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PreSchool Press from Lynda Perel I cannot tell a lie, I love cherry pie! Our preschoolers will be baking a cherry pie in honor of Presidents Day. We will read books, sing songs, and learn how someone can become president of the United States. Who knows? Maybe one of our preschoolers will be president one day. On February 2 nd our students are taking a trip to the State Theater in New Brunswick. They will see the show, “Stella the Snow Queen”, based on the award-winning children's book series by Marie- Louise Gay. This books tells the endearing story of two children who spend the day playing in the snow. Our preschooler not only get the thrill of riding on a school bus, but they also get to experience a live show in the theater. To see the expressions on their faces is priceless. In honor of Dental Health Month, Dr. Jamie Wasserman will talk to our preschooler about how to take care of their pearly whites. Jamie does a great job talking showing the kids how to take care of their teeth with felt board stories and demonstrations. We appreciate her taking time out of her busy schedule to come and talk to our Nursery School. 6
DIRECTOR’S DRASH from Julie Schwarzwald "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet." William Shakespeare may have been correct, but we also know that semantics can play a large role in perception. Hebrew School. Religious School. Sunday School. Supplementary School. Center for Jewish Learning. What's in a name? Over the years, the changes in names for what we call Hebrew School sometimes have been tied to changes in curriculum and objectives, and sometimes have been tied to marketing and public relations. Regardless, the decision of curriculum and emphasis is an ongoing question for all of us involved in Jewish education. As the time devoted to Jewish education declines - from three days a week to two to only one day a week in some schools - the demand for these institutions to "teach it all" has increased. What should our emphasis be? Hebrew reading - Do we want our children to be able to decode Hebrew fluently? Hebrew language - Do we want our children to understand the meaning of what they are reading? Conversational Hebrew - Do we want our children to be able to speak Hebrew fluently? Prayers - Do we want our children to know the prayers for Shabbat and holidays and daily worship and be confident in any shul anywhere in the world? Israel - Do we want our children to know the history of the land of Israel? And the geography, and the major cities, and the culture and national symbols and anthem? Holidays - Do we want our children to be knowledgeable about the history, rituals, traditions, and blessings associated with Jewish holidays? Bible - Do we want our children to know the stories of the Torah and how they communicate our ancestry and our values? Ethics - Do we want our children to embody the ethics and values of Judaism? And what the mitzvot and commandments are and how to follow them? God - Do we want our children to develop a personal, spiritual relationship with God? Life Cycle - Do we want our children to understand the Jewish aspects of life cycle events? The answer, of course, is YES. To all of the above. Moreover, please don't take more than two hours a week, on a day that is most convenient to my family, at a reasonable price that is easily affordable. All understandable, but highly unlikely, to say the least! So, it is time to begin a conversation on what our priorities are. We know that we do not want bar/bat mitzvah to be the end of Jewish education; we know that we want our children to be lifelong learners and lifelong Jews. The Hebrew language is a unifying element among Jews around the world, as is a knowledge of and comfort with tefillah/prayer and synagogue rituals. Yet we each, as adults, approach Judaism in different ways and view it through different lenses. I look forward to engaging in this conversation with you over the next few months. HEBREW SCHOOL HAPPENINGS Please join us on Sunday, February 1 for the World Wide Wrap, a chance to learn about and practice putting on tefillin. This will be a school day for Kitot Vav and Zayin and their parents, as they join Kita Hei for a special program with Men's Club. Kitot Gimel and Dalet will build a pair of tefillin as they learn about the contents. There will be no school on Sunday, February 15 due to Presidents Weekend. Please join Kitot Dalet and Hei as they take part in Shabbat services on Friday, February 20. On Sunday, February 22, Kita Vav will go to the Museum of Jewish Heritage as part of their unit on the Holocaust. YOUTH NEWS The new youth lounge in APR 1 is looking spiffy after USY'ers painted it! We would love to have a refrigerator there for use by the youth groups and the Hebrew school. Donations welcome! Upcoming events: Chaverim – Mt. Rushmore President Painting, February 24, 6:15-7:30 pm Kadima – Cupcake Wars, February 3, 6:15-7:45 pm USY – Israel Night, February 17, 7:00-9:00 pm For more information about any of these programs, contact Julie Schwarzwald, Education and Youth Director, jschwarzwald@ebjc.org. 7
Page 1 and 2: Tevet -Shevat 5775 February , 2015,
Page 3 and 4: RABBINIC REFLECTIONS — Share in S
Page 5: It never fails. We run an event and
Page 9 and 10: THE WORLD WIDE WRAP IS FEBRUARY 1,
Page 11 and 12: February 2015 Calendar Broadway Rev
Page 13 and 14: Leba and Neal Yolin for yahrzeit in
Page 15 and 16: Pediatric and Adolescent Associates
Page 17 and 18: ORAL SURGERY GROUP, P.A. PRACTICE L
Page 19 and 20: Please Support Our Sponsors—They

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