Instructors:
Mitch Kraus (Judaics) krausm@tcunion.org
Gary Ratner (Judaics) gratner@erols.com
Jana Klejner, Michael Twitty (Hebrew) proff97@aol.com
Hazzan Schnitzer (Hebrew) hazzan@bethesdajewish.com

2nd Annual DC Area Chanukah Blowout!
Grades 6-8
Saturday, Dec. 8
7:30-10:30 p.m.
JCCGW

Do you like food? How about games and a D.J.? On Saturday, December 8, 2007, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington there will be all this and more!

Click here to see a flyer about the Blowout! (PDF)

This event is for grades 6-8.

$8 in advance, $10 dollars at the door.
Tickets available from Mr. D. in the RS Office

Proceeds from this event will go to charity.

For more information about the Blowout, contact Tracy Schneidkraut, (301) 348-3889, or tschneidkraut@jccgw.org

7th Grade to Lead Youth-Led Family Service on
Friday, December 14, at 7:00pm

Parents:

Our 7th-grade class is scheduled to lead the upcoming Youth-Led Family Service on Friday, December 14 at 7:00pm. The service lasts approximately one hour (we're always done by 8pm so adults can still attend the regular worship service, if desired) and is followed by a short oneg.

There is no practical limit to the number of students in the class who can have a leadership role at the service - the more the merrier (and I reiterate my offer of a pizza party for any grade that has an entire class present at a YLFS this year.) There are numerous readings and prayers will can be assigned. People are needed for candle-lighting, opening and closing the ark for Aleinu, and even as musicians.

So, if your child/ren can be present, they should take a part in leading the service. Once we know who will be helping, Mr. Ratner and I will arrange a time when we can coach/work with them in advance on their roles/parts/readings.

Latest Messages from  Teachers

Last updated 05/22/2008

Judaics:

7th GRADE BIBLICAL HISTORY

CLASS SUMMARY - NOVEMBER 3, 2007

We should think about the development of the acceptance of monotheism by the Israelites is a process. It starts with Abraham’s revelation, but the Israelites do not, as a result, completely abandon their other gods.

Genesis provides glimpses of the Israelites continued involvement with polytheism. Rachel steals her father’s household gods in retaliation for his treatment of Jacob. These idols represent the deed to his land. When he realizes that they are missing, he sets off after the fleeing Jacob and his household. In another example, Jacob admonishes the members of his household to “rid yourself of alien gods,” prior to his meeting and reconciliation with his brother Essau.

The struggle of the Israelites to fully abandon polytheism is a recurring theme in the Torah. It was probably difrficult for them to accept the one true Gd, when everyone else was a polytheist. But even today, the belief in Gd is difficult even though the vast majority of Americans profess to do so. The class discussed the problem of prayer – the difficulty of reaching out to Gd. The challenge of prayer today shows how hard it must have been for our ancestors in Genesis to accept monotheism.

We then began to examine Exodus. The Israelites come to Egypt to escape a famine. Because Egypt had the Nile, it normally had sufficient water during a drought. While historical evidence of the exodus is lacking, there is evidence that the Israelites were in Egypt. The class discussed the following from the relevant time period:

1.

Papyrus reports from border guards that people from Ashkalon, Hazor and Megiddo, cities in Canaan, were fleeing famine and had entered Egypt. 2.

Papyrus lists of household possessions including the names of slaves with semitic names. 3.

Instructions to border guards to pursue escaping slaves. 4.

Reports of slaves being permitted to go into the wilderness and sacrifice to their gods. 5.

The fact that Pithon and Ramses, the cities that Exodus reports were built by Hebrew slaves, were real cities.

There is also support for the Joseph story either as historical fact or historic memory. We examined the story of the Hykos, a group of people from Syria/Canaan who eventually conquered the northern portion of Egypt, only to be overthrown themselves. One of the Pharohs following this event – Akhnaton – had ministers with semitic names.

While there is evidence of the Israelites presence, there are no reports of the exodus having been found to date in papyrus scrolls or stone monuments. The class began discussing what, if any, conclusions can be drawn from this lack of evidence, and this discussion will continue next week.


Hebrew (Mr. Twitty):

Hebrew (Hazzan Schnitzer):

Welcome Letter from  Hebrew Teacher

Welcome Letter from Judaics Teacher

PDF copy of this letter

Welcome Letter to BJC 7th Grade Parents – September 2007

An enthusiastic welcome to you and your children to our BJC 7th grade Judaics class! This class has two different components: Torah (led by Gary Ratner) and Biblical History (led by Mitch Kraus). After the introductory class, September 9th, which we will teach together, we will teach individually, usually in three week cycles, periodically interspersed with classes taught jointly. We try to enrich class discussions with other forms of learning and fun, including charades, quiz games, debates and Biblio-drama, as well as use historical maps and contemporary newspaper articles, all related to the topics that we are studying.

The Torah course focuses on having the children do close textual analysis of a small number of seminal stories, including Creation, Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, Noah, Tower of Babel, Abraham and Sarah, Lot, Issac and Ishmael. We ask what the writers may have been trying to teach by writing the Torah the way they did, explore inconsistencies and repetitions, and try to figure out how the stories and concepts may be helpful to us in figuring out what choices to make in living our lives today. We look at concepts key to Judaism such as one God, man being made in the image of God, covenant and the Ten Commandments, as well as concepts key to all humanity, such as truth and falsehood, life and death, good and evil, the brotherhood of mankind, and the denial and acceptance of responsibility.

The Bible course deals with the Bible as history comparing the text with what is known from archeology and other ancient sources. For example, Abraham and Jacob’s family fleeing to Egypt during famine was a normal reaction because Egypt had a steady water supply from the Nile. Where there is more than one theory about events, each is described. We will examine various theories about the Exodus and the conquest of Canaan, and look at tribal identity, national identity, the divided kingdom, exile and the confrontation with Greece. The course will stress the uniqueness of monotheism and why ethical monotheism was so significant to the development of civilization.

In our joint sessions, we will explore a single topic from our different perspectives. This will include, for example, looking at the historical context in which Christianity emerged during the Roman period and Torah sources of certain important Christian beliefs and practices.

Please stop by and say hello, ask any questions and share any concerns, this Saturday morning, or thereafter, if that is not feasible. We would like to get to know you and your children.

Year-to-date Review