Solidarity with Israel is part of Judaism

Aleph Beit Chadash had an opportunity to Walk with Israel on May 27th with the Toronto Jewish community.  It was a beautiful day as we showed our pride for Eretz Israel by walking through downtown Toronto carrying our Israeli flag. 

So, it is days like this that make me reflect on the importance of Israel for the continuity of the Jewish people and the role that we must play in securing the State of Israel.  As we walked proudly with the Israeli flag waving among the crowds, there were also many "protesters" with different flags and signs that opposed Israel.  Some of these protesters were also fellow "Jews," One of my young students looked up at me and innocently questioned, "Why do those people hate us and why are those Jews on the wrong side of the road?"

How do we explain to our children that there will always be people who hate us, as there always has been.  Unfortunately, there is ignorance in our world but that must not stand in our way of standing proud to be Jewish and proud to call Eretz Israel our Eternal Homeland. 

It is for this reason that teaching modern Israeli history must go hand in hand with teaching religion and Jewish history.  It is not enough to teach our children about Ancient Egypt and it is not enough to teach them all the stories from our Tanach.  It is not enough to teach them about Rosh Hashana and Pesach.  We must teach them about Israel.  Our children must know that Israel is not only our Promised Land from Hashem; it is our "Promised Land from the Balfour Declaration (1917) and the Mandate for Palestine (1922).  Our children need to know that those who call Israelis "occupiers" and compare the Israelis to the Nazis are simply misinformed, ignorant and maybe even antisemites. 

This is the reason that the Mission Statement of Aleph Beit Chadash is more than just a commitment to teach Jewish holidays and Torah stories.  Our mission is to teach children about Eretz Israel, Zionism and the role that they must take as Diaspora Jews to ensure that we always have a strong Jewish community walking "on the right side of the street."

Passover wishes

It is really hard to believe that spring has arrived and so has Passover.  It seems like time is running away from us as we try to fill our Sunday morning classes with lots of fun and learning.

This morning we hosted our second annual "Chocolate Seder" and welcomed many parents with their children to join in on the "Pesach" fun.  Along with learning the story of Passover and practicing the Four questions, students were able to participate in the traditional blessings and Passover songs.  We enjoyed our 4 cups of chocolate milk and of course all of our "sweet" substitutes on our seder plates.  The feeling around the table was cheerful, inquisitive and lots of fun.

On behalf of Aleph Beit Chadash, we wish everyone a Chag Sameach and look forward to seeing everyone on April 15th.

Purim fun

Our Purim celebrations were a little different since we were fortunate to have Ronnie and Noam (our Shinshinim) lead us in a "Tzahal" experience while learning about Purim in Israel.  They began our program today as our "Commanders" and the students were given various missions to collaborate on while also learning about Purim.  They solved codes to find answers and worked together in this engaging and fun program. 

Our older students were also performers today as they performed the Purim story for the younger students. 

Finally, they were able to enjoy our mini carnival, playing games and winning prizes.

Our morning was filled with lots of laughter and excitement today.
Chag Sameach and Happy Purim everyone.

Challah Baking

It really is so wonderful to see all the smiles that walk into our classroom every Sunday morning.  Our students are excited to learn and participate in the engaging activities as well as ask questions and discuss their understanding of their learning. 

We learned about the mitzvah of making Challah for Shabbat.  Last week students made their own beautiful challah boards and this week we made the challah to put on it.  During literacy, students have been practising the kiddush and also learning the hebrew vocabulary that is used in our prayers. 

Our students really enjoyed getting their hands dirty and making their own challah from scratch.  They did all the measuring, stirring, kneading and braiding.  It was lots of fun.

I hope that everyone enjoys their next Shabbat and encourages their child to lead the kiddush and bless the challah.

Shavuah Tov!

The Power of Jewish Education

As I reflect on my vision for Aleph Beit Chadash Hebrew school, I think about our greater Jewish Community and our past history as well as our future.  I think about who I am, what is important to me and where those values come from.  It all comes back to Judaism.

I am a Jew.  I am proud to be part of a community and people who value life, knowledge, compassion and respect for others.  I am a child of a Holocaust survivor and I am proud to witness all the incredible accomplishments of the Jewish people in the last 70 years.  I am proud that I am part of a community that works together and has the resilience to overcome hardships and move forward for the next generation. 

I think about all the knowledge and beauty of the values that the Torah has woven into the fabric of our people.  The commandments of mitzvot have ensured our continuity and survival through time.  We always know that we are part of a greater community.

Today, our children must face the stresses of a new generation which can be both exciting and scary.  Our world is changing and with change comes uncertainty.  This brings me back to Aleph Beit Chadash and my vision.

Our children need to feel that connection and that link to their past as well as their future.  They need to understand how the roots of their history anchor them to be strong as they embark on their journey as strong, Jewish leaders who will continue to bring light to our world.  Our school is not just about "Hebrew".  The mission of Aleph Beit Chadash is so much more.  It is a grand mission of  love.  We want our students to learn about Judaism as part of their identity and love how it enriches their lives.  We want them to learn about the importance of family and community as they enjoy the blessings of all the Jewish "chagim" throughout the year.  We want them to understand their connection to Eretz Israel and the importance of always supporting it as their own.  We want them to feel the pull to visit Israel and experience the beauty of our history as they feel the land of Israel under their feet.  We want them to beam with pride as they dance through life with the melodies of the Torah as their guide.  So, our vision is more than just language.  Our vision is one of continuity.  Our children as our hope for a Jewish future.

Shavuah Tov!

Tu B'Shevat Seder

Today was an incredible day filled with fun and learning.  All the students were so excited that we met our goal of $36 for JNF so we went online together and planted 2 trees in honour of Tu B'Shevat.

Naomi's class continued their learning along the timeline for Israel's history.  Today they discussed the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin.  They also discussed the Torah story of Jacob and Esau.  They spent some time discussing some commentaries and asking their own questions about parts of the story.  It was an interesting discussion with lots of critical thinking.  One commentary suggests that Jacob held the heel of Esau since he too could be cruel and try to hold his brother back from his birthright.  One of our critical thinkers asked, "How could an infant have known the relevance of being born first?" We also discussed the metaphors and symbolism that are embedded within the Torah so that we do ask questions, reflect and interpret the stories.  They are not meant to all be interpreted literally.  This explains the different commentaries from many Rabbis throughout history.  One of the many beautiful things about Judaism that we should embrace, is the power of critical thought and respect for differing opinions.  Our religion encourages independent thought and questioning.  That is the reason for different commentaries of Torah portions from Rabbis and Scholars.  It is alright to disagree or to ask questions.  We are encouraged to push our thinking with analysis and dialogue.  That is exactly what our students did today.

We also had the pleasure of acting out a little story for Tu B'Shevat that the Shinshinim prepared.  Everyone enjoyed participating in this and some songs with Ronny and Noam.

Our Tu B'Shevat Seder was a success.  Of course, we could have used a little more time since our mornings seem to fly by however, it was still interesting to learn a little about the different species of fruit that we recognize during a Tu B'Shevat seder.  I hope that everyone takes the time to read through the "Haggadah" or perhaps have your own seder at home.

One young 6 year old student also brought in another $18 today. His father shared that he had spent all week asking how he could raise more money for trees in Israel.  He spent his week doing different chores and helping at home so that he could bring Tzedakeh today.  This story certainly warmed my heart and I saw the pride in his father's eyes as he shared his story.  So together as a class, we decided to plant a third tree, however, we are going to plant this one in commemoration of International Day of Remembrance for Victims of the Holocaust.  The United Nations established this day of Remembrance in Resolution 60/7, in 2005.

Tu b' Shvat

The 15th of the month of "Shevat" is celebrated in Israel as the "New Year of the Trees."  This special holiday reminds us of our connection to the earth and to our role as caretakers of the environment.  

Today in class we learned about this holiday and the mitzvah of "tzedakah".  The students brought toonies as donations to JNF.  We will be planting a tree in Israel in honour of this holiday of the trees.  All our students also had an opportunity to plant seeds.  They will be growing parsley that they will be able to use on their Seder plates for Pesach.

We also enjoyed learning about the natural environment in Israel from our "Shinshinim."  Ronnie and Noam engaged our classes in a fun activity in which they learned about the "Israel National Trail." This hiking trail crosses Israel between the southern and northern borders, traversing a wide range of landscapes, a rich variety of flora and fauna, and a diversity of cultures.  You can learn more about the Israel National Trail at this link.

Next week we will commemorate Tu b'Shevat by participating in a Tu b'Shevat Seder.  Students will learn about the seasons in Israel and the fruit that each one brings.