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!