Dear 7th Grade TIN Parents

Dear 7th grade TIN parents,

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year at Temple Israel of Natick!

My name is Katie Hamelburg, and I am going to be one of your student's teachers this upcoming year. I will be teaching the joint 6th and 7th grade on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, along with our fabulous aid, Amy Pelz. I am really looking forward to joining the Temple Israel of Natick community, and working with your family this upcoming year!

I am a new Boston resident, having recently moved from the Washington, DC area. I am thrilled to be joining the Metrowest Boston Jewish Community, as the Pre-teen Engagement Coordinator. As such, I will be teaching throughout the Metrowest area, and working with pre-teens both in and out of religious school.

I recently graduated from the University of Maryland with a BA in Jewish and Middle East studies, with a special focus in Hebrew Education. I have worked with middle-school aged students for the past several years, serving as a youth group advisor throughout the DC area, and serving on the senior education and t'fillah team for Seaboard Region Kadima (middle school) and USY (high school). I am really passionate about making Jewish education unique, accessible, creative, and engaging, and am truly excited for this upcoming year.  

A lot of information is included below about our class for the upcoming 2017-2018 year. Please be sure to read to the end, and note our off-site walk to the Natick Community Garden this upcoming Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, we will be utilizing the Telem curriculum, a social justice centered curriculum created by the JCRC (Jewish Community Relations Council). Throughout the year, we will be studying various local and global social issues, discussing each through a Jewish lens, exploring our role as Jewish teenagers in social justice, and actively participating in service projects related to our studies.

At 5:30 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 6th graders will have a special trope class with Cantor Ken. During this time, the 7th graders will have their own unique 7th grade program, during which they will develop projects guided by their own interests.

At the end of each unit, pre-teens from throughout the Metrowest area will join together for hands-on service learning on Sunday mornings, during religious school time. This will be an incredible opportunity for our pre-teens to get to know other pre-teens in the area, and work to apply our studies to society around us.   

Important notes for the school week:

Students and families will be provided a homework calendar. For returning students and families, homework will follow a similar model to last year. More details will follow next week.

Please have your student bring a dairy or parve snack each day. Remember: our synagogue is a nut-free facility, so please ensure that snack is nut-free as well.

I am thrilled to be working with these pre-teens, and am truly excited to see this year begin to take shape!

Some dates to be aware of:

Tuesday, September 12th and Wednesday, September 13th are the first Tuesday and Wednesday classes! For both 6th/7th grade classes, we will be walking to the Natick Community Garden on the property of the Presbyterian Church at 99 Hartford St, which is two blocks from Temple Israel.  We will be learning about the garden and the impact it has on our community.  This is a wonderful hands-on introduction to our exciting curriculum. We will be leaving for the garden close to the start of Hebrew school, so please make sure your student is on time to Temple Israel so they don’t miss introductions.  Students should also wear clothes they can do a little gardening in. We will be back to the synagogue before 6pm.

Sunday, October 15th is tentatively our first service date. More information will follow about the service program, but please make sure your student is in Hebrew school this Sunday.

Sunday, November 19: the Director of the Telem and B’nai Telem Program at the JCRC, Barry Glass, will be giving a presentation to parents about B’nai Telem program (the basis of our Tuesday/Wednesday curriculum).

If you have any questions throughout the year, please feel free to contact me at katie@jtiboston.org.

I am really looking forward to working with your student this upcoming year!

Shana tova, and looking forward to speaking with you soon.

All the best,

Katie Hamelburg

Katie Hamelburg l Metrowest Boston Jewish Community Pre-Teen Engagement Coordinator

katie@jtiboston.org

(508) 319-1558

GESHER IS AMAZING!

Dear Gesher families,

Gesher is the Hebrew word for bridge.  Bridges connect people and places. Our Gesher experience seeks to navigate the divide between Jewish childhood and the rights and responsibilities of a Jewish adult.  You will find that Sundays are packed with Jewish learning and opportunities for creativity and fun.  Our fundamental behavioral expectation is KINDESS and RESPECT at all times.

Leadership:  On Sundays, Gesher students, the eldest students in our school, will be leaders and role models. We will partner with Natick Service Council to provide Thanksgiving dinner for 8 families and coordinate that project within our school.  We will also continue the work of last year’s Gesher class developing awareness in the Temple Israel community of our monthly toilet paper obligation for JF & CS Family Table. And we will be leaders and role models in our Sunday morning Tefillah by modeling tefillah behaviors, being on task and encouraging others to do so as well, sometimes leading prayers and sometimes delegating leadership opportunities.

Jewish Life Cycle:  During the Gesher year, most Gesher families are anticipating B’nei Mitzvah celebrations.  This is a significant, beautiful and exciting Jewish life cycle milestone and reminds us that Jewish life is punctuated by a number of milestone events.  We will learn about these events and have the privilege to hear about them from the experts. 

Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Sages, has been called the Bartletts familiar Quotations of the Rabbis.  It is a fascinating window into rabbinic thinking and values from 2000 years ago.  We will learn a sampling of mishnayot (sayings) from this section of the Mishna and once we understand some traditional and modern interpretations, we will develop our own meanings and express them by creating videos using the i-movie trailer app on our i-pads.

Tefillah Our study of Jewish prayer will include developing skills to lead weekday tefillah and cultivating an understanding of the 19 blessings in the weekday Amidah.

Jewish holidays:  We will continue to explore the Jewish holidays building on the foundations gained in younger grades and developing more sophisticated understandings and experiences appropriate for teens.

There will be times when our Sunday session is devoted to projects from your mid-week learning with Katie Hamelburg.

There will be times when we meet with Bar Argaman, our Israeli Shin-shin, who will join our class to facilitate activities to strengthen our connections with the people and the land of Israel.

Homework:  Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparation is the focus of your Gesher year.  I encourage daily practice.  Homework from our time together will be centered on our projects:  during the Thanksgiving dinner campaign, students will be expected to inform their parents and encourage them to send in foods and money.  Throughout the year, students are encouraged to increase awareness of our JF & CS Family Table obligation to collect 40 4-packs of toilet paper each month and to model the donation behavior as often as possible. 

What to bring every Sunday:  Please bring a WATER BOTTLE and kosher dairy or parave, nut-free, SNACK every Sunday. Since there are times when go outside, students must have jackets when the weather is below 60°.  Students should also bring a bag or backpack to carry water bottle and snack and to bring home notices, etc.

I’m looking forward to an amazing year learning, exploring, creating, experiencing and laughing with you!  See you on Sunday, September 17.

HaMorah Margalit (aka Gretchen Marks Brandt)

Gretchen.tiofnatick@gmail.com

Welcome Back! Religious School Info!

Dear Parents:

This email contains much information you need about the coming week.  Please review it carefully.

We are so excited to welcome your children to Temple Israel of Natick this coming week!  

This past week, and again this coming Sunday, our staff has been meeting, orientating, sharing and preparing for your children’s arrival.  Bulletin boards are going up and when your children arrive they will be able to find their name in their own classroom.  We want every student to know they belong!  Most classrooms this year, especially on Sundays, have classroom aides to support your children.  Lead teachers have been working closely with their aides and madrichim (teen volunteers).  One of the things I am most excited about this year is our Israeli Shinshin who will be travelling classrooms each week to share his love of Israel with our students.

As you begin to prepare you kids for the opening of school a few items to highlight:

1.     You can expect to receive a “welcome email” from your child’s teachers before their first day.  Please watch for this email.

2.     Drop-Off: Please park and walk your child into the building.

3.     Dismissal.

a.     Sundays.  Please park your car and if your child is in grades K or 1, please meet them in their classroom.  Grade 2-7 teachers will dismiss their students to the lobby.  Please meet older children in the lobby.

b.     Tuesdays and Wednesdays.  Please park your car and come in to meet your children in the lobby.

4.     What to bring:

a.      “Special items” needed will be in the welcome letter your get from your child’s teacher.  We will provide all school supplies.

b.     We encourage every student to have a designated Hebrew School bag or folder.  Students in grades 2-6 have a binder they are expected to bring back and forth each day.

c.      Each day, please send your child with a kosher, nut-free snack.  

5.    Opening Days: Tuesday and Wednesday September 12 and 13

a.     Grades 2-5: Special thanks to the Men’s Club for again sponsoring the ANNUAL APPLE AND HONEY OLYMPICS!  All students in grades 2-5 will join in this new year fun from 5-6pm on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoon.  As you can imagine the Olympics include being outdoors and some running.  This year our “Apple and Honey”Olympics include a painting project.  Please make sure your child is wearing shoes they can run in and clothes that can get messy.  The paint is not washable.

b.     Grade 6&7: Pre-teens in grade 6 and 7 will have an orientation to the new social justice program they will be participating in this year.  The orientation will take place at the Natick Community Garden located up the street at the Presbyterian Street Church (99 Hartford Street).  There students will have the opportunity to begin exploring how a small community garden can have a huge impact on many individuals and bring a community together.  The pre-teens will get to be in the garden.  Please make sure your pre-teens wear’s comfortable walking shoes and clothes to wear in a garden.

6.    Communication

a.     Several times a month we will send a newsletter with class updates.  Each week you can also expect to receive a link to our blog where teachers will post information about what they have been working on and what’s coming up.

b.     Each teacher will let you know the best way to reach them.  Many have a google phone number and everyone has an email.  I am ALWAYS available as well.  My contact information is below.

7.     Class Lists: At the end of next week we will send class lists.

8.     Upcoming Events: Please see them list of dates below, and watch your email for specifics on our Tashlich program on September 24^th.  This Sudnay is the PA’s welcome back picnic at John Lane Park!

I can’t wait for the year to begin and to have children voices and faces filling the halls at Temple Israel. If you have any questions or concerns, please be in touch!

Shabbat Shalom!

Robin

--

Robin Kahn

Temple Israel of Natick

Director of Education and Teen Engagement

617.823.1312

Upcoming Dates to Note:

September 5 - Grade 7 Parent Meeting with R. Liben and Cantor Ken (8pm)

September 10 - Religious School Meet up at John Lane Park (10am)

September 10 - Grade 6-12 Youth Event (TBA) - afternoon

September 10 - Taste of Rosh Hodesh (Grade 6 & 7 Girls, 6pm)

September 12 - Opening Tuesday

September 13 - Opening Wednesday

September 17 - Opening Sunday*

September 17 - Grade 3-5 Youth Event (TBA) - afternoon

September 24 - Community Tashlich at Cochituate State Park

Education Program Calendar

*Opening Sunday Includes: Welcome Program at 9am followed by a nosh for parents, a K parent meeting with Rabbi Dan and Robin at 11am)

Shalom Gimel Families

Shalom Gimel Families

Welcome to the Gimel Class 5778!  I am super excited to be working with your children this year.

My name is Elana Berelowitz and this will be my 19th year teaching at Temple Israel of Natick.  I have taught all grade levels and this will be my 5th consecutive year teaching third grade.  In addition to teaching at Temple Israel, I am a paraprofessional with the Natick Public Schools where I work with elementary aged children with special needs.  Summers are spent teaching Arts and Crafts at Camp Grossman in Westwood.

I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with your children on Hebrew Reading, prayers, Holidays and Torah.  Students will use a variety of approaches to demonstrate their learning such as journal writing, art projects, games, technology, and conversation.  On Sundays and the week days students will have an opportunity to do station rotations where they will work in small groups to practice decoding, prayer reading and singing, and play Hebrew Reading Games. Each Sunday we will get together as a classroom community to talk about our schedule, weather, Hebrew calendar and days of the week.

I am delighted to introduce some staff members who will also be working with your children.  On Sundays our classroom aide will be Amy Peltz.  Our madrichim this year are Rachel Greenberg (Sundays) and Sydney Atlas (Tuesdays).  Ketene Arante, a new face at Temple Israel, will also be working in our classroom on Sundays and Wednesdays.

During the first days of school we will do some ice breakers, establish class expectations and routines and review some of our Hebrew from last year.  We look forward to the Apple and Honey Olympics sponsored by the Men’s Club on the opening weekdays.  Please have your children wear sneakers.  Students will also participate in a painting activity.  We therefore suggest that they wear clothing that they don’t mind getting dirty.

I would be grateful if you would send in a photograph of your child on the first day.

Homework this year will be to practice reading and singing the prayers we work on in class.  Students will receive a homework calendar each month.  More information about this will follow in the next few weeks.  Each Sunday and week day students should bring a small kosher snack, a water bottle, and their green prayer binder, which they will receive within the first few days of school.

The best way to reach me with questions or concerns is through email.  My email address is eberelowitz@gmail.com.  I also have a Google Voice phone number:  508-233-3874.  Feel free to call me there.

I look forward to meeting you and your children very soon and can’t wait for an exciting year of learning and fun!

L’hitraot

Elana Berelowitz

GESHER-Grade 7-5777 IS AMAZING!

6. 9.17

Gesher is amazing!

It has been an amazing experience to share your Jewish journey with you this year.  Together, we learned Torah and rabbinic texts, we did parasha plays and made video commentaries, we learned from the experts about those milestone events that punctuate the Jewish life cycle, we developed tefillah skills, we led social action projects in our school, and, with gratitude to Robin Kahn, we learned about opportunities for growth and new experiences as our Jewish journeys continue beyond the Gesher class.  May you discover on Jewish journeys meaning, substance, passionate and compassionate Jewish communities, friendships, teachers, love and joy.  You have certainly enriched my Jewish journey and every day, I thank God for you.  Please keep in touch.

With love and abundant gratitude for all that you do, all that you give and all that you are,

HaMorah Margalit

Dear Kitah Vav Parents,

 We had a nice last day of Sunday school on June 4, filled with fresh fruit and ice cream, plus the Gesher service in the sanctuary. 

The Gesher class had a chance to shine as they led Shacharit so beautifully, and we got a chance to see their values and creativity in the videos they wrote and produced. The videos were quite wonderful! Your students will lead this same service as the culmination of their studies in Gesher next year. 

Over the years, as a Hebrew School teacher, I like to revisit what I see as my mission in partnering with parents to transmit Jewish values, knowledge, and culture. I met most of my goals for your students, if the student was open to meeting me. I believe real learning happened this year, and even some fun Jewish experiences!  Thank you for entrusting your children to TI religious school; it has been an honor to teach them.

I want to thank you for your most generous Amazon gift card. I’m hooked on all that Amazon provides: books, movies, tv series downloads, and gadgets of all sorts. I will put your gift to quick use. Rav Todah!

My plans going forward:

I will not be returning to teach at TI, as I will be taking my fourth unit of chaplaincy in the fall.  This is a six month internship at Boston Medical Center, after which I can apply for certification.  Presently I am the Jewish chaplain at The Spaulding Rehab Hospitals. 

I wish all a safe, fun summer.

 Kol tuv, all the best,

 Rav Elana  

ALEF Last class June 4, 2017

Dear families:

It has been a wonderful year.  We have so enjoyed being with the children for lots of learning and lots of fun!  Thank you so much for the Amazon gift card.  As a book lover, I will put it to good use.

Cantor Ken began the day with tefillah outdoors.  The children described what they enjoyed outdoors.  Then we recited our usual prayers, some with sign language accompanying our words.

HEBREW:  We finished the book, and we signed the certificates in the back.   The last letter in the book is  ז“zion,” the first letter in  z’ayv” (wolf), and the cognate “zebra.”  We used our review packs to show what we remembered about the Hebrew letters.

Later in the morning, we played Hebrew bingo to show off what we remembered about the letters and vowel sounds.  No prizes, but a lot of fun,

GODLY PLAY:  It is traditional to read the story of Ruth on Shavuot because of its harvest setting. Naomi and her husband went to Moab to escape the famine in Israel. Her two sons married Ruth and Orpah, Moabite women.  After the three men died, Naomi decided to return to Israel, which had abundant crops again.  She urged her two daughters-in-law to return to their own families.  However, Ruth protested, telling Naomi—“wherever you go, I will go; your G-d shall be my God, where you live, I will live; and where you die, there, I shall one day die.”  (Ruth is regarded as the first convert to Judaism.)

The two women journeyed across the Salt Sea (Dead Sea) to Israel.  Since they had no money, Ruth got food by gleaning.  We discussed this way of helping the poor without cash.  Harvesters were not allowed to pick up any crop that they had dropped or missed.  They also did not touch the corners of their fields.  Poor people were allowed to pick these crops.  Naomi’s relative Boaz owned the field where Ruth gleaned—he asked her to glean only in his fields; his workers would let her eat and drink with them, and they would protect her.  Naomi encouraged Ruth to go to where Boaz was sleeping; he awakened startled and professed his love for Ruth. They wed and eventually had a child; through this child’s family, Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David.

In groups, the children discussed these issues of family, loyalty, gleaning, helping others.  We also worked on two word puzzles on the story of Ruth.

Students concluded with books and games, among them Circle the Year, a path game on the yearly cycle of holidays.

The students took home their Hebrew nametags and photos that I took the first class—See how much the students have grown!

Have a wonderful summer.

Judy and Cheryl (Esther and Tzipporah)