Shalom, but not 'good-bye'

 

Shalom Chaveirim/Dear Friends:

When I came to Temple Sinai back in 1998 I had not lived in any one place longer than three years, at least not since I was a kid. So the fact that I've been here for almost 23 years is really astounding. But as Jerry Seinfeld said when he decided to end his TV show, "I wanted the end to be from a point of strength. I wanted the end to be graceful."  

 And so it is that I have made the decision to retire at the end of this school year, while the Temple is strong, in good hands, and before I've reached my expiration date.

Temple has been a source of love, joy, inspiration, and strength to me over these years. I've made wonderful friends and connections, had great times, and above all, loved working with the many, many children over the years. 

I’m not going anywhere, I’ll still be around. I won’t be the Education Director anymore, but I hope I will always be Morah Judy.

Chazak, chazak, v'nitchazek/May we go from strength to strength,

Morah Judy

It's Purim!!

 

Since Purim is during school vacation, we'll be celebrating at school on February 18.

Join us at 3:45 to make graggers then stay for the Purim Spiel, another original production by our own Saragail Benjamin, Director of Young Families Programming.

EVERYBODY:  Come in costume. 

That includes parents lurking in the background!

        

January 18, 2021 - Upcoming Events

 

Jan. 28 we are planning an in-person Tu Bishvat hike with Melanie Kessler of Living Tree Alliance for students in grades 2-6. This will take place in the woods behind Farrell Street Park. We will be masked and socially distanced.

Saragail Benjamin is writing and producing a Purim Spiel for her Young Families program, which will also be performed at our school on  Feb. 18. Prior to the spiel we will have a gragger and/or a mask making workshop led by our teachers.

On March 4  we have a virtual visit with Lisa Rose, the author of A Zombie Vacation. Lisa calls herself a recovering first grade teacher. She is a hoot. It's a delightful children's book about a Zombie who vacations at the Dead Sea. She is encouraging the kids to dress up like zombies and in addition to her reading the book, she will be doing a STEM science experiment with the kids.

Pen-Pal Program: Hannah Weiss and I have been working on the intergenerational Pen-Pal program. We're almost ready to launch.

Tuesday, January 26: Temple is co-sponsoring a PJ Library Tu BiShvat Concert for young children

FOOD DRIVE FOR SOUTH BURLINGTON FOOD SHELF

“Let all who are hungry come and eat.” Isaiah 55:1

Education Committee & Social Action Committee

Passover begins March 27. Many folks have the custom to clear their homes of “hametz,” proscribed foods for the holiday.  We’re combining the holiday cleaning with food-shelf giving. Here are the days and times you can drop off items with a list of items that are always needed. Of course you may include other items as well:

Thursday, March 25 from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm 

Friday, March 26 from 8 am to 10 am

Saturday, March 27 from 8 am to 10 am

Earlier this month Lisa, Julie and I reached out to all the Religious School families with phone calls, to ask how things are doing and to get feedback. We spoke with most parents, left messages with others. The parents overall are very happy with the school, the teachers, the program, and were most appreciative of our calling. If we haven't had a chance to speak, call us. We'd love to hear from you.

School News

Shalom Horim/Dear Parents:

With the holidays now behind us (not counting Halloween*), we can get into a somewhat normal routine without major distractions.

In case you haven't already received it at the beginning of the school year, check out Temple's website under "Learning" for the school calendar. Please note when your child's class service is (class services begin in January and are usually the first Friday night of the month to coincide with Folk Services).  They begin with a Pot Luck dinner at 5:30 sponsored by the host class.

In addition to the class services, there are two Whole School Shabbats: the first on Nov. 9 and the next one of Feb. 15. This is a great way for your family to experience a Saturday morning service at Temple and for our students to practice the prayers they are learning.

This past week our Letter of the Week was Lamed, as in Lulav, which we shook on Sukkot. 

ל as in:

Lulav, Night (Lailah), Lemon (Limon), Bread (Lechem)

Starting tomorrow, our Letter of the Week is Aleph.

Lastly, with all the events we've had at Temple involving food, A LOT of plates, containers, bags, baking pans, etc. have gotten left behind in the kitchen. Next time you're here, please check to see if maybe some are yours. Additionally, we've got quite a collection of water bottles piling up. Maybe one of those is yours too?

Best wishes for a sweet and Happy New Year,

Morah Judy

PS - if you know folks with young children, or you yourself have a child too young for school, please know that we have a monthly Tot Shabbat on the third Friday of the month and Story Hour on the first Sunday of the month. Next Story Hour is Nov. 3 at 10 am and Tot Shabbat is Nov. 15 at 5:30 pm.

*we do NOT have school Oct. 31 

This week is brought to you by the letter Dalet

 Dvash - Honey דְבַֹש            

Delet - Door    דֶלֶת

Degel - Flag דֶגֶל








                              Dahg - Fish דָג

Busy, busy October

Shalom Mishpachot/Dear Families:

I hope you had a wonderful Rosh Hashanah. It was great seeing so many of the school children here, singing and blowing shofar, or attending services and/or child care.

The new month of October brings with it our new Value of the Month: Welcoming the Stranger (Hachnasat Orchim) הַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים

I know you're already a pretty hospitable bunch, so think of even more ways you can incorporate this Mitzvah into your family practices. Ask your children for ideas. Maybe invite a new family over for the meal before Yom Kippur on the 8th or to break fast after services on the 9th. Have a few families over for an early Shabbat dinner and then come to services together (this Friday night is a Folk Service and the 25th is a Rock Shabbat). Or maybe make a play-date with your child and another student from their Religious School class.

Last week's Letter of the Week was Tav, תּ as in Torah, Tmunah (Picture), Todah ( Thank you ), and Tapuach (Apple). Did your family come up with any new Tav words?

This week's Letter of the Week is Mem - מ
The Mem words posted on our bulletin board include: Moreh/Morah (Teacher), Mezzuzah, Machberet (Notebook), and Menorah (Lamp, more often associated with the lamp from The Temple or with Chanukah).

This Sunday is our first Story Hour of the Month, at 10:00. All children and families are welcome. Saragail is leading it and I believe she'll be exploring the story of Jonah and the Whale, which is read on Yom Kippur. Also for the younger set is a Tot Shabbat service on the 18th at 5:30 (regular service follows at 6:30).

On the 10th Eliza Weissberger is coming to work with the children on decorating the sukkah! And speaking of sukkah, on Oct. 13th our 7-8 Grade program is taking a field trip to the Living Tree Alliance Farm to help build sukkahs and learn what makes a sukkah Kosher. The following weekend, LTA (19 & 20) is having multiple Sukkot activities for the entire family: https://livingtreealliance.com/sukkot-on-the-farm

On Sunday, Oct. 20th Temple is holding Simchat Torah services, joined by Ruach HaMaqom, at 5:30. We also use this opportunity to Consecrate our newest members of Religious School. The youngest members receive a mini-Torah and our older students (grade 4+) receive their siddurim/prayer books.

On Oct. 17 Torah Chanting class begins for our 6th graders. This brief, 20 minute class is from 6:15-6:35 immediately after class on Thursdays. Adults are welcome to join too.

Also on the 17th, from 7:00-8:30 is a beginning Hebrew reading class. So if you've never had Hebrew before, or it's been so long you can't tell an Aleph from a Bet, this class is for you. Let me know if you'd like to register.

On the 19th we are thrilled to have the Bat Mitzvah of Ariel Toohey, which will take place during Shabbat/Sukkot services that morning at 10:00 a.m.

Finally, on the 25th we will have a special Rock Shabbat service in honor of the 90th birthday of our beloved member, Beverley Bettmann, with a special oneg following services.

Whew! I'm getting tired just reading all the things going on, not to mention the Rabbi's Adult Bnai Mitzvah class and Intro to Judaism.

Gmar Chatimah Tovah/A Good Sealing,

Morah Judy

You asked for it, we're answering - important information about the opening day of school

Shalom Horim/Dear Parents: (Long, so please read when you're not in a hurry [HAHAHA!]

This past June we gathered together a group of parents and members for a visioning session for our school*. One of the topics to come out of the meeting was that parents wanted greater home educational opportunities with their children. This fits in very nicely with our new values-based curriculum this year. Let me point out to you some of the new things we're doing, what to look for, and what you can do.

1. As you know, we've made our start time earlier: 3:45. During this time the students will gather in the Social Hall, have physical activities, snack, go to Sanctuary for T'filah/prayer, and go over the letter of the week and the Value of the Month.

2. Letter of the Week: Each week we will highlight a different letter of the Alef-Bet. This letter, and several words starting with that letter, will be displayed on our bulletin board  and in each classroom, and I will send an update with the letter. (see enclosed picture). It would be really great if you could reinforce this at home, such as asking if they can think of English words starting with that sound, then asking if they (or you) know any Hebrew words starting with that sound.

3. Value of the Month: Every month we are highlighting a Jewish value, posting a poster on our bulletin board, reinforcing it in the classroom. Again, reinforcing it at home would help.

4. Snack: will be done collectively in the Social Hall

Our first Jewish Value is Hiddur Mitzvah - Beautifying or Enhancing the Mitzvah/Commandment. You can read more about it here: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/holiday-art/

What we need from you:

1. Our first day of school, please send in with your child a Judaic object from your home (such as a Kiddush cup, Candlesticks, Menorah, Seder Plate, challah cover). bring a card with it with your family name, and if it has a history, what that history is. We will then display it in our school that day, where we will have a VIRTUAL Museum and a real museum (with your objects)

2. We will send projects for you to do, at home, with your child, such as decorating a Kiddush Cup, making a Challah Cover; decorating Candlesticks or a Havdallah Spice Box (these are grade determined). You will have 3 weeks to make them, returning them here on October 3rd, to be displayed at Temple. Again, please have a small index card or Post-it with your child's name to go with the object. 

3. Parent Greeters:

Isn't it nice to come into a space and have people greet you? I try to do it at school but often things need my attention so I cannot always be at the door.  Please let me know if you would like to greet the children when they come in, and direct them into the Social Hall

4. Snack:

The past few years we've had parents bring snack to their child's class, resulting in having to bring in snack 4-5 times/year. This year we're doing a collective snack which means you'll need to bring in snack only twice a year. We have 30ish students in the school, (and 7 teachers) so if two parents each week bring snack each really only needs to provide snack for 20 people. If it is your snack week, we ask that you stay to set it up (in the Social Hall), and clean up afterwards (which means, keep it simple!). 

5. Class parents:

I have 3 committed parents so far for grades 6, 3, and 4-5. I'm looking for a class parent for Grades 1 and 2. What does a class parent do? Coordinates the class dinners, finds families from without the class to help with setting up and cleaning up after the dinners; helps with any other things the class wants such as purchasing a gift for the teacher, getting together outside Temple [if you want to do that as a class]; other ideas are up to you.

Other things we'd love to see:

*host the families in your child's class for a pot-luck havurah (1-2 hour shabbat or havdallah meal / candle lighting / social gathering)

*greet people and let them in during Hebrew school

*drive students in my child's class on a local field trip 

*substitute teach

*tutor students one-on-one in Hebrew once a month for 30 minutes

*make latkes (at the synagogue) for Hannukah

*bake treats for Purim

*lead a workshop or activity 

If you are interested in doing any of these, let me know.  

I guess that's it! I hope to see many of you tomorrow evening for our Welcome Back to School BBQ (Thank you, Brotherhood for your grilling skills), and if you're coming, please bring a side, salad, or dessert, if you're able.

Shabbat Shalom,

Morah Judy

*If you're interested in attending future visioning sessions - our hope is to create a Mission Statement and come up with a new name for our school - please let me know.