Programming for ages 0-18!
Kadima & Teen Zooms Tonight!
Kadima Check-In  (5th-7th grades)

Thursday, March 26 @ 7:30 pm

Rabbi Ain and Hannah will be hosting a Zoom check-in to discuss the short film, Joe's Violin. 


The Zoom link is  https://zoom.us/j/898248528
N'siyah Teen Check-In 
(8th-12th grades)
Thursday, March 26 @ 8:30 pm

Rabbi Ain and Hannah will be hosting a Zoom check-in to discuss the short film, Joe's Violin. 
 
Click here to watch Joe's Violin--it's 24 minutes long.

The Zoom link is:  https://zoom.us/j/898248528
Celebrate Passover with SPS
"Seder to Go" Orders due TOMORROW, 3/27
Pickup and Limited Delivery on Tuesday, 4/7

"Seder to Go" food orders, catered by IZ Events, must be done by THIS Friday March 27 and they will be available for pick-up and limited delivery on Tuesday, April 7.
 
Seders can be purchased in a package for 4 people or individually in increments for 1, 2 or 3 people.  

SPS Digital Haggadah: Coming Soon

While it's not your Bubbie's haggadah, we are working hard on a digital, shareable, SPS Haggadah for our community to enjoy together! With contributions from KNS, JRS and the greater SPS community, we are excited to share this special haggadah with the community.

More information coming soon! 

Four Questions Practice
JRS March Highlights
Thank You

Thank you, everyone, for your support as we transition to our virtual learning experiences. We are still working out the kinks, and we appreciate your flexibility as we become more comfortable and skilled with virtual teaching. If you have any feedback about your virtual learning experience, please let me know! We would also love to get any pictures of our children engaging in our virtual learning experiences-please send them to me if you have any!

Thank you, also, to our wonderful JRS teachers. Their hard work, creativity, flexibility and passion for teaching make our virtual religious school possible. They are quickly adapting and gaining comfort with the new technologies and teaching methods that we are using, and they tackle every new challenge with a positive attitude. 

While we are all facing new challenges as we work, live and learn in one place, continuing to spend time with our JRS and SPS communities makes the challenges easier. 

Click here to email Alyssa.
Gan (Kindergarten)

Looking Back:
  • Purim: We began our studies of Purim by learning about the story and making puppets of all of the characters. For our second class, we made hamentashen together. We poured the ingredients, mixed the dough, filled them with jelly or chocolate, pinched them, baked them, and then ate them. They were delicious!
  • Passover: We started the Passover story, from slavery in Egypt, through the 10 plagues (punishments), and finally through the Sea of Reeds to freedom. The story centers around Moses, and we colored in the letters of his name that had images from his story. Our next class-our first virtual learning class-focused on the foods we eat and cannot eat on Passover. We learned that we do not eat bread or anything that rises to remember the Jewish people rushing out of Egypt and not having time to let their bread rise. Finally, we decorated a seder plate for our seder table. We talked about each item on the seder plate and what it reminds us of.
Looking Ahead:
  • For our last lesson before Passover, we will learn the four questions.
  • After Passover, we will focus on Hebrew before Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day).
  • We will also prepare for Shavuot-when God gave the Jewish people the Torah.
Thought Question:
  • Do you think it was fair that God gave the Egyptians plagues/punishments? Why or why not?
Kitah Aleph (1st Grade)

Looking Back:
  • Hebrew: We have made so much headway in our Hebrew letter books! We are reaching the end of the aleph-bet and are also reviewing the letters we learned at the beginning of the year. This class loves working in their aleph-bet books and cannot wait to do their work every week. 
  • Torah Stories: Our Torah study lines up nicely with the upcoming Passover holiday. Most recently, we studied the Jews' crossing of the Sea of Reeds and learned about how the Israelites celebrated reaching the other side and escaping Pharaoh's army. This served as an excellent segue into our Passover studies. 
  • Holidays: We learned about and celebrated Purim this past month. We baked hamentashen and decorated gift bags-Mishloach Manot-for our families. This was a way for us to partake in one of Purim's many traditions as a community. Last week we began our virtual learning about Passover by discussing the differences between chametz (bread and other leavened foods) and food that is Kosher for Passover. The children showed us examples of these different types of foods in their own homes. We are also learning about the seder plate. 
  • Community: We recently took a tour of SPS and shared our observations of different Torah sculptures, stained glass, and mezuzot in the building. We then had the opportunity to design our own synagogues! 
Looking Ahead:
  • We are going to continue getting ready for Passover by learning about the different parts of the Seder, focusing specifically on the Kiddush. 
  • After Passover, we will learn about Israel as we celebrate Yom Ha'Atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day).
  • We will continue learning Torah stories-when the Jews wandered in the desert for 40 years and God gave them the 10 Commandments, and subsequently the Torah. This ties in perfectly with Shavuot!
Thought Question:
  • Why is chametz (bread/leavened foods) not Kosher for Passover? What foods are Kosher for Passover? 
Kitah Bet with Annie (2nd Grade)

Looking Back:
  • Hebrew: We focused on practical applications of our Hebrew skills by exploring how to read and recognize letters in the Four Questions. 
  • Torah Stories: We learned all about Megillat Esther and the story of Purim. We were also able to catch up on some of our journal questions.  We're excited to be able to share how we personalized lessons and Jewish values from the Torah stories we've learned at the end of the year!
  • Holidays: The students celebrated Purim as a group with Esther's class. We learned about the importance of and created Mishloach Manot (gift bags for friends and family), in addition to creating our own "Purim play" which we performed for Esther's class! For Passover, we have learned virtually about how the Jewish people got to Egypt, and about Moses. We have begun discussing the different rituals of Passover, and we have been practicing the Four Questions a lot.
Looking Ahead:
  • We will continue to discuss the importance of the upcoming holiday of Passover and discus all the different rituals and traditions involved.
  • We will continue working on our Hebrew through reading out loud with the prayers and songs we use in our Jewish life.
  • We will continue learning about the importance of Israel, all the historical and fun things we can do there, compare/contrast Jewish holiday celebrations, and work our way towards Yom Ha'atzmaut! 
Thought Question:
  • We always end class by asking "what is one thing I can do this week to help myself, the world, or others?" It helps remind us of little actions we can take every day that make a big impact.
Kitah Bet with Esther (2nd Grade)

Looking Back:
  • Hebrew: We are continuing to work on letter identification and recognition and reading simple vowels. We have been using our textbooks and playing many flashcard games which help us remember the names and the sounds of the letters as we read them. We can also use the website, www.DahBear.org, to help us practice. We have also learned new words related to Purim and Passover such as megillah, haggadah, seder, maror, matzah, etc.
  • Torah Stories: We learned about Jacob and his sons and about Joseph and his brothers.  We learned that Joseph was sold by his brothers and became a slave in Egypt. He rose to power and became an advisor to King Pharaoh. He helped Pharaoh prepare the nation for seven bad years of regional droughts. Due to this drought, Jacob and his family went to Egypt as the famine was breaking in Canaan and were reunited with Joseph. This is how the Jewish people ended up in Egypt, where they were enslaved a few generations later. We also learned the Passover story-Moses' birth, upbringing, and return to Egypt to lead the Jewish slaves to freedom! -
  • Jewish Holidays: We learned the story of Purim which took place during the Babylonian Exile. Mordechai and Queen Esther saved the Jews from the vicious man, Haman, and from his plot to kill the Jews. After reviewing the story, the students made mishloach manot (goodie bags) for their families. We listened to Purim songs and we also watched a Purim Shpiel performed by Annie's class. For Passover, we are virtually exploring different kinds of haggadahs. We discussed that no matter where you are, as a Jew, you hold a seder and you read the haggadah. We are also working on reciting the Four Questions.
  • Israel: We have continued learning about Israel. We can locate cities and geographical areas on the Israeli map. We can identify Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Eilat, The Negev (desert), The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), Dead Sea, Red Sea and more.During our hafsakah (break during class), we listen to Israeli songs and we watch Israeli videos of the natural beauty of Israel and its landmarks.
Looking Ahead:
  • We will continue practicing the Four Questions and preparing for Passover.
  • After Passover, we will continue learning about Israel and practicing our Hebrew in preparation for Yom Ha'Atzmaut, Israeli Independence Day.
  • We will also learn about the holiday of Shavuot, when God gave the Jewish people the Torah while they were wandering in the desert after leaving Egypt.
Thought Question:
  • What challenges do you think the Jews faced during slavery in Egypt? 
Kitah Gimmel (3rd Grade)

Looking Back:
  • Hebrew: We continued working on learning the Hebrew letter names and sounds through games and workbook pages. We are also using individual Hebrew tutoring and www.DahBear.org to continue practicing our Hebrew reading.
  • Israel: We continued researching cities in Israel and presented them to our classmates.
  • Holidays: For Purim, we made hamantaschen together and learned about the four mitzvot of Purim-giving charity to those who need it, making giftbags for friends and family, enjoying a festive Purim meal, and hearing the Purim story. We also made our own Megillah scrolls. For Passover, we are focusing on reading the Four Questions. We also learned about maror-the bitter herb on the seder plate.
  • Torah Stories: We explored the story of Joseph and his brothers by acting out plays. During our virtual learning, we have been focusing on the Passover story-how the Jews ended up in Egypt, who Moses was and how he lead the Jews out of slavery with his brother Aaron.
Looking Forward:
  • We will continue working on the Four Questions and will learn about the karpas section of the Passover seder.
  • We will continue working on our Hebrew reading through individual tutoring sessions and by practicing on www.DahBear.org.
  • After Passover, as we approach Yom Ha'Atzmaut, we will continue with our Israel learning and practicing our Hebrew reading. We will also have a special Yom Ha'Atzmaut celebration in April.
  • We will learn about what happened to the Jews after leaving Egypt-wandering for 40 years, getting the Torah, etc. as we approach Shavuot.
  Thought Question:
  • Why is Israel important to us? What are we excited to do there?
Kitah Dalet (4th Grade)

Looking Back:
  • Hebrew: This month we continued work on Ashrei, digging deeper into the vocabulary. We also began learning several songs for Passover, including The Four Questions and the Order of the Seder.
  • Torah Stories: We explored the story of Joseph and his brothers by acting out plays. During our virtual learning, we have been focusing on the Passover story-how the Jews ended up in Egypt, who Moses was and how he lead the Jews out of slavery with his brother Aaron.
  • History: We began learning about the history of Mizrachi Jews, focusing on their origins and movements throughout the Middle East.
  • Israel: We explored the various Jewish groups in Israel today and their histories. We also learned about Purim in Israel and how it is celebrated amongst secular and religious Jews. 
Looking Forward:
  • We will continue to work on Passover songs in Hebrew, learning the words and melodies. We will also continue with Ashrei in our individual tutoring sessions.
  • After Passover, we will learn more about the waves of aliyot (immigration to Israel) from around the world and how the various groups of Jews returned to the Land of Israel.
  • We will also continue our Torah Stories-focusing on how the Jews received the 10 Commandments and the Torah in honor of Shavuot.
Thought Question:
  • What is something you have come to appreciate about the Jewish community in light of recent events? 
Kitah Hey (5th Grade)

Looking Back:
  • Hebrew: To shake things up, we played collaborative and improv-based games to get even more comfortable with the words of Gevurot. Now that Passover's approaching, we're practicing the Four Questions in individual Zoom sessions with Paola and Kitah Hey teachers. We can continue working on our Gevurot vocabulary on www.DahBear.org.
  • Life Cycles: The last life cycle event we focused on was how to acknowledge death. Kitah Hey students learned about the Jewish practice of shiva and wrote their own phrase to say to mourners upon leaving a shiva house. To wrap-up our unit on Life Cycles, Kitah Hey wrote letters to their future eighth-grade selves as a way to think about what kind of people they want to be as they approach their bar and bat mitzvahs. 
  • Israel: Our new unit on Israel is off to a great start! We had a chance to share things we know and questions we have about Israel and challenge ourselves to think outside the box about what Israel looks like. 
  • Torah Stories: Kitah Hey students have had discussions, played games, and used skits and improv to explore the Torah portions Beha'alotkha and Shelah, as well as going back and getting a sense of the bigger picture of how all of their Torah stories fit together.
  • Holidays: We had our Kitah Hey Mitzvah Day at the end of February, which focused on the Purim mitzvah of mishloach manot (gift baskets to friends and family). We also explored the other mitzvot of Purim and briefly reviewed the Purim story. For Passover, we are focusing on the "fours" of the seder-the Four Questions and the Four Children.
Looking Ahead:
  • After getting super comfortable with reading (and singing!) the Four Questions in time for the Seder, we'll wrap up with Gevurot, and begin working on learning the Kedusha in our individual Hebrew tutoring sessions.
  • We will continue exploring the "fours" of Passover, as well as the idea of "letting all who are hungry come and eat" at the Passover seder.
  • As part of our Israel studies, each Kitah Hey student will learn about the history and culture of a specific Israeli city. They will have the opportunity to teach each other, and we'll continue learning more about what makes Israel so special. Students will have the chance to explore what they find meaningful and interesting, whether it be the history of the kibbutz movement, a political figure like David ben Gurion, an artist like Naomi Shemer or Rachel the Poetess, or the how Jewish communities from all over the world made Israel their home. 
Thought Question:
  • What Jewish lifecycle event do you find to be most meaningful? Why?
Kitah Vav (6th Grade)

Looking Back:
  • Torah Stories and Leadership: We have spent the majority of our time talking about different biblical leaders that we see after the Torah narrative in Prophets and Writings. We made our way from Joshua to Deborah.
  • Holidays: We reviewed the Purim story, focusing on Queen Esther as an important Jewish leader. For Passover, we looked at how Moses, Aaron and Miriam demonstrated different but complementary leadership styles in the Passover story.  
  • Hebrew: We have continued working on learning the Torah service and gaining fluency and comfort with the words. We have also been practicing Hebrew words using pictures from Purim, as well as playing matching games with Hebrew word cards.
  • Israel: We worked individually on projects about the various wars in Israel's history as a lens through which to learn about Israel's tenuous existence. The goal of these projects is for students to learn from their own research and from each other about when and why the wars occurred, and what the outcomes were in Israeli society. We also worked on projects about different branches of Zionism prior to the founding of the State of Israel. We began our Israel unit by reading through Israel's Declaration of Independence and considering if the state of Israel lives up to its values. 
Looking Ahead:
  • As Passover approaches, we will circle back to our Holocaust studies, learning about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (which actually began on the first night of Passover). We will also learn about the cups of Elijah and Miriam in the Passover seder.
  • Students will continue presenting their Israel projects as we teach each other about Israel's complicated, tenuous history.
  • We will continue working on the Torah service during our individual Hebrew tutoring sessions. 
Thought Question:
  • How can we use the challenges our ancestors faced as inspiration to help us overcome challenges that we are currently facing?
Kitah Zayin (7th Grade)

Looking Back:
  • Speak Like a Jew: We have continued working on our Modern Hebrew by adding verbs to our Hebrew pantomime game. We are now up to nearly 40 verbs that we play with regularly.
  • Think Like a Jew: In honor of Purim, we looked at Megilat Esther through the lens of feminism, and clarified our own values around feminism. We also looked at numerous examples of feminism in the Torah, highlighting aspects of familiar stories in new ways.
  • Act Like a Jew: As new (or nearly new) Jewish adults, we began exploring what it means to lead a seder and how one goes about doing that. Students looked at the structure of the seder and broke it into sections to think about what questions they'd like to ask and how they want to encourage participation in the parts of the seder.
Looking Ahead:
  • Speak Like a Jew: Students will have individual Hebrew tutoring with Paola or Yardena to ensure that they are practicing Hebrew reading in addition to Modern Hebrew.
  • Think Like a Jew and Act Like a Jew: In the context of Passover, students will explore the text from the Haggadah that invites "all who are hungry, come and eat." They will have a values discussion and identify what that statement really means, and how we live up to the values in the Haggadah.
Thought Question:
  • What does, "let all who are hungry, come and eat" mean to you? What do you do to live up to this statement?
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