Newsletter

Ah, November, you’re the eye of the storm. 
 
September is all about starting school and getting into the rhythm of that routine.  October brings the High Holidays, the apples, the honey and the brisket. (and perhaps the extra five pounds that come from the apples, the honey, the brisket . . .).  But, then comes November. I really must say thank you to November.  November is the calm, clear, sky that lets us breathe in and out before Thanksgiving kicks-off the madness of the winter holiday season.  November has always been a month of quiet transition.  As a child, I pictured November as a judge –fair, diplomatic, and promoting the right decisions.  Between the High Holidays (whenever they may fall) and Thanksgiving, is a welcome break in the form of November, and during that period, I don’t feel like I’m running.  I’m actually walking, taking in the changing scenery.  It’s a good feeling, and I like what I see.
 
November brings its welcome transition to Gan Gani and Moadon as the “newness” of the school routine has worn off and the children become focused and settled.  It’s not that the excitement is gone – it’s not – but that confidence that comes only with familiarity of one’s surroundings has definitely kicked in.  It’s palpable.  The children walk into Moadon and go directly into their groups greeting their friends by name. The littlest ones at Gan Gani have smiles on their faces as they walk to their cubbies to put away their jackets.  Everyone knows what to do and where to go and they are so proud.  Even among the parents, there is a whole new comfort level.  At the pick-up and drop-off, I see parents chatting with each other as if they have known each other all their lives.  Behold … the power of a community – well done Moadon Kol Chadash!
 
What have all of our children been up to, you ask?  A lot! 
 
Moadon
The Tuesday Moadon classes have begun their core curriculum studies: 
 
The Third Graders are working hard on the study of Jewish Heroes.  Some of the questions that they have been addressing are “What makes a hero?” and “How do we connect to the heroes of the past and present?”  Most recently, they studied Abram, the first hero and the first Jew, and Yitzhak Rabin, a modern era Israeli leader, hero, and Nobel Prize Winner, who advanced the cause for peace in Israel.
 
The Fourth Graders have begun to study the Siddur prayer book.  They are learning about the connection of the Shema V’ahavta (prayer) to their heart and soul.  They learned where to find this prayer and when to say it.
 
The Fifth and Sixth Graders are taking a tour through the biblical map.  They are learning the borders of Israel and the countries that surround it.  They are discovering how Hashem (God) watches over Israel and all of the Jewish people of Israel throughout the world.
 
In all levels of Tuesday’s Moadon classes, the children are making connections to the Hebrew language through the use of letters, words, and meanings.
 
The Thursday Moadon classes have also begun their core curriculum studies.  All levels started the year with the creation of a mural on “Beginnings.”  They are exploring the letter(nihs) ש  and have learned several Hebrew words with a shin in them. 
 
The Junior Kindergarteners and Kindergarteners are enjoying their exploration of Shabbat holidays and the Jewish home.  They are learning about traditions and ritual objects within the Jewish home and the difference among Shabbat ritual objects versus daily ritual objects.  The students have also been focusing on the mezzuzah and created one to take home.  The children have also learned the Shema and are exploring the concept of God and the story of Abram through stories and art.
 
The First Graders are focusing on the Torah and are becoming enriched by stories, characters, and lessons from the Bible.  They began with Bereshit, the story of creation (Genesis) and experienced a symbolic telling of the story of Abram while sitting on pillows in a tent (Abram’s Tent). The students decorated hamsa’ot (palm-shaped amulets) to hang on their doors at home to illustrate the concept of Hachnasat Orchim --welcoming guests, the needy, and strangers.
 
The Second Graders are exploring God and the idea that God is everywhere, and the Jewish belief in God.  They created a collage of pictures to illustrate where they might “feel” God.  They also studied the Lech-Lecha (Torah portion) about Abram and his relationship with God. They then had an open discussion of the passage while sitting in “Abram’s Tent.” They also explored the concept of the “synagogue beyond the walls,” and learned about sacred space, leadership, and ritual symbols.  They also learned the three names of the synagogue: Beit Knesset, Beit Midrash, and Beit Tefillah and created a poster of their ideal “house of gathering,” study, and prayer.
 
Gan Gani
Following the Tishrai holidays, the High Holidays, Gan Gani has focused on the changes in weather since the onset of Fall.  The goal of this exercise, which was done in Hebrew, was to introduce an awareness and appreciation of nature to Gan Gani.  The teachers brought in various leaves, twigs, and branches and the Gan Gani groups discussed each color, size, texture, and shape.  The teachers then incorporated art projects into each lesson, such as pasting different colored leaves of varying sizes and textures, along with clouds, and other seasonal items onto paper, while reciting each name and function in Hebrew. Each group engaged in a detailed discussion about the characteristics or descriptors of weather, such as wind, rain, sunlight, and clouds.  Each group also discussed nature’s response to the weather changes.  For example, birds fly south for the winter, snails burrow in the ground, and leaves fall off of the trees.  The children were able to recognize and verbalize these concepts in Hebrew.  Each Gan Gani group also learned and sang many songs about Fall. They danced with handkerchiefs and, through song, learned tales of the Fall season. 
 
The second topic that Gan Gani focused on was “Me and My Body; Who am I?”  Through these lessons, Gan Gani students were introduced to the concept of “personal awareness” and were taught that each child is unique and therefore, has an individualized perspective on his/her body and identity.  In Hebrew, the teachers introduced parts of the body and also, the use of gender in the Hebrew vocabulary.  Each child prepared a personal booklet that included his/her name, gender, as well as likes and dislikes (colors, foods, games).  The students also learned how to recognize his/her name in Hebrew. The children were able to put together a puzzle of body parts and identify each name in Hebrew and place each appropriately.
 
Another topic that Gan Gani focused on in November was the concept of “self.”  The teachers worked with each student to answer the question, “I like _________.”  In addition, the teachers focused on physical activity of the body such as balancing on different objects, balancing small objects on the body, and moving in different ways (special orientation).  While practicing these physical activities, the children learned corresponding poetry and rhymes in Hebrew. 
 
As part of the lesson of “self,” the teachers discussed wearing clothes and why it is important to wear clothes. The children learned a song about a zebra who wears pajamas.  This song is called “Who Knows Why the Zebra Wears Pajamas all the Time?”  The story in the song is about how the zebra is not happy with any of his clothing options on any given day.  And on Friday, the zebra realizes that it doesn’t pay to change out of his pajamas for one day (Shabbat) and therefore, he stays in his pajamas all day long! Through this song, the children learned various names of clothing in Hebrew and also began to learn the days of the week.  The Gan Gani groups absolutely love this song!
 
November’s Teacher Spotlight:  Carmela Silverman
 
Where in Israel are you from?
 I’m from Kfar Saba, which is in the central part of the country near Tel Aviv.  My parents, who were born in Yemen, came to Kfar Saba when they were just 19 and 21 years old. 
 
What was it like growing up there?  What was your home like?
It was a wonderful place –just a half-hour from Tel Aviv and close to the beach.  I have nine brothers and sisters.  I’m the fourth oldest with three older brothers!  By the time I was 13-years-old, I was very responsible and knew how to cook, clean, sew, and care for everyone.  Being the oldest girl, everyone looked up to me around the house. I guess you can say that I’ve been caring for kids my whole life.
 
When did you know you wanted to work with kids?
I always taught private classes in Israel and I always babysat.  Because I came from such a big family, I understood how to care for children from a very early age. But I had other interests too and found that I had a strong creative side. I became a bit of a master seamstress.  I began to sew beautiful dresses, knit scarves, and experiment with cooking.  I also took all kinds of different classes to broaden my skill set. I even worked as a bookkeeper for a while. But when I first arrived to the U.S., 28-years-ago, I was a nanny.  And that was my first full-time job with children.  When my own children were little, I stayed home with them and didn’t go back into the workforce until they were all in school. At that point, I began as a substitute teacher at Solomon Schechter in both Northbrook and Skokie.  There, I taught kindergarten through seventh grades.
 
When did you start at Moadon Kol Chadash?
A little more than a year ago, Sima, who is my longtime friend and neighbor, told me that I should meet Etty and consider working at Moadon.  And so Etty and I met and the rest is history!  I’ve been working at Moadon for a little more than one year now.  I love the people and the children.  I love my job. 

Your three children are all so successful.  Any tips for all of us parents?
My advice is simple:  Spend time with your children.  Read to them.  Stay with them.  Listen to them.  Play games with them.  Give yourself to them no matter how tired you feel or how long the day has been.  Make it a point to spend as little as 40 minutes of uninterrupted time a day with them.  Put down the phone. Put away the computer.  Just sit with them and the results will go a long way.
 
Who has influenced your teaching style the most, and in what way?
I think that there have been many people along the way who have influenced my teaching style.  But I would probably have to say that my own parents have influenced me the most.  They taught me patience and respect.  I grew up in a house with no yelling.  Raising one’s voice was simply not permitted.  My mother always said that if you show respect –even to the smallest children—then you get respect back from them.  She said, “You are the model for the children in your life.”  And these are words that I have always lived by.