Mazel Tov to our Senior Kindergarten students on their Bikkurim ceremony! In Ancient Israel, "Bikkurim" were the first fruits of the harvest, saved as gifts to bring to the Beit HaMikdash, or "God's house." At BZ, Bikkurim is a special ceremony celebrating the Jewish learning that takes place throughout the Early Childhood Department. During the ceremony, students share some of the things they've learned, sing favorite Jewish songs, and then proudly receive a miniature Torah scroll!

We created a chuppah for the ceremony, adorned with the Shehecheyanu prayer, the students' names, and handprints. After the ceremony, attending family and friends wrote notes of pride and celebration onto the chuppah. This special chuppah will follow the Class of 2033 to their 4th grade Chumash ceremony, and they will stand beneath it again as they receive their diplomas at 8th grade graduation!

The SK students are also preparing for the upcoming holiday of Shavuot, where we celebrate receiving the Torah from God at Mount Sinai. The importance of the Torah is emphasized each week as we learn about the weekly Torah portion. We also focus on the commandments, or mitzvot, within the Torah, especially those related to helping others and to rituals. The students looked forward to receiving their Torah scrolls all year, and now they proudly hold them in their hands!