A Jewish Wedding- Mazel Tov!

The fifth and sixth graders learnt about our Matriarchs, Rochel and Leah. We discussed the amazing story of their marriage to Yaakov, as he was tricked by his father inlaw Lavan and therefore first married Leah instead of Rochel. The concept of a vail was introduced when learning about Yaakov's mother, Rivka, and then again brought up with this story. So, we were all interested to know...What other things happen at a Jewish wedding? This week in Hebrew school we all found this out with a Jewish Mock Wedding!

 We went through the many steps that are followed in a traditional Jewish wedding, beginning with the 'Badeken' when the Groom covers the Bride's face with a vail. This custom is derived from our Matriarch Rivka, who covered her face when she first saw Yitzchak, her future husband. 

The mothers of the Bride and groom customarily break a plate, to signify the concept that this plate should be the only thing broken and not G-d forbid anything in the marriage of these two individuals.

 The 'Chuppa' is where the main ceremony occurs. The Chuppa represents the Jewish home which the Bride and Groom are now creating. Before the Chuppa, the Bride and Groom untie their shoes, neckties, or bows  in order that At the moment when they "tie the ultimate knot," there should not be anything else binding them. At the Chuppa the Bride circles the Groom seven times, and then seven blessings are  recited over wine. This is a special time of blessing for the Bride and Groom to pray for their future together.

 The Groom places a ring on the Brides finger. The ring is pure gold with nothing inscribed on it. Two witnesses are present at this point. 

 "Baruch Ata Adonai Elohienu Melech Haolam, Borei Perei Hagafen!"

 At any time of Joy, we must remember that our joy is not be complete until the holy temple is rebuilt. So, the Groom breaks a glass cup to remind us of the Holy Temple which was destroyed. 

Let the celebrations begin! Lets dance and eat good food!

Mazel Tov!!

Our Hero, Our Patriarch Yaakov.

Yaakov (Jacob) had a very eventful life which we explored through creative writing and art. The story came alive through our projects! 

Yaakov was born as a twin, and while he was a good person with fine qualities, his brother Eisav was not. He preferred to hunt and kill and did not have a very refined personality. After selling the birthright, and Yaakov receiving the blessings from their father instead of Eisav, Eisav desired to kill Yaakov. Yaakov ran away to the land of Aram where his uncle Lavan lived. Once there he wished to marry Rachel, Lavan's younger daughter, and worked for years for Lavan to be granted that request. However,  Lavan really proffered for his older daughter Leah to marry first, and so with his sly personality, he tricked Yaakov into marrying Leah. Eventually Yaakov also marries Rachel and then leaves Aram and travels back with his family. Although Yaakov spent many years in Lavan's house, Yaakov never picked up any of his negative traits or wrongdoings. He stayed faithful to G-d and remained the very same righteous person that he was when he arrived. We can learn from Yaakov to remain strong in whatever situation we find ourselves in, and do the right thing. 

 Nicki created identification cards for Yaakov and Eisav, portraying their difference in looks and personality. 

 Simone made a wedding invitation for Yaakov and Rachel's wedding. 

 Gaby wrote out a contract with Eisav selling the birthright to Yaakov. 

 Jessica drew a birth announcement card for the birth of Yitzchak (Issac) and Rivka's twin boys, Yaakov and Eisav.

 Ashley wrote a letter from Eisav to Yaakov warning him that he was out to kill him. 

 Brianna made a model picture of the dream that Yaakov had as he traveled. She depicted a latter with angels climbing up and down, signifying Yaakov leaving and coming to the land of Israel. 

It was a great learning experience, lots of fun, and now we have beautiful keepsakes to remind us of our Hero and Patriarch Yaakov. 

A sign we will always remember....

 The second portion in the the Torah- Parshat Noach teaches us of the story of Noach and the flood. The lessons from the Torah forever live on, but  there is a practical, physical part of this story that remains until today. 

 After the flood, G‑d promised Noach that He would never again bring a flood that would destroy the world. A rainbow is a reminder of this covenant that G‑d made with Noach, his descendants, and all living creatures. It is a covenant that G-d is constantly loyal to as he orchestrates the world. From this we see how kind G-d is to His creations. G-d created the world and everything in it, and like a parent to a child, he loves us and cares for us. He wants us to succeed. No matter what choices we make, G-d always has our back! 
Of course we should try to make the right choices and create a home for G-d which He not only 'wont destroy', but one which he will be proud of. Whether making the right choice is easy or hard,  It is up to each of us. When we do make good choices, we are showing G-d our father that we, in turn, remember this covenant and the lessons learned from Parhat Noach. 

In light of it's great significance, upon seeing a rainbow in the sky, we recite the following blessing:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֶלוֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם זוֹכֵר הַבְּרִית וְנֶאֱמָן בִּבְרִיתוֹ וְקַיָם בְּמַאֲמָרוֹ

Baruch ata Ado-nai Elo-heinu melech ha'olam zocher ha'brit v'ne'eman bivrito v'kayam b'ma'amaro.

Blessed are You, Lord our G‑d, King of the universe, who remembers the covenant, and is faithful to His covenant, and keeps His promise.

Noah and the Ark

In the Second Portion of Parshat Bereishit, the Torah tells us the story of Noah and the Ark. G-d tells Noah to build an ark, for G-d would be destroying the world except for those who were inside the boat. Noah worked for 120 years to build it. He wanted people to see him working and ask about it. He would then have the opportunity to tell them G-d's plan to destroy the world. Through this, Noah would try to get the people to return from their sins.

 The Ark had three levels. The top for the people, middle for the animals, and bottom for the trash. The children played pin Noah on the Ark to place him in the correct spot on the Ark.

 Creating an edible version of Noah's Ark was fun, but also helped review the concepts learnt about the Ark.

Learning from Noah, the children discussed different scenarios of times we see friends doing something that is not the correct thing to do. It is important to stand up for whats right and in a kind way, show others how to do things in a proper way.

A trip to the Scribe

The 7th grade class headed out Sunday morning on a trip to see someone who usually sits alone, diligently working on his holy endeavor. On this day however, he was to welcome the kids who had come to visit from Franklin Lakes Chabad Hebrew School into this workplace. 

 The students listened to the scribe as he explained the requirements for a Kosher Torah, Mezuzah, Tefillin etc. The metirial used to write these articles is parchement. The parchement must be made from the skin of a kosher animal; Usually the skin of a calf or a lamb is used. The skin goes through a long process before being completely ready as parchment to be written on. 

A special ink made from gall nuts is used to write. The pen used is generally a quill from a kosher bird, a goose or a turkey. The point is carefully cut so that by turning the pen and varying the pressure, the scribe can write thick as well as very thin lines with one stroke.

 Each letter must be written according to the exact guidelines as explained in the Code of Jewish Law. Even one tiny defect to a letter, will make the entire piece non-Kosher. This task takes much effort and precision. 

 Using his many unique materials, the Scribe gave the students an understanding into the complexity of writing these holy works.

What a wonderful experience it was to meet the scribe, hear from him, and see his work!