AM YISRAEL

As members of the Jewish community, we are commanded to demonstrate solidarity with Jews around the world, take pride in our Jewish identity and embrace our heritage.  As part of this ongoing theme in our Sunday morning rotations, we have been talking about what it means to identify as a Jew, how we show solidarity with Jews around the world, and what constitutes Jewish heritage. 

Students were asked to think about how Jews ended up all around the world, and what countries still have strong Jewish communities.  After identifying the major reasons for our dispersion, students were asked to think about their own families and how they arrived in America, Michigan, and ultimately, Oakland County. 

This discussion led us to talks about anti-Semitism, leaving family behind, and moving for better opportunities.  The discussion also began to lay the foundation for our Jewish History Time line.  Students were asked to pick a country with a strong Jewish population either in the past, or now, and report back to our class.  The purpose of the assignment is to give our students a point of reference in terms of Jewish history when learning world history in their 6th grade classrooms. 

The goal is to help our students understand that most world history events have a Jewish history connection, and having a Jewish point of reference helps us to understand that our life as a Jew is a part of of our JEwish identity which must be nurtured, recognized, and embraced everyday and everywhere. 

FALL FIX UP

Thank you to all of the families who participated in Sunday morning's Fall Fix Up.  It was wonderful seeing so many of our students working together to show our support for the community.  This simple act of kindness, referred to as Gemilut Chasidim, helps us partner with GOD in repairing the world.  The act of kindness and respect for the elderly helps to bring us closer to GOD, our community, and ourselves and it is what we are all about. 

DOING THE RIGHT THING

This Sunday is our Fall Fix-Up.  We will meet at the Oak Park Jewish Center and spend some time working together to help make the world a better place.  We have been talking about our responsibility to those in our community in both our 5th and 6th grade rotations.  The idea of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world is just part of the grand scheme of things.  We are commanded to work together to bring us closer to GOD, ourselves, and to the community, and one of the ways we do this by helping others.  

We have had some wonderful discussions in our class about the things we can do to bring us closer to GOD, and how difficult it is to talk about GOD.  We understand that there is something far greater than we are, but at times we struggle to understand what that is.  The best way to create a relationship with GOD is to try to always do the right thing, with the idea that this is the path we need to travel.  

Our Tuesday class has also been talking about ethics, and how it is important to think about doing the right thing, even if it is not the popular thing to do.  Ethics are the feelings behind the law, and they are often difficult to understand because they are not always the easiest choices to make.

The Ties that Bind

We have been talking about the things that connect us to Jews around the world, and the wonderful things about being Jewish.  It was so interesting to listen to our students share their thoughts about what makes them Jewish, and how proud they are to share in the traditions that bind us together. 

FALL FIX UP REMINDER

Project Tikkun Olam – November 13!

On Sunday, November 13^th, the Religious School will participate in Shaarey Zedek’s Project Tikkun Olam in partnership with Jewish Family Service’s 15^th Annual Fall Fix Up. Families should meet at the JCC in Oak Park at 9:30 a.m. 

This program is a part of the Religious School experience. As such, it replaces the regularly scheduled synagogue-based learning time. Fall Fix Up serves homebound older adults and those in need of minor home repairs and outdoor cleanup. Each family will receive 2-4 homes, located in close proximity to one another. It is a great way to teach your children about the value of giving back to our community!  

RSVP is due by Sunday, October 23^rd to ensure adequate space in the program. You may request 1 family to be paired with. Please contact Karen Davis to make your reservation in the program at kdavis@shaareyzedek.org or 248-357-5544 x60.

Tuesday Afternoons and the Living is Easy

Helping Rabbi Starr at the Learner's Minyan

Building community one day at a time

Jewish Identity

We have been talking about Ahavat Yisrael, and the commandment to demonstrate solidarity with Jews around the world.  We are also commanded to take pride in our Jewish identity, and embrace our heritage.  On the surface this seems like a simple task, but the students in our class have started to deconstruct the idea of Jewish identity, and what each of them stands for.  We have had some very interesting discussions, and we are beginning to recognize that each of us defines ourselves differently, but our common bonds connect us to each other, Jews in America, and around the world. 

On Tuesday afternoons we have been talking about building community and our connections to working together to make the world a better place.  We have been talking about the value of friendship, kindness and respect.  

We also had the opportunity to spend some time talking about Gilad Shalit, and the commendment to free a captive at all costs.  The discussion was quite interesting when we were confronted with the issue of the families that lost loved ones at the cost of the freed terrorists.  Our Tuesday afternoon discussions are quite enriching, and I encourage you to ask your children to share the discussions with you.