National elections will be held for the 21st Knesset in Israel on April 9, 2019. The elections are an educational opportunity to connect the lives and fate of our students…
The Dress Code Struggle
A common struggle for day schools is adherence to a dress code or uniform. These are some of the challenges as I see them…
Halakha: The Rabbinic Idea of Law – Review
Halakha: The Rabbinic Idea of Law Chaim N. Saimon Princeton University Press, 2018 Hardcover, 296 pp., $29.95 ISBN:978-0-691-15211-0 Chaim Saimon, a law professor at Villanova University, has written a book exploring different aspects of the Halakhic system which not...
Peer Editing in Ivrit Class
How do we help our students gain mastery in Hebrew language so that they feel a sense of mastery in oral and written language skills?
The sugya approach to aggadata
I have been thinking about the study of aggadata and was wondering if a sugya approach is methodologically sound. For the halachic parts of the gemara…
Lentil Soup for Parashat Toldot (נזיד עדשים)
Looking for a quick and easy lentil soup to prepare, in honor of the weekly reading? Bereshit chapter 25, verse 34: "And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way." וְיַעֲקֹב נָתַן לְעֵשָׂו לֶחֶם וּנְזִיד...
Resources on Internet Safety (e.g. cyberbullying)
The following are online resources that deal with cyberbullying and internet safety: Internet Safety Tips What is Cyberbullying and How to Stop It An introduction to cybersecurity and data protection from the University of York How to Protect Your Child or Teen...
Chaf-Tet beNovember: The Significance of November 29
Introduction: In this lesson, students learn about the events of Chaf-Tet beNovember and its significance in Israeli history. Students will be prompted to research different events in history and to answer thought questions about each event, to help them reach their...
Chanukah Activities
Do your students already know how to light the candles? Do they already know about the Maccabees? Here is a list of 21 fun and creative activities to make Chanukah come alive in the classroom. Some are appropriate for elementary school students, while others...
Teaching Jewish Texts: Authority and Relevance
Teaching Jewish Texts: Authority and Relevance Abstract: Most Judaic learning, especially past the primary grades, is text-based. As people who study texts, we have preconceptions about those texts, which define our relationship to them. When we enter a...