Gan Camarillo Preschool: I am FULL of mitzvos!

In this week Parashas Bo, Hashem told the Jewish people to count the months starting from Nissan. Every month, the moon goes through a cycle, starting small and getting bigger until it’s full, and then it starts getting smaller again. Rosh Chodesh happens when the moon is not visible in the sky, a time full of potential.

Just like the moon begins small and gradually grows, we start each month with a fresh opportunity to grow and fill our lives with mitzvot. Even though we can’t see the moon on Rosh Chodesh, it’s full of hidden light, just like we are full of the potential to do mitzvot. As the moon grows brighter, so can we, by filling our days with more mitzvot and making the world a better place, shining Hashem’s light to those around us!

On Thursday, we celebrated Rosh Chodesh Shevat, and had so much fun painting a moon with a balloon! We used the balloon to make a round shape for the moon.

Finger painting is a fun way to help strengthen our fine motor skills! Mendy is finger painting the stages of the moon, showing how it starts small, grows bigger, and then gets smaller again.

We learned about the last three of the plagues that Hashem sent to Egypt. First, there was Arbeh (Locusts), where huge swarms of locusts came and ate all the food in Egypt, but the land where the Jews lived was protected.

Nechama, creating locusts art with pompons 💚

Then, Makkat Choshech (darkness). It wasn’t just regular darkness—Egypt became completely dark for three days, so dark that the Egyptians couldn’t even move! However, Jewish people had light in their homes. During this time, the Jews went to look for the jewelry that the Egyptians took, but they didn’t touch it, because Hashem told them to wait.

In our class, we made our own jewelry to remember this moment.

To help us feel what it’s like to be in complete Choshech, we played a fun game. One of our friends was blindfolded, and the other had to guide them. The kids took about 3 minutes to reach the end of the track, but the Egyptians were in total darkness for 3 whole days, and they couldn’t move at all! The game also helped the kids practice their left and right recognition, making it a fun learning experience too!

Finally, there was Makkat Bechorot (the Plague of the Firstborn), when all the firstborn Egyptians passed away. This is also when the Jewish people got ready for the Korban Pesach (Passover Lamb). Hashem told them to take a lamb and tie it to their bed for four days to make sure it was perfect. Then, they had to roast the lamb and put its blood on their doorposts so the angel would "pass over" their house. "Pesach" means "pass over" or "skip over," and that's exactly what happened! The angel of death skipped over the Jewish homes.

To remind us of how the Jewish people followed Hashem’s commands, we painted our doorposts with red paint. When we do more mitzvot, we bring Hashem’s protection and love into our lives.

Yossi and Nechama, reading the letters of the makos in both Hebrew and English, then putting them in the correct order.

We had a special visit from Morah Paula, and the kids were so excited to see her! Their faces lit up with joy as she walked into the room. It was a wonderful moment, filled with smiles and lots of energy, as everyone gathered around to say hello and share what they’ve been learning.