Freedom School 1/6 Class Recaps
K/1 w/ Laura: We kicked off our new unit on the patriarchs and matriarchs with a session about Abraham. We taught each other five stories from Abraham’s life (and barely scratched the surface). Then we smashed an idol (piñata) to reveal a sea of stars, and talked about how we are the descendants as numerous as stars in the sky that God promised Abraham. Finally we made nightlights based on the midrash of the Palace on Fire / the Palace Illuminated to remind ourselves to look for God in scary and beautiful moments.
2/3 w/ Anyssa: The 2nd/3rd grade cohort spent much of the morning learning about prayer and mindfulness, with a focus on the Shema prayer. We delved into the practice of meditation through listening to our body during mindful body scans, followed by making our own meditation jars as an arts and crafts activity. We joined services for the Shema prayer and got to get mindful with all the grown ups. Finally, Joel joined us go deep on the words of the Shema — and we even came up with our own hand motions to it. Ask us to show you the hand motions!
4/5 w/ Doria: 4/5 enjoyed reconnecting after winter break. We read the "Ram v"Nisa" prayer (which comes right before Mi Chamocha) and listened carefully to identify it during services! We got more comfortable attending shacharit and participating through following along in the text, clapping, and listening to the music. We then began thinking about the book of Exodus with a recap about how the Israelites ended up in Egypt! Students loved going through the Jewish family tree starting with Abraham and Sarah through to Joseph in Egypt. Students were particularly eager to learn more about Dina (Jacob's only daughter) and about the freedoms afforded to women in the time of the Torah.
6th w/ Jaime: This last Saturday our sixth grade scholars revisited PaRDeS, a textual analysis practice from the Middle Ages, and practiced this literary technique with the very rich story of the three little pigs. Then we dove into Torah (and Tanakh) stories about receiving the Torah. They also practiced their improvisational storytelling skills through games.