metro Teaching Teachers Chanukah In A Box Everything you need to celebrate the holiday, no matter what your child’s age. arents who haven’t observed Jewish holidays before they yolk mixtures). P have children sometimes won- Older kids can do almost everything der, “What’s the right age to start cel- – light their own menorahs (with your ebrating with my little one?” supervision, of course), make paper While it’s never too late to start, if you chains to hang from doorways and put choose celebrations that are appropriate together a Chanukah display that serves Participants in the Early Childhood Education Conference included Amy Newman, for the age and attention span of your as a centerpiece for your table. Jewish early childhood education associate at the Alliance for Jewish Education; child, you can build traditions that grow The value of building holidays gradu- Jeff Lasday, director, Federation’s Alliance for Jewish Education; and keynote over the years — and that add immea- ally like this is that the whole family speaker Enrique Feldman, president of Fostering Arts-Mind Education. surably to the joy in your home. enjoys not only the eight-day celebra- Let’s use Chanukah as an example. tion, but the anticipation of it. Everyone nce upon a time, children were professional development hours required Even babies are enraptured by the sight gets comfortable with the blessings. The viewed as mini-adults and by the state to maintain their certifica- of candles burning brightly. So lighting kids will want to invite their friends Oeducation as a means of filling tion. a Chanukah menorah creates a sense of over to play dreidel — whether they’re them with facts. Now educators real- This year’s daylong conference fea- wonder that is a delight to see. Jewish or not. And they’ll think of new ize that children and their needs are far tured keynote speaker Enrique Feldman, By the time children are 2, they can ways to decorate the house. more complex, especially in the forma- president and director of the F.A.M.E. choose which candles to put into the Jewish Holidays in a Box has pulled tive preschool years. And so the theme (Fostering Arts-Mind Education) menorah so that their “job” is to design these ideas and more together into of this year’s Early Childhood Education Foundation and author of Living Like a the pattern and colors for that night’s Chanukah kits designed to help busy Conference for Jewish preschool direc- Child: Learn, Live and Teach Creatively. candle-lighting. families have the most positive experi- tors and staff was “Educating the Whole Rabbi Elimelech Goldberg, founder and Three-year-olds love to be in the ences, with the least amount of stress. Child: Mind, Body & Soul.” national director of Kids Kicking Cancer kitchen. To make cookie-baking super Included are blessings, candle-lighting The annual conference took place Nov. in Detroit, also spoke. simple, just buy ready-to-bake cookie tips, songs, games, dreidels, recipes and 8 at Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak This is the first year Congregation Beth dough, slice the dough into rounds and decorating ideas, as well as three core Park, with approximately 175 educators Shalom hosted the conference. have your child decorate with blue and concepts that help you bring the holiday attending. “We’re so pleased to be able to host silver sprinkles or colored sugar made to life for young children. There is also a The Early Childhood Education such a diverse group of educators at by stirring white sugar with a few drops CD tutorial that makes it easy for people Conference gives early childhood educa- Beth Shalom — and the children in our of food coloring. of any background to learn the bless- tors an opportunity to learn different Gan Shalom preschool were thrilled to By 4 or 5, you can add dreidel tour- ings. techniques for use in their classrooms be a part of it all by creating the cen- naments, Chanukah bingo games, and Learn more at www.facebook. and exchange ideas with peers and terpieces for tables,” said Lauren Blitz, more complicated baking (e.g., stained com/JewishHolidaysInABox or sub- authorities. It also gives educators the director of early childhood education at glass cookies that you make by painting scribe to a free e-newsletter at www. opportunity to complete five of the 12 Congregation Beth Shalom. ■ the raw cookie dough with colored egg JewishHolidaysInABox.com. ■ Charach Gallery Hosts p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, and 10 www.theberman.org. Alpert Room. Sessions begin Jan. 11 and ‘Project Runway: Detroit’ a.m.-7 p.m. Thursdays. For informa- The Berman is located at 6600 W. 12 with “Debts, Ownership and Deeds,” an The Jewish Community Center of tion, call the gallery at (248) 432-5448, Maple Road in West Bloomfield. examination of Jewish law and actual prac- Metropolitan Detroit’s Janice Charach go to www.jccdet.org or visit the Janice tices regarding loans, payments, salaries Gallery will exhibit high couture by Charach Gallery on Facebook. Temple Beth El Plans and other business transactions. On Feb. 8 local fashion designers, a runway show Adult Education Classes and 9, “The Stories of King Solomon” will with dresses created by a select group of Berman Center Presents Temple Beth El’s adult education classes be scrutinized. ”Kabbalah Today” will be the teen girls from Detroit and the suburbs, Joseph and the Dreamcoat begin Wednesday, Jan. 4, in Bloomfield topic addressed March 14 and 15 as partici- and more than 400 bracelets decorated The Berman Center for the Performing Tow nship. pants take a look at simplified versions of by artists throughout the world when Arts will present Joseph and the Lea Beurer will teach two Hebrew classes: the Zohar and other mystical texts and learn it hosts “Project Runway: Detroit,” from Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat for Advanced Hebrew, Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.; what role kabbalistic thought plays in Jewish Jan. 22–March 8. a limited number of performances and Conversational Hebrew, Wednesday practice. On April 18 and 19, the topic will The girls’ designs will be presented by throughout January. at 6 p.m. Cost is $50 for temple members be “Those Who Fought Back,” the men and professional models at a runway show Presented by Sky’s the Limit and $75 for non-members. Beurer will also women who resisted during the Holocaust. at the gallery on Sunday, Jan. 22, at 1:30 Productions, Joseph is a musical retelling lead an ongoing study of the Torah text on The series will conclude on May 9 and 10 p.m. of the story of Joseph and his brothers. Wednesday mornings, beginning Jan. 4, at with “Standing Again At Sinai,” an examina- Following the girls’ creations, lead- Dates of the performances are 7 p.m. 9:30 a.m. No Hebrew reading is required. tion of the Ten Commandments, their place ing fashion designers will present new Thursday, Jan. 12; 8 p.m. Saturday, The charge for this class is $35 for members in American law and how they came to be gowns and outfits, many using upcycled Jan. 14; 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15; 7 p.m. and $50 for non-members. Judaism’s “Top Ten.” There is no charge for items, on the gallery runway. The after- Thursday, Jan. 19; 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. Rabbinic Associate Keren Alpert will either the Wednesday evening or Thursday noon will feature an emcee and music 21; and 3 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22. lead a monthly Lunar Learn on selected noon sessions. from Joe Cornell Entertainment. Tickets are $16 each, and group dis- Wednesdays at 7 p.m. in the library and For information, or to register, call the The Janice Charach Gallery is open counts are available for organizations. a parallel brown bag lunch and learn on Temple Beth El Religious School office at from noon-4 p.m. Sundays, 10 a.m.-5 To purchase, call (248) 661-1900 or visit selected Thursdays at noon in the Temple’s (248) 865-0612. 24 December 15 • 2011.