Shalom Shiraniks!
A big Mazal Tov to all who participated in last week's
Shira Shabbatarama! The junior choir/Shira class did a wonderful job
singing the tunes that made Shabbat so musical!
We've been a busy bunch in Shira. With the help of our TA's, the students are completing their Jewish Composer timelines in preparation for presenting them to the class after we return from winter break.
During Bring a Friend Week, the 5th and 6th grade classes combined to retell the Hanukkah story with a twist - the students each had a portion of the story to tell, but they had to do it in the style of a popular film, TV show, game or cartoon! (2013 was the world debut of classics like "The Hunger Games Hanukkah" and "Minecraft Maccabbees!"
5/6 and friends getting instructions for their stories
We broke into groups, choreographed and rehearsed the skits
Then it was performance time!
After the skitswere finished, we all had a special Hanukkah tefillah in the Sanctuary.
We also practiced the Hanukkah blessings and learned the Hebrew words for the things we use to celebrate Hanukkah.
COMING UP:
The students will present their composer to the class on our first Sunday back from winter break - January 5th. Parents - please help your child find a prop to use or wear that will help him or her "become" his or her Jewish composer (nothing elaborate required - a simple hat, a pair of glasses, a bowtie, etc. should suffice).
Also, we are beginning to learn the music of Dan Nichols in preparation for this year's Spring Fling, in which Shira will be Dan's "back up" group. To get a taste of what Dan Nichols does, here is a recent (November 2013) video of a performance of one of the songs we have been practicing with Joel - "Turn the World Around":
Wow! What a fall season we have had! Since the last blog update, we have been busy
Adding new songs to our reportoire with Cantor Korn and Joel
Learning how to critique a musical composition
Formulating our own definition of what Jewish music actually is
Experiencing the real meaning of tzedakah and writing a song about it
Delving into the past to discover how music was used in the Temple in Jerusalem
Listening to and learning about Sephardic music
Becoming acquainted with the Psalms
Practicing Hebrew through movement and hands-on activities
Becoming more familiar with the weekday liturgy
Here are some highlights from October:
EVERYBODY'S A CRITIC! (REALLY!) This month, the students learned how to identify the elements of a musical composition (tempo, melody, harmony, texture, etc.) and began to critique various compositions, both Jewish and non-Jewish. They particularly enjoyed the live performances by each of our Sunday TA's!
Listening to "Jerusalem of Gold," by Naomi Shemer, sung by Ofrah Haza
Ethan W. goes disco with his rendition of "Stayin Alive!"
Noah K. performs "Can't Stop" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
NO, IT'S NOT AN EARTHQUAKE! It's just Hebrew through movement!
WARDROBE FOR OPPORTUNITY - our 5th/6th grade tzedakah project was
quite a success! Temple member Wendy Dorband and her crew taught the
students about the non-profit's mission, and helped them evaluate and
sort clothes for use by those in need. The students then returned to
the Shira classroom and wrote lyrics for a song about tzedakah.
The students learned about Maimonides' Ladder of Charity, on which the top rung is to help a person become self-sufficient. They determined that Wardrobe for Opportunity made it to the top!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Hi Everyone!
This is just a friendly reminder to go through your closets and find any "like new" business-appropriate clothing (for men or women) and jewelry that you may no longer need. On Sunday, the 5th and 6th graders will be helping prepare the clothing for use by Wardrobe for Opportunity. Please send all donations with your child on Sunday, or drop them off before then. Thanks!
This week was spent getting to know each other, and our musical heritage a little better. We began by meditating about music in general, sharing our thoughts on where and when we hear music, how we use music and how music makes us feel. Then, to begin our unit on Jewish musical traditions, we turned our attention to Jewish music, listening to some examples, and creating lists of what we currently think Jewish music is, when we use it and why. The answers were varied and, for the most part, very thoughtful.
On Sunday, we followed up our first lesson on Jewish music with, appropriately enough, our first Junior Choir rehearsal with Cantor Korn. He introduced us to a very cool new song called "Adonai Echad," which was written by a seventeen year old girl! Here's a quick snippet of the Junior Choir's first stab at it:
Cantor Korn recorded the harmony parts for everyone to listen and practice to. Here they are:
Sundays are filled with activity this year! After Junior Choir practice, we had a quick lesson on Hanukkah to help us better understand some of our upcoming Hanukkah songs, we learned a little Hebrew through movement, then we had more music with Joel! After all that, we rounded out the day with a "standing on one foot" style Powerpoint presentation about the early (really, really early) history of Jewish liturgical music in the Tabernacle and the Temple. Whew!
Ask your child: What does he or she think Jewish music is? Also, if you have any suggestions for really cool Hanukkah songs, let us know! Shira is looking for some new music to perform at the December Shabbatarama.
Finally, a couple of very important notes for parents:
1. Please do not send your child with a snack to eat during class, unless you plan to send enough to share with the whole class. It can be quite disruptive, and we do provide snacks (including gluten-free options) for the kids during a specified snack time.
2. If your child has a cell phone, it is our policy to have them turn them off and put them away during class. Please do not call or text your child unless it is an emergency. If you need to get a message to your child, please call the Temple Isaiah Education Office at (925)284-9191.
3. If your child needs to leave early, please let us know in advance if at all possible, and come upstairs to get him or her. Students are not allowed to walk downstairs and wait by themselves for a parent. If you must retrieve your child during weekday tefillah (prayer), please wait quietly until there is a break in the prayer service before taking your child with you.
4. Make a note to send tzedakah money with your child, if it's possible. The students have set a goal of raising $150.00 by the end of the (secular) year, so please help us make that happen if you can! Thanks!
NEXT WEEK: We will be starting our search for Hanukkah songs, building our musical vocabulary and, on Sunday, the students will be doing their Tikkun Olam ("fixing the world") project with Wardrobe for Opportunity. It's a very popular project, and one that the students are very proud of - be sure your child doesn't miss it!
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