Creating joyful Jewish moments is a hallmark of the Bernard Zell experience and continues for students across the school and throughout their lives. Foundational experiences like the ones our JK families experienced last week (detailed below) are part of the building blocks that grow with our students. The way they celebrate and experience Shabbat itself will continue to evolve throughout their time at Bernard Zell.

Our youngest students are braiding challah with their families and singing songs with Mr. Todd. In the blink of an eye they will find themselves seated at multi-grade Shabbat lunch tables singing HaMotzi (Shabbat blessing). Fast forward to 5th grade when they will go on their first Shabbaton (Shabbat retreat) and welcome Shabbat with their peers at an overnight camp. The journey culminates in their final year at BZ, where they will share Shabbat with 8th graders from Israel as part of their Mifgash Chaverim (Meeting of Friends) program—bringing together BZ 8th graders with twelve 8th graders and two teachers from Kiryat Gat in Israel for one week. The traditions, melodies, and memories forged during Bernard Zell Shabbat celebrations serve as a lasting bond that unites our community well beyond the graduation of our students.

JK Students and their Families Welcome Shabbat
Last Friday, we hosted a special event where JK parents were warmly welcomed to join their children in creating Shabbat ritual items to be placed in a special "Shabbat Box" that they will have at home. This special, personalized box is designed to foster pretend play around the Jewish ritual of Shabbat. The goal is to deepen their connection to the tradition and encourage them to mirror the practice of welcoming Shabbat both at school and at home. Parents and students worked together to hand sew challah covers, adorn Shabbat candles with colorful wax sticks, they constructed candle holders with stones, added personal blessings to kiddush cups and brought home fresh challah dough. 

The morning presented a meaningful opportunity for students to share with their parents their knowledge of the weekly ritual of Shabbat and how we explore the symbolic ritual items each week. The morning culminated with students and parents participating in a kabbalat Shabbat (welcoming Shabbat) as a kehillah (community), complete with blessings and dancing!