Dear Parents,
We are excited to announce the engagement of Morah Shayna Alevsky today to Eliyahu Sapokchinsky of Westlake Village, CA! L'chaim will I"yH be on Monday in Brooklyn, details to be announced.
While we are sad to have missed Kivun on Thursday, several of our classes did learn about Tu B'Shevat this Tuesday.
Yesterday, I sent an email with Tu B'Shevat activities. Tomorrow, Shabbat, is Tu B'Shevat and it's also Shabbat Shira! It is customary to put out birdseed for the birds before this Shabbat. Shabbat Parshat Beshalach is always called Shabbat Shira because we read in the Torah about the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea, after which the Jewish people led by Miriam and Moshe, sang songs of praise to G-d.
Another reason for the name Shabbat Shira: The Medrash also tells us that when the Manna was given to the Jews in a double portion on Friday, tricksters Datan and Aviram put out Manna on Shabbat to show that the Manna fell seven days a week. The birds ate all the Manna that they had spread out, and when Datan and Aviram brought the other Jewish people to see the Manna
that "fell" on Shabbat, it had all disappeared, thanks to the birds! In gratitude, we feed the birds before this Shabbat. Easy birdfeeder: spread peanut butter on a paper plate and cover with wild birdseed and hang from your window bars or on your porch/terrace. We've had some feathered friends visit us this way!
When Tu B'Shevat and Shabbat Shira coincide, it's a great time to think about what we can do to protect this special world we live in: of trees and birds and all the other incredible creations of G-d. Together with your kids, think of one small change you can make that will protect our environment this Shabbat.
Wishing you all a warm and wonderful Shabbat!
Sarah Alevsky
Kindergarten
This week we learned about Tu B'Shevat, the New Year for the Trees! After going outside and looking at trees, we came back in and wrote down what we appreciated about them. We then made fruit faces with yummy fruit!
First Grade
On Tuesday, we continued to learn about the mitzvah of caring for animals. We took a walk to Petco as part of our Rechov Mitzvot adventures, and we looked at the animals and the various items that help us take care of our pets. We learned that it is a Mitzvah to feed animals before you feed yourself, and those of us who have pets, talked about what we do to care for them.
Second Grade
Tu B'Shevat is coming! We sang "Hashkediya Porachat" talking about the almond tree that is the first to bloom, and how on Tu B'Shevat we are celebrating the trees! We closed our eyes and tried to imagine: "What would the world be like without trees??" We wouldn't have oxygen to breathe, fruit to eat, wood to build houses, and paper to write on! Trees give us so much- and we went all around the
building finding things that are made from trees. We came up with some fantastic and creative things that we get only from trees. Then we took a little trip to the corner fruit stand and categorized the fruits and veggies that we saw into the proper Brachot- Ha'etz and Ha'adama.. and we got most all of them right!
We had a question: why do we celebrate the birthday of the trees now in middle of winter- when they look dead?? It's because deep inside, where we can't even see, little green shoots are starting to make its way up the trees to prepare to bloom in the spring.
We made our own little teeny tiny terrariums to hang around our necks, or wherever else we wish, and they will hopefully grow into beautiful blue 'forget-me-nots' by the time spring comes around!
Third Grade
On Tuesday we got the chance to check out The Jewish Museum on the Upper East Side. We took a journey of Judaism through art and artifacts, and learned about different Jewish communities and cultures throughout history. We talked about different artists and what they may have been thinking while painting, and what their lives might have been like. We are really looking forward to continuing our Jewish history through art exploration next week.
