Thanksgiving... A Time to share with family...

We had some very special visitors in the Kohavim class, Auntie Julie and baby Molly. Hannah had some important information to give to the Kohavim class before their arrival: she was 3 months old, you could not touch her hands ( just her feet). We learned that Molly talks and laughs and plays with Hannah. Hannah is a great older cousin. We also learned that Ezra's little brother is 5 months old and share some of the same interests as Molly... he laughs, smiles, and eats too!

After our visit with Molly, Auntie Julie read us a book entitled How Do You Get a Gorilla Out of Your Bathtub? by John Hall. It is a beautifully illustrated and very funny book where children are presented with this problem of how to get this gorilla out of the tub. There are many different ideas and obstacles along the way. In the end however, one discovers a valuable life lesson: even when a situation seems overwhelming  or perhaps you feel intimidated because someone looks a bit different then you do, a little act of kindness and basic manners can make all the difference in the world.

Hannah, thank you for sharing your Auntie Julie and baby Molly with us.

Welcoming a New Child

On November 1st, Kohavim will be welcoming a new child, Sabrina! This week, we have been getting ready to welcome Sabrina into our community. The children have been thinking about what Sabrina might need at school, what she might want to know about school, and how we can help her when she comes to Temple Beth Shalom.

 Children have written messages and drawn pictures to tell her all about Kohavim. The children carefully thought about what they want Sabrina to know. Lots of messages included phrases such as "welcome" and "have a great 1st day!" The children also included information about the areas of our classroom, the playground, Shabbat and Havadalah. Max Greenstein wrote in one of his drawings, "This is the temple and it is fun!" We will be mailing our drawings and messages to Sabrina this week!  We have also been searching the classroom to find what Sabrina might need at school. Hannah and Lily used clipboards to record what they found:

Hannah drew and wrote "hook" so we know
Sabrina will need a hook or cubby.

Lily drew and wrote that Sabrina will need
a photograph on our check in chart, a mailbox,
and a hook or cubby. 

The Kohavim children are so excited to welcome Sabrina into our classroom that they decided we had to figure out which day she will be starting. The teachers explained Sabrina would start on the first day of November, which is the month that comes after October. Together, we looked at the calendar and figured out which day is the last day of October. Then, Hannah added a message to the following day: "Sabrina Coming." The children then counted to discover she would be coming to school in 10 days! 

At circle time we...

At our morning circle we told the children as of Monday Avia will be joining the Haifa class. We will see her on the playground everyday and as usual she will join us for Lunch Bunch!

Aviva we look forward to seeing you on the playground and Lunch Bunch too!

We Would Like to Welcome the Bernstein Family to TBSCC!

We would like to take the opportunity to welcome Abby, Orr, Ilan, and Aviva Bernstein to TBSCC. As of November 1st, Avia will join the Tel Aviv classroom and Ilan will become part of the Rainbows.

Today we enjoyed spending time with Aviva and her family. We were delighted to have Aviva spend most of the morning with us. We played in the Community Room, spent time in the classroom (building with blocks and playing with gak), ate snack together and at the end of the day the entire Bernstein family helped us clean up the entire classroom! Let me tell you clean up today was no easy task! We really appreciated their help!

All the Tel Aviv children did such a wonderful job welcoming Aviva this morning! It was a sight to behold, when Aviva arrived, three children walked over to her and said, "Hi Aviva do you want to do something over at the rug?" Aviva gave them a big smile and said, "Sure". They all went over to the rug and started to play and talk. On the way down to the Community room a few of the children reached out to hold Aviva's hand. In the Community Room the Tel Aviv children asked Aviva to play catch and invited her to have a turn to roll on the "hamster wheel". Aviva seemed to have a fun morning in her new classroom. Tomorrow the Bernstein's will join us for the Shabbat Shindig...We can't wait!

A Shabbat Invitation

"Ellen, please come to my Shabbat," Daniel invited. This was no ordinary Shabbat dinner. Isaac, Jesse, and Daniel had set the table with a tablecloth, plates, cups, silverware and a challah covered with a leopard print cloth. Each item was placed just so. This is a favorite role play with this group of children and they are always looking for a guest to invite. Each time I attend, they welcome me with a more and more elaborately set table. What a treat to be invited to a Shabbat dinner in the middle of the week!

Welcoming Guests: Ideas to Try at Home

The concept of hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests, which is highlighted in this week's torah portion, can be practiced every day of the year. You probably already model and teach this mitzvah to your children, but actually framing the actions as mitzvot helps your child understand the actions through Jewish eyes. 

• When you’ve invited guests to your home, encourage your children to speak with them before they run off to play.
• When you have houseguests for an overnight visit, encourage your children to participate in making your guests feel comfortable. They can set the table for dinner, they can help bake cookies for dessert, etc.
• When you are invited to someone’s house for a meal, model for and explain to your children the importance of bringing a small gift as a way of showing your appreciation.

• Seek out a family that has just joined your synagogue or is new to your community, and invite them over for a meal this week. Involve your children in the planning and organizing and execution of this mitzvah. Let them help you decide what food to serve. Ask them to make place cards for the table. Encourage them to help you with some of the cooking. By doing so, you will not only help them perform the mitzvah right alongside you, you will also give them the opportunity to experience the inner glow that helping others can provide.

These examples involve some sort of action: planning, cooking, decorating, serving and ultimately demonstrating a genuine concern for and care about others. Everyone loves being welcomed and made to feel special and comfortable in a strange place. In doing for others, we are doing what we would like to have done for ourselves. Be positive and enthusiastic, and watch your children exhibit the same behavior. As you demonstrate graciousness and kindness to others, your children will be learning to do the same.

From Got Shabbat of the Union for Reform Judaism

Welcoming Guests: This Week's Torah Portion Explained

The section of the torah read by Jews all over the world this week is Parashat Vayeira (Genesis 18:1–22:24).  It brings us one of our most important Jewish stories of kindness to strangers. The concept of hospitality, also called hachnasat orchim (literally the “bringing in of strangers”), being extended to others is a central value of Judaism. An act of g’milut chasadim (loving kindness), hachnasat orchim is considered a mitzvah, or commandment.

In Parashat Vayeira, we learn about our patriarch Abraham, whose kindness to guests was exemplary.  Abraham kept the sides of his tent open so that he could watch for the arrival of guests. On this particular occasion, Abraham was in his tent recovering from his circumcision. However, when he saw the strangers coming, he swiftly ran to offer the very best that he and Sarah could offer. The welcome he and Sarah provided included providing the guests water for washing their feet and bidding them to rest in the shade. The guests were also served a leisurely feast that consisted of cakes of fine meal and tender calf. Abraham was such a gracious host that when they left, he began "…walking with them to send them off.” Genesis 18:16

Abraham and Sarah went to extraordinary lengths to make their guests feel welcome. Both he and his wife Sarah worked very hard to ensure that their guests, though strangers, were comfortable, safe, attended to and sated. They made this their priority and spared nothing in this endeavor. Modeling more than the standard level of courtesy, Abraham taught ensuing generations the true meaning of hospitality. He didn’t just fulfill this commandment, he did it enthusiastically and whole heartedly, fully embracing the joyful mitzvah of hachnasat orchim.


From Got Shabbat, a newsletter of the Union for Reform Judaism