Intown Jewish Preschool: March 2019

Parshat Mishpatim

Annabel's parents and little brother joined us to teach us the Parsha. Mishpatim continues from Parshat Yitro, with the mitzvot that the Torah teaches us. Mishpatim are commandments between people. Two of the mitzvot mentioned are giving money to poor people and helping your fellow man unload the packages on his animal that is in distress.

The Torah also tells us that when Hashem asked the Jewish people at Mount Sinai if they wanted to accept the Torah, they answered, "Naaseh, V'Nishma - we will do and we will listen". They agreed to keep the mitzvot even before understanding the reasons. For this response, each person was granted two crowns. Annabel and her mom brought in all the supplies for everyone to make a glittery and gem studded crown.

That was fun!! Thank you Annabel and family.

For Shabbat party we continued with crowns. We baked a cake that was divided into two crowns and decorated with gold sprinkles.

Parshat Terumah

Rafi's father came in to help Rafi teach us the Parsha. In Parshat Terumah the Jewish people are instructed to build a mishkan/tabernacle - the sanctuary where the divine presence rests.

There were special vessels constructed by the Jewish people for the mishkan: A gold menorah with seven branches that was lit daily, two alters/mizbayach. The one for the courtyard - a copper alter for the daily sacrifices, and the alter for the inner sanctum was made of gold and spices were offered on it. A special table/shulchan with six shelves on each side was used for the Lechem Hapanim - the bread that put on one Shabbat and taken off (still fresh) the next Shabbat. In the Holy of Holies - was the Ahron/the ark were the broken Luchot and the whole ones - the Tablets received by Moshe at Har Sinai. On top of the ark were gold angels facing each other.

After showing us pictures of all the vessels, we were invited over to the tables for crafting. The children were given pipe cleaners, paper, crayons and markers, foam pieces, glue and more and invited to construct the vessels.

The menorah made with pipe cleaners with Rafi's dad's help was definitely the favorite.

Thank you Rafi and and Dad!

Parshat Tetzaveh

Harper's dad came in with a bag filled with pretty colored paper and lot of gemstones! First we were shown the pictures from the Parsha of all the special garments that the Kohanim/priests and Kohen Gadol/high priest while performing their tasks in the Mishkan/tabernacle and later on in the Beit Hamikdash.

The high priest wore the Choshen/breast plate. It was made of woven material with gemstones, one gemstone for each tribe. The gemstones would light up when then there was a Divine message.

The children chose gemstones and glued them onto the paper as a model of the Choshen/breast plate.

Thank you Harper and Dad for a shiny, glittery, fun Parsha activity.

Parshat KiTisa

Emmett's mother came in to help him teach the class. The Jewish people are instructed to give a half shekel - a silver coin for a census for the first year in the desert. These coins were collected yearly (not for a census) and the monies were used for the daily sacrifices.

The Jewish people miscalculated how long Moshe would be up on Har Sinai. They made a mistake and created a gold calf. Moshe came down and broke the Luchot/tablets. At the end of the Parsha Moshe goes back up Mount Sinai and brings down a second Tablet/luchot and the Jewish people are forgiven.

Emmett and his mom prepared popsicle stick puzzles to be made by the children The popsicle sticks were taped together and the children drew on them. Then the tape could be taken off and each child had a unique puzzle made with popsicle sticks!

Thank you Emmett and mom for teaching us parsha!!

Parshat Vayakhel

We all sat down in a circle as Avraham Chaim and his mom taught us the Parsha. Avraham Chaim's father joined us later.

Many of the mitzvot of Shabbat are learned from this Parsha. How? The Jewish people are busy building the mishkan. All the work stopped when Shabbat came. The Torah is teaching us that any work that was necessary for the construction of the mishkan is what we should refrain from on Shabbat. Furthermore, Shabbat is a special day. We light candles, recite kiddush over a cup of wine/grape juice, have two challot.

Avraham Chaim and his family made special Shabbat bags for each child to use to act out the mitzvot of Shabbat. The children wrote their names on name tags and took out the kiddush cup, battery powered teach lights, clay and challah mini challah cover to use to make shabbat parties with dolls, friends and stuffed animals.

Avraham Chaim's mother also read us a Shabbat story!

Everyone was excited to take home their special bags and share them with their families.

Thank you Avraham Chaim and parents for teaching us and giving us such a special take home shabbat bag!!

KDH yiladim came in dressed up and ready for a busy Purim morning filled with joy and mitzvot.

The children made mishloach manot men with juice boxes, raisins and apple sauce that they hot glued together and added faces, hair and hats! They were taken home to give to family.

The entire school went up to the third building where we listened to Rabbi Schusterman read the megillah, while we colored, ate snacks and watched a video of the Puirm story.

After the parents heard the megillah they joined us in our classroom where we did a round robin with the Shalach Manot. Everyone gave and received a bag that the children had packed up the day before.