Our Rabbi’s, past and present, have taught us the importance of being a part of the community and have admonished us by saying, “Don’t separate yourself from the community.” Embodied within the Torah are values which teach us how to treat others. Several years ago at Simchat Torah, I showed…
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“Sorry is the word we use to show how much we care” Yom Kippur Observance for Children and Families
Yom Kippur, the day of atonement, is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. It is a day on which adults fast and pray. We ask God to forgive us and we apologize to those we have wronged during the past year. At the end of Yom Kippur services, the…
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Shavuot for Children, Parents & Teachers
Shavuot is celebrated seven weeks after Passover, usually in late May or early June when the wheat harvest ripens. Shavuot which means “weeks” is also known as the “Festival of First Fruits.” In biblical times, farmers brought bread baked from the spring wheat harvest to the Temple in Jerusalem as…
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Yom Ha’Atzmaut Celebrations and Two Video book readings for Children, Early Childhood Students, Teachers and Parents
Yom Ha’Atzmaut – Background Biblical Israel dates back 3000 years. After the destruction of the Second Temple 2000 years ago, the Jewish people were dispersed to other countries all over the world. It wasn’t until 1948 that the modern country of Israel was created. In 70 C.E., the Jewish people…
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Jewish Education, Writing Children’s Books and the Vilna Gaon
A story of Rabbi Elijah of Vilna influenced my decision to become a Jewish educator and ultimately, a writer. He is often referred to as the Vilna Gaon or Genius of Vilna. Born in 1720, he was studying the Bible and Talmud by the age of 6. Although he grew…
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Tu B’Shevat Holiday Links
Tu B’Shevat, the “birthday of the trees” begins soon. Readers may wish to re-visit my two posts by clicking on either paragraph: FOOD FOR THOUGHT ON TU B’SHEVAT published February 2012: The school where I work has a policy that allows for the use of food in sensory experiences. One…
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