BABY ON BOARD! Chelsea Clinton and husband Marc keep it casual as they rock jeans while helping their kids Charlotte and Aidan into a car for a family dinner out. Chelsea Clinton and her husband Marc Mezvinsky were spotted taking their children out in a black car in New York…
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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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Fun Things to do at Home and at School with Sammy Spider
Sammy Spider’s First Rosh Hashanah (focus on sizes to reinforce holiday symbols as you teach size relationships, small, middle-sized, and large). Use a picture of Sammy Spider or a spider puppet. Ask children to help Sammy Spider find the smallest apple, the middle-sized challah, the biggest bowl of honey, the…
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Thoughts on the Pew Report by a Jewish Children’s Author
As a young child, I was charmed by All of a Kind Family, amused by the stories of Chelm and captivated by the Diary of Ann Frank. As a teenager, I was intrigued by Exodus and O Jerusalem. And as an adult, I finally read The Mouse in the Matzah…
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Sammy Spider’s First Mitzvah
Available this summer from Kar-Ben, Sammy Spider learns about the mitzvah of visiting the sick. “Achoo!” Uh-oh, Josh has a cold, and when his friend Moti delivers some chicken soup, Sammy asks, “Mother, may I have some chicken soup too?” Can you guess what Mrs. Spider answered?
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Early Childhood Educators take Sammy Spider to the Next Page
Spiders Spin Webs! Posted by PJECC Staff Rosh Hashana came and went, but the Junior class’ obsession with Sammy the Spider, from the book Sammy Spider’s First Rosh Hashana by Sylvia Rouss, decided to stay. The main line in the book is “Spider’s don’t celebrate Rosh Hashana, SPIDERS SPIN WEBS!” Last week we…
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