Sunday, December 11th - Getting ready for Winter Break!

For our K-3 students today was the last day of classes for 2011! That meant lots of Chanukah parties in anticipation of the Festival of Lights. Don't forget Chanukah starts the night of December 20th. Here's what all of our classes were up to this Sunday.

Kindergarten

Today was our wonderful Chanukah party. We wrapped presents, painted dreidels and heard a story, "Mrs. Greenberg’s Messy Chanukah." We had bagels and cream cheese, latkes and applesauce! Yum! Then we made edible dreidals, yum-yum! We also played pin–the–candle on the Menorah. The day was filled with fun and games. Thanks to everyone for the generous gift card (which was not necessary, but greatly appreciated). I hope everyone has a happy Chanukah and healthy, Happy New Year. See you all back on Sunday, January 8, 2012!

1^st Grade

Chanukiot, dreidels, gelt, latkes and sufganiot helped bring the joy of Chanukah to our classroom. We began the morning recounting the story of chanukah. We reviewed Judah the Maccabee and the Jewish people’s fight for religious freedom. We also talked about the miracle of the bottle of oil that lasted for eight days and nights . We went over the meaning of

More Fantastic MACTown pics!

Temple Judea hosts a very special holiday party!

Our 7th graders hosted a holiday party for residents of MACTown. MACTown's primary mission is to improve the lives and further the independence of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in South Florida. We had 10 MACTown residents join us for dancing, latkes, picture frames and fun! Thanks to Lisa Heiblum for coordinating this awesome program!

Here's what was happening in the other classes:

4th grade: We discussed the metaphor of Noah "walking with God" and about assigning God anthropomorphic characteristics. We discussed the Theme word "covenant" and the number of times it was used. Our Davar Ha Yom was "sacrifices" which was quickly guessed in the hangman fame. In Hebrew we sang the Chanukkah blessings and talked about their meanings. We played the two chanukah games with reading Hebrew syllables and matching Chanukah themes.

5th grade: Today the 5th grade had a quiz in Hebrew on the Shema and Hebrew roots.  The quiz was difficult for most students. We reviewed the  material afterwards and they were able to understand it.  It is important for students to be able to read prayers and understand what they mean.  Students can easily review the material on the website.  EVERYONE should try to log in. If you can't, please ask the school office for help.  Next Wednesday, the 5th grade will have it's last class of the semester and a Chanukah party.  A sign up sheet is posted outside room 3. We will miss the Coral Gables Elementary students.  Have a great Chanukah and winter break!

6^th Grade Today we practiced the Chanukkah candle blessings. Wealso practiced the Aleinu and Ashrei. For the first time we read interesting articles from the Zim Zoom magazine about teen life in Israel. In Judaic Studies we played games to review the information we covered through the semester and then planned for our party. 

Sunday, December 4th at Temple Judea

Kindergarten
Today we focused on Chanukah. We read "Engineer Ari and the Hanukah Mishap" and "A Chanukah Riddle book." We painted menorahs and made beautiful Chanukah wrapping paper. We had music with
Benny and closed with Family Tefilah. Next week we have our class Chanukah party.
1st Grade
Excitement is in the air as we prepare to celebrate Chanukah. Students acted out the story of Chanukah. We discussed the miracle of the oil. We made shields to remind ourselves that we must be brave like Judah the Maccabee. We must do everything we can to keep our freedom and help others to achieve the same.

November 30, 2011

This Wednesday was a very difficult day at Temple Judea. We have experienced a terrible loss with the death of Vicki Hamersmith, mom to Sofie, Cameron, and Kasey. Students had a chance to discuss this in their classes and make cards for the Hamersmith kids. We also had Wednesday tefilah which was an opportunity to come together and express both our sadness and our gratitude. In addition, our 4th grade classes learned about the 613 mitzvot in Hebrew, and delved further in to the story of Cain and Abel in Judaic studies. In 7th grade we did planning for next week's holiday party with MACTown. We discussed what MACTown is and what to expect next week. We also planned some fun activities like gingerbread cookie decorating and also making holiday picture frames.

A Super Sunday - Here's what happened on 11.20.11

Today was super busy! Our 6th graders went all over the building taking pictures as part of the Jewish Lens program. They also created a bulletin board that will teach the community about Yachdav and involve them in the program. In 5th grade Judaic Studies we reviewed the concept of Tzedek (justice). Each student was able to name multiple characters from the Bible who demonstrate just behavior. After reading quotes from the Bible about justice, the students created skits to demonstrate how we can express tzedek in a modern day setting. In Hebrew the 5th grade started 

Our First Kitah Kef (and other events from 11.16.11)

Kitah Kef (literally "fun class") is the collaborative program offered by the education and youth departments at Temple Judea. It highlights the best possible blend of formal and informal education. This past Wednesday, all of our 4th-7th graders competed in the Torah Board game. Pictures and video to come! Here is what else happened. In 4th grade Hebrew we played a game reviewing lessons 14 &15. We also worked on chanting the V'ahavta. In Judaic Studies we began the story of Cain & Abel with a discussion of fairness, anger and jealousy. In 5th grade Judaic Studies we talked about justice and wrote examples of justice and how to act with justice. In Hebrew both Maccabi Herzeliyah and HaPoel Kfar Saba studied the Maariv Aravim prayer--a parallel prayer to the Yotzer Or, for the evening service. We are going to continue with the Shema and its blessings. The 6th graders learned about the city of Haifa. In 7th grade we caught up in our small groups. Rabbi Siegal worked with students on the structure of the service, Erica reviewed the Avot V'Imahot, and Beth worked with students to create games to review important Judaic terms - like Talmud and aliyah!

Thanks to all the families who joined us for Family Moments!

Sunday, November 13th Spotlight

The 6th grade practiced the reading and chanting of the Birkot HaHaftarah and Aleinu. Please remember to bring the Siddur booklet every week. In Judaic Studies we read about Masada. In groups we made word splashes. Today in 5th grade we continued our study of Tzedek. After playing relay games with no rules, we discussed the importance of how to behave or act. We read the holiness code and chose our favorite section. 4th grade students learned the words mishpacha and chai today. We just have one more sentence in the V'ahavta to learn and we are reading Hebrew much more smoothly. In Judaic Studies we completed the creation story of the Garden of Eden. The D'var HaYom was "creation" and "brother." We began the story of Cain & Abel. The 3rd Grade added hey to the letters we already know. Today we visited Masada and learned about Josephus. 2nd graders learned the vav and koof. We began our study of the book of Exodus. The 1st graders drew a picture of God’s promise to Abraham that his descendant would be as numerous as the star in the sky and the grains of sand. Each child made a personal connection to this promise as they identified themselves with one of those stars and grain of sand.

Signing the Shema at Family Tefilah!

Kindergarten Family Program - It's Bedtime in the Morning!

Sunday, November 6th - Here's what happened!

Kindergarten

Our focus today was the Jewish commandment of Tzdakah. In keeping with our theme of love your neighbors yourself; we discussed when our “neighbors” need help, we give tzdakah to help those in need. We read the story the very best place for a penny by Dina Rosenfeld, and we talked a little bit about what we can do with the Tzdakah money we collect. We also decorated our own tzedakh boxes.

1^st grade

We had a very busy day learning about Abraham and Sarah. We learned that they were the first Jewish man and woman and they realized that there is only one God. They also teach us how to welcome others and how to share. The value of welcoming the stranger is called Hachnassat Orchim. We made a picture of them welcoming visitors. Benny taught us new songs during music time. We ended the day at the sanctuary with Tefillah and a video about the fun to be had at Camp Coleman!

2^nd Grade

We enjoyed singing with Benny in Tefilah. We played a Hebrew game & heard the feather story.

3^rd grade

The third grade continued our hebrew study by adding the nun to our collection of letters and vowels. After

November 4th - Religious School Highlights!

Shalom! Today the 7^th grade learned about the different levels of Tzdakah. In groups, we brainstormed different material and non material ways to help the poor. Then every group was given an envelope with strips of paper and on each piece of paper was one of Rabbi Moses Maimonides' 8 levels of Tzedekah. Each group was challenged to put the pieces of paper in order from the least to the most generous ways to give. Then the groups compared their ladder to Rabbi Moses Maimonides ladder and got the chance to defend their order. 6th grade started a project about Tel Aviv & the Dead Sea. We made a posters about why tourists should visit these places. In Hebrew we played a vowel game and we practiced the shvah rules. The students mastered the blessing before the Haftarah reading. They read aloud to the class to receive a "pass." We also read the Aleinu. In 5th Grade Hebrew we played Yotzer Or Bingo and worked on our Chanukah Song. In Judaic Studies we discussed our new unit “Tzedek” or Justice. First, we talked about fariness and how we define what is fair. Then, we read the story of “Abraham argues with God." Afterwards, we debated how we thought the story ended. 4th grade Judaic Studies discussed the inclination to temptation as Eve was tempted. Each student gave a personal example. In Hebrew we learned several new words. We played going up the mountain with out Hebrew reading words and we counted from 1-20 in Hebrew.

Mitzvah cooking for Camillus House

Sunday, October 30th Highlights!

Kindergarten

Today we were busy learning all about Shabbat. We went over the blessings, and talked about the special symbols and rituals associated with celebrating this weekly holiday. We read the Shabbat Box, and the children decided they want to make a shabbat box in our class too. Then each week a child will get a turn to take the shabbat box home. We also read a book about Noah, and the kids were amazed that Noah was 600 years old when he built the ark! We finished our Torah art project, drew shabbat pictures and had music with Benny. It was action-packed as always. 

1^st Grade

We learned about the story of Noah. God created the rainbow as a covenant with Noah and all of humankind. God promised never to flood the entire Earth again, and we promised to act in God’s way doing good and doing the right things. We made a rainbow, and then wrote things we promised to do in order to fulfill our promise to God. 

2^nd grade - Mrs. Rodriguez

We enjoyed music and sang Modeh Ani. We had a discussion about Rachamim, showing compassion.

2^nd grade - Mr. Levy

We learned the Dalet, Vet and completed the first lesson of CHAI Torah learning. It is all about the Torah and how we are ready to embark on our journey into the book of Exodus!

3^rd Grade

Today in Hebrew we reviewed dalet & the silent vowel. We also learned Alef. We began our holiday books that we will share with kindergarten later on in the year. We also learned about King Solomon. 

4^th Grade

In Hebrew, we learned two new vowels that say OO. We learned 2 words with our new letters: kiddush and sukkah. We played a reading game as well as tic tac toe with the key words from lessons 1-12. In Judaic Studies we read and discussed the two creation stories and compared and contrasted them. We played a baseball quiz to reinforce our learning and the students had a chance to visit the library.

5^th Grade

In Judaic Studies we created brochures to demonstrate our understanding of the value of Hachnassat Orchim (welcoming the stranger). We showed how we could implement this value today and why it was so important. In Hebrew we took a quiz on Yotzer Or and used the cd to play games and reinforce our learning. 

6^th Grade

During Judaic Studies we played a game to review our learning on Wars before the founding of the state of Israel, basic Israel facts, and the regions of Tel Aviv & the Dead Sea. In Hebrew, we introduced the Aleinu and discussed the way Aleinu is said in our Synagogue. We also practiced reading the prayer for the first time.

Wednesday Events (10/26/11)

4^th Grade

Learned samech, sin, the ch vowel and the Hebrew words for grandma, grandpa and Israel. We reviewed all that is involved in the Havdalah ceremony and played a reading game with our new words. In Judaic Studies the 4^th Grade class compared the 2 creation stories – the one earth related & the other family related. They learned the words Dam, Adam, Adamah, Eesh and Eesh-a-h. The learned what midrash is and looked at an example – Wnen God made Adam, God collected dust from the corners of the earth –white sand, rich black soil, red & yellow clay. 

5th Grade

Mrs. Goldberg's 5th grade class created a beautiful Yotzer Or bulletin board.  The class also opened the class CD and studied and played on 4 school laptops!  Now that everyone knows how to use the CD, please take time and study for 10 minutes every day. We will have a quiz on the first 6 lines of the prayer on Sunday.  You can all do it!!! Today in Judaic Studies  we read the story of “Eliezer meets Rebecca”. Then we came up with modern day versions of the story. Then we switched papers and added on to our friends stories. This lesson is designed to show the students how many different ways there are to show Hachnasat orchim.

6^th Grade

In Judaic studies, we reviewed information in the book about Tel Aviv and the Dead Sea. We used that information to create questions for the game we will play next class. In Hebrew we reviewed the Haftarah blessings - they sure are tricky! 

7th Grade

For the first hour we got new teachers and topics for smaller learning groups. Then, when the class got back together we learned about what it means, and how organizations qualify, to be a 501c3. It was a complicated topic but the class did a great job catching on!

5th Graders Tackle the Yotzeir Or!

What happened on Sunday! (10/23/11)

Kindergarten
Our focus today was the concept of “Love your neighbor as yourself." We drew pictures to put up on the bulletin board of ways we can treat friends (neighbors) in the same manner that we would like to be treated in. We learned about Rabbi Hillel and learning Torah while standing on one foot!
First grade
Today’s class focused on Genesis chapter 1 and 2 – The stories of Creation. We learned that God created in an order and the process of Creation ends with Shabbat: a celebration of that Creation. The second story teaches us that we must take care of the world. God created Adam and Eve to help each other. We made a chart of the creation process and we made a tree with the name of the people who help us.
Second Grade - Mr. Levy 
Today we made edible Torahs and learned the Hebrew letters Resh and Chaf.
Second Grade - Mrs. Rodriguez
We learn how to say my name is in Hebrew. We had recess and played Masoret. 
3rd grade
In Hebrew we reviewed our third vowel sound—the E vowel.  We also learned a new letter, Dalet, and started to learn about the silent vowel.  After music, the class was split into two teams, Beersheva and Sde Boker, two important places in the Negev desert.  They learned about an important person connected to the place and a little about why people visit there before presenting about the place to the class!
4th grade Hebrew
We learned vav and vet and mitzvah (commandment) and Havdalah (separation). We played a game with all of our Hebrew key words and we learned about the Havdalah ceremony.
4th grade Judaic Studies
We created a diary for Adam or Eve and discussed if we would like to forever live in the garden of Eden or venture into the world. 
5th grade
In Hebrew we continued to work on the Yotzer Or (thanks to Seth, our sub). In Judaic Studies we continued our discussion of Hachnasat orchim. After brief review, we read the story of “Joshua sends spies to Canaan.” When we completed the story, we compared Rahav with other characters who exemplify the values of Hachnasat orchim, like Abraham, Boaz, and Ruth. We finished the day looking at the children's story written by Gilad Shalit when he was 11.

6th grade

Today we had our first Yachdav class. This is the program partnering us with a school in Israel. This session was made up of two stages: a game and a trigger poem entitled “That kid is me" by Yehuda Atlas. After the reading we discussed what things you need to find out in order to know somebody. Each student wrote facts that make him or her special. We also had our first Jewish Lens class with Candice Maze and talked about objective and subjective interpretations of photographs!

Rabbi Goldberg LOVES his props!

Hag Sameach - Happy Simchat Torah!

It's Simchat Torah - 10/19 Update!

Shalom and Hag Samach! Today the 7^th grade learned about and celebrated simchat torah. The class split into 5 teams and completed against each other to answer Simchat Torah trivia questions. Then each group was given puzzles where they had to find words in the Torah based on the book, chapter and verse. Then all the classes came together for Simchat Torah services where we sang and danced with the Torah. The 7^th grade helped hold the Torah as it was completely unrolled. The Torah almost stretched around the entire Sanctuary! In 6^th grade we finished the movie “The Wave” and started talking about the movie and its similarities to historical events. We also watched the movie The Making of the Torah. The movie explained facts about the process of making the Torah: the scribe, the feather, ink and the style of the letters. In 5th Grade the Hapoel Kfar Saba group made their own sukkot and reviewed the prayers for Sukkot and discussed the upcoming holiday of Simchat Torah. The Maccabi Herzeliya group spoke about the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and continued to learn the Yotzer Or.  They are up to line 5 of the prayer--half way there!!  Please use the CD to practice 10 minutes a day.  It will be much easier and faster.  We celebrated Simchat Torah as a community and rolled the Torah scroll all the way out and around the Sanctuary so our rabbis could read the last and first sections, thus starting the cycle of Torah reading over again for another year. In 4^th Grade we learned tet, tav, torah and talit. We played around the world reading hebrew words with our new letters.

Sunday, October 16 Highlights!

Today Kindergarten was very busy! We had music, a visit to the sukkah, and consecration rehearsal. That left us with only 30 minutes to squeeze in our snack and a story. We heard On Sukkot and Simchat Torah by Cathy Goldberg Fishman which gave us a lot of information on the history and customs of these holidays. First Grade explored the four species that make up the lulav and etrog and made edible Sukkot. 2^nd Grade learned the Alef Bet letters kaf and vav. We waved the lulav and visted the sukkah. In 3rd Grade we learned a new letter, mem, and the "ee" vowel.  We then did an activity that led students to discover one of the most precious resources in Israel, water.  The end of Sukkot starts the rainy season in Israel so a prayer for rain is added at this time. We made and ate edible Sukkot! The 4^th Grade learned resh and the ay vowel. We played up the montain with our new reading words and learned the Succot blessings. We also reviewed what we learned about the Torah from the Rabbis. We went into the sukkah & welcomed our new students. Today in  5^th Grade we continued our celebration of the holiday of sukkot. First, we talked about the requirements of building a sukkah. Then, we built our very own sukkot: they will be on display in the class room next Sunday. 6^th grade focused on the blessings after the Haftorah reading. The central theme is the statement that God is “The one whose every word is dependable." The last part the blessing is about shabbat. We also looked for Kamatz Gadol during the reading of the blessings. Then the entire 6^th grade played a sukkot game all together. 

Hag Sameach - Happy Sukkot! 10/12/11

In Hebrew Fourth grade played "Fill the Sukkah," a game reading words with tzadee and final tzadee. We learned the Shabbat blessings and sang 3 sentences of Vahavta. In Judaic Studies the class researched different aspects of sukkot. One group read Leviticus 25:39, another group read the Mishnah rules for building a sukkah, another group measured the Temple’s sukkah, and another told about the ushpizin. The fifth grade class talked about the holiday of Sukkot with “advanced” word finds (crosswords puzzles) to reinforce our vocabulary. Then, we learned the sukkot prayers and enjoyed eating lollipops in the Sukkot it’s a mitzvah after all! In Hebrew we studied the first two lines of Yotzer Or.  The class made some great progress!!!  For both groups there will be a quiz on these two lines on Sunday.  Use your books and especially your CD for review.  You can do it!!! Sixth grade focused on the blessings after the Haftorah. The central theme is that God is “the One Whos every word is dependable." The last part of blessings is about Shabbat. We also looked for Kamatz gadol during the reading of the blessings. We also began watching a movie called “The Wave.” This movie is about a high school teacher trying to teach about the Nazi’s rise to power. The 7^th grade participated in several sukkot activities as a class. We learned that there is always a full moon on the first night of Sukkot. We also heard from classmates who will be serving as Student Ambassadors. They had great ideas. All of the classes visited the sukkah with Rabbi Siegal and attended the congregation's Sukkot service. Hag samach!

Wednesday,October 5, 2011

4th Grade discussed the quote: “Apologizing does not always mean that you’re wrong and the other person is right. It just means that you value your relationship more than your ego.” Then the class read the first chapter of Being Torah. We discussed Theme words and Number words that we will find thought text. In Hebrew we learned tzadee and final tzadee and the words matzah, meetz (juice). We also did a reading game and wrote a teshuvah-gram to God for Yom Kippur. 5th Grade continued our study of Hachnasat orchim. First we read the story of Ruth and discussed the characters’ respective choices. Then, we broke into groups and talked about how to incorporate the tenants of Hachnasat orchim in to our day to day lives. 6th Grade read the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel. In Hebrew we completed the learning of the blessing before the haftarah. We practiced our reading and focused on the Hebrew vowel sh'va. We also worked on Teshuvah skits demonstrating the four steps to Teshuvah.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Kindergarten focused on Yom Kippur, their actions during the past years, how we pray for forgiveness, as well as having better behavior in the future. We read the story about K'tonton (Jewish Tom Thumb), the Yom Kippur Kitten and Jonah. Then we made our own big fish books! We also enjoyed music class with Benny. We continue to work on our songs that will be sung at consecration. First Grade prepared for Yom Kippur, the day of atonement. It is a time to reflect on how we behaved during the past year. We say “I’m sorry” to the people we not act correctly with. We then drew pictures of the things we were sorry for and we promised to try harder to be the best we can be. We recognize we missed the mark and we are determined to do our best to hit the bull’s eye with our actions next year. Second Grade learned about how hard it is to do Teshuvah! Third Grade learned the Hebrew letters Mem & Laned. They wrote personal letters to God asking for forgiveness so that we can have a happy 5772. In Judiac Studies we finished our brochure on the Negev. We learned what children in Israel do during Yom Kippur. We also learned about the high priest and what would happen when he entered the Holy of Holies. Fourth Grade read the story of Jonah and the students illustrated the story and wrote “What is the message of the story? Why is it read on Yom Kippur afternoon?" In art we made Siddur covers. Fifth Grade started yotzer or. Please practice lines 1-3. The Judaic Studies class started our new unit, Hachnasat orchim. We read he story of “Abraham and the three vistors” and came up with a list of how to best welcome guests to our homes. Finally, we created skits that demonstrated how Abraham would act in variety of situations. We learned it is a Jewish value to welcome people into our homes. Sixth Grade began the learning of the Haftorah blessings and discussed the meaning of the root. We made the connection to the time of the Maccabees when Antiochus banned Jewish practice and we made a connection to our freedom. We also completed our letters to God that soon will be posted on the classroom board. In Judiac Studies we read and discussed the history and culture of Tel Aviv.

Highlights from 9/25

Today was the first 6^th grade family program. We answered questions about ourselves and played a Jewish board game with our families. The 5th grade Hebrew class completed the first chapter of our book, Kol Yisrael.  The students learned a little modern Hebrew as well when they welcomed each other using the proper form for masculine, feminine, singular and plural. In Judaic Studies we concluded our study of Talmud Torah by creating our very own review games. We're looking forward to staring our next unit, Hachnasat orchim, on Sunday. At the end of the day the entire 5th grade came together for a craft project--making Jewish

Wednesday was Great! 9/21

We had a great afternoon together. For our 4th-6th graders this was the first Wednesday tefilah where we got to use the Mishkan Tefilah prayerbook, the new screens in the sanctuary, and learn new songs with Benny! There was also plenty of class activity...here's what we did:

In 4th Grade the Tel Aviv group had Judaic Studies and licked honey on a plate as they pretended to be living in the year 1850 in Poland and just starting to learn torah. The honey reminds us that the words of the Torah are sweet! The Jerusalem group reviewed all our letters, vowels, key words and played a reading game with our new letters and words. We sang Rosh Hashanah Hebrew songs and counted 1 - 10 in Hebrew.

In 5th Grade we had our first discussion of Tanakh (Torah, Neviim and Ketuvim). We reviewed the five books of Torah and then we talked about stories from Neviim and Ketuvim. Finally, the students wrote "Jewpardy" questions. Well have a great time playing on Sunday!  In Hebrew we focused on getting those pesky Hebrew vowels behind us! Mac and cheese and a game of Oy! helped solidify the task of learning the vowels.  We also reviewed the Barechu.  On Sunday we will be completing the Barechu and learning about blessings for Rosh Hashana.  Don't forget to practice for 10 minutes each day!!

Today in 6th grade Judaic studies, we used our Artzeinu books to learn about Israeli geography. We worked in groups to find the blanks on a map of Israel. In Hebrew we watched The New Beginning by Rita Rosen. The movie focuses on the symbols and traditions of the days of awe. It illustrated the rituals of the ten days of repentance. We discussed the meanings of the words connected to the High Holy Days: Tshuvah, Yom Kippur, Rosh Hashanah

The 7th grade used the first hour of class in small groups - one group met with Rabbi Siegal and read a passage from the Talmud and another group met with Beth and talked about possible ideas for their Mitzvah project. In the second hour we joined together and did an Internet scavenger hunt on jchoice.org. We will be using this in class during the year.

Judea High's Elul Playlist

Alan Goodis led us in this awesome program! What music can help you get in the spirit of the High Holy Days?

Teen Pics:
Hakuna Matata (Lion King)
In My Life (Beatles)
Uncharted (Sara Bareilles)
Life's What You Make It
Born This Way (Lady Gaga)
Float Away (Modest Mouse)
Apologize (One Republic)
Stronger (Kanye West)
Where is the Love (Black Eyed Peas)
Don't Stop Believin' (Journey)
Need You Now (Lady Antebellum)
Hey You (Pink Floyd)
21 Questions (50cent)
Skyscraper (Demi Lovato)
Waving Flag (K'naan)
Bless the Broken Road (Rascal Flatts)
Here Comes the Sun (Beatles)
I'll Be There (Jackson 5)
One Day (Matisyahu)

Staff Pics:
Coming Home (P. Diddy & Dirty Money)
Best Day Ever (Mac Miller)
Amazing (Christina Aguilera)
Man in the Mirror (Michael Jackson)
I'm Not Afraid (Eminem)
I Should Have Known (Foo Fighters)
Seasons of Love (Rent)
Whatcha Say (Jason Derulo)
Firework (Katy Perry)

Sunday Sept. 18th - AMAZING Parent Open House

It was wonderful seeing so many parents today - in case you are wondering what the kids were up to - here are some of the highlights!

First Grade learned about Rosh Hashanah: its meaning, symbols and rituals. We also learned about the importance of community. Kindergarten focused on Rosh Hashanah and committing to good behavior towards others in the year ahead. We learned about Tashlich – the casting off of our bad behaviors. We threw bread crumbs into the water table on the playground to represent the things we have done wrong in the past year.  Our 2nd graders  learned the Hebrew letter “Bet” and spoke about why we should learn Hebrew and the importance of the language. The third grade began our study of Hebrew, exploring why we read from right to left. We also learned shin and the ah vowels. In Judaic studies we created our passports & did a word search. 4th Grade reviewed dalet, the o vowel and did a reading game with our new letters and words. In Judaic studies we took a tour of the torah museum & met the 5 main people who took us through each book. 6th Grade Judaic studies completed our final historic word splash. This word splash was about the Holocaust. Today we also continued learning the Birkot HaTorah. We are in the second part of our letters to God, and Today the students started their decorations. 5th Grade officially started our first Judaic Studies unit, Talmud Torah. We read various Brachot for inspiration and upon completing our discussion created and illustrated our very own prayers. The Hebrew class took a short quiz to see what they know really well and what they still need to learn. There are many students who are confused with the vowels. Please study the vowels for 10 minutes each day using your vowel pamphlet or the back of your blue machberet (notebook). Thank you to all the parents who were able to be at open house. It was wonderful seeing you!

Here's what happened Wednesday 9/14/11

4th Grade
Hebrew: On Wednesday we learned Ayin, Bet, Aleph. Our new words were Abba (dad), am (people). We played a Hebrew reading game with our new letters and words. We sang Rosh Hashanna songs and reviewed the highlights, customs & terms in Hebrew.
Judaic studies: The class read and recited the prayer that is recited before the study of Torah. Many students wrote their own meaningful prayers and we briefly spoke about the five books of Torah.

5th Grade
Hebrew: Student discussed why Hebrew is important to them. They reviewed vowels and the Barechu. Sunday we will have an assessment, so please study the vowel pamphlet given out! I look forward to seeing parents come to open house and sharing the goals for this year. Your support is essential to your child’s success.
Judaic studies: Today in class we discussed how to look up specific sentences in the torah. As a fun,

September 16, 2011

7th graders began our cohort program. Grouped by Bar/Bat Mitzvah dates, the students study concepts that are relevant to their lives and being active members of the Jewish community!

Professional Development

Jill Band, our Margaux School Director, and I are participating in a two day workshop on instructional mentoring at CAJE-Miami!

8th Grade - First Night at Judea High

8th grade is a "bridge" year - and Rabbi Siegal kicked off Judea High for our Tzofim group by talking about bridges! The group created a time line of life from birth to adulthood and talked about where the students see themselves in that timeline. We sang a song "The whole world is a narrow bridge, but the most important part is not to be afraid" and talked about why being on the bridge between birth and adulthood can be a scary place! The teens used legos to represent the bridge that they are on. It was a great first day!

First Sunday - Temple Judea was jumping!!

It was so exciting to welcome back all of our K-3rd grade students - and welcome so many new students to our religious school program! It was truly inspiring to look around the sanctuary during Family Tefilah and see that the place was STANDING ROOM ONLY!!! We hope this is a trend we can continue!
All K-6 students, led by Ali Gates, JTY Social Action Vice President, and Youth Director Sharon Israel, assembled over 1,000 emergency care kits that will be delivered to the homeless in Miami through the Lotus House Shelter, Camillus House, and the Miami Coalition for the Homeless. What a great way to start the year!
Wondering what the kids were doing all day? Look at these summary statements from this morning's classes!
Kindergarten: The focus of today's lesson was introducing children

September 11, 2011

Religious school students used their hands as helping hands, creating over 1000 emergency care kits to deliver to the homeless in Miami!

AWESOME First Wednesday!

It was great having all of the 4th-7th graders back at Temple Judea!! Here are some highlights from the first day:
4th graders met their Hebrew and Judaic Studies teachers! In Hebrew it was time to review the letters and vowels and start to get in the mood for Rosh Hashanah. In Judaic Studies we played a few games to get to know each other and created rules that will make for a happy environment.
5th graders had the chance to play Temple Judea bingo - asking each other all kinds of fun questions (and working on listening skills). In Hebrew, the class discussed their expectations and goals for the year.
6th graders spent the afternoon talking about what they would be learning this year, and what knowledge about Hebrew and Israel they are bringing to this year of study!
7th graders got into their class with a number of ice-breaker games - to reconnect with each other and the 7th grade teaching team. The group then reflected on what they have learned since they began school in preschool and ended with what they wanted to learn in the coming year.
We can already tell it is going to be a GREAT year!

Welcome Back!

We can't wait to see everyone on the first day of Religious School! Grades 4-7 start on Wednesday, September 7th. We'll see K-3 for the first time on Sept. 11 and will welcome our teens on Monday, Sept. 12!

May 22 - Last Day of Religious School!

What a wonderful time everyone had celebrating our last day of Religious School! We had class parties, music, fun and lots of goodbyes. Everyone had a chance to sing and celebrate at our last Family Tefilah of the year. Our third graders received their new Siddurim in order to continue their commitment to their religious education. It was a great way to end a great year!

All of us at Shir Ami Religious School
wish our families and friends a
fantastic, safe and healthy summer!

Sunday, May 15 Highlights!

In Hebrew today, the sixth graders focused on the concept of Peace. The students discussed the idea that even within the Jewish tradition, peace is not a static image, and that we all have different ideas of what peace means. In Judaic Studies, everyone took a final quiz to gauge how much they have learned this semester. The students also enjoyed discussing what they can look forward to in the seventh grade as they prepare for the upcoming Bar and Bat Mitzvah season!
Our fifth graders finished their CD of all the Hebrew prayers. Everyone

Teacher Appreciation Week!

We love our teachers! This week, our Religious School teachers at Temple Judea were treated to a wonderful dinner hosted by our very own Education Committee. Thank you to everyone on the committee for making the dinner beautiful and festive! Appreciation for our teachers and staff will continue this evening in the Sanctuary and Grossman Room as we honor the faculty and enjoy a delicious Oneg afterwards. A huge thank you to all of our dedicated, hard-working, awesome teachers!

Wednesday Highlights - May 11, 2011

Fourth graders celebrated Israel as they danced some new Israeli dances and sang Israeli songs this evening. They also tested each other on their Shabbat blessings and studied the ten commandments of Shavuot.
Fifth grade discussed the funeral process as part of their lifecycle curriculum. Everyone made their own copies of Jewish mourning manuals, and wrote eulogies for deceased family members, friends and well-known celebrities. Overall the students learned the importance of the step by step process of what happens when someone passes away.
Our sixth graders reviewed information for the quiz this coming Sunday in Judaic Studies. In Hebrew, the students focused on the word kadosh (holy) in their prayers as they discussed the importance of this concept and explored its meaning.
Seventh grade continued with their cohorts in the first hour. In second hour, they joined the sixth grade for a Kitah Kef that demonstrated their knowledge about Israel!

Highlights - Wed. 5/5/2011

We had a busy day getting ready for Yom Ha'Atzmaut - Israeli Independence Day! In 4th grade Mrs. Bulbin led Israeli dances and the singing of HaTikvah. The 4th and 5th graders also participated in an Israeli-themed Kitah Kef. They had to advertise different areas of Israel. The 6th grade is preparing for an end-of-the-year quiz in Judaic Studies and explored the meaning of community in Hebrew. Our 7th graders worked to synthesize their learning for the year, combining direct service, advocacy, and community organizing. Our Kabbalat Torah students had a rehearsal of their service - please join us this Friday, May 6th at 6pm to recognize our Kabbalat Torah students and celebrate Israel's birthday!

Highlights from Sunday, May 1!

Kindergarteners began today by discussing the birthday of Israel - Yom Ha'Atzmaut. To celebrate, everyone made Israeli flags and talked about how special Israel is to the Jewish people.
In first grade, the class focused on the Shehecheyanu blessing - a

Sunday, April 10 Highlights

Our fourth graders started off the day with their parents as they enjoyed the 4th Grade Family Program, A Personal Passover. Each family was challenged to create a portion of the Passover story by using only construction paper and butcher paper. It turned out to be beautiful!
In Kindergarten, the children learned

4th Grade Parent Program

4th grade parents study the art of midrash. After exploring two different ways the rabbis resolved the conflict that the angels went "up and down," we discussed our own explanations - everything from this being a language idiom to a psycho-analytic analysis of Jacob's dreams. This guy definitely had some mommy issues!

Highlights from Wednesday, April 6

As we get closer to the Passover holiday, our focus this evening was apparent as the fourth grade was tested on the Four Questions, sang songs from the Haggadah and played a game with Passover terms in Hebrew and English.
Fifth grade Hebrew students finished learning the G'vurot, and everyone worked with a partner to make sure they were reading the prayer correctly. In Judaic Studies, fifth graders continued their discussjon of marriage. Everyone made a list of questions they had about what a Jewish marriage is so they can ask the Rabbis at a later date.
Sixth graders watched a video about Israeli Mitzvah heroes in Judaic Studies, and learned about how even an average citizen can do his or her part to save the world. In Hebrew, the students watched a video that focused on the first parsha in the Book of Exodus, and discussed how Moses needed to overcome his disabilities to fulfill his mission.
Finally, our seventh graders continued their study of ways in which they can get involved by looking at the world. With tikkun olam (fixing the world) in mind, they looked at advocacy as an option, and they explored how advocacy is different from direct action. Everyone had the opportunity to think about how they could use advocacy to apply it to an issue they care about.

NATE Accreditation Welcome

We look forward to welcoming Robin Eisenberg, RJE and Marlene Myerson, RJE to Temple Judea. These educators are coming as the last phase in our NATE Accreditation process. They will be meeting with lay leaders, staff members, students, parents, and teachers. They will also be observing classes on Sunday morning. B'ruchim Habaim - we are excited to show off our school!

Sunday Highlights - April 3, 2011

If you had a chance to visit us today, you would have had a chance to see many of our budding artists at work. Our first through sixth graders showed their talent as they made beautiful matzah plates for Passover - don't forget to put it on the table as an addition to your Seder decor!
Kindergarteners also reviewed those important Four Questions with Ms. Meredith. They had a discussion about the questions and some of the symbolism of Passover, including why we recline on this holiday. Everyone decorated cushion covers for the families to use for their special reclining at their Seder.
First graders also had a chance to talk about symbolism while discussing the Seder plate and some of the traditions of Passover. They discussed the ten plagues using masks and volunteers. Everyone joined in as they played a fun riddle game called "Who am I?" to show off their Passover knowledge as well!
In second grade, after the Art project and a review of some Passover prayers, everyone enjoyed learning special Hebrew words and playing games with their new vocabulary. Students in Ms. Miriam's class played Mazoret and the winners received prizes!
Our third graders learned

Highlights from Wednesday, 3/30!

Everyone enjoyed a quiet Wednesday this evening as our seventh graders resumed their unit on social entrepreneurship by looking at how students can get involved in making a difference through direct service. Sixth grade dove deeper into learning about the four quarters of Israel, particularly focusing on the Armenian Quarter. On Sunday they will examine the Museum Quarter. In Hebrew, the sixth graders completed their thank you letters to God and reviewed their Passover prayers.
Our fifth graders continued their work on the G'vurot, and have finished half the prayer. Taking a step back and looking at all they have learned to date, they recapped and were impressed to see how many prayers they have memorized! In Judaic Studies, they talked about conversion and Judaism. By reading the story of Ruth - the story of the first conversion - the students were able to recognize the positive manner in which conversion is viewed by Jews from all over.
Fourth Grade continued studying their Passover prep, including the Four Questions, and retold the Passover story using key Hebrew words. The also played a fun game related to the V'ahavta. See you on Sunday!

Officer Jackson visits Judea High!

Last night the students in Judea High (8th through 12th Grades) had a special program Officer Frank Jackson of the Coral Gables Police Department. Officer Jackson gave the students lots of great info about distracted driving - statistical data and powerful stories. The discussion was about all kinds of different things we should NOT be doing while driving: texting, putting on makeup, changing a CD, joking around with other passengers, etc. Officer Jackson stressed how important it is to show responsibility when driving and also when going out to social events where drinking and drugs can be readily available. He explained that even the best students in the most affluent of neighborhoods are not immune to the dangers of negative social behavior, and that being cautious and aware - even while having fun - is a priority. Ask your kids to tell you about this informative and vital discussion!

Sunday, March 27 Highlights!

Welcome back to Sundays at Temple Judea! Spring is here and Passover is around the corner - and our Kindergarten class began the new season by learning the story of Passover and creating a mini-mural to show what they talked about. They also had a chance to sing with Ms. Meredith in Music.
First grade jumped right in as they began discussing the Exodus story and acting it out. They decorated cups for Elijah and Miriam, and played a chametz-sorting game - fun! The Hebrew letter of the day was mem, and the class made a big letter mem out of M&Ms!
Second graders were reintroduced to the Four Questions for Passover, and learned a few new Hebrew

Wednesday, March 9 Highlights!

Our fourth and fifth graders began their evening as they continued to plan their Purim Carnival booths during an energetic and fun Kitah Kef. In the second hour, fourth grade made yummy Hamentaschen in Judaic Studies as they learned the blessings for all types of foods - including Hamentaschen! In Hebrew, the fourth graders played a game with tricky Hebrew words and worked on some fun pages in their Purim booklets.
The fifth graders continued discussing the various types of mitzvot: tikkun olam, g'milut hasadim, kashrut, tzedakah, hachnasat orchim and bikkur holim. Everyone wrote down the different ways they could perform these mitzvot on a daily basis.
Sixth grade focused on Purim today in Hebrew. In the first hour, they reviewed the mitzvot and traditions of the holiday, and discussed its role in the Midrash. In Judaic Studies, everyone participated in reading and discussing biblical stories. Learning more about Jerusalem, they studied subjects like the Kotel and how marriages are performed and perceived.
The seventh graders continued with their cohorts in the first hour, and joined up with the sixth grade in second hour as they enjoyed Kitah Kef together. They continued working on their awesome booths for the Purim Carnival.
Remember - Wednesday, March 23rd at 5:30-6:15 pm for Purim Shpiel and 6:15-8:00 pm for Carnival!! Until then, have a wonderful Spring Break!!

March 6th Highlights!

Temple Judea was abuzz this morning with lots of activities!
Purim preparations were afoot in many classes. Our kindergarteners put on their own Purim shpiel and created Purim masks. The first grade made paper hamentashen and had a mishloach manot exchange. Our second grade classes joined together to bake yummy hamentashen under Mrs. Rodriguez's watchful eye.
The third grade used all kinds of methods to review Hebrew letters, including play-dough! Their Israel journeys took them to Modi'in, home of Judah Maccabee (who is related to another Jewish holiday. Fourth graders reviewed the Purim story in Hebrew and had a chance to act out

March 2, 2011 Highlights!

Kitah Kef was the name of the game this evening - our fourth and fifth graders enjoyed the first hour together as they planned their booths for the upcoming Purim Carnival, which will be held on Wednesday, March 23!

The sixth and seventh graders had their opportunity to do the same in Kitah Kef during second hour -everyone had a great time coming up with ideas and putting them in to action. Next week, we will have the same Kitah Kef schedule for the 4th through 7th graders so they can finish up.

Fourth grade in second hour had a chance to be tested in Hebrew as a few people chanted the V'ahavta and the Hatikvah. The fifth grade reviewed their Hebrew Mastery Books in Hebrew class, and the Judaic Studies class discussed

Today's Highlights - Sunday, February 27, 2011

If you happened to be at Temple Judea today, you couldn't help but notice our third graders and their families as they enjoyed the 3rd Grade Family Program: A Walk Through Israeli History. They had a great time as they met and spoke to Golda Meir, Ilan Ramon, Yoni Netanyahu and more. As part of the program, the third grade families also enjoyed tasting delicious Israeli food like falafel and Israeli salad.
The rest of the Religious School stayed busy in classes as the Kindergarteners began discussing the story of Purim and made a puppet of characters such as Mordechai, Esther and Haman. First graders completed their Genesis journey today with

David Ben Gurion visits Temple Judea!

Thank you to all of our volunteers who helped with our third grade family program!

Wednesday, February 23 Highlights!

Our 4th, 5th and 6th graders had a great time at Tefilah today and had an opportunity to share their knowledge of the prayers with each other. Fourth graders played a reading game with the V'ahavta prayer in class, and they began learning the Hatikvah as well. In Judaic Studies, the fourth graders continued working on their Dream Notebooks. They also divided in groups that they chose themselves in order to plan the decorating of the bulletin boards (designers, artists and writers). In fifth grade we learned a new song by Dan Nichols called "Sweet as Honey" that we will be singing at this week's Jr. Congregation service on Friday night (February 25)! We'd love to see everyone there! In sixth grade, we played a Jewpardy game with our information about the New Jerusalem, and our Hebrew class practiced the Aleinu and the Shabbat evening Kiddush. We also learned about our new BLOG....and how we can practice our prayers and reading skills by using it. Everyone loves the idea, and we love sharing our news with you!