Chag Sameach!


I am excited to start this new year with your child! Hopefully I have met most of you, my name is Alissa and I will be teaching alternate Sundays this year. Please come and say hello, I look forward to getting to know your family throughout the year. I am also a parent, my daughter, Eden, is in our class.

Last week we learned about the Ashamnu, and the kids came up with their own lists of "sins" to atone for. The goal was to write one sin for each letter of the alphabet. While it was a fun assignment, the discussion was very thoughtful and honest. The kids came up with a range of answers, everything from "annoying" to "xenophobia." Ideas like "underestimating myself and others" and "judging people" led to interesting insights.

The rain on Sunday prevented us from spending time in the Sukkah, but the class learned (and performed) the "Sukkot Shake." I've added the videos below, they didn't have much time to practice, but they did a great job! I apologize for the quality, we were trying to find a way to rotate the cue cards as they sang, I'll need to find a new method!

I also added video of their music lesson with Revital. They worked on a canon (a round), and the end result was beautiful!


Info/Reminders-

• Next Sunday (October 23rd) JQuest will be at 4:30 p.m. to celebrate Simchat Torah. Classes are from 4:30-5:30, dinner for families at 5:30, and celebration at 6:15. It will be a lot of fun!
• Gold Rush trip on November 6th. This is a unique opportunity to learn about Jewish immigration to the West Coast. Look for information in an email.
• The Maccabeats will be at Acalanes on November 13th. Both the day and evening show are sold out, but they will release more tickets closer to the event.

Ivrit (Hebrew)

Music with Revi

Sukkot Shake Session 1 (part 1 and 2)
https://youtu.be/IZTjG0FuNyk

https://youtu.be/TN28c8mWE8A

Sukkot Shake Session 2

Music Session 1

Music Session 2

L'Shana Tova!

Shalom Shiraniks!

L'Shana Tova Tikatevu!  We have been preparing for the New Year in many ways, learning new tunes for the High Holy Days, cooking holiday treats (honey cake - YUM!),  and learning about ways we can do t'shuvah, or turn our bad habits into good deeds!  Here are a few of the highlights from cooking class.  (And scroll to the bottom for some cool musical links for the High Holidays!)  See you in Temple!

Some of our favorite Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur songs and parodies: 

Enjoy!

Looks like Aish must have seen our JQuest video, and followed our lead!

Mayim Bialik and a couple of her friends from the Maccabeats explain the symbols of the New Year.  (Go to 5:00 in to hear Mayim blow the shofar - she's great!)

A classic.  Barbra sings Avinu Malkeinu.

Israeli cellist Inbal Segev plays Kol Nidre.  (I would have preferred to post a wonderful rendition by our own soloist, Dawn Foster Dodson, but none was to be found on YouTube.)

Six13's offering, "Starting Over" for the New Year

...and the Maccabeats "Book of Good Life"

Enjoy!

Hebrew Happenings and Tefillah Time

L'Shana Tova, Shiraniks!

     We have had a busy couple of weeks getting to know each other, and coming up with our own ideas about what Jewish music actually is.  In the process, we brainstormed Jewish life words, musical words and phrases, and compared and contrasted them.  We discussed "liturgical" (synagogue) vs. secular (non-religious) Jewish music, and touched upon how the various edot (Jewish communities around the world) express their Jewishness musically. 

 We have also been getting back into the swing of our Hebrew Through Movement lessons and weekday and Sunday Tefillah.  Here are a few of the highlights:

The students created lists of musical words and Jewish words, and we compared and contrasted the two.

Smile!

Brainstorming!

IVRIT (HEBREW)

Mora (teacher) Tammy was very impressed with how many Hebrew words and phrases the students remembered from last year.  In her Hebrew Through Movement classes, she teaches new words and phrases in a language immersion lesson, in which the students follow verbal directions. 

In this lesson, Tammy reviews some of the words that the students learned last year - running, walking, window, table, whiteboard, and a few more

The students show their dexterity as they jump, dance AND spin all at once!

Hands on your ears!...or is it eyes?  

Tammy reviews how to write alef

TEFILLAH (PRAYER)

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are right around the corner!  The students are learning the High Holy Days nusach, or special tunes which are sung at this time of year.  We did our own version of tashlich, or the "casting away" of our transgressions, in which the students wrote one or two things that they would like to "turn around" (t'shuvah means to turn, or change direction) or improve upon in the coming year.  We also had a special treat, when Rabbi Levine blew the shofar for us to signal the coming New Year!

We had a special visit from musical guest (Gan Ilan preschool director and amazing songleader) Rachel Mylan!

Why is this music different from all other music?  Nusach is the term we use for the different liturgical "tunes" that we use for prayers during the various holidays,  and even times of day.

Asher Yatzar:  The prayer for thanking God for our wonderful bodies

Our Welcome Back Sunday Tefillah featured all of our wonderful clergy leading us in joyous prayer.