Yvie Field ~ Homeschoolontherange.Blogspot.Com

Yvie Field ~ HomeschoolOntheRange.blogspot.com

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(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com Intro to Judaism (by my dear friend, Susan Rosefielde) Judaism is an ancient religion that was begun in the Near East 4,000 years ago. The Hebrew people of ancient times started out in the hilly country near Armenia and northern Iraq. The ancestral father, Abraham, heard the voice of God and followed directions to take his entire family to a Holy Land near the Mediterranean Sea.

Abraham became the first practicing Hebrew around 1800 BCE (BC) during the Egyptian, Assyrian, and Babylonian civilizations. The journey was long and arduous and took Abraham’s descendants hundreds of years. Eventually they ended up in Egypt, and in 1200 BCE(BC) Moses, the great Hebrew prophet, brought them out of slavery in Egypt, and to the Promised Land of Israel. The story of the ancient wanderings of the Hebrews is recounted in the holy text, called the Torah.

Judaism is one of the oldest religions that has been continuously practiced. Jews are a relatively small number of people, about 16 million worldwide, but their religion and the works of Jewish people have had a big impact on world civilization. In 1948, just after World War II and the Holocaust, the United Nations voted to recognize the new country of Israel on the site of ancient Jerusalem. Jews had not had a political country in 2,000 years.

Recommended Readings

 Children's Illustrated Jewish Bible  The Hebrew Alphabet  The Jewish Child's First Book of Why  DK Eyewitness Judaism  What Was the Holocaust?  Family Treasury of Jewish Holidays

The Torah & Beliefs Bereishit (pronounced buh-RAY-sheet) is the first word of the Hebrew Bible. It translates to “in the beginning." The first chapter relates the story of the Creation of the World, according to Jewish belief. No one can say for sure if it is the true word of God or an ancient story created by many Jewish rabbis and scholars over time.

According to the Hebrew Bible, the Creation occurred 5900 years ago. In the beginning there was chaos, and God created order. He created planets, our world, and separated the sky from the lower world. He then went on to create the seas and landmasses, and all the animals of the sea and the land. On the sixth day God created Man. When he saw

On the seventh day God looked at his work and was pleased. He took the day to rest and think about all he had done. Thus, the Sabbath was created, as the seventh day of every week. Man is supposed to copy God’s behavior and rest from his labors. Every week Jews celebrate the Sabbath. It is one of the innovations of their religion. Jewish Sabbath starts on Friday eve at sunset and lasts for 25 hours, until 1 hour after sunset or when the first star is visible. They are thinking of the Creation and copying their God. They are creating order in their lives, and they are separating the sacred from the secular, or work a day world. It gives them a day to make sense of what they are doing.

There is so much of their religious belief in the beginning chapters of the Bible that any one can read it slowly and think and discuss the meaning with others. That is done every Sabbath in the Synagogue, or Temple. At synagogue, the Torah, Five Books of Moses, is taken out of its special closet in the front of the sanctuary and placed on a reader’s table. The velvet cover is removed, and the leather scroll is unrolled to the proper place for that week.

Every year the Torah is read in the same order every Sabbath. The rabbi and others read the delicately handwritten Hebrew words. After a sentence or two, the reading is stopped, and the meaning is discussed or even argued. This is not considered disrespectful, but shows how sincere and eager people are to understand every word and to try to incorporate the lessons into their own lives.

The Torah contains over 600 commandments. Most people do not even know what they are because they are hidden in text, throughout the complete Hebrew Bible. There are also ten simpler commandments that are considered basic to all human beings, Jewish or non-Jewish. If any one follows those commandments they will be rewarded in the After Life by going to Heaven.

At this time in history, Jewish people hold many different views about Judaism and how many rules they should follow, and whether they believe the Hebrew Bible is the direct voice of God to his people.

 Orthodox Judaism is very strict in its beliefs and spends a great deal of time studying and obeying as many commandments as they can. This had been the traditional religion in Europe until 1800.  The Reform Movement was created in Germany around 1800, during the period known as the Enlightenment, and its goal was to modernize Judaism and make it’s practices closer to Christian Protestantism. The belief in one God and the relevance of the Torah and sacred life did not change. However, the writings, were considered to be man-made.  Conservative Judaism is the third great movement that was developed a little later in the nineteenth century. It is a belief system that holds on to more of the traditional views and interpretations and uses more Hebrew in the service. Reform Temples use either English or another native language.

Pick your favorite pin to share with other families!

homeschoolontherange.blogspot.com/2019/12/jewish-holidays-in-literature-year-long.html

Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish new year, a fall holiday that calls for both rejoicing and serious introspection. According to Jewish tradition, Rosh Hashanah is the birthday of the world and also the time of divine judgment... “On Rosh Hashanah all human beings pass before Him as troops, as it is said, ‘the Lord looks down from heaven, He sees all mankind. From His dwelling place He gazes on all the inhabitants of the earth, He who fashions the hearts of them all, who discerns all their doings.'” – Rabbi Dr. Reuven Hammer The new year is a joyous time filled with family, friends, and food, but it is also an opportunity to reflect on your actions of the past year, and to consider ways to improve in the next. Tashlich, which literally translates to “casting off,” is a ceremony performed on the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah. During this ceremony, Jews symbolically cast off the sins of the previous year by tossing bread crumbs into flowing water. People think of things they’ve done wrong in the past year and then “throw them away,” promising for improvement in the coming year.

Services are held in synagogues, and in the midst of the liturgy there are blasts from a ram’s horn, the shofar. The call of the shofar sounds like a person or an animal wailing, and serves to remind Jews to call out to the Divine and change their lives for the better. Many people gather for large family meals on Rosh Hashanah. The challah and apples are dipped in honey, representing hopes for a sweet new year. Honey cake and apple cake are common desserts at the end of this festive meal.

Rosh Hashanah 2020 begins at sundown on September 18, and ends at sundown on September 20. Be sure to wish your family and friends, "L’shana tova," a happy and sweet new year!

Read

 The Secret Shofar of Barcelona o The conductor of the Barcelona Orchestra is a Converso; he will lead a concert celebrating the Spanish colonies on the first night of Rosh Hashanah. When the musician introduces strange native instruments from the New World, he plots to slip the shofar in among them, then blow it for the Jewish New Year, assuming only other Conversos in the audience will recognize the ram’s horn. His son shares the secret of their Jewish identity and the youth offers to blow the shofar, which he practices in the fields amidst grazing sheep. On the

(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com night of the concert the secret Jews are thrilled with the brave, rare observance of their holiday. In a tense ending to this dramatic holiday historical fiction, the Spanish duke calls the musician forward. Luckily, the duke does not recognize the Jewish religious object. The Jews are safe to play the shofar as a native horn the following year!  Holidays Around the World: Rosh Hashanah

Younger Children

 New Year at the Pier  Happy New Year, Beni!  Engineer Ari and the Rosh Hashanah Ride  Big Sam

Watch

 Shalom Sesame - the Sticky Shofar  Jews & Muslims: Intimate Strangers

Bake Some Challah! Makes 4 Loaves Ingredients

 2 Tbsp dry yeast  2¼ c lukewarm water  ½ c sugar  4 eggs  2 egg yolks (for glazing)  1 Tbsp salt  ½ c vegetable oil  9 ¼ c flour

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast in the water with 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Beat well and leave 10 minutes, until it gets foamy. 2. In a very large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Then mix in salt, sugar, oil, and yeast mixture. 3. Add the flour gradually, and just enough to make a soft dough that holds together, mixing well, first with a large spoon, then working it in with your hands. 4. Knead vigorously for about 15 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic, adding flour if the dough is too sticky. 5. Pour a little oil in the bowl and turn the dough, so that it is greased all over. 6. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place to rise for 2-3 hours, or until it has doubled in bulk. 7. Punch the dough down and knead again, then divide into four pieces to make 4 loaves.

(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com 8. (For each of the four pieces) Divide dough into 3 pieces. Roll each piece between your palms and pull into long thin ropes about 18 in long and 1¼ in wide. 9. Pinch 1 end of all the strands together and braid them: bring the rope on the right over the middle one, then bring the one on the left over it and continue to the end. Pinch the ends together and tuck them under the loaf. 10. Place on greased baking sheets, leaving plenty of room to expand, then let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk. 11. Brush gently with the beaten egg yolks. 12. Bake in a preheated 350° F oven for 30-40 minutes until the loaves are beautifully golden-brown.

Make / Do

 Dip your apples in honey, and taste the sweetness of the holiday!  Blow the Shofar  Make New Year cards  Create a Painted Rock Garden  Whip up some Breakfast Cookie Pops

Vocabulary

 Rosh Hashana  Synagogue  Jews  Sabbath  Torah  Tashlich  Book of Life  Challah  Shofar  Scroll  High Holy Days

Featured Videos  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_M5-qthA8w  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AuMXq5sHDw

(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com Yom Kippur is the holiest day in the Jewish year. This is the day when Jews make sure that they have righted any wrongs and made their apologies for any grievances they may have committed in the past year...

Falling on the tenth day of the High Holy Days, between Rosh Hashanah and Sukkot, Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonement. Jews fast from sunset to sunset, pray in the synagogue, and think of ways to help make the world a better place. Yom Kippur in 2020 runs from September 27th (sundown) to September 28 (sundown).

Forgiveness is not only asked from those who have been wronged, but it is also asked from God, for the sins of the previous year. According to tradition, each person's fate for the upcoming year is written by God in the Book of Life. He writes this on Rosh Hashanah, but waits until Yom Kippur to 'seal the fate,' allowing time for the person to amend their behavior and seek forgiveness. It is common to spend the entire day in synagogue on this day.

Read

 Yom Kippur Shortstop o Bam! It's a speedy drive over second base. I jump and catch it. My whole team shouts, 'Jacob, you saved the game!'; It's Jacob's third year in Little League, and he's never missed a game. The championship game is coming up, and his team is counting on him. But then he finds out the game is scheduled on the holiday of Yom Kippur. The game is important. and Jacob has a decision to make. Jacob's story was inspired by the Los Angeles Dodgers' star pitcher Sandy Koufax, who sat out a 1965 World Series game on Yom Kippur. He was a hero to people everywhere who have made difficult decisions in order to observe their religious holidays.  Scarlett & Sam: Whale of a Tale  You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?

Younger Children

 Red, Blue, and Yellow Yarn  The Hardest Word  Oh no, Jonah!

Watch

 Jumpin' Jerusalem (young children)

(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com  Groundhog Day o You're not really supposed to be watching movies on Yom Kippur, but watch this classic ahead of time to star thinking about the holiday's meaning. Think of it as viewing time as circular and cyclical, with a preference for the Judaic sense that while the years come and go, we can actually change.

Make / Do

 Say 'I'm Sorry.' Practice the art of forgiving others and asking for forgiveness for your wrongs. Have a family discussion about the moments of the past year that you wish had been handled differently.  Fast. Excepting very young children, the elderly, and the ill, it is common to fast on Yom Kippur as a way of devoting yourself to the deeper meaning of the holiday. Children may take a 'technology fast' instead. (This is also the reason we don't have a cooking project for this unit!)  Make a resolution. Decide to show kindness, reach out to others, not gossip, and generally try to be a better person in the coming year.  Volunteer. Donate your time or resources to a charity through the practice of tzedakah.

Vocabulary

 Yom Kippur  Synagogue  Torah  Book of Life  Scroll  High Holy Days  Atonement  Al Chet  Fast  Kol Nidre  Shabbat Shuvah  Haftarah  Tzedakah

Think

 If you had a chance to return to a time you made a mistake, which would you choose? What might you have done differently so that it would not have been made?  Sometimes we make a mistake by using hurtful words, not listening, or harming another person. In what ways can we use our mouths, ears and hands to help fix a mistake?

Featured Videos

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIqIGkc6A4c  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oqBzg8wCUg

The Pilgrims were familiar with the tradition of Sukkot, and modeled their celebratory feast after it in 1621 during the first harvest season in the New World. The first Thanksgiving was celebrated in October and lasted for three days. This celebration eventually morphed into our modern day Thanksgiving...

Sukkot is the Jewish harvest festival. It begins five days after Yom Kippur and lasts for nine days, and is called the Feast of Booths because of the special custom of building a small hut, the sukkah, outdoors. The Hebrew calendar date is the 15th day of the month of Tishrei. This date always coincides with the evening of the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox, otherwise known as the Harvest Moon. In 2020, Sukkot begins on the evening of Friday, October 2nd and ends at sundown October 9th.

Many Jewish families build a sukkah, a hut reminiscent of the temporary booths in which the Hebrews lived as they wandered forty years through the desert after the Exodus from Egypt. Jewish people who have gardens build their sukkah at home. People who live in the city may share one built at a synagogue. The booths are decorated with autumn leaves, pumpkins, and wheat stalks. Depending on the weather, people eat, live, and may even sleep in them, just as the Israelites did.

Read

 The Mysterious Guests o Brothers Eben and Ezra are as different as can be. While Ezra is kind and generous, Eben is cold and greedy. Sukkot arrives and Ezra, who has little money to spare, lovingly builds his sukkah from old boards and overripe fruit. Everyone is welcome and his sukkah is filled with joyous song. Eben’s sukkah stands proud and glorious filled with the best things money can buy. Only the rich eat in Eban’s sukkah. One night Abraham, Isaac and Jacob descend from heaven to begin their annual visit to the worlds’ sukkot. They are welcomed into Ezra’s sukkah and invited to share what little food there is. At Eben’s sukkah they are forced to stand in the corner until his guests have finished their meal, then offered leftover scraps. As the mysterious guests depart, they leave behind a blessing for each brother that match the reception they were given. Eric Kimmel had done an excellent job of spinning this Sukkot tale. Based around the tradition that our forefathers are invited into the sukkah each year, Kimmel has woven in the powerful message that it is not outward beauty, but heartfelt generosity that brings blessings of goodness to the home.  The Adventures of Hershel of Ostropol  High Holidays & More

 Shanghai Sukkah  Best Sukkot Pumpkin Ever  Is it Sukkot Yet?  The House on the Roof  The Mitzvah Gang & the Extraordinary Sukkah

Watch

 Sukkah City  Mayam Bialik Builds a Sukkah

Make / Do

 Build a Sukkah  Decorate with paper chains, fruits, corn stalks, pumpkins  Have a cooking competition using a campfire  Make crafts using items from nature  Host a family field day  Roast kosher marshmallows… make s’mores!

Bake a Roasted Pumpkin Ingredients

 1 large pumpkin  1 tsp salt, divided  1-1/2 lb ground beef  3/4 c finely chopped onion  1 small green pepper, chopped  1-1/2 c cooked rice  1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce  1/2 c finely chopped fully cooked ham  2 eggs, beaten  1 garlic clove, minced  1 tsp dried oregano  1/2 tsp pepper  1/2 tsp cider vinegar

Directions

1. Remove top of pumpkin and set aside; discard seeds and loose fibers. 2. Place pumpkin in a large roasting pan. Fill with boiling water to about 6 in.; add 1/2 teaspoon salt. 3. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the pumpkin is almost tender but holds its shape. Carefully remove and drain well; pat dry.

(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com 4. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and green pepper over medium until meat is browned and vegetables are tender; drain well. Cool slightly; place in a large bowl. 5. Add rice, tomato sauce, ham, eggs, garlic, oregano, pepper, vinegar and remaining salt to meat mixture. 6. Place pumpkin back in roasting pan. Firmly pack beef mixture into pumpkin; replace top. 7. Leaving pan uncovered, bake at 350° for 1 hour. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Vocabulary

 Synagogue  Jews  Sabbath  Hebrew  Rabbi  Sukkah  Israelites  lulog  etrog  willow  citron

Featured Videos

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRHkgWGyn4Y  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MrWmAEEAow

(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com Though both holidays center around lights at a time when the northern hemisphere is at its darkest, Chanukah is not the Jewish Christmas. In fact, it's a minor holiday that has been amplified due to its relative proximity to Christmas...

Most years, right around the time that Christians are celebrating the birth of Jesus, Jews are celebrating a holiday of their own: Hanukkah. By the time the events of the Gospels took place, Jews had been celebrating that holiday for almost two centuries. The holiday began as a national celebration of the victory of Jewish guerillas over the forces of the Syrian-Greeks. ~Rabbi Daniel Polish

The Festival of Lights, or Chanukah, lasts for eight days and usually occurs in December. It commemorates the triumph of the Maccabees over the great army of the Syrian king, Antiochus IV. After the Jews had won their battle, they went to their temple and found that the Syrians had brought in statues of their own gods. The eternal light had been allowed to go out.

The Jews rekindled the light, but they only had enough oil to keep it burning for one day, and it would take eight days for a messenger to get more oil. The miracle of Chanukah is that the oil kept burning for eight days, long enough for the messenger to return. Jews use a menorah to symbolize this miracle. It holds nine candles, for the eight days the oil kept burning, plus a shamus to light the others.

Chanukah is celebrated by lighting the candles of the menorah, playing dreidel games, and eating latkes. Children often receive a gift each night of Chanukah in addition to gelt, which is chocolate wrapped in gold foil to look like money.

Read

 All-of-a-Kind Family Hanukkah -- One of our favorite books to read together as a family, this book is short and appropriate for all grade levels. It's a wonderful read- aloud! o Join them back in 1912, on the Lower East Side of NYC, and watch as preparations for Hanukkah are made. When Gertie, the youngest, is not allowed to help prepare latkes, she throws a tantrum. Banished to the girls' bedroom, she

(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com can still hear the sounds and smell the smells of a family getting ready to celebrate. But then Papa comes home and she is allowed out--and given the best job of all: lighting the first candle on the menorah.  Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins  Dreidels on the Brain

Young Children

 Shalom Sesame - The Missing Menorah (included with Prime)  Elmo's Little Dreidel  Grover's Eight Nights of Lights  The Story of Hanukkah  Chanukah Lights Everywhere  Happy Hanukkah, Curious George  KidCraft Wooden Chanukah Set o Includes Menorah, Dreidel, Six coins, Two potato latkes, spatula, pan and storage bag

Watch

 Maccabees, the Story of Hanukkah (dvd)

Whip up a batch of latkes! You'll Need:

 1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes (3 to 4 potatoes)  1 large egg  2 tablespoons unseasoned dry bread crumbs  1 teaspoon kosher salt  1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper  1 cup canola oil  Applesauce and sour cream, for serving

Directions:

 Preheat oven to 200 (unless you plan to eat immediately).  Scrub potatoes (don't peel), and grate with a food processor.  Squeeze liquid from potatoes.  Mix potatoes, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Let batter sit ten minutes.  Heat oil in a large skillet to medium-high.  Scoop 1/4 cup potato mixture. Flatten into a patty (like hamburgers).  Fry patties in oil until golden on both sides (about 4 minutes per side).  Drain the latkes (potato pancakes) and set on paper-towels to to drain for another couple of minutes.

Make / Do Play the Dreidel Game! Each player gets an equal number of gelt to start. Everyone takes turns spinning the dreidel. Put one piece of gelt in the center to start.

You'll need:

 Gelt  Dreidel

Rules:

נ  Nun – do nothing ג  Gimmel – take the center pile ַ  Hay – take half the center pile ש  Shin – give half of your pile

Vocabulary

 Synagogue  Sabbath  Torah  Challah  Shofar  Hanukkiah  Scroll  Rabbi  Israelites  Commemorate  Chanukah  Maccabees  Menorah

Featured Videos

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0WGb5Pnmfc  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nun99NpiX1M

Did you know that there is a birthday celebration for trees? Similar to Arbor Day, Tu B'Shevat is a minor Jewish holiday known as the New Year for Trees. This environmental holiday is the perfect opportunity for connecting with the earth...

In ancient times, Tu Bishvat was not a holiday. It was simply a date on the calendar that told Jewish farmers when they should bring their produce of fruit from recently planted trees to the Temple as first-fruit offerings. It was prohibited to eat fruit from trees during the first three years of production (Leviticus 19), and so they brought forth the crops on the fourth year.

Tu B’Shevat is a great holiday for connecting to the environment. In Israel the holiday arrives on the fifteenth of Shevat, along with the first signs of spring. This is perfect timing as the trees are beginning to blossom for the coming year. The timing is not quite as fortuitous in the United States.

According to the Torah, there are a few foods that made ancient Israel’s agriculture very special: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olive oil, and dates. Together, these ingredients are known as the "seven species." Each represents something special, and it's traditional to enjoy all of them on Tu B'Shevat.

 Wheat represents kindness, because it is nourishing and easy to find.  Barley represents restraint, due to its thick hull.  Grapes show beauty, due to their color.  Figs represent endurance because they take so long to ripen.  Pomegranates symbolize glory because of their crown shape.  Olive oil represents foundation, for the staple role that the ingredient plays in many Mediterranean foods.  Dates represent kingdom, thanks to their digestive benefits.

In 2020, Tu B'Shevat is celebrated from sundown February 9 to sundown February 10.

 Solomon and the Trees o As a child, Solomon loved the forest and visited it often. But all too soon Solomon grows up and becomes a king. He becomes very busy and forgets about the forest and his friends, the animals. In this lushly illustrated environmental midrash, Solomon comes to understand the price that must be paid when we don't take care of the earth and its blessings.

Younger Children

 Netta and Her Plant  It's Tu B'Shevat!  Grandpa and Me on Tu B'Shevat  The Never-Ending Greenness

Watch The Man Who Planted Trees Make / Do

 Plant a Tree o Too cold to plant outside? Try a Bonsai tree for inside! o You'll need: . Tree sapling to plant* (many garden centers have saplings for sale) . Potting soil . A pot with drainage . Water & Fertilizer o Easy-peasy steps: . Choose a tree that will survive in your climate. . Choose a pot that has room for the roots, room for growth, and good drainage. . Fill the post 2/3 way with potting soil. Hollow out a center for the sapling. . Pour water into the hollow and place the sapling in. Cover with soil and pat down. . Water, provide sunlight, and fertilize regularly, and watch your tree grow!  Start a Compost Bin  Create Leaf Art Prints

Cook

 Host a Tu B'Shevat Seder (printable) This special Tu B’Shevat meal is split into four sections, each reflecting one of the seasons and symbolizing different aspects of the trees and in our own lives. o Tu B'Shevat Seder (printable for younger children)

Featured Videos

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O7Uog6BqDk  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLefKjR1yzA

Purim, or the Feast of Lots, is a happy festival that includes lots of drama! Celebrated in 2020 from sundown March 9th to sundown March 10th, this holiday commemorates the story told in the Book of Esther...

The Persian Empire was founded by Cyrus after leaving the Babylonian Empire. Their greatest ruler was King Darius I. The first king of the Persian Empire was Cyrus, who issued the famous decree for the Jews to return to their homeland to rebuild their Temple. Under Darius, the second Temple of Zerubbabel was completed; and under Xerxes, or Ahasuerus, the events recorded in the Book of Esther in the Bible happened. Under Artaxerxes the Jewish state was reformed by Ezra, and the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt by Nehemiah. The capital of the Persian Empire was Shushan. ~Bible-History.com Purium commemorates the bravery of Queen Esther and the downfall of Haman, who tried to persuade King Ahasuerus to cast lots to decide which day would be the best to kill the Jews. Haman didn’t like the Jews because they were different from him.

The story is told in the Book of Esther, which is read aloud on Purim. It is acted out by actors in costume. People stamp their feet and use noise-makers to drown out Haman’s name. It is celebrated a home with a banquet, and also by giving food to the needy. A traditional Purim food is Hamantashen, a cookie designed to look like Haman’s hat.

Read

 The Queen of Persia o His Majesty the King Achashverosh invites all graphic novel fans to choose this book! Meet heroic Queen Esther, wicked Haman, and saintly Mordechai, and find out what all of Persia is raving about! It's a classic tale of good versus evil. It has all the elements of a captivating drama: a virtuous heroine, a wicked villain, suspense, intrigue, and surprise plot twists.  Cakes and Miracles  Goldie's Purim

Younger Children

 The Purim Story  The Story of Esther  The Queen Who Saved Her People  Queen Esther's Big Secret  The Sneaky Tricky Hamantash

 Make a Purim costume!  Make an edible grogger (noisemaker)

Bake some Hamantashen!

 3 eggs  1 cup granulated sugar  3/4 cup vegetable oil  2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract  1/2 cup orange juice  5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour  1 tablespoon baking powder  1 cup fruit preserves, any flavor

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease cookie sheets. 2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until lightly and fluffy. Stir in the oil, vanilla and orange juice. 3. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the batter to form a stiff dough. If dough is not stiff enough to roll out, stir in more flour. 4. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4 inch in thickness. Cut into circles using a cookie cutter or the rim or a drinking glass. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. 5. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of preserves into the center of each one. Pinch the edges to form three corners. 6. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly browned. Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Vocabulary

 Sabbath  Torah  Challah  Shofar  Hebrew  Fast  Commemorate  Purim  Haman  Queen Vashti  King Achashverosh (Xerxes)  Hadassah (Esther)  Mordechai

Featured Videos

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcQ7Ygt6PZ0  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wvrbAa2Onk

During Passover, families around the world sit together to tell the story of how the Jewish people were freed from slavery in Egypt. At the seder, there is singing, questions, stories from the Torah, and even a hide and seek...

Jewish holidays begin at sunset with candle lighting. As darkness fill the evening sky, burning candles spark brightness inside. The candles' warm light stands for hope and freedom. On the first night of Passover, an extra blessing is added to remember how special it is to celebrate a seder for the first time in a year - or even the first time ever. ~PJ Library Passover celebrates the exodus, the deliverance from slavery of the Hebrews in Egypt over 3,000 years ago. The holiday lasts for eight days, and begins with a special meal – the Seder. The story of the exodus is read from a book called Haggadah. Passover symbols are placed on the Seder plate in the middle of the dinner table.

In addition to the Seder plate, salt water, wine, and matzah are on the table. The matzah is broken, and the larger piece (called the afikoman) is wrapped up, set aside, and hidden. One lucky child will receive a surprise for finding it later!

Four glasses of wine (or juice) are an integral part of the meal. An extra goblet is put on the table for the prophet Elijah, a symbol of hope and faith. The youngest child present asks four questions to facilitate reciting the Exodus story. April 8-April 16, 2020 Read  The Devil's Arithmetic o Hannah is tired of holiday gatherings−all her family ever talks about is the past. In fact, it seems to her that's what they do every Jewish holiday. But this year's Passover Seder will be different−Hannah will be mysteriously transported into the past . . . and only she knows the unspeakable horrors that await.  The Yankee at the Seder

Young Children  Pesach, Pesach, What Do You See?  Passover Four Questions Game  Ten Plagues craft  Shalom Seasame - It's Passover, Grover! (movie) Watch  The Ten Commandments

Host a Tasting Event! Create your own Seder plate with the items below. Each item represents a part of the Exodus story.

 Roasted lamb bone – sacrificial lambs of the first Passover  Hard-boiled egg – symbol of new life

(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com  Celery – reminder that Passover comes in spring, when everything begins to grow  Bitter herbs – symbolizes slavery  Charoset – mortar the Jews made as they build cities for the Egyptians  Salt water – tears of the Jews as slaves in Egypt  Wine – sweetness of life  Matzah – unleavened bread, a reminder of the hasty departure from Egypt

Make / Do

 Make an Afikoman bag - - for the crafters!  Make a Red Sea diorama -- for the less crafty

Vocabulary

 Sabbath  Afikoman  Matzah  Maror  Chametz  Torah  Hebrew  Israelites  Commemorate  Passover  Seder  Charoset  Elijah  Haggadah  Exodus

Thinking Find the answers to these questions. (Tip - use the Exodus story from the Bible)

 Why is this night different from all others?  On other nights we can eat chametz, bread that rises when it bakes. Why tonight do we only eat the flat bread, matzah?  On all other nights, we eat any kind of vegetables. Why do we eat bitter vegetables, maror, tonight?  On all other nights, we don't need to dip our food into a sauce even one time. Why tonight do we dip foods two times?  On all other nights, we eat sitting up straight or leaning. Why tonight do we make sure to eat leaning to our left?

Featured Videos

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlSVShBAVtw  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFU5NrPgutA

During World War II, the Nazis practiced genocide against the Jews, gypsies, and other 'undesirables.' Shoah, which means “catastrophe” or “utter destruction” in Hebrew, refers to the atrocities that were committed against the Jewish people during World War II. Yom Ha'Shoah is a memorial day for those who died in the Shoah.

First they came for the Communists, and I did not speak out because I was not a CommunistThen they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a SocialistThen they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionistThen they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a JewThen they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me~Martin Niemöller The Shoah (also known as the Holocaust, from a Greek word meaning "sacrifice by fire,") was initiated by the members of the Nazi Party, which seized power in Germany in 1933. The Nazis believed in racial superiority, centering around the idea that people of Aryan descent were better than members of all other races – especially the Jews, who were "unworthy of life."

Jews were forced to leave their homes and move into ghettos and slave-labor camps, where disease, brutality, and malnutrition ran rampant. Eventually, they were sent to death camps, where millions were murdered. In addition to the six million Jews who died, the Nazis also killed millions of others, including Roma and Slavs, political and religious opponents, the disabled, and gays and lesbians.

Yom HaShoah is commemorated by lighting yellow candles to keep memories of the victims alive, along with worship, music, and stories from survivors. Yahrzeit candles (for memorials) are also lit in the home. Yom HaShoah, also known as Holocaust Remembrance Day, occurs on the 27th of the Hebrew month of Nisan. In 2020, it will begin at sundown April 20 and end at sundown April 21.

You may also be interested in the World War II unit studies.

 Under the Domim Tree

Can you imagine living in a youth village, with no parents telling you what to do all the time? Aviya, Yola, and Mira do, but it's not as easy as you might think...This is a powerful and emotional story about three girls who live together after World War II. It is a story of hope and friendship and the power of forgiveness.

 Number the Stars  The Librarian of Auschwitz  The Hidden Village  Night

Younger Children

 Survivors of the Holocaust  What Was the Holocaust?  Hidden

Watch

 Everyday Life in a Warsaw Ghetto  The Boy in Striped Pajamas  Schindler's List  several short video clips on history & culture of holiday

Make / Do

 Complete the 'What Would You Do?' activity  Assessing Responsibility activity (small group)  Heidi's Dilemma - How Would You Act?

Vocabulary

 extermination  remembrance  prosecutable  comity  diaspora  atrocity  regime  systematic

Think

 Read this short article on the need for Yom Ha'Shoah traditions. What tradition would you create?  Hitler wrote about his ideas in the book Mein Kampf. How were his intentions so misjudged that they turned into the Holocaust?  The German people were told that they belonged to a super-race, which provided a sense of identity and pride. How did that nationalism lead to a lack of tolerance and respect for others?

Featured Videos

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyqLbyC7IY0  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIZfaE5r9ug

As the Fourth of July approaches, and Americans take the time to reflect upon their freedoms, it's important to remember that throughout history, all around the world, many have been denied those freedoms simply based upon their beliefs...

I am in the right, and you are in the wrong. When you are the stronger, you ought to tolerate me; for it is your duty to tolerate truth. But when I am the stronger, I shall persecute you; for it is my duty to persecute error. —Thomas Babington Macaulay Religious persecution is the violence or discrimination of religious minorities, aimed at either forcing them to assimilate or to leave. The victims are dehumanized and often treated as second-class citizens. While there are many instances of religious persecution throughout history, we are focusing on the three major religions with an emphasis on anti-Semitism (as it is a Jewish-themed unit).

Early Christians were discriminated against in Ancient Rome. The Romans were polytheistic, believing in many gods, and they did not like the monotheism (or rule by someone other than the emperor) of this new religion. When faced with fire, famine, or other difficulties, the Roman emperors would blame it on the Christians, turning the people against them. It was common practice for these early converts to be fed to the lions at the Colosseum for entertainment! (a la Beric the Briton)

The Spanish Inquisition was started by the Catholic church to punish heretics…and pretty much anyone who refused to convert to Catholicism. Beginning in the 12th century, and lasting hundreds of years, the inquisition led to the execution of over 32,000 Muslims and Jews. Inquisitors

(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com came to a town, gave citizens a chance to admit to heresy, and then doled out punishment to those who confessed and (if not already) converted to Catholicism. Many citizens were expelled from their country, or fled in advance.

Jews have been persecuted for thousands of years. The history of anti-Semitism, from ancient days to the modern world, is the story of how a group of people can become the scapegoat for the world’s fear and anxiety. The Jewish people were enslaved by the ancient Egyptians, targeted by the Catholics during the Spanish Inquisition, and executed for witchcraft throughout the 16th and 17th centuries. From the 18th to 20th century, Jews were blamed for many disasters that befell countries across Europe, particularly economic ones.

By the Russian Revolution and World War I, pogroms were occurring across the soviet region, targeting Jews and gypsies. In post-war Germany, a scapegoat was needed to accept the blame for losing the war. The events and anti-Semitism of the previous eight centuries came together in one tragic event – the Holocaust – which was the most documented and well-known case of religious persecution. As a global people, we hope to remember this tragedy so that it never occurs – to any people – again.

Read

 Broken Strings o It's 2002. In the aftermath of the twin towers -- and the death of her beloved grandmother -- Shirli Berman is intent on moving forward. The best singer in her junior high, she auditions for the lead role in Fiddler on the Roof, but is crushed to learn that she's been given the part of the old Jewish mother in the musical rather than the coveted part of the sister. But there is an upside: her "husband" is none other than Ben Morgan, the cutest and most popular boy in the school. Deciding to throw herself into the role, she rummages in her grandfather's attic for some props. There, she discovers an old violin in the corner -- strange, since her Zayde has never seemed to like music, never even going to any of her recitals. Showing it to her grandfather unleashes an anger in him she has never seen before, and while she is frightened of what it might mean, Shirli keeps trying to connect with her Zayde and discover the awful reason behind his anger. A long-kept family secret spills out, and Shirli learns the true power of music, both terrible and wonderful.  Beric the Briton o The hero of the story is Beric, a young Briton, currently living under Roman subjugation. After he is raised to the rank of chief among his tribe, known as the Iceni, he and his tribe rise up against Roman rule. The strong but untrained Britons are successful in the beginning of the uprising, but are quickly conquered again by the well-trained legionaries. Beric and his small group of men fight to the last, conducting a sort of guerrilla warfare. Finally he and his men are captured, and Beric is sent to Rome as a prisoner/gladiator. In Rome, he becomes friends with some people who belong to the rising sect of Christians. When a Christian girl is

Watch

 The Wave  Fiddler On the Roof  Persecution Against Early Christians (clip)  Religious Tolerance in the Early Modern World (lecture)  Post 9/11 Tolerance in America (clip)  Ancient Roots of Anti-Judaism (clip)

Make / Do

 Listen to Klezmer music (important to the plot of Broken Strings)  Look at the colorized photos in this article. How do you feel differently about the victims when they are black and white versus when they are colorized?  Create a visual. Gather information about one religion, and create a digital graphic to present the information. Include interesting facts about major beliefs, sacred texts, festivities and ceremonies, rituals, clothing, places of worship, etc.

Vocabulary

 prejudice  secular  religious freedom  tolerance  persecution  antisemitism  islamophobia  martyr  ethnic cleansing  dehumanize

Think

 Broken Strings takes place in post-9/11 America. What parallels can you draw between the treatment of Muslims during this era and the treatment of Jews pre- WW2?  If you were creating a new government, how would you address religious tolerance? What laws would you make? What consequences would there be for breaking those laws?

Featured Videos

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKB6WduDwNE  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVKeOrxRnb0

(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com How do you get from Bible stories to Halloween? You've heard the story of Jacob's Ladder and Moses with the Burning Bush, but do you know the story of the Golem of Chelm? Each of these events are evidence of the mystical events from the Tanakh...the basis for Kabbalah.

Jewish mysticism, known as Kabbalah, began in the first century and was used to address the questions of God's existence, explaining how something beyond thought can still be felt and seen. Throughout history, Kabbalah has been seen as controversial, and is reserved for only the most learned rabbinical pupils (students who study the Bible).

Kabbalah tries to explain the reasons behind the commandments as well as the cause of some events in the Torah. For example, it attempts to show why a good God would permit evil and how a good and powerful God can exist beside the world's evil. It is based on the Tree of Life, in which there are ten powers affecting each domain in the world.

In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated being that is created entirely from inanimate matter, such as clay. It's a mud Frankenstein, if you will. One well-known story says that a rabbi in 16th century Prague created a golem from the clay found on the banks of the Vltava River. He brought it to life through rituals, and it was used to defend the Prague ghetto from anti-Semitic attacks and pogroms.

Some Orthodox Jews believe that this event actually occurred. Legend says that the rabbi's body still lies in the synagogue's attic, but when it was renovated in the late 1800s, no evidence of this was found. Nevertheless, the golem has been used to represent everything from war, despair, and isolation to community and hope. It is one of the more mysterious elements of the Jewish faith...

Read

 The Golem and the Jinni o Chava is a golem, a creature made of clay, brought to life to by a disgraced rabbi who dabbles in dark Kabbalistic magic and dies at sea on the voyage from Poland. Chava is unmoored and adrift as the ship arrives in New York harbor in 1899. Ahmad is a jinni, a being of fire born in the ancient Syrian desert, trapped in an old copper flask, and

(c) 2020 HomeschoolOnTheRange.blogspot.com released in New York City, though still not entirely free. Ahmad and Chava become unlikely friends and soul mates with a mystical connection. Marvelous and compulsively readable, Helene Wecker's debut novel The Golem and the Jinni weaves strands of Yiddish and Middle Eastern literature, historical fiction and magical fable, into a wondrously inventive and unforgettable tale.  Jordan and the Dreadful Golem  The Inquisitor's Apprentice

Watch

 Jewish Mythology

Make / Do

 Word Search (online)  Meditate for 20 minutes

Vocabulary

 rabbi  dybbuk  golem  Chelm  kabbalah  Tree of Souls

Think

 What do you think your special gifts are? If you could have any super power you wanted, what would you choose?  The Golem story is similar to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Do you think the author was influenced by the mysticism, or is it merely a coincidence? Back up your opinion.

Featured Videos

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMWYTpo-1ZM  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8gCIvFg11I