Love for Israel just courses through our veins here at STA! STA 3rd- 5th graders are excited to have just started a new course with Rabbi Yossie Nemes, titled “Israel, Our Eternal Homeland; Our Modern Story”. Each lesson is filled with historical information, stories, and deep messages, brought to life through props and artifacts as well. The students “meet” an important figure in modern Israeli history each lesson and discuss his/her profile- such as when/where born, passed away, significant family info and of course, highlights of how they contributed to modern Israeli history. Lesson 1 took the students back to the 20 years under British rule before the 1948 War of Independence. Heroism of the Jewish people was depicted as well as tragedies discussed, such as the Chevron Massacre, 1929. David Ben Gurion and Menachem Begin were profiled and their impact discussed. In Lesson 2 the students learned about events in the 1950's and 1960's such as the establishment of the Ma’abarot, the tent cities erected for 120,000 Holocaust survivors, and even more Jews coming from Sefardic countries. Rabbi Nemes fascinated the students with the story of Adolf Eichman's escape to Argentina, how his location was identified, and The Mossad's brave capture of Eichman, finally bringing him to Israel for trial. The students eagerly await the next lessons and look forward to connecting even more to Israel, especially during these challenging times!
In our early childhood classrooms, the buzz of excitement filled the air as we dove into celebrating Purim. This year, we've revamped our dramatic play areas to reflect the holiday's spirit, sparking curiosity and creativity in our young learners. With colorful puppets, we've recreated the city of Shushan, inviting children to step into the shoes of Esther, Mordechai, and Haman. Through these playful roles, they explore themes of the Purim story, learning valuable lessons about the power of prayer and resilience.