Shalom Kitah Gimel Students and Families #21

Welcome back from vacation.
Class began with a student leading the Blessings for Torah Study and cookies.
Students also led the attendance conversation and discovered that Haona lo choref. ("The season is not winter.") Haona aviv. ("The season is spring.") YAY!

Modern Hebrew Language
Drum roll! Trumpets! I'm pleased to announce that our modern Hebrew activities were conducted almost entirely in Hebrew - for 45 minutes! Questions, answers, directions, explanations - all in Hebrew. From now on, we'll study modern Hebrew in Hebrew. This is a major accomplishment for our students. The more we apply the vocabulary and language patterns we've learned, the more fluent we'll become.
I shared with the students an e-mail in Hebrew which I'd received from a friend in Israel. As I read the e-mail, students noted words which were familiar. Together we translated the e-mail into English and found out about the Purim costumes that the children in my friend's family wore. We also discussed that the words in the e-mail were written without vowels, as is customary in modern Hebrew.
Modern Hebrew activities included transforming words from singular to plural; translating Hebrew words and phrases into English; a review of the story, Shabbat Shalom, which students studied over the vacation; and a written exercise which further checked comprehension and translation skills.
Students were given sheets with all the vocabulary words which they've learned in Chapters 1-5 of our textbook, Shalom Ivrit. Students may refer to these sheets when creating original sentences during class activities.

Students received a packet for Chapter 6 in our textbook. They read a new story, Mi Babayit B'Shabbat? ("Who is in the house on Shabbat?"), silently and out loud, noting new vocabulary words. Students also answered questions about the story. Remember - all in Hebrew!

For homework, students were assigned a sheet with the new story. For 10 minutes each day, they are to read the story aloud and review the new vocabulary words. Students are also challenged to create and say aloud 5 original sentences using vocabulary from the story and from their vocabulary cards.

For your convenience in helping our students complete their homework assignments, students were given a sheet with all of the Chapter 6 vocabulary in transliteration. Thank your for your continuing support for our students' efforts to develop modern Hebrew language skills.

Torah Study
Students studied information sheets on last week's Torah Portion, Tzav, and this week's Portion, Shemini. In both Portions, God (through Moses) instructs Aaron and his sons and the Israelites in the rules for making offerings in the Mishkan. (God has appointed Aaron and his sons to be priests who are in charge of the rituals in the Mishkan.)
God also orders the Jews not to eat certain foods. This is the origin of the rules of keeping Kosher. Students learned why pigs, lobsters, and eagles, for example, aren't Kosher.
They also learned that two of Aaron's sons were destroyed by God for performing an inappropriate ritual in the Mishkan. As one student pointed out, it's as though God is saying, "My way or the highway!"

As they left the classroom for T'fila, students shared two new things they'd learned - one from modern Hebrew language activities and one from our study of Torah.

In T'fila, students participated in the eveing service. The Cantor complimented them on showing respect for one another during silent prayer.
We concluded T'fila with the song Oseh Shalom. The Cantor reminded us that we always include in our prayers those who are suffering from violence and natural disasters. We pray that someday there will truly be peace in all the world.

Remember that registration is in process for Camp Oranim - a wonderful summer program.

L'hitraot - See you soon,
Morah Ronni