Kids

Nitzavim

Nitzavim Word Search

Parshat Nitzavim has only 40 Pesukim and is highly focused on one of the central Mitzvot of this time of the year – Teshuvah. It is most appropriate to read this Parshah as we head into the Head of the New Year! We learn how close and within reach Teshuvah and Torah observance are and we learn how, in the merit of Teshuvah, the Jewish people will be brought back to Eretz Yisrael for a peaceful and long term existence, filled with blessing and success.

Tuesday and Wednesday of the coming week mark the beginning of the new year 5782. We stand in shul (or at home) and we plead with Hashem to grant all of us a happy, healthy and successful new year and that we should all be inscribed in the book of life! We eat sweet things to symbolise our desire for a sweet new year! We are extra careful to act kindly to others in these days and to do our Mitzvot with greater enthusiasm.

H M O J B E N Z K N J D

K A O A Q I A R D U O B R D R S L Q T R C V E C W D B O H J I T T L M Y

Z Y W D T E O N I H P A

H E A V E N N A F J C O

F N T E R P Q N D R X N M A U H S O H E Y Y T G

J X R T P U X V K L G S

I C E C P Y Y O B N D V

I U O Q Y F H C O X E X E J C L Z K R S M T S O

COVENANT • EARTH • HEAVEN • MOSHE • NATION • SONG • TORAH • YEHOSHUA

Tangram Challenge!

Using all the shapes on the left can you make the apple on the right?

“Beep, beep, beep…” the alarm pierced through Chaim’s dreams. “Oh no, go away.” Chaim groaned, turning over and putting a pillow over his head.

“Come on, sleepy head.” Ima poked her head round his door. “It’s the first day of the school year!”

Chaim did not want to get up. He was in a nice, comfortable bed and he had been in a lovely, deep sleep. Grumbling, he slowly sat up, said modeh ani, got out of bed to wash negel vaaser and got dressed.

In the rest of the house he could hear shouting and banging as everyone rushed around, frantically trying to get ready for school on time.

“Where are my pencils?” Rivki shouted.

“I’ve lost my water bottle” moaned Hadassa.

Chaim soon joined the chaos; looking for his PE kit at the same time as stuffing his lunch into his backpack. There was so much to do to get ready for the new school year.

Finally, Chaim made it to school. He had worked hard and had managed to get everything ready.

The last lesson of the day was kodesh. With Rosh Hashana coming up, it was the first thing the teacher spoke about.

“Over the next few days, we will be doing a short version of selichos and shofar blowing in school. Can anyone tell me why we blow the shofar?” Rabbi Friedman pointed to Shauli.

“It’s to wake us up to do teshuva.”

“Exactly, the shofar is meant to wake us up from our normal daily routines and thoughts and get us started on preparing for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.”

“But how do we get ready for Rosh Hashana?” Yehuda asked shyly.

“Such a good question” Rabbi Friedman smiled. “We can start to get ready by working that extra bit harder on doing mitzvos and learning Torah. We can start thinking about people we may have hurt in the year and mitzvos we might not have kept so well.

Can everyone please take out a piece of paper. I’d like you all to think about three small things you can work on improving straight away, for example saying modeh ani with extra concentration.”

Everyone in the class started writing as Rabbi Friedman continued. “Then I’d like you to think about three things that were not so nice you may have done this year, for example maybe you didn’t listen to your parents when they told you to go to bed.”

“Do we give this list to you?” Yehuda asked.

“No, this list is private, between you and Hashem. Take it with you when you are davening. Use it to think about what you will try to do better this year and from whom you need to ask mechila, forgiveness. The word teshuva means ‘return’, We need to return from the mitzvos we are not keeping so well and say sorry to Hashem and any people we may have hurt.”

Thinking back to the morning, Chaim realised that although at the time he hadn’t appreciated the alarm and all the hard work he had needed to do to prepare for school, it had all been worth it. He had needed that wake up call and the preparation in order to make the most of the school day. Now he needed to do the same for Rosh Hashana.

Getting Ready