Some Chesed For Shabbat!

When the Ruach kids entered the room on Shabbat yesterday, they learned of a special Shabbat project. Each child reached into a bag and picked out the name of a classmate and then made that classmate a card. Everyone was excited to see whose name they got. They worked hard to create a card while thinking about what colors and designs their classmates would like, even if they knew that they personally didn't like the same color.  I was pleased to see that everyone was happy about creating a card for a peer even if it wasn't their best friend. Some children did pick classmates they were closer to and added an extra bit of love and attention as they created detailed drawings and sweet messages for their friends. Once they created their card, they used their great name-recognition skills to place their card in their classmate's cubby. Everyone was so excited at the end of the day to see who made them a card! Their notes were sweet and meaningful and children's buckets were filled by both giving and receiving Shabbat cards. 

The Ruach class has been talking about doing acts of Chesed, kindness, throughout their time at school and beyond. Creating a card for someone else is a great way of adding a bit of Chesed to anyone's day. The class worked together, and as a result every child both gave, and received a card creating a community that cares and supports each other. Such a kind class!

"Mix up the dough and twist it just so..."

Every Friday the Levana children create their own personal challahs that they take home to share with their families.  The preschool smells so good on Fridays!

A Joyous Shabbat Celebration

Cody led us as our Shabbat helper this morning.  We shared the blessings together during circle, then enjoyed the delicious challah and grape juice.  The children are getting used to the idea of taking turns with the role of Shabbat helper.  Several of them are very interested.  We set up a table before the children arrive on Thursday with the candles, kiddush cup, and a plastic challah and its cover. There are kippot available should anyone choose to wear one.  Together we welcome the joy of shabbat into our bodies, our hearts, and our souls.  Shabbat shalom to everyone!

Going to the Sanctuary

| Start your own Photo Books | Create custom Christmas Cards

Learning a new routine takes repetition and focus. For young children, one of the best ways to do this is to share a story about it. Our Friday Shabbat celebration is an important component of our week. Take a peek into the book we created and enjoy reading it with your child at home. If you are interested in ordering a copy, just let us know!

Modim Anachnu Lach- Thank You God

Modim Anachnu Lach is a prayer that is traditionally said the Saturday morning service at Temple Beth Shalom. The prayerbook translates the prayer as "we acknowledge with thanks that You, Adonai, are our God and the God of our ancestors forever."

In our own TBSCC version, we have made those words and ideas more accessible to young children by simplifying both the Hebrew and English words. We added the American Sign Language so that the children have a visual representation of the words they are reciting.

Each week, a different class has a chance to brainstorm an item for which they give thanks. The children spend the week creating a poster to represent their idea. On Fridays, we share the poster at our Shabbat celebration and together, we say, "Thank you God for ______. Modim Anachnu Lach." This is a great and very simple prayer to try at home.

Challah on Shabbat!

The Adamah children truly  enjoy making challah!   On Shabbat Sammantha, Hayley, Graham and Sally enter the room, help themselves to challah dough and a bit of flour.  When it's time to put the challah in the oven guess who is still at the table kneading, rolling and playing with the challah dough?  That's right...Samantha, Hayley, Graham, and Sally!  

V'ahavta

Visitors to our Shabbat celebration often comment on the fact that even our youngest children know the Hebrew words to the first line of the V'ahavta. Using the hand motions to help them remember the words, we often hear the children reciting them in the classroom. As they get older, this familiarity will support them in learning to read Hebrew, including the rest of the V'ahavta prayer. And you shall love Adonai your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might. V'ahavta Et Adonai Elochecha, B'chol L'vavcha Uv'col Nafsh'cha Uv'chol M'odecha.

Hevenu Shalom Aleichem

 

Emily is teaching us the tricky motions to Hevenu Shalom Aleichem. Pat, clap, shoulders, wooo! It's a challenge to follow the quickly moving pattern and I can almost seen the wheels turning as the children focus on learning it. Ask your child for a demonstration!

I'm so happy!

I love the joyful anticipation with which the TBSCC children welcome Shabbat. It's clear that Shabbat is a welcome end to their weeks and I know the positive associations they are developing now will only grow in the years to come. 

Celebrating Shabbat in Kindergarten

It is amazing to watch the amount that is accomplished in only three hours of kindergarten. The children arrive full of excitement for Shabbat and join Emily in the sanctuary for their own weekly service. This week they got up close to the ark to see the Torah and led Emily in Mah Yafeh HaYom from the bima. The celebration continued with challah baking, candle lighting and a Shabbat story and snack. And that was just the first hour! I look forward to seeing how the kindergarten Shabbat rituals develop over the course of the year.

Putting the Torah in the Ark

Our new weekly tradition is to honor one class each week with the responsibility of holding the Torah during the Shabbat celebration and then returning the Torah to the ark at the end. This week the honor went to the Etzim class. Laura held the Torah while we sang and prayed. Jacob sat next to her and hugged the Torah, too. Then the whole class carefully claimed up on the bima. Eli and Hillary opened the ark and Laura set the Torah inside. Then Julia, Eli, Lindsey and Abby worked together to close the heavy glass doors to the ark. What a unique experience! Ask your child about it!

Challah Braiding 101

The children in Kohavim are always so excited to make challah on Shabbat. So many of the children are interested in braiding challah that we decided to make a step-by-step guide. Last week, Emme used a camera to take photos to document the different steps of how to braid challah. Today, the children came in to find the Kohavim teachers used the photos to create a step-by-step guide. Though braiding challah can be tricky, Kohavim was up for the challenge. And with the step-by-step guide, they created delicious braided challahs!

I made a Challah Man!

On Friday, the kindergartners participated in a Shabbat tradition: baking challah! Some children enjoyed squeezing and feeling the sticky challah dough, some braided the dough, but Jacob had another idea. He carefully separated his dough into small pieces which he used to construct a challah person! He discovered that challah dough was a unique art medium that he could use to sculpt a person. We will be baking challah every Friday in Kindergarten Enrichment. We hope you enjoyed the sweet challah the children made on Friday! 

The Kindergartners Lunch in the Sukkah!

As Dylan walked down the stairs to the playground on Friday he shouted, "I remember that Sukkah!" The kindergartners proceeded to ride tricycles in and out of the sukkah on the playground. Shortly after, we walked up to Temple Beth Shalom's other sukkah where we sang Shabbat Songs with Emily and enjoyed a delicious picnic lunch. 

Making Challah

 

Each week on Fridays, the Levana  children make challah. For some children it may be their very first time baking bread from dough. By the end of the preschool year, they are old hands at the process, rolling and braiding like experts. Today Smadar, a previous TBSCC teacher joined in the challah preparation.

First day of Friday Kindergarten

It was our first day of Friday kindergarten and we did so much together! We started our afternoon on the playground and enjoyed lunch together at the picnic table. Inside, we began with an afternoon meeting where we introduced ourselves to each other. The children then moved throughout the centers in the classroom. They used their five senses to observe a mystery food (They discovered it was honey!), they played with playdough, built with straws and connectors, put a puzzle together, and conducted an apple taste test! We finished the day with a shabbat celebration together on the playground. The children helped to say the blessings and then enjoyed the sweet grape juice and delicious challah! 

Shabbat Together!

We joined together with the Etzim class this week for our first Shabbat of the school year, and we hope to make a tradition of coming together for Shabbat each week.

We prepared for our group Shabbat by making challot with raisins for a sweet new year.

 

And we decorated bags to bring our challot home.

Each class invited the Shabbat Helper to lead us in blessings and song...

 

...while we sat together, sang, and did all the hand motions!

Shabbat shalom

Today, we celebrated our first Shabbat as the shamayim class.  We were excited to say the prayers together and hold up our own Shabbat candle.

We also blessed our juice and challah and had a delicious snack together.  Ask your child if he/she remembers what order we say the blessings. Shabbat shalom and Happy New Year to all!

Soup for Shabbat

Sing along with us!

Put the ____ in the pot
Stir it up! Nice and hot!
Getting ready for Shabbat, for Shabbat.

Challah with color!

Well we went out in style! We made the most colorful and delicious challah in town! Even the children that usually don't like to knead and braid their own challah,joined in on the fun today!

Shabbat Shalom!