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Jewish Education
May is the colorful time of year that connects our April reenactment of the Exodus from Egypt to the June celebration of the receiving of the Torah. It is a time to reaffi rm our attachment to one another, to our sacred teachings and practices, and to the fl owering of these United States and of the State of Israel. The first week in May is the time for the annual blessing on blossoming trees. The Gemara in Masechet Berachot 43b states: “When a person goes out during the days of Nisan and sees trees in bloom, the person shall recite: Praised are You, Lord our G-d, King of the Universe, who left nothing lacking in His creation, and created in it good creatures and good trees, so that humanity may take pleasure in them.” I encourage you to take a family trip to the Arboretum or to another garden devoted to trees and fl owers and recite this blessing of appreciation.
Sunday, May 4 is the monthly Tallit & Tefi llin Club for 6th and 7th graders and their parents,
sponsored by the Brotherhood and led by Rabbi Haber. Also that day the Aleph and Bet classes will design and produce ceramic Kiddush cups with the guidance of artists Henry Altmann and Maxine Sorokin. At noon, the school will serve a light lunch and students are invited to stay for the ever popular Yom Hug. On Friday, May 9, we come together at Youth and Family Shabbat in which new melodies are introduced into the service by Cantor Finklestein and the students, and the community enjoys a rousing Kabbalat Shabbat. Your attendance is a must! On Sunday, May 18, we look ahead to Lag B’Omer and hold our annual sports day as part of the morning classes. Four days later, Thursday, May 22, we celebrate the 2008 Vav class graduation. Many of our graduates have made the commitment to continue their Jewish education at Prozdor of Hebrew College beginning in the fall.
The Aleph Siyyum breakfast will take place Sunday, June 1, at 9:30am. Families of our Aleph students will celebrate a year of learning with their children. The last day of classes, Sunday, June 8, corresponds with the evening of the First Day of Shavuot. Join your fellow congregants for an evening of prayer, Torah study, and a delicious milkhig buffet.
It is with mixed emotions that I announce the retirement of our dear teacher Mrs. Millie
Levitt. Millie has taught three generations of students at Mishkan Tefi la for more than 42
years. She exudes yiddishe warmth and learning with her every breath. Her former student
Jeff Greenstein repeats every year, “You know it’s December if Millie has started planning
for Pesach.” Millie is an active alumna of the Hebrew College where she received her
Jewish teaching degree, and Simmons College where she received her secular teaching
degree. I will miss her big warm smile every day that class meets, but G-d willing, we
will continue the close friendship that we share.
And as you can see, our young people enjoy many creative and stimulating
learning experiences, both during Religious School classes and at our monthly
Yom Hug ~ from displaying their Purim art projects, making ice cream maps
of Israel, playing in the Klezmer Band to participating in a Yom Hug baking
project.
May you all enjoy a restful summer full of joyous Shabbatot and weekdays.
Dr. Stephen R. Simons
Director of Education
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