Schechter Shavua: December 6, 2024

5th Graders Learn to be Shomrei Adamah (Guardians of the Earth)

The fifth graders of Nevatim recently participated in one of those milestone Schechter moments: they attended a four-day, three-night Teva Outdoor Learning Experience at the Isabella Freedman Jewish Retreat Center. Teva combines outdoor science and environmental education with a Jewish perspective on environmental responsibility (learning how to be shomrei adamah, or guardians of the earth). They took daily hikes -- including a sensory hike and an extreme night hike -- learned about nature, ate meals based on a dairy/vegetarian diet, and made new friends from other Jewish Day Schools. Other activities included cooking, singing, making candles and chapstick for their “eco-spa,” and whittling a yad that they can use when reading Torah. The Midrash Eco-theater got students on stage (some in quite amazing costumes) to act out different Midrashim. Students found that this kind of joyous learning about becoming caretakers of the earth made an impact on how they view the environment.

Click here to see photos from Teva!
 

Deepening Connections to Animals in Science

Did you know that a squirrel's nest is really called a drey? The Ilanot (Kindergarten) students have been learning about the needs of animals during science; recently, they visited Auer Farm to dive deeper into animal homes as a culmination of their learning. They loved exploring the farm and learning interesting details about animals and their habitats. 
 

Lev Tov (Good Heart) and Mitzvotat the Core of Giving Tuesday

Giving Tuesday is a big deal at Schechter! Students put our core values of Lev Tov (good heart) and Mitzvot into practice. They packed about 1,500 tote bags of toiletries for Dignity Grows that will be distributed to shelters and organizations that help people in need. Students also packed snack bags, birthday packages (think cake mixes, icing, toys, and birthday cards...), and bags of art supplies! Many of those packages will be distributed by Jewish Family Services to families and organizations. Todah rabah to these amazing partner organizations! 

Click here to see photos from Giving Tuesday!

Dia de los Muertos Provides Rich Context for Studying Hispanic Culture and Individuals

In this informative piece written by Spanish teacher Senora Marilia Castro, she explains the ways in which her lessons about the holiday Dia de los Muertos develop in complexity and depth as students get older. 

In 6th grade Spanish, students are learning about an important Mesoamerican holiday, Dia de los Muertos, a holiday that is rooted in Aztec traditions and celebrated in Mexico, Central America and in Hispanic communities in the United States. For their projects, students researched and created a slideshow of either a symbolic food or drink of Dia de los Muertos, or the traditional elements of an “ofrenda” (offering- a multi level structure built in memory of the dead). 

Choices for the food/drink included pan de muerto (sweet bread), calaveras de azúcar or chocolate (decorative candy or chocolate skulls), chocolate caliente (Mexican hot chocolate) which are often placed on the ofrendas.  

Before tasting some authentic Mexican hot chocolate and decorating and eating pan de muerto in class, students were able to touch a real cacaopod that Señora Castro brought back from her travels, sing a chanted rhyme“Bate Chocolate” about making Mexican hot chocolate, and learn about the symbolism behind the different shapes of pan de muerto.

In7th grade Spanish , students created a project combining two important celebrations for Hispanics and Hispanic Americans in the fall: Hispanic Heritage month and Dia de los Muertos. They researched information about a famous deceased Hispanic as well as the traditional elements of ofrendas(offerings) in order to create a personalized digital ofrenda to honor them. Their digital ofrenda consisted of a traditional multilevel structure in memory of the dead on which many symbolic items were placed representing fire (candles), water, earth (food), and wind (papel picado- colorful cut out paper banners), as well as marigolds, incense, salt, decorative skulls, photos of the deceased, and some of their favorite objects. They honored famous Hispanics: Carlos Gardel (father of the tango), Eva Perón (iconic first lady of Argentina), Frida Kahlo (feminist Mexican painter), Pancho Villa (Mexican revolutionary), Diego Rivera (Mexican muralist), César Chávez (Mexican American civil rights leader), and Helen Rodríguez Trías (Puerto Rican American pediatrician and activist).

In 8th grade Spanish , students compared and contrasted their traditions and beliefs about death as Americans and Jews with the Mesoamerican traditions in Dia de los Muertos.  They listened to a lively and colorful song “Calaverita” by a Mexican American group and explored its themes as well as learning new vocabulary and grammar embedded in the song. For example, they learned about la catrina , a special skeleton in Mexican folklore popularized by the famous Mexican illustrator José Guadalupe Posada. Via video, readings and webquest students learned about Mexican artist Frida Kahlo whose art and image adorn Día de Los Muertos ofrendasaround the world and has become a symbol of what this beautiful holiday celebrates. They also compared and contrasted her more personal work with that of her husband, famous muralist Diego Rivera, who told powerful stories about the struggles of the poor. They learned that both artists were deeply influenced by their heritage and incorporated elements of Mexican culture and history into their work using vibrant colors and indigenous symbols- which was revolutionary in their time.  

Parashat Vayetzei—Making Peace with Antisemites

Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi of Great Britain, was among the towering leaders of Judaism until his death in 2020. He wrote brilliant books and divrei Torah , and much of his thinking focused on how to conduct dialogue and build relationships across religious divides. He also wrote powerfully about antisemitism, and his d’var Torah for this week’s Torah portion (which can be read here) talks about how Jacob’s father-in-law, Laban (Lavan in Hebrew) was, in many ways, the prototypical antisemite.

Not only do I deeply respect Rabbi Sacks in general, I think he is correct in particular. Lavan’s actions and approach to Jacob do, in fact, foreshadow the way all too many antisemites have seen and treated Jews. In their eyes, we are to be put in our place if we get too successful. Our customs are different; we are “other.” Again, Rabbi Sacks devoted much of his life to dialogue and building bridges, and he did so to great success; he never bought into the insidious view that “Everyone hates the Jews.” However, he does want our eyes to be open to the reality that some people do.

While Rabbi Sacks focuses on Lavan’s hatred, I think that it’s also important to note how the parashahends. Lavan comes to confront Jacob, and it’s clear that his feelings haven’t changed—but at the same time, he makes a covenant with Jacob, and they part without further conflict. How did this happen? Jacob stood up for himself—and in doing so, succeeded in moving Lavan to the margins of the story. This wasn’t a dramatic, happy ending where Lavan renounces his former prejudice and becomes righteous. Rather, it was a successful, more quietly happy ending where Lavan stops mattering, and fades away.

Much energy and time is being spent these days on combatting antisemitism. I understand the need—but I wonder sometimes if, instead of trying to shout it down wherever it appears, we might not be better off simply standing up for ourselves, building alliances, and working to marginalize the haters. Rabbi Sacks writes beautifully about freedom winning over hatred; I hope that we may find our freedom, not by challenging every enemy to a fight to the end, but by simply asserting our voices and forging a path forward.

Shabbat shalom,

Rabbi Jonathan Berger
Head of School

Questions for the Shabbat table:
What do we make of the fact that Lavan, the prototypical antisemite, was Jacob’s father-in-law?
Have you faced antisemitism? If so, how have you reacted? What reactions, if any, ended up helping?