Ms. Parmer

 

March 10, 2013

With Pesach only two weeks away, we kicked our discussion into high gear! This week’s parsha tied in perfectly, following Moses and the freed slaves out of Egypt and into the desert to Mt. Sinai. The class discussed the system of judges set up by Moses’ father-in-law, Yitro, and compared it to the court system in the United States. Next, we turned our attention to the seder, discussing the order followed and the symbolism of each element. The class created an abstract seder table in preparation for our own in two weeks.

Jan. 27, 2013

Summary: This week, we finished up our unit on Tu B’Shvat with a seder! Together with Mrs. Gerber’s class, we explored the importance of the natural world in Judaism, and our responsibility towards the environment and our communities. Then, we sampled each of the seven species named in the Torah as the main produce of the land of Israel – barley, wheat, fig, dates, grapes, olives, and pomegranates.
Homework: Please complete the Hebrew worksheet handed out in class (note: does not apply to Ivrit Aleph kids)

Jan.6, 2013

Summary: We’re back in the swing of things after the long winter break! The start of the new year coincided perfectly with the end of Bereishit and the start of Shemot – the beginning of the Exodus story. The class had a good discussion about Moses and the courage it took to go back to Pharaoh time and again, even when he thought he couldn’t make a difference. We also started our discussion of Tu B’Shvat, brainstorming all the things we get from trees and ways in which we can help preserve the environment.
Homework: Complete the Tu B’Shvat handout (pages 98 and 99 of the holidays textbook)

Dec. 9, 2012

Summary: What a fun day! After a great Hanukkah music session with Cantor Robin, we came back to the class to finish our discussion and make a Hanukkah craft. Then, we were joined by the other fourth grade class for our party. The kids had a great time hanging out with their friends, eating delicious food, and playing bingo for prizes.
Homework: no homework this week!

Dec. 4, 2012

With Hanukkah just around the corner, our discussion this week focused on the “real story” behind the holiday, with a rousing debate over the actions of Mattathias and the Maccabees after they retreated into the surrounding mountains. We also discussed how the Maccabees and their followers used dreidels as a distraction, hiding their studying of Torah from the Syrian army. Then, we made our own edible versions!

Homework: Hanukkah handout from the holiday book.

 

Nov. 4, 2012

Summary: We wrapped up our discussion of Shabbat this week, discussing the symbols and meaning of the end-of-Shabbat ceremony, Havdalah. In groups, the class talked about six perspectives about G-d from rabbis across North America and the UK. This sparked a great discussion about multiple belief systems, and the importance of tolerance and acceptance.

Homework: Read page 47. Complete the two handouts (pages 48 and 49). NOTE: this applies only to students in my Hebrew section. For Ivrit Aleph students, please check the IA section of the teachers pages on this website.