Posted on May 22, 2016
Today’s Gan class had some fun, reviewed Lag B’Omer and the Aleph Bet and covered a sometimes difficult subject: God.
We talked about Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the Omer and the tradition of enjoying the outdoors. The students spent some time in the playground out back, making good use of their imagination. One group put together “Dirt Mountain,” another set up an ice cream stand, while others enjoyed the swings, climbed and ran. Our Aleph Bet review showed that everyone has been doing a good job of learning their letters. We recently completed the entire Hebrew alphabet.
We spent a good deal of time talking about God, asking such questions as: How do we know that God is around? What are some of the ways we thank God? Are there times when we hope that God can help us? We talked about how God is real even if we can’t see God. We offered examples of things which, like God, we can’t see, but we know are real, such as love, fear, air, imagination and gravity. The whole group listened attentively to the book Because Nothing Looks Like God. Considering that God can be a difficult subject (even for adults!), the students did a nice job of grasping the idea of a God that is real and present and good, but can’t be seen or heard.
Each student traced his or her hand and drew or wrote about a time when their hands helped God, such as making a new friend feel welcome or giving to tzedakah. Students brought home packets about God which parents can review with their kids.