Zayin 1:
Dear Zayin (7th grade) 1 Families,
It is my pleasure to share with you what we have been learning in recent weeks.
MITZVOT
We have discussed the mitzvah of “Talmud Torah,” the study of Torah. I’m not sure that the 7th graders thought of studying as a mitzvah! We also spoke about whether Thanksgiving is a Jewish holiday. Our discussion included the concept of “Hakarat Hatov,” gratitude, central to Judaism.
AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY
Battling for Rights and the Revolutionary War were our most recent topics. We were very impressed to learn about brave Jews like Asser Levy, who fought for basic rights such as: serving on guard duty, becoming citizens, owning property, and even slaughtering kosher meat.
We also spoke about the similarities and differences between the Pilgrims and the Jews.
SHOLOM HOME
We celebrated an early Hanukkah with the residents at Sholom Home on Monday evening, December 14th.
It continues to be a pleasure to work with your children. I wish you a wonderful winter break and a Chag Urim Sameach.
Mary
Zayin (7th grade) 2:
Dear Zayin (7th grade) 2 Parents:
Zayin 2 has completed a unit examining five photos from the website Awkward Family Photos from the perspective of three core Jewish values of kavod (dignity of the human person), shemirat ha-lashon (ethical speech), and havurah/yedidut (friendship and community).
The capstone of this project will include a "twitter" framed opportunity for students to talk about the difference between "laughing at" and "laughing with" another person and how both occur in our digital world.
Looking forward we are beginning to explore the phenomena of connection in our digital lives. This will lead into a unit on developing their own ten commandments of being a GJDGC (a Good Jewish Digital Global Citizen).
The Wednesday group is also moving forward with a study of what life was like at the turn of the century for "Jewish New York" when many of our relatives first arrived. In that context we have purchased a new volume called "The Melting Pot" for our students and also will be watching the film Hester Street.
Finally, parents are invited to join us on Wednesday January 15th at 7:00 for an exploration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the Jews where our guests will be three members of the St. Louis Park City Council, two of them African American.
Chag Urim Sameach,
Rabbi Jeff
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