Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet

Since 5774 is a leap year, we have two months of Adar. Yesterday, the 30th day of the first month of Adar (Adar Alef), we celebrated the start of the second month of Adar (Adar Bet). Traditionally, Jews all over the world celebrate the beginning of each month (Rosh Chodesh) both on the final day of the previous month and on the first day of the new month.

The wild and crazy holiday of Purim falls on the 14th day of Adar; during leap years, on the 14th day of Adar Bet. And because the Talmud tells us that our joy is increased when entering the month of Adar (meaning in expectation of the holiday of Purim), we decided that a "crazy  hair day" would set the right mood for the month. Purim is just two weeks away (Sunday, March 16th), so we'll do our best to build up the crazy atmosphere up through the Purim Carnival.

Hair ribbons could be seen everywhere in the school yesterday...

Along with outlandish wigs.

In our Edot class, I decided to start off the month with a game that can become quite silly - it's called "In the Manner of the Word."  It certainly proved to be a fun way for me to discover how much the Edot students could recall of the Purim story. We prepared for the game by having the students dictate to me ten complete sentences summarizing the Purim story, which I wrote on the whiteboard. (In the '70's, I actually spent a lot of money to get an "Afro-perm," when I could have just worn this wig!)

I then asked the students to give me 10-15 adverbs, which I also wrote on the board.

Now we were ready to play. A volunteer goes out of the room, and while he or she is outside, another volunteer chooses one of the adverbs. Once everyone in the classroom is sure they remember what the chosen adverb is, the volunteer who left the room is asked to return. He or she then chooses another volunteer to come to our "stage area" in the front of the room, to act out one of the sentences "in the manner of the word," in such a way that he or she can figure out which word was chosen.  The actor is not allowed to use any words, sounds, or props. We laughed our way through the half hour that we played the game.

Act out "Haman was hung on his own gallows" (happily?)

Esther participated in the King's beauty contests (evilly?)

Queen Esther approached the King (invisibly!)

Queen Esther participated in a beauty contest (anonymously - crazy hair day certainly had some practical uses!)

Haman had to lead Mordechai through the streets of Shushan (awkwardly!)

Haman plotted to kill the Jews (surprisingly!)

It was hard to stop playing the game, but more fun and silliness awaited us during our Hebrew Through Movement session following the game. This time, we focused on Purim vocabulary, introducing four new words:  megeelat Ester (the scroll of Esther), ra'ashan (a grogger), leekro (to read) and l'har'eesh (to make noise).

Introduction to megeelat ester

Introducing "ra'ashan" and "l'har'eesh

Jordan, l'har'eesh ra'ashan (a bit too noisy for Jennifer!)

Sophie, leekro megeelat ester, Maddie l'har'eesh ra'ashan

Robert, la'lechet eem megeelat ester al ha'rosh (Robert, walk with megeelat ester on the head)

Kyle, la'seem megeelat ester al ha'rosh shel Ian (Kyle, put megeelat ester on Ian's head)

And to finish off each of our sessions, a visit to Joel in Room 107, where we learned Purim songs (and drowned out the name of Haman quite a few times, making a lot of "ra'ash" (noise).  

Crazy-haired Joel - pink seemed to be the color and mood of the day

Pink song sheets with lots of joyous and crazy Purim songs, like "I Can't Get No Hamantaschen"

Both sessions participated in an unusual K-6 tefilla session in the Sanctuary. Rabbi Greninger and Joel led us in singing some Purim songs, after which Rabbi Greninger asked for volunteers to share what they liked best about our Temple Isaiah school and community. There were lots of responses:  friends, teachers (not T-shirts, but those are also nice!), art, singing, dancing, community, games...the list goes on and on. We then all filed, class by class, into the Social Hall, where our visiting scholar, Rabbi Larry Hoffman, was leading adult members of our congregation in a workshop about how to create a synagogue community for the 21st century. Since the children are the future of Temple Isaiah, all the children and teachers stood in a circle around the perimeter of the room, and again shared what they liked about Isaiah with the adults. To finish the session, we all sang "Am Yisrael Chai" led by Joel and Rabbi Greninger.