December 9, 2024 |

Grade 4-Kitah Daled Update

Posted on February 1, 2016

 Our delightful Daled-niks have been busy thinking, learning and creating!  They brought their candleholders and Kiddush cups home with candles both Shabbat and Havdalah candles.  Each week, we offer a new set of Shabbat candles to students who report lighting theirs on Friday night. 
Tu B’Shevat, the new year for trees, offered us beautiful opportunities to explore some Jewish texts and to recognize the many gifts that trees give us.  Students celebrated many things that trees give us by creating Tu B’Shevat trees with leaves representing many of those gifts.
I Have Some Questions About God is a thought-provoking curriculum that encourages students to ask questions, to wonder, to consider and to explore their thoughts, ideas and feelings about God.  The book is structured as a series of questions about God.  Each chapter highlights one question and several rabbis answer that question through a story.  Students hear and discuss the stories and then select the one that speaks to them and, in their journals they write a sentence or more about their selection.  Last week, we discussed the question, “If there is one God why are there so many religions?” As part of this chapter, students considered laws that should apply to all people regardless of religion.  Their amazing and insightful suggestions included:
Treat people how you want to be treated
Always smile and tell jokes
Don’t commit murder or destruction
Listen to God
Respect the planet/Treat the world well—no pollution
World peace
Never be jealous
Don’t commit suicide
Never ever lie
Be nice
Be kind
Never be mean
No cannibalism
Have fun
Obey God
Be happy
Be respectful
Be grateful for what you have
Give back to others
Have confidence
Keep your promises
Be honest
Don’t kidnap
Don’t steal
Never worship idols
Don’t be cruel to anything
Be healthy
Be smart
Think wisely about what you say and do
Help the poor and needy
Be helpful