Religious School/Youth

from HaHodeshJune2022

President

From the Director of Congregational Learning

It’s been another great academic year! Our Religious School has met in-person, online, outside – using every inch of space on our “campus,” and everywhere in between. The fall brought with it beautiful sunny days, allowing us to use our outdoor space. Winter brought with it Omicron and, again, we pivoted, spending January and February on Zoom. Late winter and early spring brought us back to in-person learning. Throughout it all, we didn’t miss a beat! We brought back singing and Israeli folk dancing. We brought back library time. We brought back school-wide celebrations. And, we brought with us all that we learned from teaching online last year. Each classroom now has its own TV stand with a large screen monitor and laptop. Students engaged in trivia with Kahoot! Blooket – an exciting new take on the modern classroom review game – and Wordwall. They watched BimBam videos and continued meeting with partners in Haifa and tour guides in Jerusalem on Zoom! Our Youth Program ran in-person, indoor and outdoor activities. We were outdoors at Kimball Farm, Honey Pot Hill Orchards, Boundless Adventures, Nashoba Valley, Mount Wachusett, Patriots Place, Six Flags New England and in Emunah’s courtyard and Lexington Town Center. We were indoors at Boda Borg and Kings Bowling. And, we elected a new LUSY Chapter Board. It has been a jam-packed year!

There are so many people who contributed to our success this year. Thank you to Seth Maislin, who is finishing up his tenure as Vice President of Education, to Norma Gaffin and Allison Page, who are finishing up their four years as co-chairs of the Religious School Committee and to Jodie Parmer for serving as Youth Committee Chair this year. Thank you also to all those who ran and participated in our Mishloah .

Manot Fundraiser. A special thank you to Nancy Capparelli and Marci Hopkins, chairs of the Mishloah Manot Fundraising committee. Between COVID and a teacher shortage, we really needed to think creatively to provide our programs with the proper staffing this year. We also had the challenge of finding space in our building for all of our classes given restrictions on the number of people we could have in any given location due to COVID. I am indebted to our clergy, Rabbi David Lerner and Rabbi Leora Kling Perkins, my partner “in crime”, Tova Weinronk, and our teaching and advising staff, some of whom stepped into classroom roles this year: Kfir Mizrahi, Aaron Tornberg, Leah Rochbert, Irit Hamami, Rachel Raz, Aron

Kitah Gimmel makes h .

aroset Reenacting the story of the Exodus.

Kitah Dalet Leads Passover Chocolate Seder

Wander and Jonah Zaslow; and our madrikhim: Sam Gornstein, Ellie Baim, Matt Karen, Arielle Lack-Zell, Hanah Pourmousa, Maddie Namias, Bea Kardon, Madeleine Palter, Oren Maislin, Kayla Smith, Abbie Roskind, Sophie Gaebe, Amira LaFlamme, Gabe Marin, Max Hebert, Talia Zolondick, Zephy Borisy, Nathan Gaffin, Zachary Post, Zara Skolnik, Hannah Brodsky, Emma Mandell, Evan Karen, Edie Berndt. Thank you to the Temple Emunah Sisterhood and the Speicher family for their support of our madrikhim and enrichment (music/Israeli Folk dance) programs.

This summer we will again have children at Jewish overnight camps and teens traveling to Israel. We look forward to seeing all of them at the end of the summer. Thank you to Samantha Brody, who joined our staff this year as our Jr USY Advisor this year, as well as a member of our YAD staff. As we look toward next year, I want to welcome Sydney Bluman (photo at left), who will join Tova Weinronk and me in directing our Education Program (Religious School and Youth Activities).

Finally, as always, thank you to all our parents and children for being on this journey of Jewish living with us! You are truly a blessing in my life!

Mark your calendar for the opening of Religious School 5783 and Fall Youth Day, both of which will be on Sunday, September 11.

On behalf of the staff of our education and youth programs, I wish everyone a relaxing and healthy summer.

Kayitz na’im (pleasant summer), Me’ir Sherer Director of Congregational Learning

msherer@templeemunah.org

A Blessing for those off to Summer Camp or Israel

It won’t be too long before our kids will be off to camp or Israel for the summer.

Join us on Saturday, June 18, when we will recognize our youth during Shabbat morning services and bless them for the journeys upon which they will be embarking!