Ms. Miller Travels to Israel

Dear Students and Parents,

I came into school today to re-aquaint myself with my work, to see what my students had accomplished in my absence, and to plan for the future. I soon realized my view of my curriculum would never be the same. My first glimpse of Israel years ago was Paul Newman, in "Exodus." It was love at first sight for both! I have always wondered how Israel would really look and feel. I had experienced Israel through the pages of text, film, personal accounts of friends and students, and through photographs. Now however, my lens will be different. After many years of wanting to see Israel first hand, my husband and I finally decided to make the journey.

Our trip began in Tel Aviv at Independence Hall where Ben Gurion proclaimed statehood on May 14, 1948. It was a very emotional experience. My family members from Ranana met us for dinner by the Mediterranean Sea. Each day my husband Clark and I looked at each other and said, "Do you believe we are in Israel?" The days were full with us up at 6:00 am and out the door by 7:30 am, and not back to the hotel until 10:00 every night. Each day felt like a week- a hectic pace, to say the least. We traveled north to the Golan Heights where we could see Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Israel is green! The land beyond the Israeli border is not.

My curriculum came alive. From the date palms to the sand dunes, to Bedouin herds of goats and sheep, wild horses, caves, folded earth as a result of thousands of years of pressure, still evident. Volcanic "stones" in the north more solid as we went south, an amazing tour guide who pointed out the smallest detail including groves of etrogs and bananas. It was like a college course, but even more amazing. It was real, still happening and alive! References to Torah, examples from the Prophets and of course, visits to Yad Vashem, the Kotel, the tunnel tour, Hebrew Union College, Masada, etc. An entire country of Jews! And still so much more to do there.

After Shabbat services at the small Reform synagogue we were taken home for dinner by Israelis who shared their internal challenges and struggles . Reform Judaism is still a step child there. Hopefully one day Reform Judaism will be accepted by all.

People were lovely and welcoming in Israel. We hope to return again someday. Israel is our home- a place from which we all came. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity to return.

Shalom,

Fran

RELIGIOUS SCHOOL

CALENDAR 

 

 

10/1 New Member & New Student Consecration & Simchat Torah

  

10/17 4th Grade Parent Meeting

 

10/19 First Night of Hebrew High

Starbucks Night

 

10/22 5th Grade Shabbat

 

10/24 Reschedule K-2 Open House & Prayer Garden Dedication

 

10/26 7th Grade Public Speaking Workshop

 

10/31 3rd - 6th Grade Open House

2nd Grade Calendar Program

On Sunday April 25th

9:00 - 11:30 am

in the New Chapel

Parents please join us for a

Family Education program titled

Jewish Calendar in a Day.

This event will be educational,

entertaining and fun.

THE LINDA & RUDY SLUCKER RELIGIOUS SCHOOL HELPS HAITI!

UPDATE:

We are currently at $703.76.

We're almost there!

Remember our goal is $1,000.00.

Thank you for helping us help the people of Haiti.

Pia Kutten Religious School Director

TODAH RABAH (thank you very much), Tsipi Kaplan!

Our 6th grade students recently participated in a Passover cooking class with Hebrew teacher/Chef Tsipi Kaplan. Students were taught how to make matzoh balls & made scrumptious Passover desserts. Just ask your children for the yummy recipes!

Tsipi recently received a diploma in the Culinary Arts program from The Institute of Culinary Education in NYC. She has always loved cooking, flavors, and being in the kitchen. Tsipi is from Israel, she loves the Mediterranean and the Middle Eastern flavors. Since her family came to Israel from Eastern Europe (Russia and Austria), she finds a lot of comfort in making a good old Eastern European meal.

5th Grade Prophets Program

Kindergarten Tu Bshvat Project

TSTI SLOGANS

In January our students worked together to try to articulate, in the form of a class slogan, what exactly being a part of the TSTI community means to them. The responses were inspiring and very creative. Students really enjoyed the group activity and getting to know one another better through the exchange. Below of are some of the slogans.

TSTI: Learning & loving & caring.

Good times, good fun & good learning @ TSTI.

Come to TSTI and get fed. Come to TSTI and get food.

God’s the best but no one beat’s the rest

TSTI- Learn Hebrew, have fun. Hebrew.

Learn Hebrew @ TSTI.

Israel, here we come to study the Torah and have lots of fun.

Together, Super, Trust, Israel

TSTI- stands outside the box!

Don’t be a fool- go to TSTI for Hebrew school!

TSTI- Judaism at it’s best!

TSTI- Where Mitzvot Happen!

Where the heart is- TSTI.

Learning Hebrew is fun, almost as fun as playing in the sun!

TSTI- come in, it’s warm!

Learning Jewish studies helps us make buddies!

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel runs on Jews.

Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel: It’s the best Hebrew School!

TSTI follows you forever, and you should follow it!

History is in your hands, here at TSTI.

Do the honor because we love the Torah!

Our congregation is a Jewish sensation!

Jewish National Fund Speaker!

The 7th & 8th grade students explored the issue of global warming with a Jewish National Fund speaker, Nina Wolin. The JNF is a global environmental leader having planted 240 million trees in the past 107 years. In addition, it has built over 200 reservoirs and dams, developed over 250,000 acres of land, created more than 1,000 parks, provided the infrastructure for over 1,000 communities, and has continued to educate students around the world about Israel and the environment. Students at TSTI also learned new ways to reuse and recycle common household items. Activities included making homeopathic solutions for beauty care, creating ovens out of pizza boxes, and lunch bags out of used packaging materials.

The Hebrew Olympics!

On Sunday January 24^th, the 1^st graders and their families participated in the Hebrew Olympics. This family education program consists of multiple relay races aimed at reinforcing the lessons from the classroom in fun and exciting ways as well as bringing families together in learning. Lead by the religious school teen staff along side Tracy Horwitz, this event, with over 30 students,was a great experience for everyone involved!

February Mench of the Month

Our Mensch of the Month award goes to Cailee Olitt. Cailee is in Ellen Hirschorn's 3rd grade class at Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel. When asked to describe Cailee, Ellen Hirschorn stated, "Cailee is always willing to help others. She is highly respectful and a very inquisitive and studious young gal."

The First Junior Youth Group Event!

Tuesday, January 19^th our 7^th and 8^th graders united for the first junior youth group event of the year. Led by the Hebrew High seniors, the 70+ in attendance participated in an obstacle course style event, complete with dinner and ice cream buffet The event gave the soon to be Hebrew High students a taste of what TSTI’s senior youth group, STISY, has to offer! There will be one more junior youth group event, followed by a junior youth group trip! If your 7^th or 8^th grader has suggestions for an exciting excursion, please email thorwitz@tsti.org.

Special 4th Grade Program!

On Sunday, January 10th, the 4th grade parents and students studied the Jewish life-cycle with Rabbi Miller and Pia Kutten, our Religious School Director. During this event, parents and students learned about Jewish life cycle events found in the Torah, and later life cycle events that have developed in more recent years. Following the program, Cantor Aronson hung the Religious School Mezuzah for all to witness and he led the group in the appropriate blessings.