Religious School Newsletter (March 2013)

Reminder: No religious school during Passover (Wednesday, March 27 and Sunday, March 31)

With so much snow on the ground, it is hard to imagine that Spring is on its way! Our school year is flying by and after our February break, we usher in the Hebrew month of Nissan and the holiday of Passover. Passover is filled with meaningful themes that you may bring to your lively Passover celebrations include: Importance of Memory (we were strangers and slaves in Egypt), Importance of Optimism, Importance of Faith,Importance of Family and the Importance of Responsibility to others and Importance of Freedom. To study the Passover story in depth is to recognize that the most difficult task Moses had to perform was not to get the Jews out of Egypt, but to get Egypt out of the Jews. They had become so habituated to their status as slaves, they lost all hope that they could ever improve their lot. Without hope they would have been lost. What narrow places are we stuck in that make us feel trapped, enslaved? What can we do to free ourselves from these places, relationships, professions that restrict us? Where do we find strength and hope to get through difficult times?

This year there will be a model Seder for students in grades K-4 on Sunday, March 24. Teachers will send more information closer to the date with requests for food items and set up for the Seder. On Friday evening, March 1, the students in grade 6 will participate in the Shabbat Family Service, which begins at 6pm. The 6th graders will proudly wear the talitot (plural for tallis) that they designed! Please mark your calendars for this special service.

As always, please contact me with any suggestions and/or concerns. Wishing everyone a meaningful Passover Holiday. We all have much to be grateful for.

l’Shalom,

Rena Citron, Director of Education new-message24