Sunday  (Grade 5)

 

We began our year learning about the Jewish holidays, exploring the customs, traditions and prayers associated with each.   In addition, we are busily engaged in our wonderful Bible book, “An Introduction to Kings, Later Prophets and Writings.”  Together we are learning about the Ancient Kings of Israel, Saul, David and Solomon, examining all of their attributes and foibles.  The students have loved learning about King David and his complicated relationship with his son, Absalom, who later declared war on him.  The students show great interest in this book and ask many probing questions during our group discussions.  When possible, we try to relate the stories to our own lives.  When we are finished learning about the Kings, we will begin studying the ancient prophets such as Amos and Jeremiah.  In Hebrew we are studying the book “Yesh Lanu Lama,” an interactive textbook with many fun exercises.  Each week we read a new chapter in the book and then practice our Hebrew writing skills.  Currently, we are focusing on nouns and verbs and how they change depending on male or female context.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at ashulsinger@hotmail.com .

Ariela Shulsinger

Tuesday  (Grade 5)

My name is Betsy Miller and I will be teaching your children Judaica and Hebrew language on Tuesday afternoons.  This is my first year teaching at Temple Sinai, but I have taught kitah hey (fifth grade) for two years at another religious school.  My goal this year is for the students to enjoy learning Hebrew through fun, relatable activities.   I also want them to understand how Jewish values permeate the decisions we make, and situations that we face.  On Tuesday afternoons this year, we will be using two textbooks – Shalom Ivrit (Hello Hebrew), and Count Me In: Jewish Wisdom in Action.  As a group, we will focus on mastering modern conversational Hebrew reading, writing, and speaking.  We will do this by reading stories in Hebrew, having discussions about the stories in Hebrew, and also completing exercises and playing games to emphasize what we have learned. 
In addition, we will explore core Jewish values such as persistence, study, community, and peace.  We will delve further into these concepts by reading excerpts from ancient texts, such as the Torah and the Talmud, and also relate these values to our everyday lives.  In preparation for our parent/child family education programs, we will study the Book of Exodus.  Twice a month, we will have a Tefillah service in the sanctuary with Rabbi Vogel.  Every Tuesday, I will be giving your children homework to complete for the following Tuesday.  Please make sure that they remember to bring it with them to class!  I am really looking forward to getting to know your son or daughter.  If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me at bets8184@yahoo.com .

Betsy Miller