Production Notes

It's mid-April, and the production of the music video for the kids' parody song, "Light Song" is coming along nicely!  Here are a few shots of the cast and crew in production.

Passover is coming!

It's almost Passover, and we have been learning about the Hagaddah in Hebrew.  Here is a link to the Four Questions.
http://www.akhlah.com/jewish-holidays/passover/four-questions/

Shalom Shiraniks!

The Purim Carnival was so much fun!  And the fun continues this week!  On Tuesday and Wednesday, please remember to bring a white sheet and a belt for your costume as a Greco-Persian soldier, or as a Maccabee.

Also, I hope to see you all at the Purimsphpiel on Wednesday after class at 6pm in the Sanctuary.  It's gonna be an Elvis extravaganza!

A big THANK YOU to Cantor Korn and the parents who shlepped in the rain for the Junior Choir performance at the Reutlinger Home last weekend!  The Junior choir did a beautiful job of entertaining the residents there, and all enjoyed chatting with the seniors over donuts and juice after the concert.

Shira Rocked the Studio!

Today, the Shiraniks created beautiful music with our favorite recording engineer, Nick H. from Red House Studios.  The lyrics that they wrote for "Light Song" (a parody of Fight Song by Rachel Platten) filled the air in our recording session right here in Room 204.  The kids had a great time, and it went so smoothly that we were able to spend some extra time working on harmonies!

Nick and the Shiraniks

"This is our light song! Take back our rights song!..."

Setting levels

Listening to the playback

The mixing board

Working on last minute harmonies

"We'll keep our faith strong!  Changing our beliefs is wrong!..."

Erin conducts 

"Dropping in" part of the chorus

"Hey!  That sounds pretty good!" Listening to the rough mix

After Nick sends us the final mix, we will use it to "lip sync" the lyrics when we begin shooting our video on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Please be sure to attend as many of the upcoming (weekday AND Sunday) sessions as possible in order to be in the video scenes!   (We may be needing costumes and props, so check your inbox for requests!)

Upcoming Recording Session and Performance Reminder!

 On Sunday, February 21 (this Sunday), we will be recording their parody song here in Studio Shira (our classroom) with a professional recording engineer.  In the meantime, we all should be learning the lyrics, and singing along with the karaoke version of the song.  Shiraniks, please practice at home as often as possible before Sunday!!
Also, please mark your calendars for the Junior Choir performance at the Reutlinger Home for Jewish Living in Danville on March 13th.  Please go directly to the Reutlinger home by 9:30, where we will perform and have a reception afterword.  Parents are welcome to attend, and we will be finished by 11:30 a.m.  Dress code is clean, nice casual (please no jeans and t-shirts).  Thanks! See you Sunday!

“LIGHT SONG”   (Sung to the tune of “Fight Song”)

VERSE (sung by students in the present day)

Like a candle

In the window

Lighting the way

Into the past

Like a single band

Can break a great army

I might only have one match

But I can light the menorah

CHORUS PART A- (Sung by the Maccabees in the past)

And all those things we couldn’t save

A drop of oil lasts for eight days

We will arm ourselves tonight

So you’ll hear our voice this time!

PART B -

This is our light song

Take back our rights song

Prove we can fight song

We’ll keep our faith strong

Changing our beliefs is wrong

We’ll play our light song

And we won’t give up till the Greeks leave and let us be,

And we still believe ‘cause we are the Maccabees

VERSE 2 (present day)

Spin the dreidel and win the game

Eating latkes by the flame

Left to right

Light em left to right

(Maccabees)

And it's been three years  

The oil’s gone

But there's a fire burning in my soul 

I still believe

Yeah, I still believe

CHORUS - (Maccabees)

And all those things we couldn’t save

A drop of oil lasts for eight days

We will arm ourselves tonight

So you’ll hear our voice this time!

This is our light song

Take back our rights song

Prove we can fight song

We’ll keep our faith strong

Changing our beliefs is wrong

We’ll play our light song

And we won’t give up till the Greeks leave and let us be,

And we still believe ‘cause we are the Maccabees

(both Maccabees and present day):A lot of light left in me 

BRIDGE (past and present together)

Like a candle

In the window

Lighting the way

Into the future

Like a single band broke a great army

I might only have one match (pause)

But I can light the menorah

CHORUS (PART B ONLY) - (everyone)

This is our light song

Take back our rights song

Prove we can fight song

We’ll keep our faith strong

Changing our beliefs is wrong

We’ll play our light song

And we didn’t give up till the Greeks left and let us be

And we still believe, because now we are all free

And we still believe because we had the Maccabees!

Donations and Locations

This week, the 5th and 6th graders gathered in the Beit Knesset for a very special presentation by volunteers from Wardrobe for Opportunity. 
 In the weeks leading up to Sunday's Tikkun Olam project, we collected donations of like-new clothing that would be appropriate for people in need of job interview attire.  The students watched a video about Wardrobe for Opportunity's clientele, then spent the rest of the time sorting and hanging the clothing that had been donated. , learning about the recipients of their families' donations.

Wardrobe for Opportunity is a wonderful local organization that is always in need of donations.  There are several drop off sites in the East Bay.  For more information about how you can donate to, or volunteer for this worthy cause, visit:

Wardrobe for opportunity

Earlier in the week, the Shira students began pre-production on their music video.  We had fun scouting locations for the Maccabees scenes (Looking for places around the Temple grounds that kinda sorta looked like the hills around Modin, or the Temple walls!)  Here are a few of the location shots taken by Erin of our possible scenes:

Those silly Maccabees!!