March 21st, Introduction to Israel

After the festivities of Purim, our community was ready to get back to learning! For the next two weeks, we are doing a unit on Israel, introducing the students to the idea of a Jewish homeland and the people who live in Israel as well as about the land itself.

Grace's class discussed how Jewish people live all over the world. They learned the song "Wherever You Go, There's Always Someone Jewish." Then they watched a video of Israeli and Ukrainian children celebrating Purim this past week in Israel. They noticed the ways in which their Purim celebration was both different and similar to ours and they shared their knowledge of the crisis in Ukraine. The class also talked about how they might feel connected to other Jewish people, even when they haven't ever met them before.

Arielle's class spent the session learning about how expansive Israel is. On Google Maps, they went to different places like the Western Wall, the Dead Sea, and Tzfat. They got to see all the wonderful places that exist on this tiny piece of land. The class even started planning a trip there, looking at flights, hotels, and must-see attractions!

Tali's class focused on the idea of "home" and how that idea relates to Israel. One student said "Home is where my family is and where I feel accepted. 

Adira's class listened to Achinoam Nini, a talented Israeli singer. They also talked about the meaning of "home," and Harlowe said that "Home is where you can be yourself." Another student spoke about the reason why they liked the quote from Pirket Avot 1:4 that says "Make your Home a meeting place of the wise and drink their words with enthusiasm." This student liked it because it was poetic.

Our Hebrew Highlight for this week is a shoutout from one of our teachers, Grace:

"Kuba, Theo, Charlie, and I had a phenomenal Hebrew session today. Everybody worked independently, stayed on task, and practiced reading out loud to themselves. I am so impressed by our students' progress. Kol Hakavod!"

Next week we will continue learning about Israel and the various groups of people who live there!

L'hitraot!