Shalom Kitah Gimel Students and Families #26

The year has flown by! Here we are on the final day of the Hebrew month of Nisan and the last day of Hebrew class.

Together we recited the Blessing for Torah Study.
Students took turns asking and anwering the questions in the attendance conversation - all by heart.

We had an abundance of special treats for our Last Day party and recited several Blessings over the different types of food we were enjoying.
(Thank you to those families who kindly provided delicious snacks.)

Torah Study
We reviewed the main points in the seven Portions of the Book of Vayikra (Leviticus) which we've studied together. Students remembered an impressive amount of information about these Portions. In this week's Portion, Emor, God commands us to observe Shabbat, Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. We discussed the question, "Why does God command us to observe Holidays?" Students suggested that we connect with God through the "Holy Days" which God has chosen for us; that Holidays help us remember and honor the past; that Holidays teach us and give us occasions for joyful celebration. Insightful ideas!

In the midst of our "Happy Last Day" events, we paused to recognize that Sunday was Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day), a time when we are urged to zacor (remember) the millions whose lives were destroyed. One student shared that Yom HaShoah inspired her to learn more about the experiences of her grandparents who were Holocaust survivors.

Modern Hebrew Language
To review Hebrew vocabulary and events and figures from the Torah Portions we've studied, we played Zingo. Zingo is similar to Bingo, except that questions and answers are used instead of letters and numbers. Last week, students had prepared some of the Zingo questions and answers themselves. Students were enthusiastic players. Everyone was eventually a winner and received a Twizzler prize.
One of the Zingo words was p'rachim (flowers) - a perfect opportunity to thank the class for the beautiful vase of flowers which greeted me when I entered the classroom.

Following Zingo, each student received a slip of paper with a Hebrew word on it. They were directed to figure out what the word was and to find an object on the classroom walls which related to the word. After a few attempts to sound out the unfamiliar words with few vowels, students discovered that the words were the names of American cities on a Hebrew language map of the USA which the Cantor had lent to the class. This was our first acquaintance with the category of Hebrew words which spell out foreign words in Hebrew letters.

With their attention already focused on the wall displays, students worked in groups to find items on the walls which matched descriptions on a Classroom Scavenger Hunt sheet. An intensive search revealed all of the items. Students now know such intriguing facts as: The Hebrew letter dalet evolved from a fish symbol and the three languages on an Israeli ten shekel coin are Hebrew, English, and Arabic.

After a few energetic rounds of Shimon Omer (Simon Says), and several last handfuls of snacks, it was time to say "Shalom" to a great year of Hebrew School and to look forward to Machon in the fall.

Thank you for the privilege of teaching our students. I've enjoyed watching them learn and grow and wish them success and satisfaction as they continue on their Jewish journey.
From strength to strength!
Have a terrific summer.
B'shalom,
Morah Ronni