Final Seekers Session of the Year!

For our final Seekers session, our students shared with their classmates, parents, and teachers what they had learned this year and how it has impacted their ideas and identity. 

Tamarim, with their teacher Batya, began their presentation with a beautiful song called "Let the Way of the Heart Shine Through." The students in Tamarim certainly let their curious spirits shine through as they shared not only what they had learned, but how they would take that learning with them beyond the classroom. For example, Rafi told us that in learning about Hannukah, he decided he would like to bring more light into the world. He is going to do so by giving food to the homeless. Ben and Scarlett spoke about Hannukah too, highlighting the joy and light it brought to their lives. Ben said he'd like to bring more light into the world by being more thoughtful about what other people are going through, given how hard this year was. Naomi shared that this year she learned a lot about G-d. She said these lessons helped her understand the world around her.

Rimonim, Leilah's class, presented what they learned about having respectful disagreements. The students did so by describing the different perceptions of G-d they'd learned about. Lark taught us about Schechina, the feminine divine presence of G-d, and Anna explained her understanding of G-d as an entity that is not presently active everyday, but rather an observer and communicator. Frank, using his best advertising voice, showcased the Pomegranate Kibbutz, and the class explored the pros and cons of living on a kibbutz. Lark said that it was great that men and women are treated equally on Kibbutzim, but it might be tough to live on a kibbutz with no wifi. Syrus concluded Rimonim's presentation with his three most important elements of being Jewish: knowing Torah stories, learning about our ancestors, and Jewish holidays.

Up next was Anavim, Stephanie's class. Anavim put together a beautiful collage, all building toward an idea of community mindfulness. Each student spoke about different ways to practice community mindfulness. Potato taught us about how the hamsa (fatima in Islam) ties Islam and Judaism together, thus connecting the two religions with a common symbol. Amaliya told us a beautiful story about the very first time the sun set. She described how everyone thought the world was ending because they did not know that the sun set everyday. Even though they thought the world was ending, they worked together as a community to comfort one another through their fears. Hobbes thought that sitting shiva was a very powerful practice of community mindfulness. Bringing food and company to those who are grieving is an important way of showing care and concern for your community. Julianna discussed how Esther's decision to tell King Ahasuerus about Haman's plan to kill all the Jews was a practice in community mindfulness because she was risking her own wellbeing for her community. For Marlow, the idea of community mindfulness really resonated within the story of Jacob wrestling with G-d. Finally, Javi concluded Anavim's presentation by wisely expressing that the Torah has many different interpretations, and it is up to us to decide what it means for our own lives.

Last, but certainly not least, Rabbi Nadia's class, Te'enim, discussed the power of journeys in reference to their upcoming B Mitzvahs. Each student took a moment to reflect on the tough year we've all had, and they each shared a journey they had gone through. Harlowe and Molly told us how they became more independent, and Ariella and Caleb explained how they expanded their interests and developed new hobbies. Sabrina said they became a kinder person during the past year. To conclude the presentation, the class read "For The Traveler," a poem that helped us all reflect on the journeys we take each and every day.

 

To all of our students: thank you for engaging, learning, and growing with us this year. It has been a pleasure having you in Seekers.

To our incredible teachers: your creativity, enthusiasm, and dedication are unmatched, and we could never have run such a wonderful program without your resilient spirit. 

We can't wait for next year, but for now לְהִתְרָאוֹת Seekers 2020-2021!