Welcome to seventh grade!
Weekly Newsletter for the week of 4/12/2023
Judaic Studies
Advanced Middle School Judaics
In our Mishnah class, we started learning the prohibitions of chametz, as it applies to Pesach. The Mishnah delineated the 5 grains that chametz/leaven can occur in. We discussed all the relevant times surrounding this prohibition and when chametz has to be out of your possessions, as far as the Torah is concerned and how the Rabbis enacted an additional time frame to assure that no one violates this very severe prohibition. We also discussed the legal loophole that our Rabbis enacted in recent times to allow one to avoid throwing out his accumulated chametz (cereals, pasta, liquor, and other chametz products that one has in their possession) by selling it to a non-jew for the duration of the Holiday.
In our Chumash class, we temporarily stopped our story of Yosef in order to learn about the Haggadah. I gave out sheets with explanations that, hopefully, they can utilize to explain the various parts of the story on Seder night. It is in English, so that they can relate it to whomever is joining you for your Seder and this will explain and enhance your Seder experience.
Rabbi Dr. Ehrlich
Middle School Judaics
Parasha
This week we learned Parsha Tazria.
We discussed how if a person sinned, Hashem would send them a sign. This sign was called tzaraas and looked like Leprosy. However, it was a spiritual condition to warn a person that he must do teshuva/repent for his sin. Since nowadays we are on a lower level, we are not worthy of getting tzaras, or in other words a direct sign from Hashem. If we had obvious punishments for our sins i.e. getting severely sick for eating non kosher, nobody would sin. Even though this might seem like a good thing, it would remove our ability to choose to do the right thing, therefore our reward or punishment is given to us at the end of our lives, not right away. This ensures that the result of our actions is determined by us and our choices.
Pesach
We also studied the Hagada to prepare for Pesach. We learned about the 14 steps of the seder and what each step is. Additionally, we watched videos on how matzah is made. We discovered that it only takes around 15 seconds for matzah to cook. We also learned that in the matzah factories the water and flour are kept in different rooms so the dough doesn’t have time to rise.
Shabbat Party
On Friday Rabbi Kuritsky brings in bagels for the students in honor of Shabbat. A special treat to separate Shabbat from the regular days of the week.
Khoots
Jacob Khaimov created a really intriguing game for a Rabbi Kuritsky’s students, 4-8 to enforce our studies of the Parasha.
Great job Jacob!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Kuritsky
Secular Studies
It has been a busy week! Students practiced and practiced and practiced, and finally got a chance to show their skills off and complete the state test.
In Science, we created a science fiction work of writing based on what we learned about the solar system. We also learned about the planets individually, starting with the inner planets.
7th graders also made
In social studies, students wrapped up their chapter on feudal Japan.
