Shalom Bayit

Our classroom is a family. As the school year progresses, we watch the children grow closer in understanding each other as individuals similar to our personal families. They become more comfortable, forge closer bonds and learn each other’s quirks. The best part is watching them grow in respect and love for one another. The Jewish value that comes to mind is Shalom Bayit: Peace within the home. “Anywhere people live constitutes a home, whether it be an actual house an apartment, at tent, a trailer…” taken from What’s Jewish about Butterflies. Our classroom is our peaceful home away from home that fills us with love, nourishes our spirit and gives us strength to grow and flourish.
We asked the children to draw pictures of their families. We then asked them to tell a little bit about their family. How do they make you feel? Who is in your family? Why is your family important to you? Here are a few of their responses:
Frankie: “Family means there are a lot of people to get together and also they love each other.” Family is very important. My family has Amy, Noah, Ella and Nana, and Grammy, and Pop Pop and that’s all. They can all live in different places and still be your family.”
Iola Mae: “My family, they love me and want to always keep you safe. My family is Tom, Natalie, and Arthur Elliot. They all make me feel really good.”
Leah: “My family is my mommy and my daddy. They lay with me at bedtime. It makes me feel very good. They always give me hugs and kisses. I have a brother, too. I have a grandma and a grandpa in my family, too.”

Bikur Cholim

In one of the prek classes yesterday the teachers and children talked about a child who has been out sick all week. Bikur Cholim, visiting and helping the sick was the focus of the day. The children made a giant class card of hand prints and little pictures for the sick child. Later that afternoon the teacher delivered the card and a balloon to the sick child. The child could not believe her teacher was standing at her front door! The card brought a huge smile to the child's face and she was so happy to see all the pictures and hand prints her classmates had made her.

Do not separate yourself from the community

Kehilla is more than just community.  It is, in the words of United Synagogue, is a sacred community, a group formed by Jews who have joined with each other to seek God, to explore and live out their understanding of Jewishness, to offer and to get support, to share joy and sorrow, to learn and grow together, to explore the meaning of their lives and the wisdom of their ancestors.  The teachers and families at Beth Shalom are busy being just that, a sacred community.  As a staff, we studied what that really means to them, and what the rabbis had to say about being part of a kehilla. (here are the Kehilla texts we studied) The most poignant learning for me was the reminder that while the Jewish community knows just what to do when someone has a baby, a sickness or a loss (do I hear casserole?) and we even have websites to help coordinate (http://www.takethemameal.com/ is my favorite, but there are others), as a community we fall down on the job when someone is going through divorce.  It’s the new whispered disease, like cancer was in the 50’s.  We discovered that casseroles can help comfort someone going through divorce, and cards and calls to say “I care. Can I help?” can take us all a long way down the road toward being a kehilla – a sacred community.

Tzedakah

Children are never too young to learn about Tzedakah. We have a Mitzvah crib where we collect diapers, wipes and baby supplies as well as gently used baby equipment for a day care center in the Urban core where their whole clientele are homeless or in tremendous need.
We have barrels for our Food Pantry: Harvesters and we collect blankets and jackets for Project Warmth for the homeless.
The children collect money, Tzadakah, each Friday before we light candles and then we give it as a group to a selected fund. We teach the children about where the money is going.

During this time of year we are faced with the reality of those who are less fortunate than we are. In a small group setting we asked the children if they could help explain what tzedakah is and why it is important:

"Give people the money who don't have any. They need toys and maybe a new tv."

" Its money. Somebody else who doesn't have any money. The money can help them get what they don't have in their house. Like the tornado victims in Joplin who had to come to Kansas City from Joplin because all their houses blew down. There was only one hospital to stay up and help the people."

"Tzedakah is for Shabbat. You put it in the can, eat challah and sing the special songs. Not everybody has clothes and toys."

"It's money. The whole world should get the tzedakah to pay for their food and their toys and clothes. Everyone should have what they need. It makes me feel good to help them!"

Gimilut Chasadim: Acts of Loving Kindness

We have been working on Jewish Values for the last year. The children learn about them and live them in their classrooms and the teachers have been documenting about them all year.
It is so wonderful to know that the parents are modeling these values for their kids!
A few weeks ago one of our 2 1/2 year olds was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor. As you can imagine all of our families have been so upset about this! Every parents worse night mere!
The room parents in this little guys class organized some classroom projects for this family. The letter from the room parents is printed below because it is so amazing!
I am so proud to be part of such an amazing Kehilah, community, who truly cares about each other!
I took out the family's name for them for confidentiality.

Good Morning!
Katie and I want to thank each and every one of you for your help in creating this for our fellow preschool Family. It came together beautifully. In addition to all the fantastic words of encouragement, hopes, prayers and quotes we all provided; Katie attached a card to the middle of the infinity symbol with the quote by Thomas Jefferson “When you reach the end of your rope, tie another knot in it and hang on”. We weaved a dark gray ribbon into the entire infinity symbol rope; as gray is the color for Brain Cancer Awareness. (I actually have a TON of the gray ribbon left; so if anyone wants to make a simple brain cancer awareness pin to wear, please let me know and I’ll send some ribbon to school for you). Our kids even worked together to decorate the box to give it to them in. I have attached a picture of the finished project.



Here is the note I composed for the family to include in the box:



“WHEN YOU REACH THE END OF YOUR ROPE, TIE ANOTHER KNOT IN IT AND HANG ON”

Thomas Jefferson





This Rope of Encouragement was created for you and your family as a token of love, prayer, and support. We all worked together to make sure that you know that we are ALWAYS here for you and your family during this difficult time.



This Rope of Encouragement symbolizes many different things:



Infinity Shape: There is no end to our love, prayer, and support we will offer to your family.
Words of Encouragement: Always know that we are there to support, encourage, and help in any way that we can…both physically and spiritually. We encourage you and your family to write additional thoughts and tie it to this rope, so that no matter what, you will never have to feel like there isn’t enough to hold on to.
Gray Ribbon border: Gray Ribbon is the symbol for Brain Cancer Awareness.
We are here for you no matter what, and will do whatever we can to help you and your family.



Love, Prayers, Serenity, and Hope for ever and always,

In addition to the rope they also made a fleece blanket for the little boy with a photograph of his class on it. He can be wrapped in the love of his class!

If your eyes are welling up, every time I think of this little guy or what the class has done I have tears streaming down my face.
Please put our little guy in your prayers too.

Hachnasat Orchim

We have two preK classes. One of the classes invited the other class to a Shabbat Party. They made cookies and set the tables and served Challah, Grape juice, cheese, veggies and cookies. They had the Shabbat Seder, enjoyed the snack and sang songs together. The following Monday the other prek class sent a Thank you picture for the fun party. This is such a wonderful way to teach children about welcoming guests and taking care of your guests. The children enjoyed their time together.

In the two three year old classes the children drew names and had "play buddies" who they took care of to learn about being a good host/guest. The host kids served snack to the guest kids and everyone had a great time!

Dibuk Chaverim

Pre-K Friendship Quilt

Teachers have been so focused on Dibuk Chaverim (cleaving to friends) I am realizing that between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur that is one of the most appropriate Jewish Value we can teach. We do not focus on saying you are sorry, we focus on being the best kid you can be. The best daughter/son, sister or brother you can be as well as emotions and what makes people happy and sad.

Pictured below is a project one of the prek classes did. The kids were asked what makes a you a good friend. I loved their answers.

The kids also made a friendship quilt by each child making a square and the teacher put all the squares together.