Miracle of Chanuka comes to life!

Chanuka unit 2

After learning a lot about Hashem's home, the Beis Hamikdash our friends got a real sense of what life was like for the Jewish people before the Chanuka story.

It was now time to learn the miracles that took place. 

Yedidya, acting out King Antiyochus who came up with three laws the Jewish people could not do. 

Mendy, holding a baby boy who needed a bris but that was not allowed so they needed to be brave and do it in hiding. The King also forbade Shabbos and thinking the Torah was holy.

The children are a big part of the Chanuka miracle since they were brave and not afraid of the Greeks soldiers looking to see if they were keeping the laws.

Jack, hugging his Torah up until the soldier came and than wiped out the Dreidel game!

Learning about less and more. The Greeks were definitely more than the Jewish people but we learned a powerful lesson while watching the small amount of oil float to the top of a cup almost filled with water. No matter the numbers, Hashem is with us and we will always prevail! 

We took a little trip to the younger kids classroom to see what the Greeks did to the holy Beis Hamikdash! It was a mess and so disheartening! 

After being brave Macabees and cleaning it up we tried looking for oil. Mendy found one tiny oil that was sealed!

Shai, acted out what happened after finding a small jug of oil and we witnessed the miracle that it lasted 8 days until more oil was made for the Beis Hamikdash!

Thank you Hashem!

After playing lots of dreidel this week our friends practiced writing the letters they see on it using salt and white boards.

Yakov, working on a Bracha drip mat for Chanuka using his friends pictures as the candles!

English Academics

Playing a playing a phonics alphabet game.

On a classroom color scavenger hunt!

Coloring by number and proud of our work.

Prk Kria

Kfir, showed us his Yud was decorated with 'Yayin'- wine.

Kindergarten Kria

We introduced the next vowel of Tzerei this week!

A bike wheels look like the vowel with two circles. Each child got to pick a letter and say the sound while they drove the bike. 

We than celebrated with a treat that looks like a Tzerei, two small cups of ice cream!

 

Being Brave!

Chanuka unit 2

After spending a lot of special time in the holy Beis Hamikdash, it was now time to learn the story of Chanuka!

The small children were so brave since the King Antiyochus created laws against the Jewish people. They could not keep Shabbos, have a bris or treat the Torah as holy.

In the cave, Levi and Yossi showed us how they would take out their dreidels to show the Greeks so they wouldn't be in grave trouble.

During circle time we witnessed what happened in the Beis Hamikdash when the Greeks soldiers got to it! They created a big mess and smashed the oil jugs! After spending a couple weeks in our Beis Hamikdash our friends now understood how devastating it was for the Jewish people.

Instead of it getting us down and just being sad we learned how to be brave and trust in Hashem!

After cleaning up the mess, we looked for any oil for the Kohen Gadol to light but we could not find any! It would take 8 days to create more! Our friends did not give up at first Mordy found a little jug but the holy seal from the Kohen which made it Kosher was broken so we could not use it. Finally, Ariella, found one small one!!

We watched as the Kohen Gadol lit the Menorah for seeming just enough for 1 day but it miraculously lasted for 8 days!

Working hard on our frying pan Menorahs! Axel, painting little clay latkas and Mordy decorating the pan.

We can't wait to light them and bring more light into this world!

 

Hashem's home

Our friends have been talking and learning all about their homes for the past couple weeks. It was now time to talk about Hashem's home , the Beis Hamikdash!

We placed a picture of the Beis Hamikdash on the road map that had all their home pictures.

One of the highlights of the year is the Beis Hamikdash center in our classroom. It becomes a beautiful holy space to learn about what took place in Hashem's home in Eretz Yisroel and also prepare us for when we get to see the ultimate one when Moshiach comes!

Before the Kohanim would work in the Beis Hamikdash they would wash their hands and feet as preparation by the kiyor.

The Kohen Gadol would light the 7 branch Menorah everyday! They would use fresh pressed olive oil and it lit up not just in the Beis Hamikdash but the world as well. 

Learning how olive oil is made. 

Ariella, crushing olives. Ayal, got excited when a drop of oil came out of  an olive.

Gold instruments were introduced in the Beis Hamikdash as we spoke about the job of the Leveim who would play beautiful music.

Eli, counting the 12 loaves of bread that would be in the Lechem Hapanim.

 

Experimenting with oil colors in water.

Avraham working on his Choshen Mishpat which the Kohen Gadol wore in the Beis Hamikdash!

Hashem's home in my home!

Chanuka Unit

This week, we laid the foundation for the Chanuka story by living what it was like for the Jewish people in Israel before the story took place.

We did this by learning all about Hashem's home, the Beis Hamikdash!

Kfir and Shai building their version of the Beis Hamikdash.

We are waiting everyday for Moshiach when we can finally experience the real Beis Hamikdash. Until this happens we learned that we can bring the Beis Hamikdash into OUR HOME.

Chaya Leah, working on her home craft.

The different holy objects in the Beis Hamikdash represent another mitzvah in our home.

Menorah- The Kohen Gadol would light the Menorah (not the Chanuka one ;) we counted the difference in the branches) everyday!

Leah, showed us a Shabbos candle that we light to bring light into our home every Friday night! A special holy light just like the Menorah!

Lechem Hapanim- The showbread of 12 loaves that would be in the Beis Hamikdash and the Kohanim would get to eat it.

Our Kohanim in the classroom counting the 12 loaves. Mimi, pretending to taste some.

Kiyor- The gold wash basin that the Kohanim would start their service by washing their hands and feet. We do this in our home by washing Negel Vaser before we start the day!

We took this opportunity to learn the third morning blessing, matir assurim that we are thankful that we can move in the morning and also change our habits.

Mizbayach - The gold alter that kohanim would bring sacrifices. Now, we daven instead. 

We also learned our table that we eat we call it a Mizbayach because we can also invite poor people to eat and it atones for our mistakes.

Aron- 

The gold box were the luchos (tablets) were kept. In our home is the Torah books we have.

Prk Kria- 

Using shapes to make Hebrew letters and learning the letter Yud.

Kindergarten Kria

With Chanuka in mind we measured candles and added a vowel the  Alef Beis letter we saw on the measuring stick.

Chana, writing the sound she thinks that is on her head by her friends reading it.

English academics -

Using a dice and body movements to learn numbers.

Letter recognition and spelling.

Outside fun!