Rabbi Rutstein

3rd & 4th Grade Judaics

Welcome to our 3rd & 4th Grade Judaics blog! Here you can learn about what we have been up to in Judaics class, all the exciting learning that has been taking place and what our goals for the class are. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to teach these wonderful children about our heritage and our history. While much of the class focuses on building textual skills, enabling the children to become independent learners capable of learning any of our classic works, whether it be a book from the Torah or any of the many other works that have given us the moniker, "The people of the book", there is so much more involved in an HHAI Judaics education. Specifically, we strive to give our students a deeper appreciation of who they are, where they come from, the centrality of Land of Israel to our people and why we, as a people, have been practicing the mitzvot and rituals laid out for us in the Torah, since the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai nearly 3500 years ago!

May 2025 - Iyar 5785

As we approach the end of the school year, it's a wonderful time to take stock of all of the growth and accomplishments that have taken place in 3rd and 4th Grade Judaics this year. From Purim to Pesach, there were opportunities to truly experience what it means to live life as a member of the Jewish people. We observed traditions which go all the way back to our ancestors, who were taken out of their bondage from Egypt and brought to Mt. Sinai by G-d, to receive His special gift to us, the Torah, the commemoration of which we will be celebrating in just a few more days on Shavuot. We had the opportunity to celebrate Purim, when we relive and celebrate the miraculous salvation of our people from the hands of the wicked Haman, the descendant of our arch nemesis, Amalek, a grandson of Eisav, the brother of our forefather, Jacob. The 3rd Grade has been learning the story of Yaakov and Eisav in our study of Chumash, and the generational struggle between the two brothers and their competing ideologies. As G-d tells their mother, Rebekah, when one rises the other will fall, but as long as we remain true to our mission, Eisav and all those who are descendants of his ideology, will have no power over us. In addition to Chumash, the 3rd Grade has also completed their list of 90 shorashim (common root words), which the class has done an amazing job of mastering. We are also well on our way to learning the long, but crucial tefillah, the Shemone Esrai (or Amidah), which the class has been doing an amazing job of learning.

In 4th Grade, we have been learning the story of Yosef and his brothers, how he rises to become the ruler over all of Egypt, leading eventually to the descent of Yaakov and his family down to Egypt, due to a famine in the land of Cana'an (Israel). This, of course, is the beginning of our people's sojourn in the land of Egypt and the subsequent slavery and redemption from our bondage. Learning these stories gives one a much greater appreciation for the historical context and richness of the holidays which we celebrate every year. The 4th Grade has also completed their list of 96 shorashim, demonstrating mastery of their words, giving the students a word bank of nearly 200 Hebrew root words (between 3rd and 4th Grade)! The 4th Graders have also completed learning the Shemoneh Esrai prayer and earning their "Tefilla" licenses, by demonstrating the ability to recite the Amidah by themselves, which is our personal prayer to Hashem to ask Him for what we need and to thank Him for all the gifts that He gives us. As a reward for earning their licenses, the students earned a trip to Speedway for slurpees! :)

From learning about the holidays of Purim and Pesach, including the many mitzvot and halachot (laws) of the holidays, to experiencing hearing the reading of the Megilla on Purim, baking our very own matzahs at our annual Model Matzah bakery, and having a joint lower school mock Seder, there was no shortage of opportunities to learn about and experience our deep and rich heritage. As we look forward to another year of growth, G-d willing, next year, we can be confident that, by giving our children the opportunity to attend such an amazing Jewish day school such as the Hasten Hebrew Academy, they will continue to grow in their connection to our people and will be equipped with the tools necessary to grow up to be proud Jews and develop into upstanding and successful people, carrying out our mission to be an "ohr Lagoyim"- "a light unto the nations.

Aug/Sept/Oct 2024 - Elul 5784 Tishrei/Cheshvan 5785

With the holiday season behind us and the school year, believe it or not, a third of the way over, it is a great time to look back at all the learning that has been going on in 3rd and 4th Grade Judaics this year and all that has been accomplished thus far as well as some of our goals for the rest of the year. The chagim, as always, were an exciting time, with many experiential opportunities, from our annual trip to the pond for tashlich before Yom Kippur to our visit to my sukkah on sukkot. Experiential learning is one of the most effective ways of learning about our heritage and traditions. That, combined with the in-depth learning of the texts that are the foundation of who we are as a people, will leave a lasting impression on the students and will have a deep impact on helping them to feel that what we are learning in class is relevant and important to their lives. To that end, the lessons that we are learning from the stories in the Chumash, whether it be the kindness exhibited by our foremother Rivkah when she gave water to the camels of Eliezer or the recognition that everything that happens in our lives and in the world is divinely orchestrated, which we learn from the story of Yosef and his brothers, the students are learning critical lifelong lessons. With everything going on in the world today, whether it be here in America or in Israel, understanding these lessons is crucial to the students developing a healthy sense of self and how to relate to the world around them as Jews.

Of course, the students have also been learning the basic skills necessary for a lifetime of learning, developing the ability to study the texts that are the foundation of the Jewish people. One of the critical skills necessary in order to be able to learn these texts independently is by developing their Hebrew vocabulary by learning the basic shorashim (Hebrew root words). By the time the students finish 4th Grade, the goal is for them to have a mastery nearly 200 shorashim! We accomplish this goal through our weekly quizzes which the students review for by utilizing the Quizlet platform, playing interactive games such as Quizlet Live, as well as Kahoot. In today's technological world, where children are using screens more than ever, utilizing these platforms to our advantage is essential to helping the students to succeed in the classroom.

By giving our students the knowledge and understanding of our history and what makes the Jewish nation unique and special, as well as the ability to learn and to grapple with our holy texts independently, the students will be armed with the necessary tools to help them to navigate an increasingly confusing world and grow into proud and upstanding Jews. People who are deeply committed to their heritage, and prepared to fulfill our mission to be a light to the world. I am excited to see the continued progress of our students in both 3rd and 4th Grade Judaics and what they will be able to accomplish for the remainder of the year!

Feb/March/April 2024 - Shevat/Adar I&II/Nisan 5784

It's hard to believe that we're already more than two thirds of the way through the year! It has been a busy past few months in 3rd and 4th Grade Judaics. In 3rd Grade we have recently completed the Parsha of Chayei Sarah, and the 4th Grade completed Parshat Vayeishev. Both classes had siyumim (celebration upon completion of a book of the Torah) to celebrate their accomplishments. The children enjoyed special, parsha themed treats. The 4th Graders played an exciting game of JEWpardy, as a fun way to review what they learned in the parsha. 3rd Grade watched the movie "Young Avraham", an animated film which tells the story of the early years of our forefather, the father of the Jewish people and of all monotheistic religions, Avraham; his journey and mission to teach a world steeped in idol worship, about the existence a Creator who cares about all of His creation and who is intimately involved in all aspects of our daily lives. It was a wonderful way to complete the study of the life of Avraham, whom the students started learning about in 2nd Grade!

In addition to all that we have been learning in Chumash, the 4th Grade has completed learning the long, but important Shemoneh Esrai prayer (the Amida) which is the prayer our sages refer to as Tefillah. Each of the 4th Graders received their "Tefillah Licenses" by demonstrating that they are ready to "drive" (pray) on their own, saying the tefillah quietly to themselves, which is the way that Shemoneh Esrai is meant to be recited.

In the month of Shevat, on the holiday of Tu B'shvat, the 3rd Grade had their Rosh Chodesh performance, in which they performed the beautiful song, Ya'aleh V'yavo for their parents, after which they each presented a slide show presenting their research on one of the Shiv'at Haminim, the seven species which the Land of Israel is praised for. The students demonstrated both knowledge as well as tech savvy in their presentations!

Besides for our regular learning, we have spent the last month learning about the holiday of Purim and recently have begun transitioning into the holiday of Pesach; "busy season" for us Judaics teachers. Besides for learning about the holidays, their laws and customs, the students have also had the opportunity to engage in hands on, experiential learning. This past week we were treated to our yearly Model Matzah Bakery with Rabbi Schusterman. The students baked their very own matzot, with the help of Rabbi Schusterman. In the coming weeks we will have many other opportunities for hands on learning, including making our haggadot to use at the seder, as well as the Model Seder in class, where we learn about and perform the many steps of the Pesach Seder.

It has truly been a jam packed few months, with much learning and growth in the 3rd and 4th Grade Judaics classes. Wishing everyone a wonderful, meaningful and enjoyable Pesach!

Sept/Oct - Elul/Tishrei 5784

The month of Elul, leading up to the Yamim Noraim- the High Holidays, Rosh Hashana, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, as well as the chock-full of holidays month of Tishrei, were busy with much learning and hands on experience, having the opportunity to live and put into practice, in a practical way, all that had been learnt in the classroom. From our annual visit with the ram, to our trip to the pond to do Tashlich, shaking the Lulav and Etrog and visiting my sukkah and a classmates sukkah in the neighborhood, the children had the opportunity to experience, in real life, all of those mitzvot that we learned about in class!

In Chumash, in 3rd Grade we recently finished learning the story of our forefather Avraham's purchase of the Ma'arat Hamachpeila (the Cave of Machpeila) in the city of Chevron as a burial place for his wife, Sarah, after she passed away; we have begun learning about the mission that he sends Eliezer, his trusted servant, on, to find a wife for his son, Yitzchak. In 4th Grade we have finished learning about Yaakov Avinu's (our forefather, Jacob) experiences in his uncle Lavan's house after running away from his brother Eisav, who wanted to kill him for taking birthright and the blessings that came along with it; the building of his family with the birth of his 12 sons (who would become the 12 Tribes of Israel), as well as his subsequent journey back to the land of his father's, the Land of Cana'an, the future Land of Israel. We have recently begun learning the story of Joseph and his brother's and the events that eventually would lead to the Bnei Yisrael going down to Egypt, where they would become a nation, after many years of slavery at the hands of Pharaoh.

While these stories may be familiar to most people, the in-depth, text based learning of these stories gives the children a deep-rooted understanding and appreciation of where we come from. By understanding the history of our people, the lessons we can learn from them, as well as learning about the land that Hashem promised to the descendants of Avraham and Sarah, Yitzchak and Rivkah, and Yaakov, Leah and Rachel, the students are given the tools and knowledge necessary to understand why the land of Israel is so important to us as a people, and the attachment that we have to Eretz Yisrael. In the environment that we unfortunately find ourselves in today, understanding these connections will help our students to feel the love and passion for a land that so many seem to want to erase our historical connection to. As we learned in class, Avraham insisted on purchasing the Cave of the Machpeila as a family burial place, and not to accept it as a gift from the then owner of the cave (Ephron), because he could see that, in the future, the nations of the world would try to claim that the land was not rightfully ours and that we had "stolen it". He insisted on paying the full, exorbitant price, to ensure that our connection to the land would never be erased. The land of Israel is not simply a land that Jews came and colonized, as much of the world wants to claim, but it is our eternal, ancestral homeland, and the place where we belong! It is the Land of Israel for the people of Israel, based on the Torah of Israel. Am Yisrael Chai!

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