Fourth Grade Judaica over the last 2 weeks

Dear Parents,
Many thanks for your support and participation in our "Jewish Tradition
Week" unit. It was very special for each student to learn about his/her
own family and share real-life stories, recipes, and pride in personal
challenges and accomplishments. Our parents, grandparents, and great
grandparents came to the United States from Estonia, Lativa, Lithuania,
Poland, sections of Russia, the Ukraine, Palestine, Spain (1492!!) and
Germany. They traveled in search of opportunity or refuge, and most came
with little or no possessions. Some families have kept precious items from
generations ago - kiddush cups, old Siddurim, Tallitot, Baboushka dolls,
hand-carved chess sets, and teacups from 'home in the Ukraine', and a
watch worn during the Holocaust, to name a few; we got to see the items
and experience history first-hand. Especially moving were the anecdotes
from parents and grandparents who were not able to admit to, nor celebrate,
being Jewish in their native countries, people who came here to be free....
and merit having their children study at Wornick! It certainly brought our
history lessons to life and gave an added dimension to discussions from the
text. One family has been in California for 5 generations; their story is
quite parallel to our heroes in "Nothing Here But Stones!" Thank you, one
and all, for making this study dynamic and delicious, providing lively
detail and a host of Ashkenazic and Sephardic delicacies.

We began our study of Megillat Esther and themes of Purim, and will
continue discussion in depth over the coming weeks. In addition, we will
be editting our 'Precious Jewish Items' reports, preparing them for display
later in the year (for Israel Independence Day).

More to come, of course!
Shavua Tov,
Morah Kaylee