Jewish LIFE

Join us on Thursday, May 25 (5 Sivan) as we officially welcome the Torah, Survivor #1089, to Bernard Zell. The foundation for this year’s 8th grade Interdisciplinary Project, this Torah is one of only 1,564 Czech Torah scrolls to survive the Shoah (the Holocaust). This past November, we welcomed the Torah—on permanent loan—and introduced it to its proud, new guardians, the Class of 2023. 

Please join us in saying todah (thank you) and goodbye to our wonderful Shinshinim, Lihi and Eitam, whose last day at school was yesterday. These two wonderful Israelis left their families and homes to spend the year with us. We are so thankful for all their contributions this year, as they aided in enriching the BZ experience for our students in contemporary Israeli culture, holidays and Hebrew language. Their beaming smiles and unmatched ruach (spirit), will be greatly missed!

The holiday of Shavuot—the celebration of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai—begins this Thursday evening at sundown. Our BZ celebration of Shavuot exemplifies how we celebrate Jewish traditions in a way that is both meaningful and joyful. Throughout the year, we invite our students to see Torah as part of a toolbox for living well and as a way to use tradition to add meaning to their lives. Below are a few highlights of our special Shavuot celebrations! 

Yesterday, our Early Childhood students (N, JK and SK) celebrated Lag Ba'Omer, which marks the 33rd day of the Omer (the 49 days between Passover and Shavuot). Lag Baomer is celebrated with picnics, playing outdoor games and spending time together around bonfires. We created our own school-friendly "bonfire" with translucent papers and logs, and invited all Early Childhood students to gather around to start our day with lots of ruach (spirit).

We honored a milestone in the lives of our 2nd grade students this morning as they celebrated with their families and teachers at the Second Grade Siddur Celebration. During the ceremony, the students received their first siddur, which is a prayer book containing the prayers or tefillot students study throughout their time at Bernard Zell.

In Senior Kindergarten, we are looking forward to our Bikkurim celebration next week! Bikkurim is a ceremony that celebrates the Jewish learning that takes place in Early Childhood at Bernard Zell. To prepare for Bikkurim, each student is interviewed and asked to tell their thoughts about G-d, what they know about Israel, why the Torah is special, what mitzvot they like to do and what their favorite Jewish holiday is and why.

Yesterday we observed יום הזיכרון (Yom HaZikaron), a day to honor and memorialize Israel’s fallen soldiers and victims of terrorism. Our Middle School students and families gathered for a student-led ceremony in partnership with our Shinshinim. As they do in Israel, we sounded the alarm for one minute while everyone stood for a moment of silence, lit candles, lowered the Israeli flag and told stories of those who have fallen and sang songs to commemorate them.

This morning, our entire school celebrated Israel’s 75th birthday with a Yom HaAtzmaut assembly. We welcomed the Deputy Consul General of Israel to Chicago, Dr. Daniel Aschheim and his family, and were then led by our 7th graders with the raising of the Israeli flag. 

Throughout the second grade social studies curriculum there is an emphasis on the grade’s Jewish value, T’Shuva, which includes saying sorry for mistakes we make, working to make our community a better place and thinking about our actions and how they affect others. The second graders have continuously brainstormed how to be kind citizens to friends, family, teachers and peers. They made Kindness Hopes and Dreams that are hung in the second floor hallway to remind anyone passing by how to participate in T’Shuva.