Shalom Kitah Gimel Students and Families #24

Students led the Blessings for Torah Study and cookies and also led the attendance conversation. Our Director of Lifelong Learning visited our class and gave each student an evaluation form to fill out regarding his/her Hebrew School experience this year. Students were instructed to be candid and not to sign their names, so that their responses would be anonymous. Student Evaluations of their learning experiences are an excellent idea. What better way to understand more fully how we might strengthen and improve our program. When the forms were collected, they were numbered and students were given a copy of their numbers. Later at T'fila, several forms were drawn at random and students with numbers that matched the forms won prizes. A fun way to gather valuable information! Modern Hebrew Language Students completed a five page Comprehensive Exercise in which they had the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of vocabulary and language patterns which they'd learned from Chapters 1-6 in our textbook, Shalom Ivrit. When all students had completed the Comprehensive Exercise, they received a Pesach packet containing the Four Questions in Hebrew, English, and transliteration. We practiced singing the Four Questions, so that students would be prepared to participate at their Seders. Everyone sang beautifully. The Pesach packet also contained a word search game in Hebrew. Students are bringing their packets home to use and to share. Torah Study Everyone in Kitah Gimel now knows that the first Portion in the Book of Vayikra is called...Vayikra! We named all the Portions we've read so far and read an information sheet about this week's Portion, Acharei Mot ("after the death"). When asked "Who had died?" students identified the two sons of Aaron who were struck down by God's fire when they erred in performing a ritual in the Mishkan. The class likened the son's deaths by Holy Fire to the "melt down" scene in the movie, "Raiders of the Lost Ark" - a frightful image, but a good way to visualize the event which the Torah describes. At the beginning of Acharei Mot, God gives Aaron additional commandments regarding his actions in the Mishkan. When asked, "Why?" Students suggested that God didn't completely trust Aaron after his sons' behavior or that Aaron or that God didn't want Aaron to err and die as his sons did. I read the section of Acharei Mot in which Goof commands us to observe Yom Kippur. We compared the commandments in Acharei Mot to the modern observance of Yom Kippur. Students pointed out that the Portion doesn't mention the shofar, fasting, or the connection between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur - very thoughtful observations. As students departed for T'fila, they told one new thing they'd learned in class. In T'fila, as we prayed the evening Service, the Cantor taught us that the Prayer for Peace in the morning is Sim Shalom, but in the evening, we sing Shalom Rav. Students learned that the word, Rav means "abundant" and also "Rabbi." Rav is related to the word Rabah, "very much" as in Todah Rabah "Thank you very much." In the evaluation forms raffle, one of our students won! YAY! Remember - There is no Hebrew class next Wednesday, as we'll be celebrating Passover. Students have already begun discussing plans for our end of the year celebration. It's hard to believe that the Hebrew School year is nearly over. Happy Passover. L'hitraot Morah Ronni