"Thus Saith the Lord..."

Our unit of study on the early history of the Jewish People continued this past week with a look at the era of the Prophets (ca. 1000-500 B.C.E.). It was during this era that a revolutionary concept took form - the idea that morality played a major role in the outcome of historical events. This concept came to be adopted over the coming millenia by all of western civilization. The Prophets we learned about in class this week were Samuel, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel. Unlike prophets of other cultures, these Biblical prophets could not see into the future or perform rituals to force the gods to act in certain ways. Instead, these men acted as mediums (and often as mediators) between God and Israel.

It was Samuel who anointed the first king of Israel - Saul - at the request of the Israelites, at a time when they were battling one of their fiercest enemies - the Phillistines. At first, we are told in the Bible, God refused to appoint a human king, warning Israel that God is the protector of Israel. But the people insisted and God had Samuel anoint Saul, with the warning that the people would rue the day they chose a human king to lead them. This warning came true with the kings of the United Monarchy (David and Solomon) and with the kings of the split kingdoms after Solomon's death - the Kingdom of Israel comprising 10 of the 12 tribes to the north, and the Kingdom of Judah, made up of the largest tribe of Israel - Judah - and the smallest tribe - Benjamin - to the south. God appointed the prophets, we are told, to oversee the kings, to be sure they followed God's commandments. Most risked their lives to do so.

In order to bring to life the historical background and the little we know about each of these prophets, I shared the following YouTube links with Wednesday's class. Unfortunately, Tuesday's class was cancelled due to a water main break near the campus. I'm hoping Tuesday's students will have the opportunity over vacation to view one or more of these links, which provide background information for an art project we'll be working on when we return on Sunday, January 5th.

The YouTube segments are all taken from A&E cable channel's "Mysteries of the Bible" series, shown on television back in the late '80's and early '90's. The program used Biblical text, archaeological finds, and the work of many history scholars to share the origins and meanings of major Biblical accounts.

Prophets: Soul Catchers  - Acts I & II  (begin at 2:35 and finish segment at 18:37) - a general overview of the prophets and their era

King Solomon  -  Act III "Power Corrupts" (begin at 21:21 and end at 23:10) - God's warning comes true

Prophets: Soul Catchers -  Act IV "Holy City; Holy Men"  (begin at 23:43 and end at 29:20) - Isaiah and the Assyrian Conquest

Prophets: Soul Catchers  - Act IV (begin at 31:13 and end at 36:14) - Jeremiah and the Babylonian Conquest

Prophets: Soul Catchers -  Act V (begin at 37:14 and end at 44:24) - Ezekiel: Prophet of the Edot

Archenemy: The Philistines - Act V (begin at 42:37 and end at 43:30) - Why did the Jews survive and the Philistines disappear? Here's one idea.


Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy, healthy and successful 2014. I'll look forward to seeing you all next year!

Preparing Mandelbrot

Continuing on with our traditional Jewish recipes, I introduced the students in the Hebrew Cooking Elective last week to mandelbrot (literally, almond bread), which is often referred to as the Jewish version of biscotti. Actually, mandelbrot has been a favorite dessert in Ashkenazi Jewish households for centuries. Almonds were a connection to the Land of Israel (the tree-shape of the original menorah was supposedly modeled after the almond tree). Although most Ashkenazi Jews were too poor to obtain almonds, there are community records from eastern European shtetls which note communal funds for almonds for special occasions.

Since our Religious School is a nut-free zone, we prepared the mandelbrot minus the mandel, substituting chocolate chips for the almonds. Considering that I used a very simple recipe, and we only had half an hour to prepare the dough for baking, the result was a great success. Most importantly, it was given top ratings by the people who matter most - the students!

There were only three new words to introduce to the students this week, as they already recognize most of the basic cooking terms and ingredients:

As I said, the recipe is very simple!

Leeshbor shloshet ha'beitzim l'toch ha'ke'ara ha'g'dola (break the 3 eggs into the large bowl)

V'az l'hoseef et ha'sookar, shemen, v'vaneel (and then add the sugar, oil, and vanilla)

L'havreesh et ha'kol b'yachad (whisk it all together)

Achshav l'hoseef et ha'kemach v'avkat afeeya (Now add the flour and baking powder)

V'az l'hoseef et ha'shokolad, v'larbev et ha'kol eem ha'yadayeem (and then add the chocolate, and stir everything with the hands)

L'haseer et ha'batzek me'ha'yadayeem (Remove the dough from the hands - if you can!)

L'chalek et ha'batzek l'shtei chalakeem, v'az la'seem et ha'chalakeem al ha'tavneet b'tzoorat bool etz (divide the dough into two parts, and then put the pieces on the cookie sheet in the form of a log)

V'achshav ze moochan la'afot ba'tanoor (and now it's ready to bake in the oven).

Exploring Biblical History and Archaeology

During the past week day sessions, I set up three stations in Room 202 designed to provide the students with hands-on lessons about how archaeologists excavate and interpret what they find, and how historians and archaeologists can work in tandem to learn about the past.

It's important for the students to understand several things before we begin our exploration into ancient Israelite history:  (1) Biblical historians and archaeologists can rarely say for certain what happened in Biblical times - often, there are disagreements about the interpretation of documents and artifacts; (2) Archaeology is a science - archaeologists approach their excavations using the scientific method, keeping careful notes of what they find; and (3) the Bible is a wonderful resource for historians and archaeologists, a historical document which can be compared to other recorded sources of past events (kings' annals, stele's describing a king's conquest, etc.) and to unearthed artifacts, to determine what may actually have occurred.

Below are the stations and some photos of the students at each one:

Students at this station were asked to study the pottery typology chart developed by archaeologists of the region, and then determine how old and from which stylistic period the four pieces of pottery pictured on the page to the left were.

As soon as the students completed the first part of this pottery station, they moved to another table where they were asked to re-assemble a broken pot, as archaeologists frequently must do.

This was probably one of the most frustrating activities, requiring a lot of patience, a lot of hands...

...And a lot of concentration!

The second station required a good deal of focus as well. 

Students first had to refer to a paleo-Phoenician alphabet to help them decode a word on a stele (engraved stone column) describing the Moabite King Mesha's rebellion against the Israelites, following King Ahab's death. The word happened to be "Israel." 

They were then asked to compare the Biblical account of this rebellion (in the Second Book of Kings, Chpt. 3, Verses 4-5) to King Mesha's account on the stele. Both accounts agreed on what occurred - King Mesha's rebellion was successful and he no longer had to pay tribute (half his sheep herd) each year.

Finally, the students were asked to use the same paleo-Phoenician alphabet chart to decode one word on a coin minted in Judea during the Roman occupation (the word was "Jerusalem").

The letters on the coin did not look exactly like the letters on the chart, so it was not easy to decode.

The third station was more fun and far less frustrating. So that the students could understand how a clay cylindrical seal worked (and many such seals have been found and provide a treasure trove of information for Biblical archaeologists and historians!)...

...students were asked to use the same paleo-Phoenician alphabet chart described above to figure out how their initials would look back in Biblical times, then carve their initials in that script onto a raw carrot.

The deeper you carved your initials into the carrot...

...the more pronounced the initials would be in the dough.

Voila!

Hopefully, the students can now begin to appreciate the work of archaeologists and historians. As we study our earliest history over the next few weeks using the Tana'ch (Hebrew Bible) as our guide, I'll be sharing what we know for sure, which facts are in dispute, and which stories have not been proved or disproved yet, due to the absence of any historical or archaeological evidence supporting them.

Making Oogeeyot shel D'vash

After a two-week break from our Hebrew cooking elective (thanks to the Thanksgiving week holiday and then to "Bring-A-Friend" days), we are back in action. This week, we prepared our version of the Ashkenazi treat called "Taiglach," which is basically a honey and nut candy. Since Isaiah is a "nut-free zone," we left out the nuts, and since we don't have a kitchen with a range on which we could have boiled the taiglach, per the traditional recipe, our "taiglach" are actually honey cookies. But it gave me the opportunity to share what taiglach are with the students, none of whom had ever heard of the treat before. Hopefully, they'll have a chance to taste the real thing one day, which can be bought in most Jewish delicatessens.

For the first time since we started this cooking elective, I had only review words to write on the board. There was no new vocabulary since all the ingredients and directions were used in previous recipes.

As you'll note on the vocabulary list, the first words I always use as the students enter the classroom are "leerchotz yada'eem" (not seen on the board are two words I almost always add in, "eem sabon!" - "with soap!). This is just the third of our six classes in the second session of the elective, but almost all of the students have already washed their hands before coming into class.

This is a very simple recipe:

La'seem kemach ba'ke'ara ha'g'dola (Put flour in the big bowl)

Az l'hoseef sookar ba'ke'ara ha'g'dola (Then add sugar into the big bowl)

Achshav, l'hoseef avkat afiya v'keenamon... (Now, add the baking powder and cinnamon...)

...v'l'arbev otam b'yachad ba'ke'ara ha'g'dola (...and stir them together in the big bowl)

Leeshbor sh'loshet ha'beitzeem, v'l'hoseef otam ba'ke'ara ha'g'dola (Break the 3 eggs and add them into the big bowl)

V'az l'hoseef et ha'shemen v'ha'd'vash... (And then add the oil and the honey)...

...v'l'arbev et ha'kol b'yachad (...and stir everything together)

Koolam l'arbev! (Everyone stir!)

Achshav, la'asot oogeeyot me'ha'batzek (Now, make cookies from the dough)

V'la'seem et ha'oogeeyot al ha'tavneet (And put the cookies on the cookie sheet)

Since we only have half an hour for our elective, the cookies bake while the students go to hafsaka (recess), to tefillah (prayer service), and then to the Edot, Shira or Y'tzira track. The cookies (or whatever else we prepare each week) are ready for them to pick up and take home (if they're not eaten right away!) just before they go home.

This Hebrew cooking elective has proven not only to be a very effective way to teach Hebrew vocabulary and allow the students to hear Hebrew spoken in preparation for when we formally introduce Hebrew literacy to them in the sixth grade, but is also a wonderful communal period, when students in the different tracks have the opportunity to get to know each other in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere (as you can see reflected in the photos).

The Shape and Purpose of Jewish Time

We began a new unit of study in our Edot class yesterday. This unit will focus on the early history of the Israelite nation, with an emphasis on the Egyptian and Mesopotamian influences on its developing culture, as well as on the prophetic teachings and how they developed into the Rabbinic understanding of "tikkun olam" (repairing the world). It was this Rabbinic belief that we are partners with God in Creation, helping to create a just and "balanced" world, that gave the edot a sense of purpose - a reason for maintaining their Jewish identity.

We discussed the definition of history as "recorded past events," and talked about how important it was to be able to compare various recorded sources to determine if what was written actually  happened. The role of archaeology was introduced and examples were shared of how historians and archaeologists can work in tandem to determine if recorded events actually occurred or not.

I introduced the students to the terms B.C.E. (Before the Common Era) and C.E. (the Common Era) and then had each student create a simple timeline. As we continue our studies of Jewish history, we'll be noting down important events and periods that we learn about on these timelines.

I used the final 15 minutes of our session to review Hebrew Through Movement vocabulary, and to introduce new vocabulary relating to Shabbat.

Morrie, l'hareem challah (Morrie, lift up challah bread)

Aaron, l'hareem kos ya'een (Aaron, lift up a cup of wine)

Zach, l'hareem bakbook shel ya'een (Zach, lift up a bottle of wine)

Zach, la'seem bakbook ya'een al ha' rosh shel Jake (Zach put a bottle of wine on Jake's head)

Koolam l'varech (Everyone say a blessing)

Bring-A-Friend Days

Our first week day sessions back from Thanksgivukah break were designated as Bring-A-Friend days. This is the one day during our Religious School year when our 3rd-6th grade students are encouraged to bring a friend with them to give them a taste of our school. Some friends are Jewish, some aren't. It doesn't matter. We step away from our routine schedule and curriculum for these days, and focus on the Hanuka story and traditions through fun activities.

This year for the first time, all three 5th and 6th grade tracks combined during the first hour on both days for a fun activity. After I read a short summary of the Hanuka story to everyone, we divided the students into 7 groups. Each group was assigned a part of the Hanuka story I had just read, and was instructed to create a 2-minute long skit relaying that part of the story. But there was a twist. Each group was asked to re-tell the story in the style of a well-known movie, TV show, computer game, or book. When they performed their skit, the audience was asked to try to figure out which "style" the group had been assigned. The "styles" assigned were "Harry Potter," "Minecraft," "Star Wars," "Dora the Explorer," Sesame Street, a cowboy western, and "The Hunger Games." Each group was assigned a TA or teacher, and was given about 20 minutes to work out its assigned skit in one of our classrooms or in the Beit Knesset. We then all met back in the Beit Knesset for the performances. A lot of fun was had by all, as the photos below can attest to, and the audience was able to correctly guess each "style."

"The Audience"

Reading the Hanuka story

Preparing the assigned skit

 

Performing the skits

Following the skit performances, each track went back to its own classroom for more activities. In our Edot class, the students had a choice of playing the dreydl game and/or other Hanuka-related games and activities. Whether they played the dreydl game or not, each student was given a package of Skittles candies with which they could play dreydl, if they wanted to.

A lot of students did play the dreydl game

Rabbi Greninger came in each day to introduce herself and to welcome the "friends" 

Playing the "S'vov" car race game (taking a "spin" around the track by answering Hanuka-related questions)

Some used the time to perfect their dreydl-spinning techniques

Others opted to work on word searches and other puzzles (the book on the table is a "Where's Waldo" style book, in which you have to find 5 Hanuka-related items on each page)

During the final 20 minutes of the session each day, all the school gathered in the Sanctuary for a t'fila/cum Hanuka assembly with Rabbi Greninger. Rabbi Greninger gave us a "tour" of the Sanctuary from our seats, sharing the purpose of major ritual objects, such as the Ner Tamid - the eternal light. She then lit the Hanuka candles as we all sang the blessings. 

Rabbi Greninger pointed out that the Ner Tamid in our Sanctuary was designed in such a way that the Hebrew letter "Shin" (representing "Shaddai," one of God's names) is reflected over it under certain lighting conditions.

After lighting the candles, we sang "Ma'oz Tzur," "O Hanuka, O Hanuka," and "S'vivon"

"Puttin' on the spin" for the S'vivon song

We finished the Hanuka assembly, as we do our week day t'filot sessions, by singing the Hashkeeveinu prayer together.