Grades 6 & 7

On Sunday, our 6th and 7th graders joined together with Temple Beth Am, to kick off an incredible new partnership with several Metrowest Jewish communal organizations. Together, we got to know other Jewish students from different grades and different synagogues, learning about eachother, our similarities and differences, and our Jewish experiences. 

After starting with some team-building and get-to-know-you activities, we divided into groups and created baby blankets to be donated to children at the Boston Medical Hospital. We also wrote letters to the children’s parents/families, wishing them a happy year, expressing our best-wishes, and telling them about ourselves and our project. Finally, we created tzedaka boxes for our classes out of recycled materials, to use throughout the year. 

On Tuesday and Wednesday, we reflected on our holiday seasons, and continued our B’nai Telem Curriculum. 

We discussed the concept of “B’tzelem Elohim,” that we are made in G-d’s image. We explored our own personal influences, discussed people that inspire us, and distinguished between personal inspirations and idols. We then created our own self portraits, and drew portraits of what G-d means to us, and discussed what the similarities and differences are between these portraits. 

On Tuesday, we began our first unit on Poverty, discussing Judaism’s views on charitable giving, and reading contrasting beliefs on the “best” types of giving. We analyzed a section from the book of Job, and discussed its implications on our own charitable actions. (We will begin this unit for the Wednesday class next week.) 

At the end of both classes, we separated by grade, as the 6th grade began a Trope class with Cantor Ken, and the 7th grade explored personal Jewish projects that we will work on throughout the year. 

I am personally blown away by the quality of our discussions–the 6th and 7th graders are extremely bright, thoughtful students, and I am thrilled to be working with them this year!”