Dear Families,
We have returned from the April Vacation week to begin a more in-depth study of Shabbat. We have spent some time engaging with some of the materials associated with Shabbat rituals, including candlesticks, a Kiddush cup and a challah cover. On Tuesday, we put them out on the art table for observational drawings. Observational drawings encourage children to engage in complex thinking about shape and scale, which provoke their growth not just in art but also in mathematics. They also support children in learning to slow down and carefully observe the world around them, a skill which many of us adults need to nurture as well! The children noticed the complex shape of the candlesticks when they slowed down to carefully look at them and tried to recreate them in two-dimensions. At school, we work hard to strike a balance between times when the children are invited to draw what interests them at the moment and times when they might engage in careful study of an object through observational drawing. Both experiences are valuable as they support growth and development in different areas.
The children also used verbal and written language to observe and describe aspects of Shabbat at Morning Meeting on Thursday. We turned off the lights and quietly looked again at our candlesticks, Kiddush cup and challah cover. The children took turns talking about their favorite objects or favorite parts of Shabbat, and used a word to describe them. Together, we built a poem with our words. This activity supported the children in thinking about language and building vocabulary, particularly in the area of adjectives, or “describing words.” At school, when we take the children’s dictations, we not only write their words, but also model how adults think about written language by doing a “think-aloud.” For example, when writing the word “beautiful,” Morah Larissa might say, “Beautiful…that starts with a /B/ sound. I should write the letter B, because that letter makes the /B/ sound.”
Our Shabbat Poem
Peaceful Shabbat,
Beautiful challah cover,
Beautiful challah,
Yummy yummy challah,
Funny songs,
Purple juice,
Thankful blessings.
Part of our study of Shabbat has included observing Havdalah in the classroom, which we do every week. Havdalah rituals separate Shabbat from the rest of the week; it is the way that we “say goodbye” to Shabbat. One of the children’s favorite parts of Havdalah is smelling the besamim, or spices, in the spice box. This week, at the Science Center, the children used their sense of touch, sight and smell to examine cloves and cinnamon sticks, the spices which are frequently used in the besamim box.
We have also spent some time this week counting out the coins in the tzedakah box. The children have worked hard to count the coins with one-to-one correspondence and sorted the coins by their various types. We have noticed the various sizes and colors of the coins and introduced the names of each coin. Parents are invited to send in coins with their children on Fridays to contribute to the tzedakah box. If any of you would prefer to keep a roll of pennies or other coins at school for us to distribute to the children weekly, please let Morah Kate or Morah Larissa know.
On Thursday, we enjoyed finding many of the places where we observe Shabbat and many of the things that we use on Shabbat throughout the synagogue. We used a checklist to go on a scavenger hunt. We found the bima in the chapel, a Kiddush cup, the Cantor’s office and many, many Stars of David.
We also made challah again! It was amazing how much the children remembered making challah in the winter. Repeated experiences baking challah at school give the children a deep and memorable experience that supports their joy in Shabbat and their understanding of this special day. Here is the challah recipe that we use at school, which is easy to do with young children as it occurs over two days. It yields about 16 small loaves of challah:
In a small bowl, mix:
- 2 packages of yeast – NOT fast rising
- 1 Tbs. sugar
- ½ cup warm water
- Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup oil
- 1 Tbs. salt
- 4 eggs
Next:
- Add 1 ¼ cup hot water to a large bowl, then immediately add the yeast mixture. Gently mix together.
- Mix in approximately 8 cups of flour – use as much as needed to make the dough not too sticky.
- Dump onto a floured counter top and knead for 10 minutes, adding more flour if needed.
- Place dough in a very large, clean, oiled bowl.
- Tightly cover bowl and place in refrigerator overnight to rise.
The next day:
- Take the bowl of challah dough out of the refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes. Punch the dough down.
- Dump challah out onto floured counter top and divide into 16 balls of dough.
- To make a traditional challah, divide each abll into three sections, roll each section into a long snake and then braid the snakes. Use a little flour to prevent sticking.
- Place each challah onto a greased cookie sheet and paint with egg whites.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Alternatively, click here for the challah recipe that the children took home this past winter.
In our read-alouds this week, we have focused on the story of Creation in relation to why we celebrate Shabbat. We have read Creation, by Gerald McDermott as well as The Beautiful World that God Made by Rhonda Gowler Greene. Next week, we will focus further on developing a deep understanding of Creation.
We have also been working hard to teach the children appropriate and respectful behavior for Shabbat and other holiday celebrations both at school, and at the synagogue outside of school time. We have found that previewing the children, or talking with them about the expected behaviors, is particularly effective. We have also asked the children to think of some of their own rules for behavior during Shabbat. This has supported the children in feeling ownership over the rules and expectations.
Shabbat Shalom,
Morah Larissa and Morah Kate
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