On March 11 (Shushan Purim Day) Daled students went to a local bowling alley to review their learning about Megelat Esther (The Book of Esther) in a fun way. After bowling a few frames, students gathered around their teachers who asked them questions about the first few chapters of the Book of Esther. After answering these question students bowled more frames, which was followed by more review of Megelat Esther chapters, until ten bowling frames and ten chapters of Megelat Esther were completed. Students were energized during this fun experience by eating hamentashen.
Report cards have been mailed home and parents are welcome to make appointments to again discuss their child’s progress with individual teachers.
Students’ collected tzedekah money from the 2nd mini-semester will help send to several Jewish members of the U.S. armed forces “solo seder packages” under a yearly program sponsored by METNY of United Synagogue. Accompanying these “solo seder packages” will be student made Passover greeting cards.
Students in the Religious School are in the midst of preparing for the Passover holiday. They are reviewing their past learning about this “Festival of Freedom” and adding new understanding of the journey from slavery to observing a new way of doing mitzvot (commandments) as found in the Torah. The rituals of the Passover seder, like saying kiddush and blessings for eating the once-a-year symbolic “foods” of karpas (greens) and maror (bitter herbs), are being practiced. The “Four Questions” are being chanted by all students. Special attention is also being given to practicing the singing of the seder’s joyful songs of da-ye-nu, ah-de-rhu, and chad-gad-yar.
Religious School students and their parents are requested to bring to the Religious School “kosher for Passover” food items. Suggested “kosher for Passover” food items that would be most appreciated by recipients include: gefilte fish (jars), borscht (jars), tuna fish or salmon (cans), packaged cereals, cans of juice, vegetables, or fruit, macaroons (cans). Please do not bring in boxes of matza or any food items needing to be prepared or cooked. Representatives of the Student Council will help to collect the “kosher for Passover” food items brought in by their classmates. During the last weeks in April Religious School students will have special programs to help them focus upon: 1)Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Memorial / Remembrance Day) – Holocaust survivors Gary Holtz and Ed Weinstein will relate their personal Holocaust experiences to Hey and Daled students. 2)Yom Ha’atzmaut (Israeli Independence Day) - Religious School students will once again walk upon on a 30 foot X 15 foot floor map of Israel, gaining appreciation of the diversity of the physical / geographic areas of the Jewish homeland and the location of important Israeli cities. This “feet on” experience will be part of the school’s observing and celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of Tel Aviv.
Wishing all members of our Little Neck Jewish Center family a Passover holiday which is filled with family visitors, delicious tasting kosher for Passover foods, and a better understanding of how to share the joyous blessings of Judaism and of our religious freedoms with others.
Beryl Kwitkin
Education Director