
Purim Shpiel and Carnival for students and families – 10:00am
Wednesday, March 8
Hebrew School
Sunday, March 12
Preschool
K-7th
3rd grade family ed
5th grade family ed
Tuesday, March 14
Post Confirmation at Rabbi Perry’s home
Wednesday, March 15
Hebrew School
Friday, March 17
Tot Shabbat at 6pm at Congregation Shalom
Sunday, March 19
Preschool
K-7th
4th grade family ed
Shacharit service at 10:15am
Wednesday, March 22
Hebrew School
Chai School Session 3 begins
Sunday, March 26
K-7th
6th grade family ed
Wednesday, March 29
Hebrew School
Chai School
How do you do Shabbat?
Keeping Connected February 2022
What rituals and traditions did you do growing up? What rituals and traditions are you creating with your own family?
Do you want to start a new Shabbat tradition? How about having Shabbat Dinner at temple with your family and friends? It is a great way to welcome Shabbat – someone else cooks and cleans, you get to eat a good meal and you and your family get to be surrounded by your temple community!
This year we have been piloting a new way of offering Shabbat Dinners. The once-a-month meal is now open to any school families, free of charge! On a Shabbat Dinner Friday, you enter the temple at 6:00pm to the glorious smells of a home-cooked/temple-cooked meal of pasta, sauce, meatballs, salad and challah. The meal is served buffet style so you can decide exactly what you want to eat. After Shabbat Blessings, everyone enjoys a good meal and great company. A wonderful way to end the week and an even better way to begin Shabbat!
Notices go out each month close to the date of the dinner. All you need to do is RSVP with the number of people who will be attending and then show up for the Shabbat meal. People have been reaching out to their classmates and temple friends and have been making it a fun time with friends and family.
The Shabbat Dinner is followed by a beautiful Family Shabbat Service, filled with music, prayer, ruach and joy. Attending services is a meaningful experience for the students. It allows them to understand the meaning and importance of the Hebrew they are learning during the week, allows everyone the opportunity to join together in prayer and music and helps strengthen everyone’s connection to Judaism. It is an important piece of your child’s education.
The schedule for upcoming Shabbat Dinners (at 6pm) is as follows: February 3, March 3, April 14, May 5
I hope to see you at Shabbat Dinners!
Tzedakah Update: Our tzedakah project is moving along this year. Check out how the weaving on the loom in the lobby is getting larger.
On Sunday, February 5 and Wednesday, February 8, we will be holding a Friendship Bracelet Fundraiser, selling friendship bracelets made by Mayan Hands artists. (Our collected tzedakah money is being donated to Mayan Hands this year.) All money earned from the bracelet sale will be added to our tzedakah collection for this year. Friendship Bracelets will be sold for $5 each.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me with any questions, comments or concerns.
Thank you, Deborah
February
Wednesday, February 1, 2023
Hebrew School
Chai School
Friday, February 3 – Family Shabbat
Dinner at 6pm
Shabbat Service at 7pm
Sunday, February 5
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Preschool
K-7th
Wednesday, February 9
Hebrew School
Chai School
Sunday, February 12
K-7th
Monday, February 13
Post Confirmation at the temple
Wednesday, February 15
Hebrew School
Chai School
Sunday, February 19 – NO SCHOOL – Massachusetts February Vacation
Wednesday, February 22 – NO SCHOOL – Massachusetts February Vacation
Sunday, February 26 – NO SCHOOL – Massachusetts February Vacation
What’s Happening with Hebrew?
Keeping Connected. December 2022
Aleph Bet Quest. Hebrew Through Harmony. Mitkadem. Hebrew Word of the Week. Hebrew Through Movement. Does any of this sound familiar to you? These are the different Hebrew experiences being offered to our student body this year.
The Hebrew atmosphere in our building this year is one of enthusiasm, excitement and anticipation. On any given Sunday or Wednesday, Hebrew is heard throughout the building. Children are moving about to Hebrew action words, reciting prayers and blessings, using new words in their own speech and so much more. Here is a quick rundown of what it going on with our Hebrew program.
AlephBet Quest – our 3rd graders are learning to decode Hebrew this year by learning the letters and vowels and the sounds they make. They are putting together long strings of letters and vowels and reading Hebrew words and some short sentences. It is really amazing to hear them read in such a short period of learning time.
Hebrew in Harmony – Our 4th graders are learning Hebrew this year using a curriculum called Hebrew in Harmony. The idea is to bring more music into learning Hebrew and offer new experiential ideas such as art and movement to help the students understand and interpret the prayers. The 4th graders bring great spirit to the Hebrew studies, as I often hear them chanting loudly and enthusiastically throughout the building!More
The Loom in the Lobby!
November 2022 Keeping Connected
Have you seen the loom in the lobby? During the past few weeks, the loom and the table have generated many questions and interest from our community.
For our tzedakah project, we will be donating all collected money to an organization called Mayan Hands. (mayanhands.org) “Mayan Hands Foundation is a fair trade, non-profit organization dedicated to providing economic and educational opportunities to Mayan women and girls, so that they can bring their families out of extreme poverty and, at the same time, continue to live within the culture they cherish.” Mayan Hands invests in the next generation by providing scholarships and other education programs to indigenous girls in Guatemala.”More