tbhrich

Hello Everyone!

We are now well within the month of holidays!  With Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur now behind us, it is time for rejoicing in the form of Sukkot and Simchat Torah, which will be the themes for the next couple of weeks.  The teachers and I wanted to extend our deepest thanks and gratitude to all the parents who stayed to help set up our Sukkah last week.  In my opinion, all the families set a record this year for the fastest time ever putting up the Sukkah!  Our next class will be this Sunday, October 16, starting at 9:30 a.m.  Our regular Tefillah Service will be modified to include a service for Simchat Torah, which will last until 10:30 a.m.  Please invite friends and family if you like.

And now for the recap.  Rabbi Dean and Chase led us in our Tefillah service before the classes went to their separate activities.  The younger kids had a fun time making drawings related to Sukkot, including lulavs, etrogs, harvest items, etc.  They also made special leaves with patterns made from sparkles and glue.  At the same time, the Bnai Mitzvah class helped to build the Sukkah and then practiced the prayers for Chase’s Bar Mitzvah.  For the second half of class, all the kids helped decorate the Sukkah with paper chains, lights, their special leaves, and other colorful accouterments.  The Sukkah will be up for the rest of Sukkot so we encourage everyone who has not seen it yet to come by the Temple and take a look.

And that about covers it for now.  I look forward to seeing y’all next week for Simchat Torah.  And please pencil in your calendars for Friday, October 21, which will be both the next Youth Shabbat and Chase’s Bar Mitzvah, at 6:15 and 7:30 respectively.  See y’all soon!

Best,

David

L’Shana Tova Everyone!
Can we believe the High Holy Days are now here? Soon we will reach Yom Kippur and get well into the Fall. It was great to see all the families who attended Rosh Hashana services this past Sunday and Monday. As I mentioned, I will try to secure child care for the Yom Kippur services so I will keep everyone updated. And our next class will be this Sunday, October, 2, starting at 9:30 a.m. with Tefillah.
And now for the recap. Rabbi Dean and Chase led us in our Tefillah service. The classes then adjourned to learn all about Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur, and the values and symbolism expressed in those holidays. The kids watched videos, drew pictures, and learned the ins and outs of the High Holy Days. By far the most excitement came at the end of the day when all the kids were given mini Shofars by Heather and Jenny. Many a call was heard for the rest of the day!
For the Bnai Mitzvah class, we mainly worked on Chases’ preparation for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah in October. Along with practicing Torah portions and Haftorah reading, we also reflected on the past year and what to expect for the upcoming year. Our activity consisted of writing down our best memory of the year and then washing it away; throwing and drop kicking a rock and a pine cone to symbolize getting rid of an action we were ashamed or or regretted this past year; and finally making “5783” out of twigs, standing in the middle, and making a promise to ourselves to accomplish something we want to do for the new year.
And that about covers it for now. I look forward to seeing y’all for Yom Kippur.

Best,
David

Shalom Everyone!

It was great to see everyone again after a three week break for Labor Day and the Solano Stroll.  Thankfully, our schedule will now be a bit more predictable as we will have Religious School every Sunday between now and November.  Our next class will be this Sunday, September 25, starting at 9:30 a.m. with a Tefillah service.  

And now for the recap.  Rabbi Dean led us in our Tefillah Service with help from Chase, who is practicing for his Bar Mitzvah coming up on October 22.  It’s always so exciting to see one of our students make their transition into Jewish adulthood.  Afterward, the younger grades learned about Rosh Hashana, including picking out their own pomegranates, the symbolism of apples and honey, and enjoying a sweet home-made Challah snack.  The Bnai Mitzvah class mainly worked on Chase’s Torah Portion, simulated carrying a Torah, and thinking about the meaning of Genesis to prepare for his Dvar Torah.  

And that about covers it for now.  If any families would like to have child care at TBH during the High Holidays, please send me an email so we can try to accommodate.  I look forward to seeing everyone at the High Holiday service.  

Best,

David

Hello Everyone!

  And so we have made it!  Our final Religious School session will take place this Sunday, June 12, at our regular time of 9:30 a.m.  We plan to have an abbreviated session with just a short Tefillah Service and our traditional end of the year Mensch Award ceremony (first time in person in 3 years).  When that is done, all families will head out to the Contemporary Jewish Museum for our grand tour.  The tour begins at 12:00 p.m. so we should have plenty of time to get there.  We will all meet at the entrance.  They do not have parking at the museum but the director said there are three parking garages nearby.  The tour will last a little over an hour and then Religious School will be officially done for the year.  If anyone requires a carpool for their kids, please let me know and we can accommodate (I have extra space in our van).

  And now for the recap.  Rabbi Dean led us in our Tefillah service and gave insights into the holiday of Shavuot.  Afterwards, all the kids went with me for a combined class learning about Shavuot.  We learned the origins and symoblism of Shavuot, especially its connection to the giving of the Torah and the harvest season.  The kids then made special flowers and a fruit basket, sketched images of tractors and orchards, and listened to a story about how the fictional community of Chelm received 3 extra commandments thanks to Shavuot.

     For the second half of class, all the kids got to taste traditional treats that we eat on Shavuot, especially dairy treats.  They all tried labhneh cheese with graham crackers, bagels with ricotta cheese and tomatoes and basil, and focaccia bread.  So delicious! 

     And that about covers it.  On behalf of the teachers and staff, I would like to thank all the parents for such a wonderful year and to an even better one to come.  We’ll see everyone at the Temple at 9:30 on Sunday and then off to our special tour at CJM.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

David 

Hello Everyone!

We had such an exciting time this past Sunday!  I wanted to thank Larry, Jenny, and all the parents who helped make our Lag B’Omer festivities a success!  Just as a reminder, we will be on break next week for Memorial Day but resume our Religious School for the final two sessions on June 5 and June 12.  Also, on June 12 we will have our trip to the Contemporary Jewish Museum.  Please fill in how many members of your family would like to come on the sign up sheet below (it was not working before but I adjusted it so it should work now) so we can arrange transportation and give the museum guide an idea of the size of our group.  For Temple members who are not in religious school right now, we have a limited number of extra spaces so please fill in your family as well if you would like to join us.

And now for the recap.  Larry led our Tefillah Service today with his usual skill as a substitute for Rabbi Dean.  For the first hour of class, each class learned about the history and symbolism of Lag B’Omer.  The kids helped decorate and put together a bow and arrow set, made a wooden bonfire picture frame, and learned about the traditions of Lag B’Omer.  For the second half of class, all the kids got to enjoy s’mores over a fire, roasted baked potatoes, and best of all, practice their archery skills with three different bow and arrow sets.  With plenty of practice, the kids got to be pretty good shots, hitting the target multiple times.  Lag B’Omer is such a wonderful spring holiday!

 And that about covers it for now.  Everyone enjoy the long weekend and we’ll see y’all back in June!

Best,

David