Senior kindergarten students are busy preparing for the holiday of Shavuot! One of the main themes of Shavuot is celebrating receiving the Torah from G-d at Mt. Sinai. The importance of the Torah is emphasized each week as we learn about the Torah portion or Parasha. After learning about each Parasha, the SK students created a picture to add to their own Torah scroll. We also focus on the commandments, or mitzvot in the Torah, especially those related to helping others.

As part of our Shavuot celebration, the SK students will partake in a Bikkurim. In Ancient Israel, “Bikkurim” were the first fruits that grew and would be saved as gifts to bring to G-d. At BZ, Bikkurim is a ceremony that celebrates the Jewish learning that takes place in the Early Childhood Department. The students bring a piece of fruit, share some of the things they’ve learned, sing some favorite Jewish songs, and then receive a miniature Torah scroll!

A newer tradition in SK is to offer the opportunity to earn additional fruit to donate. Students can do extra kind deeds and turn their actions into another mitzvah of helping to feed the hungry. The goal is to earn 613 pieces of fruit (the number of mitzvot in the Torah) before the school year ends. We are already off to a great start!