Welcome to Shira 2015-16!  

This year is already turning into an awesome year in Shira, and I am very much enjoying working with the Shira class of 2015-16!  Since the year got off to a bang with the High Holy Days, Sukkot, and Simcha Torah, I'm putting all of our wonderful experiences from our first two weeks into this, the first blog of the year.

We began by getting to know each other, and creating a class "symphony quilt."  What is a "symphony quilt," you ask?  Well, each of us has a unique "note" that we can play that is part of a larger symphony.  We all bring something different to the table, and as the year goes on in Shira, we will work together in harmony.  I asked the students to think about, and write their own "note."  This includes:
Nature - what is your nature, or personality?
Ovation - what accomplishments are you proud of?  What would get you a standing ovation?
Talent - what are you talented at?
Expression - how do you express your Jewishness?

 

The Shiraniks created some very nice quilt pieces, and shared their own Notes with the rest of the class.  After sharing, we were inspired to schedule a class talent show (we have some awesome talents in Shira!) - date TBA!

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we welcomed our new songleader, Maya, to class, and had a wonderful kumsitz with her during our first weekday session.  The Shiraniks shared their favorite musical artists or groups, and we sang, we shmoozed and we kibbutzed!

We also began a new tradition for 5th and 6th grade - a community building gathering at the beginning of each weekday session, in which we spend the first ten minutes of class together with Y'itzirah and Edot.  As a large group, we settle in, play a game related to some Jewish concept or value, and get into the JQuest spirit before breaking into our individual classes.  This week, we played Jewish Rituals Charades.




I told the students that Sukkot is my favorite holiday of all, and when they asked why (after giving me a funny look when I said it's even better than Hanukkah), I told them it's because during Sukkot we are commanded to BE HAPPY!!!  Yep, it's a mitzvah.  We are supposed to be happy, celebrate and have lots of fun for seven whole days!  What a great holiday, right?

We joined Charna's class in the Sukkah

Erin asks, "What is a sukkah?"

On Wednesday, it was too wet to go into the sukkah, so we had our Sukkot lesson in the BK!

Tammy and Yardena taught the Shiraniks some new sukkot words, like "simcha" (happiness) and "sukkah" (booth)

We acted out ways in which we can fulfill the commandments of Sukkot.

Celebrate!

(Not quite sure what the Avodahniks were going for here...but it must have been a mitzvah!)

How Do We Celebrate Sukkot?

During our second Sunday, and first weekday classes, we learned ways in which we celebrate Sukkot.  Some of the main points about the holiday of Sukkot include:

What does “sukkot” mean? It means “booths” (plural of "sukkah") 

What is a “booth”? A temporary shelter.

When did the Israelites have to live in temporary shelters? During the  40 years of wandering after the Exodus from Egypt

What do we do during Sukkot? During Sukkot, we build a sukkah.  We eat, play and even sleep in the sukkah.  We decorate the sukkah with natural and man-made decorations.  

What else do we call Sukkot?

The Feast of Tabernacles

The Feast of Ingathering…

Why is it called the “Feast of Ingathering?” Here's a hint:  If you lived on a farm, what would you be doing now?   Picking your fruits and veggies, of course!  You would be "gathering in" the harvest to get ready for the winter.   

How is Sukkot similar to Thanksgiving?  It is a time to give thanks for what we have, family gathering, celebration, food.

How is it different?

We build a sukkah, eat and sleep outside, say Hebrew blessings, shake the lulav, and invite the Ushpizin to join us in the sukkah.

What are “Ushpizin?”  Ushpizin are guests.  During Sukkot we invite the seven patriarchs of Israel -- Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Aaron, Joseph, and King David to join us in the Sukkah, as well as the Imahot - the "mothers" - Sarah, Rebeccah, Rachel and Leah, .  We also invite others to join us, including friends, family, and even strangers.  It is a tradition to include a special place at our table for family and friends who have passed away, but that we want to “invite” to the party, remembering them during this holiday. (We had a very interesting discussion about how Sukkot was similar to the Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead, in which family members are remembered at a festive family picnic each year.)

Why do we shake the lulav?  And what the heck is a lulav, anyway?!  It is a special mitzvah to have and use the Four Species (Arba'a Minim) during Sukkot. These are Myrtle (Hadar), Palm (lulav), Willow (Hadasseh) and Citron (Etrog).  

It is a positive commandment from the Torah [Leviticus 23:40] to gather together the Four Species during Sukkot:

“On the first day you shall take the product of hadar trees, branches of palm trees, boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before Adonai your God seven days.”

We learned the blessing over the shaking of the lulav, which begins like other familiar blessings, and ends with "al netilat lulav."  

Baruch atah Adonai eloheinu melech a olam asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav vitzivanu al netilat lulav.

Then, the students learned the process of shaking the lulav (which we do daily, in the sukkah, preferably in the morning) by singing a silly song that I wrote called The Lulav Shake.