December 2023 | Tevet 5784

Kindergarten-2nd Grade Monthly Newsletter

Learning about how to place the candles

What did our students learn?

The past few weeks have been very exciting and creative for our students! We explored Day 6 of Creation and learned that all living creatures that walked, crawled and slithered on the ground as well as the first people were created on that day. The children learned the words B’tzelem Elohim, created in God’s image, which means that Adam was created in God's spiritual image, not physical image.

On Day 7, God rested, and we took a deep dive into the rituals of Shabbat. We heard the blessings as well as how to move our bodies during Hebrew Through Movement when doing the blessings. And of course we learned about the two miracles of Chanukah: the Maccabees who defeated the Syrian army as well as the 8 days that the oil lasted. The children had so much fun retelling the story of Chanukah and sharing what their favorite part of the holiday was!

The artist the children learned about

What did our students do?

Our students were very happy to show their creative sides. For the 6th day of creation, the students learned about the Israeli artist, Hanoch Pevin, and how he turns everyday items into art. The children took a walk outside and collected small pieces of nature to use to create a self portrait in the style of Hanoch Pevin.

The classes created their own books to wrap up the unit for Creation. For Shabbat, the children made drip mats and used air dry clay to create their own Shabbat candlesticks. The students played Chanukah bingo as a reinforcement of what they learned during classroom time.

The Family Table

The learners have really enjoyed our discussions about the Torah and what was created each day as well as the history of Chanukah. Here are some questions or conversation starters that you can discuss with your learner:

What was created on the 6th day? 

What was missing from creation? What would you have created?

What ways can our family spend time together on Shabbat?

How many days did the oil last after the Maccabees entered the temple?

What do you like to put on your Latkes?

Student's Corner

Here are some of the many thoughtful comments we heard from our students this past month:

“I would have created a giant spider that could build a huge web to crawl into.”

“I was brave like Judah Maccabee when I jumped off the diving board all by myself!”

“The best part of Chanukah is eating latkes, opening presents and watching the candles burn.”

“Singing Chanukah songs was so much fun.”

“I wonder why God created humans last.”

Chanukah Special Event: Chanukiyah Making with the Men of Reform Judaism