Shanah Tovah by Torah Aura Productions

Rosh ha-Shanah  

Item #51202

After summer is over, the first Jewish holiday of the year is called Rosh ha-Shanah. Rosh means “head.” Shanah is a year.

Allan Eitzen

When we put the two words together as Rosh ha-Shanah, it means “new year.”

The most important Rosh ha-Shanah mitzvah is hearing the call of the shofar. The longest possible note is called the Tekiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ah Gedolah.

Rosh ha-Shanah is a time when we wish each other a Shanah Tovah, a good year to come. We greet our friends and family with the words Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shanah Tovah.

On Rosh ha-Shanah we eat a special snack of apples and honey. The sweetness of both the apple and honey is a way of wishing that the New Year will be sweet and good.

On Rosh ha-Shanah we eat a round hallah. Some say that the round hallah is shaped like a crown to remind us that God is our Ruler. Some people also dip the hallah in honey.

When we go to synagogue on Rosh ha-Shanah we use a prayerbook called a Mahzor.

Rosh ha-Shanah gives us a fresh start. We leave last year behind and start again to be the best person we can become. Jews prepare for Rosh ha-Shanah in many different ways.

Practicing blowing the shofar

Giving tzedakah

Studying the mahzor

Sending Rosh ha-Shanah cards

Saying “I’m sorry”

Remembering family history

What is one thing you can do to get ready for Rosh ha-Shanah? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

Put the correct sticker next to each description.

The shofar has four basic sounds Teki’ah, Shevarim, Teru’ah, and Teki’ah Gedolah.

Shanah Tovah is a Jewish greeting we say to wish others a good year to come.

On Rosh ha-Shanah we have a special prayerbook called the mahzor.

On Rosh ha-Shanah we eat a round hallah that is shaped like a crown.

On Rosh ha-Shanah we eat apples and honey to remind us of a sweet new year.

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Lessons come as a four page folder with a sheet of stickers. The twenty two lessons include Rosh ha-Shanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Simhat Torah, Mishpahah, Beit Knesset, The Torah, People in the Synagogue, Erev Shabbat, Yom Shabbat, Havdalah, Tikkun Olam, The Hanukkah Story, Hanukkah Celebration, The Mezuzah, Tu Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shvat, The Purim Story, Purim Celebration, The Passover Story, Passover Celebration, Seven Weeks of Remembrance, Shavuot

Sukkot 

Item #51204

This is a sukkah. When you look through the roof of a sukkah, you can see the sky. At night you can see the stars.

Nate Evans

A sukkah is a temporary house that Jews build for the holiday of Sukkot. On Sukkot it is a mitzvah to eat, drink, and sleep in the sukkah.

When the Jews left Egypt they lived sukkot. They also lived in sukkot when they harvested their land, Eretz Yisrael. When we are in the sukkah, we remember those Jews. The roof of the sukkah is made out of branches. It is built so you can see the sky and sun during the day and the moon and stars at night. We wave the etrog and the lulav. The etrog is looks a like a lemon. The lulav is made up of three kinds of branches. We shake them in every direction to show that God is everywhere. When we greet each other on Sukkot we use the words “Hag Same’ah.” It is a custom to invite famous Jews from history into the sukkah. It is called ushpizin.

The lulav and etrog

Color the etrog yellow.

A lulav uses one palm branch. Color the best palm branch green.

A lulav uses three myrtle branches. Color the best three myrtle branches green.

A lulav uses two willow branches. Color the best two willow branches green.

Put the correct sticker next to each description. A sukkah is temporary house the Jews lived in.

An etrog is yellow and like a lemon.

We put together three branches to make up the lulav.

The roof of the sukkah is made of branches so we can see the sky, sun, moon, and stars.?

Ushpizin is a custom to invite famous Jews from history into the sukkah.

On Sukkot we greet each other with “Hag Same’ah.”

Hanukkah Celebrations 

Item #51214

During Hanukkah we light the Hanukkiyah every night. We sing songs. We play a game of “dreidle” with the sevivon. We eat latkes and sufganiyot. Hanukkah is like having a small party every night. Everything we do on Hanukkah helps us remember the story of the Maccabees.

On Hanukkah we light one candle a night for eight nights. It is like acting out the story of the oil that burned for eight days. We put these candles in a hanukkiyah. On the first night of Hanukkah we say three blessings when we light the candles on the Hanukkiyah. On all other nights we say two blessings over the Hanukkah lights.

There are two special Hanukkah foods. Both of them are fried in oil. The oil reminds us of the story of the oil which burned for eight days . One of these foods is jelly donuts which are called sufganiyot in Hebrew. The other food we eat are potato pancakes, called latkes.

Sevivon is the Hebrew name of a top used in a Hanukkah game. In Yiddish the top is called a â&#x20AC;&#x153;dreidle.â&#x20AC;?

Rules for lighting a Hanukkiyah a. Always put the candles in the hanukkiyah beginning on the right side. b. The shamash should always be the highest light. Light it first, then say all the blessings. c. Always light the new candle first each night. Then light the candles starting on the left.

Draw a line to match the night of Hanukkah to its Hanukkiyah. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t count the Shamash. night 1 night 2 night 3 night 4 night 5 night 6 night 7 night 8

Put the correct sticker next to each description. King Antiochus was the Greek King who wanted everyone to bow down to his idol.

Mattathias, a Jew, refused to bow down.

The Maccabees were the army that joined in the fight against the Greeks.

When Mattathias grew old, his son, Judah, became the leader of the Maccabees.

When the war was over the Jews cleaned and fixed up the Temple. They rededicated the Temple.

Hanukkah lasts for eight days.

The Purim Story 

Item #51218

Purim is a holiday with a story. We read the story of Purim from a scroll called the Megillah. It tells the story of Esther.

David Bleicher

We learn all about Haman and King Ahashuerus. We meet Vashti. We learn about Mordechai and Esther.

The story of Purim takes place in the city of Shushan. Ahashuerus was the king. He ruled over a huge empire from India to Africa. One time the King Ahashuerus gave a party for all the important men. King Ahashuerus asked Queen Vashti to come to visit his party. She told him “NO!” The king decided that he would choose a nicer queen.

Esther was a very beautiful Jewish woman. Her uncle Mordechai told her, “Do not tell anyone that you are a Jew.” Ahashuerus chose Esther to be his new queen. One day Mordechai heard two men planning to kill the king. He told the king’s guards. Ahashuerus’ life was saved! Haman was the king’s chief advisor. Haman wanted everyone to bow down to him. Mordechai wouldn’t bow down to Haman. Haman was angry. He hated Mordechai. He hated all Jews. He asked the king to let him kill all the Jews.

Mordechai went to see Esther. He told her that she must go to the king and save the Jewish people. Esther fasted and prayed. Even though she was very scared, she went to see the king. He was glad to see her. She asked him to come to a party and to bring Haman. He said “Yes.”

Haman and the king came to Esther’s party. Esther told the king, “Someone wants to kill me and all my people.” He asked, “Who?” She said, “Haman.” The king got rid of Haman and made Mordechai his chief advisor. Everything was good in the end.

Put the correct sticker next to each description. King Ahashuerus ruled over a huge empire from India to Africa.

Queen Vashti refused to come to visit King Ahashuerus’ party.

Queen Esther, a Jewish woman, became the new queen.

Haman was the king’s advisor. He wanted everyone to bow down to him.

Mordechai, Esther’s uncle, saved the king’s life. The Megillah tells the story of Purim.

The Torah 

Patti Boyd

Item #51208

The Torah is the special gift that God gave to the Jewish people. It is the book that teaches us how to be good people. From the Torah we learn how to make the world a better place.

The words of the Torah are written on parchment. Pages of parchment are sewn together in a long strip and attached to wooden rollers. We do not use our hands to touch the inside of the Torah. We use a special pointer to point to the words. We use this pointer to keep the words of God safe and clean. The pointer is called a Yad.

When we finish reading the Torah, we protect it by dressing the Torah in special garments.

We first wrap the Torah up, and place a tie around it to keep the atzei hayyim together. We tie the Torah with the hagorah. It is like a belt. Next we place a special cover over the Torah. It is called the k'tonet and is often decorated with beautiful pictures, colors, and fringes.

We place a hoshen, a breastplate, over the cover. After the hoshen is in place, we hang the yad over one of the atzei hayyim.

We finish dressing a Torah by adding a keter Torah (Torah crown) or rimonim. Rimonim often have bells.

Put the correct sticker next to each description. We use a yad to read the Torah so we never touch the parchment.

We tie the Torah with a hagorah.

Next we place the k'tonet over the Torah.

After that the hoshen, breastplate, is added.

One way we finish dressing the Torah is by adding a keter Torah, a crown.

The other way we finish dressing a Torah is by adding rimonim, small crowns that have bells