OJCS Jewish Studies

Grades 6-8: Mitzvah Trip #2 JFS Food Packaging

mwasherstein / April 1, 2022April 6, 2022 / Grade 6 - Mr. Washerstein, Grade 7 - Mr. Washerstein, Grade 8 - Mr. Washerstein

On Monday, April 4th, 2022 we will be creating Passover care packages for senior citizens. We will be partnering with Jewish Family Services (JFS) to help them create care packages for elderly members of our community. Many of these members of our community are isolated and are unable to celebrate the holiday with their family members. These care packages will allow them to celebrate the holiday.

Today students learned about the Jewish value:

Kibud Zekaynim

כבוד זקנים

Judaism teaches us that we must “honour our elders”. Paying respect to senior citizens is essential. It is important to learn from those who have come before us. We value the wisdom of past generations. We will be spending time analyzing and discussing this essential Jewish value.

Mitzah Trip #2 Slideshow

Grade 8: Current Event (Due: Thursday 3/24)

mwasherstein / March 17, 2022March 16, 2022 / Grade 8 - Mr. Washerstein, Uncategorised

This year students will be responsible for researching, analyzing, and presenting a current event in our Jewish Studies course.

Directions: Find an article either in the newspaper or online from a newspaper source. Examples include: CBC News, USA Today, CTV News, Associated Press, The New York Times, Ynetnews Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, Times of Israel, etc., or any other reputable national or local source. Read the article and fill out the statements or answer the questions below.

Please find and read about important issues that relate/connect to antisemitism.

Because this is a current events assignment, you are to choose an article that is no more than two weeks old from when the assignment is given.

Be prepared to discuss your article in class on the due date!

Please click the link below to access the current event template:

Current Events Write Up Assignment Instructions

Grade 7: Pirkei Avot Ch. 1 Personal Analysis

mwasherstein / March 16, 2022 / Grade 7 - Mr. Washerstein

We have begun discussing and analyzing Ch.1 of Pirkei Avot. We will continue to break down this text as our cohort works on developing coherent interpretations and supporting their ideas. Students are being asked to review the 18 verses and select the two verses that they feel are most important. This activity requires students to synthesize information and create personal connections with historic Jewish texts.

Task Breakdown:

Step 1: Each student will read Pirkei Avot Chapter 1 individually

- - As you are reading…feel free to look at the corresponding cartoon images to provide clarity
  - In addition, check out the explanations of each verse on Sefaria

Step 2: Decide which two verses (lessons) you believe are most important

Step 3: Write two paragraphs (one per verse) explaining their importance and the lesson that you learned from contemplating these texts

What does the text say?
Why is this text important?
What lesson can we learn from this text?

Step 4: Share your Google Doc with Mr. Wash

Grade 6: Shalom Bayit

mwasherstein / March 14, 2022 / Grade 6 - Mr. Washerstein

This week in Jewish Studies our class is beginning to discuss dating, marriage, and the concept of Shalom Bayit. We have watched videos and discussed the importance of recognizing, understanding, and appreciating the values of peers and potential life partners. Over the next few days, we will be focusing on the importance of “peace within the home”. Students will read and analyze the following text in an attempt to draw their own conclusions and connections.

Shalom Bayit Guided Reading

Grade 7: Introduction to Pirkei Avot

mwasherstein / March 8, 2022March 11, 2022 / Grade 7 - Mr. Washerstein

This week the students will be diving into the first chapter of Pirkei Avot. We reviewed the benefits of annotating the text as we read. Additionally, students were encouraged to read and analyze both the Hebrew and English text. As we came across unfamiliar terms, students looked up words in an attempt to uncover their meaning and better understand each lesson. We discussed the value of developing our own interpretations of each text. Students are being asked to create connections between these texts and their own lives. Each student has received a source packet that contains the verses in both Hebrew and English. We have also been using The Illustrated Pirkei Avot as an additional resource. Our sessions thus far have led to fantastic questions and interpretations.

Assignment 1: Ch.1 Illustrated Pirkei Avot Analysis

Click here to access our classroom notes:

Pirkei Avot Google Slides

Pirkei Avot Ch. 1 (Hebrew and English)

The Illustrated Pirkei Avot Cartoons

Sefaria Pirkei Avot Explanations

Grade 8: “None is Too Many” Policy (Due: Wednesday 3/16)

mwasherstein / March 8, 2022 / Grade 8 - Mr. Washerstein

This week we will be discussing the horrific narrative of the MS St. Louis. We watched an incredible documentary that provided our class with testimonies from historians and survivors who experienced this infamous event firsthand. Students will read and analyze a document that discusses specific policies in Canada that were enacted to keep the Jewish people out.

Click the link below to access the assignment:

Canada’s Role in the M.S. St. Louis

ירושלים- סיפור ילדים

liatlevy / March 2, 2022 / Grade 6 Hebrew Language (Hebrew I), Hebrew Language Studies

שלום תלמידים יקרים שלי

Over the next couple of months, we are going to work on an independent study project about Jerusalem. laptop wave

We are going to create a children’s book and an activity to teach our peers about the subject we selected.

Here you can find the instructions for the project

Doue dates are as follow:

Section:	Due Date:
Part 1: Research topic and word list	Week of March 10
Part 2: Written Pages Final Copy	Week of April 8
Part 3: Interactive learning component	Week of May 6
Part 4: Final Projects Due- All written components & the Oral Presentations	Week of May 9-23

Make sure to check the rubrics here

We will work on this project in class and at home

I will be available to guide you every step of the way

Bitmoji Image Morah Liat

Grade 7 Ivrit – Calendar (with lesson plans) – Morah Ruthie

rlebovich / March 1, 2022 / Grade 7 Hebrew Language (Hebrew II)

Grade 8 Ivrit Calendar (with monthly lesson plans) – Morah Ruthie

rlebovich / March 1, 2022March 1, 2022 / Grade 8 Hebrew Language (Hebrew II)

Grade 6: Responsibilities of a Bar/Bat Mitzvah Review

mwasherstein / February 28, 2022 / Grade 6 - Mr. Washerstein

Our next Jewish Studies assessment will take place on Thursday, March 10th, 2022. The review sheet below provides students with key terms to define along with short-answer practice questions. Students should review their notes in order to prepare for the quiz.