Roots, Branches, and Blessings

Tu B’Shevat higiya, chag la’ilanot! It is time to celebrate the birthday of the trees.

This week, we enjoyed exploring all things trees, flowers, and nature. We used small parts to create trees with trunks and branches, and we decorated real branches with beads and buttons.

We also conducted a fun science experiment, turning white flowers into colorful flowers using food coloring.

We created beautiful self-portraits inspired by Frida Kahlo and used flowers to decorate them.

In our Judaic learning, we reviewed the stories of Avraham, Sara, Yitzchak, and Rivkah, and this week we learned about the twins born in the Torah, Yaacov and Eisav. We discussed what it means to be the same and different and even looked at our own twins in Kita Alef. Unlike Yaacov and Eisav, who looked nothing alike, our twins look very similar and can be tricky to tell apart. We learned that Yaacov received the blessings of becoming the father of the Jewish people, and that Eisav gave up his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup. To bring this story to life, we scooped lentils and made our very own lentil soup by chopping carrots, celery, and onions. It was delicious!

We also enjoyed Playball with Coach Anthony, where we practiced our catching and throwing skills.

We loved ending the week with challah baking and our grand Shabbat Party together. Shabbat Shalom!