Schechter Shavua: April 4, 2022

Rabbi Berger Cultivates a New Group of Torah Readers

Our fifth graders have been learning to read Torah! With Rabbi Berger as their teacher, they have been studying the system of ta’amei hamikra, cantillation marks or “trope,” so that they can teach themselves to read any passage in the Torah. Why spend time acquiring this skill in fifth grade, instead of waiting until their bar/bat mitzvah preparations in seventh or eighth grade?

• Bar Mitzvah tutoring, even when students learn ta’amei hamikra, is inevitably focused on the Bar/Bat Mitzvah day. By learning to read Torah in a younger grade, students see it as an advanced, lifelong synagogue skill, not tied to one special event.
• Mastering the skill has already given students an amazing sense of pride, one that we hope will feed a passion for even more learning!
• Finally, some skills are harder to learn as you grow older; Torah reading is easier for younger children. In addition, seventh and eighth graders face increased academic demands. Starting in fifth grade helps our students.

We can’t wait for our students to debut their skills in May! 

Click to see PICTURES and a Great VIDEO of the process of learning Torah trope!
 

Math Fun Engages T’marim Students

The T’marim students (EC 3-4) are absorbing math skills that will prepare them for Kindergarten. Teachers Julie and Sarah wrote the numbers 1 through 12 on post-it notes and placed them in numerical order on a table. Each child was given a domino; they counted the total number of dots and placed the domino next to the correct number. 
 
This simple but fun math activity teaches so many important skills that will be valuable to the students as they get older, including:

• counting with 1:1 correspondence
• recognizing printed numerals
• subitizing numbers (Subitizing is the ability to identify a small set of numbers quickly without actually counting.) 
• combining two numbers (intro to addition)
• understanding that numbers can be composed of different numbers (think 5 is made of 1 and 4 & 3 and 2)
• creating a graph
   

Yom Huledet Sameach to Uzi

To practice certain Hebrew vocabulary words, Roni’s Hebrew class from Gesher (grades 4-5) celebrated the birthday of Uzi, a stuffed animal dog. Students took responsibility for different aspects of the party, including decorations, balloons, juice, costumes, and of course, cake. 
Uzi had a fantastic birthday celebration!

Schechter Families Help Jewish Community Foundation Kick Off Year-Long 50th Anniversary Celebration with Mosaic Art Project

Last week, Schechter families joined the kick off of the Jewish Community Foundation’s 50th Anniversary celebration by participating in the Mosaic Art Project at the Mandell JCC. Families came together to help place tiles into the art work. This project enables families from across the Greater Hartford community to help create a special mosaic artwork — piece by piece. The final mosaic will be unveiled later this year and permanently displayed at the JCC.