I am brave like a Macabee!

After learning all about Beis Hamikdash (the Holy Temple) last week, we dived deep into the Chanukah story!

Antiochus, was the king of the Greeks, he was not a kind king. He wanted all the Jewish people to follow him instead of Hashem, and he made 3 rules all Jews had to follow.

No Torah, no Shabbat and no Bris.

The Jewish people however, and especially the children, loved Hashem so much that they kept learning Torah, kept Shabbat and halacha. The babies had a bris. 

They had to secretly learning the Torah inside caves in the mountains. Yossi, helped us act out davening and learning torah in the cave, when Antiochus's guard came he pulled out the dreidel and hide the Torah! The guard saw nothing suspicious so he kept going and that's how they were all saved while learning Torah!

The Maccabies, were a small group of people that fought in the army of Hashem. They were very brave. They were a few but Hashem made a miracle and they won over the large Greek army. 

Shai, worked hard on his Macabee shield.

Marching like a Macabee!

Our friends were invited to write and illustrate how they are brave.

Avraham "I'm brave because I don't hit back."

Nechama H "I am brave when I go to the chicken coop because I'm scared of chickens."

Thank you Rabbi Weinbaum  from the head quarters of Tzivos Hashem for teaching us to be brave and listen to our good voice inside each of us.

Learned a new morning brocha - Zokef Kefufim. We compared our bodies to animals, we have the ability to stand up tall and use our head to think! 

Listening to our yetzer tov and being part of Hashem's army definitely requires us to stand tall and use our head, Thank you Hashem!

Practicing to write the Hebrew words of Chanukah!

Working on our Menorah, chanukia!

Working hard as Kohanim in the Beis Hamiksash.

Our beautiful Chanukah bulletin board with all the kids as brave Maccabees! 

Pre-K Kria

Learning the letter "Tes" this week!

K Kria

We introduced a new vowel this week ,Segul!

Our friends helped 'Sigi the Segul sheep' travel around the class by reading the new sound and earned a sweet treat.

Team work!

Academics

At Circle Time we identified common outside sounds by playing a listening bingo game.

Yossi & Mendy hard at work writing sentences!

Aftercare

We made calendars for the 8 nights of Chanukah with a surprise in each pocket!

Shabbat Shalom!

We are so brave!

Chanuka unit #2

The Chanuka story started in the times of the Beis Hamikdash, Hashem's home!

In our classroom, an interactive Beis Hamikdash was a great way for our friends to experience the miraculous times. 

Eli, dressing up as the Kohen who prepares to do his special work by washing his hands and feet by the Kiyor. 

Looking around at all the shiny gold items in the Beis Hamikdash. 

Levi, lighting the Menorah that took place everyday using pure oil.

The holiest place in the Beis Hamikdash is the Kodesh Kadoshim that only once a year the Kohen Gadol would enter in. Ayal, showed us what was inside the holy Aron- the precious luchos from Har Sinai!

Interactive lechem hapanim which was the 12 show breads . 

After we experienced the holiness and beauty of the Beis Hamikdash, it was now time to introduce the unkind King Antiyochus. 

He made three rules against the Jewish people.

Our big idea this week was how we are so brave just like the macabees and children still listened to Hashem even if there were rules against their religion. 

1) He said no learning Torah! - Yosef proudly holding his Torah and telling the King he only listens to Hashem!

2) No Keeping Shabbos! -Yocheved holding tight to her shabbos candle 

3) No bris for baby boys- Zalman snuggling and reassuring his baby he will  have a Bris!

What would happen when the soldiers checked on the Jewish families? Ayal and Levi acting out hiding in the cave and taking out a dreidel when he came knocking on the door.

We had the honor of having a visit from the head of Tzivos Hashem! (A program that runs all over the world to encourage kids to bring Moshiach by being in Hashem's army and do good deeds)

Oil art on jugs.

Getting ready for Chanukah!!

Working hard on our Menorahs!

So proud!

Making Challah  together! Tal, was super excited and requested to make homemade dough this week!

 

A Home and a Ladder!

In this week's Parsha Vayetzei, Yakov Avinu is fleeing to Charan. His brother Eisav was so angry that Yakov stole the birthright from him that he had to leave. On his way it was starting to get dark and there were no houses or tents to be found so he had to sleep under the stars. Yakov put 12 rocks around him to protect him form wild animals.

The rocks started to argue! "I want to be next to this Tzadik's head!" Hashem then made a miracle and all the rocks became one big rock and Yakov could finally fall asleep.

In his dream, he saw a tall ladder that went towards heaven with angels going up and down.

The angels going up were protecting Yakov from Eretz Israel until now. The ones going down were for future protecting outside of Israel. Hashem is telling him I am with you and I will protect you! 

In his dream, he see a tall ladder that went towards the heaven with angels going up and down. The angels going up, were protecting Yakov from Eretz Yisroel till now. The ones going down were for the future. Hashem was telling him I am with you adn I will protect you!

Nechama creating a ladder that was reaching the sky!

The same spot that Yakov had his dream is the place that eventually become the spot of Beis Hamikdash (the holy temple)! We learned that Beis Hamikdash was Hashem's home and talked about the beautiful mitzvas the kohanim and levim were performing there everyday!

Mordy and Yossi, building the Beis hamikdash!

The Kohen Gadol (high priest) was the one to light the Menorah every day in the Beis Hamikdash.

Mendy, pointing to a Menorah on top of an elephant!

Like in Hashem's home, in our home we light shabbat candles. We learned that the kohanim would bake special bread that's called lechem hapanim, like challah!

Show and Tell from home!

We got to celebrated our "helping hands" moments that we finished on our Noach rainbow bulletin board. Rainbow party!

Dreidel patterns!

Big box = big fun!

Pre-K Kria

                                                      Learning the letter Ches for Challah!
                                                       

K Kria

Finishing up the vowel of  tzeire we made a book and practice reading full sentences!

Leah, pointing at the nekudos with a Chanukah candles :)

Academics

Using twenty frames for math addition & subtraction problems

Hard at work on our academic Chanuka themed worksheets! 

Aftercare