DFRS Blog

Please be sure to mark your calendars for the following:

• March 19 - Sunday School & Post Confirmation
• ​​​​​​​March 26 - Sunday School & Passover Experiences
• ​​​​​​​April 2 - Sunday School
• ​​​​​​​April 9 - No School!
• ​​​​​​​April 14-16 - Grades 4-5-6 Retreat (see below)

Last Sunday in...
PreK
Last week we talked about Chesed: Loving Kindness. We discussed approaching each new day with awe and wonder along with thinking of ways to be kind to others. We also discussed how it is important to show kindness to others even when they are not kind to you. In art, we made a Passover symbol placemat.
Ask your student: What is Chesed? How can you be kind to others even when they are not kind to you?

Kindergarten
Last Sunday we started to explore different symbols associated with Judaism throughout the synagogue–including the beautiful stained glass windows of the sanctuary and the Star of David. In art, we made the 4 questions for Passover on a stick!
Ask your student: How many candles does the menorah have compared to the Hanukkiah? (Answer: 7 vs. 9).  What does Magen David mean? (Answer The Star of David).

1st Grade
Last Sunday we learned about chesed and what it means to practive the mitzvot of chesed. Students will be brainstorming ideas about how they can be bucket fillers. In art, we made 10 plagues puppets.
Ask your student: What does chesed mean? (kindness) How have they been a bucket filler this week?

2nd Grade
Last Sunday we began the story of the Exodus from Egypt. This lesson tells us that God sent Moses to Pharoah to "Let My People Go." Each time Pharoah refuses, God releases a plague on the Egyptians. Finally, after the last plague, the death of the firstborn child in each household, Pharoah finally allows the Jews to leave Egypt. However, when Pharoah again changes his mind, he chases after the Jews, and his army is drowned in the Red Sea, That is a story for another week! In art, we made matzah holders.
Ask your student: Can you name 3 of the plagues God performed because Pharoah wouldn't let the Jewish people leave Egypt? why do we eat matzah at Passover?

3rd Grade
In Applied Hebrew last week, we began class with a fun game called Two Truths and a Lie. Every student had their turn and had to tell the rest of the class three things about themselves, two of which were true and one of which was false. The rest of the class then had to figure out which statement was false. After the game, we discussed how telling lies can be fun when they are part of a game, but can be hurtful if they are told in real life. That conversation transitioned us to reading the story of Jacob and Esau’s Blessing. After settling on a definition, the students were asked to draw a world where everybody only spoke with Emet (truth) and acted honestly.
Ask your student: 1) Why is it better to tell the truth than it is to lie? 2) How did Jacob’s decision to lie shape what happened to him, and what can we learn from his experience?    
In Judaics last week, we learned about the hero of the Pesach story, Moses! We learned about how he grew up and what led to him fleeing Egypt. We also discussed why he had to go back and how he found the courage to do so!
Ask your student: Q1) Where did Moses grow up? Q2) What is the name of the people Moses lived with after he fled Egypt?

4th Grade
Applie Hebrew and Judaics both focused on elements of Passover this week. Our madrichim led small group discussions so the students could work in small groups to explore the traditional 4 questions, what questions are left unanswered, and what modern questions could we ask at our seders.
Ask your student: What modern questions did you come up with?

5th Grade
Last week in Applied Hebrew, the students were given pictures of the order of Bnei Israel (the hebrews) on the floor . Students wrote what they knew about the event. We discussed and retold the story of our people in Egypt . Following this session we will put the pictures on the order of the events.
Ask your student: What was your favorite picture from the story of Pesach and why?
In Judaics last week, we continued on with our study of the Spring holidays. Today we did an art project and talked about the timeline of events in the Passover story. Next week we will start “digging deeper” into the story. We also went to art and created gratitude jars!
Ask your student: What will you put in your gratitude jar? What event in the timeline of the Israelites leaving Egypt interested you the most?

6th Grade
Last week, the class participated in a workshop with professionals from JF&CS about stress and anxiety. The students were able to identify things in their lives that were stressors, and then were able to find ways to handle them. The class also got to chow down on some pizza! Thanks to the Koleinu Committee for bringing this workshop to us. 

7th/8th Grades
Last week, 7th and 8th grades spent time with our shinshinit, Na'ama! They also started prepping and preparing to lead the Passover experiences that our younger grades will participate in next week.