Friday, September 30, 2016

Paper cuts with Jonathan Lyon September 26th-30th



In Dr Beliak’s class on Sukkot this week, we learned about the shaking of the Hadassim at the end of the chag (holiday). We also learned that Hadas (הדס - myrtle) symbolizes water, because it grows by rivers.


This week we had the visit of Jonathan Lyon during Open Beit Midrash. Jonathan Lyon, parent of alum Hannah Lyon and paper cut artist, not only presented the art of paper cut to us, but also offered a three day workshop to a group of middle school students. Each table took turns presenting what they saw in the pictures that were on our tables and after everyone presented, he told us an interesting story about of one of his paper cuts was based off story of a twin who survived Auschwitz.
By Fanya Fenton







Thursday, September 29, 2016

Shimon Peres 1923-2016



Sadly, yesterday, Israeli President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres passed away.

He was a man with many dreams and a strong leader who held many offices. He is the last of the founders of the State of Israel, who has inspired many people in Israel and here at OHDS. The news of his death is a worldwide event. His memory has been honored by people leaders worldwide. This morning President Barack Obama ordered flags to be flown at half mast in his honor.

The Middle School students have been learning about his life and his accomplishments. We have learned about his dreams and his life story.

By Chanah Zimmerman






Wednesday, September 28, 2016

High Holiday Game with the B'not Sheroot 9/19-9/23



In Open Beit Midrash this week, the Middle School students learned how to play Kahoot, with the B’not Sheroot.


In Kahoot, there is a question on the screen, and four different color answers. We watch a video or read a question, and then choose our answer. We answered questions about the holidays, because the High Holidays are almost here!


Millea Kenin

Monday, September 26, 2016

WBBM SEPTEMBER 2016 UPDATE

Hebrew
Mastik - Dr. Beliak
We started the year by reviewing the names of Hebrew names for items in our backpacks and a review of common directions in Hebrew. We are now learning to describe our family and will be doing a family tree project.


Menta - Morah Bat Sheva
Students in Menta have reviewed and reinforced grammar concepts, such as prepositions, suffixes and prefixes, and conjugations. Students have also been working on their Hebrew writing skills, oral presentation, and reading fluency.
This year benching after lunch happens in Hebrew classes. This gives us the opportunity to review Birkat Hamazon as well as AlHamechiya and Boreh Nefashot brachot. Students take turns leading these different blessings, as well as learning a bit more about their meaning.


Shokolad- Gveret Aloni
In Shokolad, we started the year with a poem by Dasi Rabinovitch (Moreh Elishav's sister) who wrote it before she died at age 19. The poem talks about happiness in all of us and how each one of us can expand it by acts of kindness to others. Students discussed and shared in writing about the connection between giving to others and building happiness.


During this semester we are reading short stories that have a moral and they give us an opportunity to reflect about our attitudes and behavior in different situations. Our first story's message was believing in yourself no matter what voices of discouragement you hear.  (See photos below)


Tanach
Kedusha - Dr. Beliak
We have been discussing the story of Nadav and Avihu as an entry point to understanding the concept of Kedusha (holiness). Each student is currently writing a Dvar Torah based on his or her understanding of the text.


Kohelet and Yonah - HaMorah Ofra
We reviewed the story of Yonah, and explored which kind of fish can swallow a person, and live in the Mediterranean sea. We try to understand why the “big fish” is the first thing that come to mind in Yonah story, and what we can learn from this.
We also started to learn Kohelet, the Megillah that will be read in Sukkot. We discussed the meaning (or meaningless) of the world, according the first chapter of the Megillah.

Akeidat Yitzhak - R. Fox

We have been focusing on the core questions surrounding the story of Akeidat Yitzchak.  Why did G-d give Avraham this incredibly challenging test?  How did Avraham respond to it?  What role did Yitzchak play in the story?  What can we gain today from a deeper understanding of this story?  We have presented a range of opinions on each of these questions, and the students have also contributed some new and creative ideas.  Soon we will begin to discuss the relationship between Akeidat Yitzchak and Rosh HaShanah/Yom Kippur.  Each student will write a mini drash about a topic that we discussed and its connection to the High Holidays.  


Toshba
Sukkot - Dr. Beliak and HaMorah Ofra (Hebrew)
We have been studying the third chapter of Masechet Sukkot. The chapter reviews the physical and spiritual requirements for a kosher Lulav and Etrog. The students will be organizing the material into a pamphlet for the Sukkot holiday. This week we began looking at the differences between worship on Sukkot in Temple times and post-Temple times.


Tefillah - HaMoreh Eliav
In Tefillah class our goal is to understand the origins, meaning, differences and background of the Amidah. We started the year going from the sources of the Amidah in the Tanakh. We learned the story of Hannah, the mother of the prophet Shmuel, and how her prayer inspired the Amidah and prayer in general. From there we continued to the Mishna, Gemara and Halacha. We saw that the last Bracha that was added to the Shemonei Esrei (18), and made it 19 brachot, was also added by Shmuel Ha-Katan (from the time of the Mishna). He added “Birkat HaMinim” by the request of Rabban Gamliel. We have learned about everyday Amidah as well as that of Shabbat and holidays. We are now focusing on the Amidah of Rosh Hashanah: number of Brachot, ideas and purpose.


Teshuva - HaMorah Bat Sheva
The goal of this class is to make Teshuva an accessible concept for our students. This class is therefore called Teshuva workshop. We started with an overview of Rav Kook’s teachings on Teshuva. We focused on 5 of his concepts - Teshuva between person and G-d (bein adam laMakom), and between person to person (bein Adam l’Chavero). We also looked at the concepts of Nature, Faith and Reason, Sudden and Gradual Teshuva, Particularized and Generalized and Private and Public. Students were encouraged to reflect on their actions with parents, friends, etc. They have created poems, art and wrote letters to those they thought they might done wrong by. Next week we will be focusing on Teshuva bein Adam laMakom, in preparation for Yom Kippur. We will also look at Avinu Malkeinu, a prayer we add during the Aseret Yemei Teshuva (the Ten Days of Repentance, between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur).

Wishing you all a Shanah Tovah and Gmar Chatima Tova!

Parashat HaShavuah - Sefer Devarim, Parasha Ki Tavo - by Chanah Zimmerman

Shabbat Shalom!


At the beginning of this week’s parasha, Ki Tavo, Moshe tells B’nei Yisrael about the fruit offering. He also relays to them the curses that will come upon them if they don’t follow Hashem, and the blessings they will receive if they do.


According to the text we should bring the first fruit of the land as bikkurim. ‘You shall take some of every first fruit of the soil, which you harvest from the land that the LORD your God is giving you, put it in a basket and go to the place where the LORD your God will choose to establish His name (Deuteronomy 26:2).’ Here it says that you should take the fruit of the land, do we also bring from the fruit of the tree or vine as well?


Rashi states “And not from all firsts, for not all fruits are obligated in the mitzvah of bikkurim only from the seven species.According to Rashi, we don’t bring just any fruit of the ground, we bring the seven species.


Ramban tells us ‘You can bring only the best grain of wheat but you must put it in a nice container and designate it for Bikkurim’. Ramban is saying that the quantity doesn't matter as much as the designation of the object.

From this, we can learn that designating something for a mitzvah is important. For instance, if you wear a suit to work all week, you can designate that you will only wear white shirts on Shabbos. You could put money in a jar, to designate it for tzedakah. In conclusion, it isn’t just the Mitzvah itself that is important, the preparation is also important. So when you go home, find something to designate for your favorite mitzvah.

Monday, September 19, 2016

Jewish life in South Africa - 9/19/16




During WBBM this week, Bathea James, our head of school, came in to talk to us about what it was like to grow up in South Africa. Bathea talked to us about how growing up as a child she did not go to Jewish day school and how her family was - and always had been, involved in the Jewish community. Bathea also talked to us about her children, and how she made sure that they would attend a Jewish day school. Bathea eventually worked at the King David school, in Johannesburg. Bathea told us about how when she walked into the school on the first day, she saw so many kids singing together it really changed her perspective on Jewish education.   

In Dr. Beliak’s Kedusha class, we learned about why Nadav and Avihu, the sons of Aharon HaKohen, died when they went into the Tent of Meeting, and all the different opinions and commentaries Rabbis offer on this passage of the Chumash.

Fanya Fenton and Rebekah Bravmann

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

First Two Weeks of School!!!


Dear Parents,

Welcome to the WBBM blog!

The first week of school was pretty relaxed. We picked our classes, met our new student and teachers, and work with our Chevrutah on a passage about the arguments carried on by Hillel and Shammai. Through this text, we studied the difference between an argument for the sake of heaven and arguments that is not. We learned that an argument for the sake of heaven is an argument that is meant to solve a problem. If the motive of an argument is for the sake of the individuals, it is an argument which is not for the sake of heaven.



The highlight of the second week of school was the Middle School Retreat!! On Wednesday we set up camp at Rob Hill in the beautiful Golden Gate National Recreation Area. On Thursday we got up bright and early to go to the ropes course. We had a ton of fun, and to top it off, on Friday we hiked down to the beach!