11/21-11/25/13

It was such a pleasure watching Kitah Dalet-Hei lead Junior Congregation this past Shabbat morning. They had worked so hard on Monday and Wednesday preparing to lead the prayers and teach the parsha, and their effort truly paid off. The students reflected today on some things they think could have gone better, but all in all, I think it was a success. Kol ha Kavod!

Sophia and Serena practice Anim Zemirot, which they flawlessly led on Saturday.

This afternoon, the students learned about the menorah (hanukkiah) and then made menorahs of our own. We are excited to finish them and use them next Monday at our KIRS Hanukkah party!

Happy Hanukkah!

11/18/13

I was thrilled to hear the students rehearse the prayers for the Torah service that they will be leading this week on Shabbat morning at Junior Congregation. They sound like true young leaders. I encourage any parent who is able to join us in the chapel this Saturday morning at 10 AM to hear for yourself how great they are.
The students will also be teaching on Parshat Vayeishev, the beginning of the Joseph novella. Please remind your child that he or she should finish reading the parsha and be prepared to share the important events from it on Thursday.
Finally, our food drive is in full swing! We currently have 9 items--only 91 away from our goal! Please continue to send in kosher, non-perishable food items. Thank you to everyone who has already contributed!

11/14/13

I was disappointed to have to miss class with Kitah Dalet-Hei on Nov. 14. I look forward to seeing everyone next week!
Each student should have taken home a make-your-own "Memory Card" game with all of the vocabulary words learned so far. Please encourage your child to decorate this game; if they show the completed version to me, they will receive extra credit. More importantly, this game can be used as a fun and simple way to review our vocabulary words and keep them fresh in our minds. Ask your child if he or she will let you play, too!
Instructions for the game can be found here. The goal is to collect the most pairs of cards (a pair is a Hebrew word and its English definition).

11/7/13

It was so wonderful to see so many of you at KIRS Back-to-School Night last Thursday evening! Thank you so much for coming out to KI to share and learn with me. Be on the lookout for a follow-up email from me in the next few days.
We have been busy in Kitah Dalet-Hei preparing for some exciting upcoming events. On Saturday, Nov. 23 Dalet-Hei will lead Junior Congregation in prayer and learning. Your child can practice Ein Kamocha and Av HaRachamim here, and Vayehi Binsoa here.
We have also begun to collect kosher items for our food drive with Family Table. Collecting food for the hungry helps teach us the mitzvah of "Kol Israel Arevim Zeh b'Zeh"--all Israel is responsible for one another. Please send in any non-perishable kosher items you might have. Family Table especially needs peanut butter, whole wheat crackers, canned fruit in fruit juice, raisins, low-sodium soup, and household goods such as toilet paper and Shabbat candles. Our goal is to collect 100 items by Dec. 16.
To start a conversation with your child about KIRS: In the story of Gideon and the wool, we learn about Gideon receiving a sign from G-d. Do you believe in signs from G-d? Have you ever experienced one?
Please note: There will be no school on Monday, Nov. 11 due to Veteran's Day. Classes will resume on Thursday, Nov. 14. 

11/4/13

Kitah Dalet-Hei has begun learning "VaYehi Binsoa," a prayer for the Saturday morning Torah service. We are looking forward to leading Junior Congregation on November 23rd! Remember that students can practice our previous two prayers here, and can work on the new one here. 

We are also excited to launch our mitzvah project "Feeding the Hungry with Family Table" beginning this week! Our goal is to collect 100 kosher food items by December 16th. Please send in any extra non-perishable items you might have, especially canned fruit (in fruit juice), raisins, whole grain crackers, peanut butter, low-sodium soup, toilet paper, and Shabbat candles. 

Finally, I am pleased to announce that Carly Grossman is our "Mensch of the Month"! During Cheshvan, she exhibited responsibility, respect, and hard work, all qualities of an exemplary Dalet-Hei student. I look forward to seeing who our next Mensch of the Month will be!

A few upcoming dates to remember:
Thursday 11/7, 6 PM: Back-to-School night. Sign up here to set up an individual appointment with me.
Monday, 11/11: No KIRS, Veteran's Day
Thursday 11/14: Students return to KIRS. I will be absent, but one of our fantastic KIRS teachers will fill my shoes. I look forward to returning on Monday 11/18.