T'Shuvah for Rosh Hashanah

During the High Holiday season, Jewish tradition teaches us to look at the things we have done that might have hurt or offended other people and apologize to those we have harmed. We must then promise to not act the same way again. This very difficult process is called teshuvah, and we spent the better part of our morning talking about things we have done that require us to do teshuvah, based on Rabbinic Interpretations.

Our Rabbis tell us there are four steps to doing teshuvah:
1. Confession - I did it
2. Remorse - I feel badly for doing it
3. Asking for Forgiveness - Repairing the Damage
4. Accepting Responsibility - Not doing it Again

For homework this week, student are asked to find two people they have hurt in the past year, and ask them for forgiveness, using this four step process.

Wishing you and those you love,
Peace, Health, and Happiness, Love and Laughter!

L'Shanah Tova, Barbara and Tracye

L'Shanah Tova

New Moon, New Month, New Year

Shavuah Tov! The students in Kitah Vav are moon watching this month. On Tuesday, we continued our travels through the lunar calendar and saw first hand how everything we do is directly related to being Jewish. We are not just "Jewish" when we are in the synagogue or at Religious School, but our whole being is connected to being Jewish. Our behaviors and our values, how we treat others, the foods we like and dislike; all of these things define who we are as Jews. Likewise, when we look in the sky and follow the moon, we are connected to Jews throughout the world. Because the Jewish calendar is lunar based, all we need to do is follow the shape of the moon, from new to waning, and full to waxing, and we connect to Jews around the world, celebrating the Jewish holidays together.

Bite Your Tongue!

Last Shabbat was National LaShon Hara (hurtful speech) Awareness Day. LaShon Hara is not about lying. It is about hurting others with the truth. This morning we talked about saying unkind things to others. As we approach the end of the Elul, the Hebrew month of Repentance, we are challenged to "bite our tongues, " and avoid..

Speaking negatively about someone else (even if they don't hear us)
Saying something that may cause damage to another person or their property
Saying something that may cause embarrassment, humiliation, pain or fear
Saying something that is not mean, but still causes embarrassment or humiliation

Take the LaShon Hara challenge and avoid saying anything hurtful all week long.

AWESOME!!!

Thanks to the families that followed the blog this week. Don't forget to check in with us on Sunday for your mitzvah point. Monday is the first day of fall, so enjoy the last few days of summer and a great weekend.

Sing When the Spirit Says Sing!

Shalom and Welcome to the Kitah Vav Community. After reviewing the ins and outs and ups and downs of our week, we had some time to share our experiences with each other. We talked about where we came from, what we did today, and how we spend our time away from Religious School. We discovered we have many differences, but in many ways, we also have quite a bit in common. Our similarities, and the single thread that reached the entire group helped to identify our connection to each other, and set us on a path to build our Kitah Vav community.

In addition to going to camp, being in the same Religious School class, or attending the same school, we are connected through similar experiences, values, and interests. This week we spent some time finding a common bond through music. Many of us like the same muscians, groups, or singers. We also know nursery rhymes, children's songs and prayers that help us to connect with each other. When we pray together, we share the words of our ancestors and build a community through song.

This was seen so clearly as we began to study the Amidah, taking the words from Oseh Shalom and putting them to music from our past experiences. Each group of students presented their own rendition of Oseh Shalom, and we enjoyed praying for peace through a wide variety of tunes, including the Michigan Fight Song, Laffy Taffy, Twinkle Twinkle, and ABC. In addition to having a good time, visiting with our friends, and working for the good of the group, it was wonderful to pray together, building our Kitah Vav community, and connecting through music, words and spirit.

TIME to TALK:
Ask your child to share the meaning of Oseh Shalom with you, and maybe you can have a sing-along too.

Can You Hear Me G-D?

Sunday and the Year is 5768

Our Circle of Life Block has begun and this morning we started to talk about the moon and the sun, the lunar and solar cycles, the Hebrew and Gregorian calendars, and how to convert a regular year into the Hebrew Year. For extra credit, ask your child to tell you the Hebrew year they were born in. On Tuesday, have them let us know they shared the information with you, and we will reward them with a mitzvah point. Have a great week, Barbara

The Amidah - Blessings of Praise

Live from B'nai Israel...It's Tuesday in Kitah Vav and the honeymoon is still going strong. Your sixth graders are really working hard, and they are a pleasure to teach. Today we introduced the Amidah, the central prayer of all Jewish services. Working in small groups, students had a chance to dissect the first three blessings of the Amidah, the Avot, the Gevurot and the Kedusha.

Time to Talk: To help improve the world, how can we be mighty and strong?

Welcome to Kitah Vav

Shalom from the bowels of Shaarey Zedek. After weeks of dreading my move to the basement of the shul, I am slowly becoming acclimated to my new classroom and actually enjoying the pleasant nook the sixth grade now calls home. The walls are freshly painted, the tables and chairs are new and blue, and the bulletin boards await the day when they will display the work of our 45 sixth graders. This morning we spent some time introducing ourselves, as most of our students had the advantage of knowing each other, but we were out of the loop. It didn't take us too long to get the "toilet paper" rolling, and then each student shared several thoughts about themselves, based on the number of sheets they unrolled. Everyone had a few nice things to share, and we all had a nice start to our year. Before calling it a day, we set the guidelines for a safe learning environment, and each student shared their vision for a positive working environment. Stop by our classroom to see some of their ideas, as they are posted on the board for all to see. Have a great week, see you Tuesday at B'nai Israel, Barbara and Tracye