Beth-El Religious School Happenings
By Ramona L. Brand Director of Youth Learning Cre -ZOOM-ativity!! CampTBE virtual enrichment classes were a great hit! ozens of families took advantage of Temple Beth-El Religious School’s summer virtual camp programs. Utilizing the best of technology, synchronous activities, family engagement and stimulating creativity, our summer camps took us around the world and into our own Richmond backyard for great summer fun. Our rich tradition of stories from all aspects of Jewish culture came to life during a drama/ storytelling camp with Ramona Brand and guest actress, Sandy Ryder of Wild Swan Theater in Ann Arbor, Mi. Campers delighted in numerous stories from the Torah, Talmud, folklore and famous Jewish writers. Stories were performed for and by campers, enlivened by quick costume changes and zoom prop magic! The Art of Jewish Papercutting, with teacher Miriam Aniel, engaged families together in learning about the history and uses of this beautiful art form. Participants made their own Hamza and Magen David papercuts with some surprising results! Campers learned some intri”cut” ways to fold paper to create beautiful and delicate designs. Families toured Richmond on Sunday, July 19 for the Jewish Richmond History Tour. Using the app Actionbound participants followed clues, took online quizzes, posted pictures, solved puzzles, and learned about our incredible Jewish imprint on Richmond. The clues led to the final destination where a surprise was hidden! Afterward all met on a Zoom meeting to make a special keepsake together. This scavenger hunt should be available for the greater Richmond community shortly. Many thanks to Miriam Aniel for taking our city tour to new virtual heights!! What was it like to be a boy or girl living in the
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Synagogue Happenings
In these photos, Beth-El children together with their families take part in Camp Activities.
Lower East Side of New York in 1914? Our campers found out all through the third week July. Through the story of Jewish American Girl Doll, Rebecca Rubin, campers experienced the challenges and joys of being a Jewish immigrant in the early 20th century. Campers made pickles, learned some Yiddish, sang songs and played games of the era. They made a toy from a button, prepared for Shabbat by making their own mini clay challah and fabric Challah cover. Families enjoyed the great outdoors in Temple Beth-El’s nature center with a program designed to delight the senses. This program is ongoing and can still be scheduled for your family. Contact Ramona at r.brand@bethelrichmond.org to arrange a visit. These summer programs brought our students together for some much needed socializing and creative learning! Camp Beth-El was a great success and every session was “sold out”! Garden Explorers Available from July 20 - August 21 (excludes Saturdays). Schedule individually with Ramona. Need some outdoor activity? Come to the Religious School Nature Center for some summer exploration. Look for butterflies, have a scavenger hunt, find prayer in nature, conquer the low-ropes course, hike through the woods. What’s Jewish about nature? Come find out! Schedule an individual family visit at a convenient time. We will practice health and safety guidelines to enable a one on one family experience outdoors.
Beth-El More on next page www.JewishRichmond.org
