Taking the lead

As you know, our class has spent the year learning the Torah service. Some students have completed the entire service, and everyone has mastered more than half.

In recognition of our class' hard work and accomplishments, the Rabbi has offered members of the vav class the opportunity to lead parts of the Torah service on April 19 and 26. I've mentioned it the class, but hope that if you're going to be in town, you can encourage your child as well. Please let me know as soon as possible if your child will participate.

A few students have asked for a link to the song "Into the Sea" - a parody of Under the Sea that tells the story of the Exodus. Here are the lyrics. You can also scroll up on the page to listen to the song on realplayer or windows media.

New Material

We've started a new topic that will take us until the end of the year - Pirkei Avot. Here's a brief description - click here for a link to the full article.

Pirkei Avot (literally, "Chapters of the Fathers," but generally translated as "Ethics of Our Fathers") is one of the best known and most cited of Jewish texts. Even those who claim to know little about Jewish literature are familiar with maxims such as "If I am only for myself, who am I? (1:14)" and "Say little and do much (1:15)." Popular Hebrew songs take as their lyrics lines such as "The world stands on three things: Torah, service, and acts of loving kindness (1:2)" and "You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it (2:21)."

We'll be studying various selections and interpreting them individually, in pairs, and in small groups. We're also memorizing passages - ask your child if s/he can recite today's mishna about a "good name." Please look at our bulletin board, and your kids' commentary about this mishnah. They wrote about a person they consider to have a good name and why. Some of the commentaries are very touching.

Purim is over, Pesach is coming

We had a great pre-Purim celebration in class. We began with a Purim tefillah, in which each student led a prayer to a new, and usually silly, tune. While Jane and Joan baked delicious hamentashen with groups of students, the rest of the students decorated and packed mishloach manot baskets to deliver on Purim Day. Thanks to the parents of Josh, Jenny, and Isaiah F-S, and of course Rosie T for contributing to this project.

We've finished our prophets book, and will be spending the last months of school on Pirkei Avot, a book of the mishna which is also known as Ethics of the Fathers. We'll also spend the next few weeks learning to chant and trying to interpret some sections of the haggadah.

PURIM SIGN UP!

Please post a comment with your name and what you are sending in for the mishloach manot baskets. Thanks!

Lyrics to our songs

Rosie, Sarah Rose, Rosie and Jennie

At first I was afraid
I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never without those scrolls of mine
But then I spend so many nights
Just thinkin' how King J did wrong
And I grew strong and I learned how to get along
So now I'm back to write some stuff
Then my scribe said "I'd love to help, cuz I am so very tough"
I should have hid those scrolls so fast,
I should have not let them be burned
If I had knows for just one second
I'd have to rewrite them in turn

So go now go!
Burn all my scrolls!
But watch your back now!
Cuz you are gonna pay the tolls!
Yeah God supports me, and so does Sarah Rose
And you're gonna, yeah you are gonna pay the tolls
Oh Oh Oh Oh

I will survive, I will survive
As long as I know how to write, I know that I will stay alive
Cuz I got all my stuff to write
And I got all God's thoughts to give
I will rewrite
My words will never ever die
I will survive!

Mikaela and Isaiah

At first he delivered the words of God
But the people didn't believe him
Said his head was full of sod
He was rejected from the temple
They said he could do no wrong
But he grew strong
And he learned how to get along

Behind their backs
He hired a scribe
He told him "Son I've got some words of God for you to write"
Nebuchadnezzar is a very very terrible name
What were his parents thinking when they played the naming game?
The scribe read the words of God
But they still didn't believe him
Still said his head was full of sod
And he spent so many nights
Without a single nod
But her never ever doubted
The important word of God
hey hey

We will survive - the Vav remix

Here's a link to a video of some songs written and performed by the class. Their assignment was to tell the story of Jeremiah, who overcame great adversity to bring God's message to the Israelites, by setting it to music. I'll get the lyrics to these songs up soon.

I will survive - Gloria Gaynor

Ask your son or daughter why we watched this in class today!

Also- I was interviewed for a great Jewish book podcast, The Book of Life. You can listen here if you like.