Happy Thanksgiving!

Hi YBY Families,

Even though it's not a Jewish holiday, hope you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I am thankful for the opportunity to work with all of you and teach your children. They are a wonderful group of kids and are growing and learning so much each week. I hope you all get your fair share or turkey (or tofurkey for you vegetarians out there!), stuffing, football, parades and family. It's one of my favorite holidays and I'm looking forward to spending it in LA with my extended family!

I was out on a work retreat this weekend, but Bridget and the team reported back that we had a great class. The students learned about derech eretz, which translates to "the way or the land" and more broadly it asks that we use with manners and treat others with respect at all times. The students had a great time running around and expressing their knowledge of kind behavior towards one another. They even had a chance to use their acting skills in skits that demonstrated times they used the principles of derech eretz in their everyday lives.

Here are a few photos from the day!

 Coloring and playdough as we enter class are two of the students' favorite welcome activities. I'm sure some of these drawings have adorned your walls and fridges recently!

 We love hafsakah (break)! It's a great time for the students to use some energy and bond with one another across grades! 

Here we are learning new Hebrew words with Tami, the Total Physical Response teacher. The students absolutely love it and are remembering the new words so well! Ask them to share what they have learned with you.

As a reminder, there is NO Sunday School on 11/25, but we will all be together for a family session on 12/2. Thanks to the Meezan and Lipton families for bringing us breakfast that morning!

L'Shalom,

Julie

The wait is finally over!

Hi YBY Families!

Sorry about the confusion with the two kids only weeks in a row last week. I know I appreciated the extra breakfast, but I know many of you were confused about the lack of a family week. This week, we'll get back on schedule with a family week and breakfast provided (again- thanks!) by the Hacohen and Shafton families. Look forward to seeing you all around 8:45 for bagels and schmoozing!

These past two weeks have been busy in Yad b'Yad. We're continuing our exploration of different middot and mitzvot that are more personal. First, we discussed the middah of talmud Torah, or the study of Torah. It's one of the most important things that Jewish people can do. While it may seem intimidating for young children to study Torah in its original form, there are many resources online and in print to make the stories and lessons relevant to a younger audience. As I've mentioned before, G-dCast is a wonderful website that tells Torah stories through creative video. Even better, they are based in San Francisco and I've heard the founder speak several times- she's awesome!

Last Sunday, we discussed the very important topic of shmirat haguf, which means "guarding one's health." We talked about the various ways we can treat our bodies with respect and make them the best tools they can be for us to have fun, run, jump, play and be happy. The students had many wonderful ideas from brushing teeth to playing four square! We also played a game where we thought about how many healthy snacks we could think of that started with a certain letter. I was incredibly impressed at how many fruits and vegetables your kids could think of! The letter "P" elicited responses such as passionfruit, papaya and pineapple!

Looking forward to seeing you all on Sunday for another great family week. Have a wonderful rest of your week and enjoy the news that no longer is only about election coverage!

L'Shalom,
Julie