Let the JQuest Begin

The new year has begun for Jews all over the world. Last Sunday evening we ushered in 5776, and yesterday morning we ushered in our new school year with a new school name - JQuest! We have a lot of journeys in store for the Edot students this year, taking us back to our earliest history through the present. As we explore our roots and the emergence of a Jewish identity, I will be challenging the students to broaden their definition of what it means to be Jewish, and to consider how we American Jews fit into the pattern of Jewish life and observance around the world. I'm looking forward to sharing our incredibly diverse world with my students, and learning from each of them as well.

We used our hour in the classroom yesterday to get to know each other a bit and have some fun together. We started with a "name tag matchmaking activity," during which the students had a chance to share some of their interests with each other. Then I introduced (or, in the case of returning Edot students, re-introduced) the Shekel Game - a betting game (using the Israeli currency) in which groups try to answer questions based on what we've learned in class during a unit of study. While they're having fun trying to earn as much money as they can, I'm getting a pretty good idea of which important information they can recall, and what I will have to review with the class in future sessions. We'll be playing this game every 4-5 weeks, as we complete units of study.

Here are some photos taken by my wonderful TA's during first session (Nathan) and second session (Isaac and Max). As you'll see from the photos, there was a good deal of sharing and laughing during our hour together.

Students and parents in both sessions met during our all-school tefillah in the Sanctuary. 

As soon as we entered the Sanctuary, we were greeted by the JQuest logo on the big screen!

Soon, we were all singing joyful prayers, led by our new music director, Maya

Toward the end of the tefillah session, all the TA's were asked to join our clergy and Maya in front of the bima to help lead us as we all sang Ken Y'hi Ratzon. 

SHANA TOVA U'M'TOOKA L'CHOOLAM (A GOOD AND SWEET YEAR TO EVERYONE) - 

SH'NAT SHALOM U'M'VORACH (A YEAR OF PEACE AND BLESSING)!

LET THE QUEST BEGIN!