Rosh Hashana with your Preschooler

B”H

Dear Parents, As created beings, we are full of potential. By actualizing that potential, we live meaningfully and productively. To do so takes consciousness. But it is not always easy to live with that consciousness. We get into patterns of behavior.

Time marches by silently and we hardly realize. Life has a way of, getting in the way of living meaningfully!

The Jewish holidays are moments in time, each with a specific message. If we tap into that message, we can use to reawaken ourselves and live a most fulfilling life, and maximize the precious milestones and moments with our growing little ones.

Holidays are special days. Days that are designed to be noticed. And so, we prepare our homes, our meals, our families and ourselves. We respect the holiday and are cognizant of its power. Rosh Hashanah is the new year; a perfect time to slow down and refocus, and to reconnect to our deepest essence.

The main message of Rosh Hashana is to crown G-d Almighty as our king as we start a new year. We blow the shofar as a coronation and eat round challah’s symbolizing a crown. We remind ourselves that there is an incredible creator who runs our world and we commit to a year of growth and learning.

At Chabad Torah Tots we work to imbue the children with a deep understanding and love for the Jewish Holidays.

This year, Rosh Hashana was an all encompassing learning experience. We endeavored to use all of our senses and a variety of mediums to inspire and engage the students.

We present you this guide to get a taste of the journey we have taken over the past few weeks and to provide tips for you to continue to make this Holiday meaningful for your family.

Thank you again for entrusting us with the sweetest gift of all, your child.

May you and your loved ones be inscribed in the book of life and revealed blessings.

Wishing you a Shana Tova, Morah Adina and the Torah Tots Team

Come and hear the Shofar @ 11:45 Monday and Tuesday Children’s Program from 11:30-1:30 Chabad Torah Tots Jewish Preschool. 204.339.8737 ext 210. chabadtorahtots.com

B”H

A Note from you Nursery Teachers: We had a wonderful month together. Our main focus was on new beginnings and working hard with helping the children get used to their classroom and routines.

We loved to learn new songs and to explore the many customs of Rosh Hashana (and even touched upon Yom Kippur) Each day we added new items to our discovery table, inspiring the children to ask questions and to really touch many of the items connected to Rosh Hashanah. It was amazing to see the conversations that were sparked.

In addition, we began to build our fine motor and math skill through lots of visual and sensory activities.

In the photos you can see a lot of activities and projects we made this month, and the exploration that occurred in our room.

Some Highlights included:      

making stamps with real apples drawing on the bag with honey counting apples playing with " pomegranate seeds", tasting real pomegranates and apples with honey, blowing a real Shofar.

Here are the lyrics to some of our favourite songs: 1) 2) 3) 4)

Dip the apple in the honey, say the Bracha loud and clear, le Shana tova u metuka have a happy sweet new year!

Where is Shofar x2 Here I am x2, What do you sound like x2, thoot thooot thoot!

Where is apple? x2 Here I am x2 Dip me in the honey x2 Sticky and sweet x2 !

The Shofar in the Shul goes toot toot toot x3 The Shofar in the the Shul goes toot toot toot , on Rosh Hashana morning!

5) I like to hear the Shofar blast, some times slow and some times fast, I like to hear the Shofar blast , happy happy happy new year! Tkia, Shvarim trua !

6) Clean up everybody clean up x 3 Time to clean up! Pick up the toys put them away, Pick up the blocks put them away, pick up the books put them away, put the stuff away!

Shana Tova!

Morah Miriam, Morah Penina, Morah Daniela, and Morah Jackeline “Our goal this year is to inspire lifelong learning through exploration and independent play and to encourage children to develop their own individuality through new experiences. “

Chabad Torah Tots Jewish Preschool. 204.339.8737 ext 210. chabadtorahtots.com

B”H

Dear Parents, The past few weeks have been really special. Special to watch how much each of the returning children continue to develop and grow in their capabilities, and special to get to know new members of our class.

Most of all, special to see the joy of discovery and excitement on the children's faces as they delighted in the activities we explored together.

Activity Highlights  We touched and tasted the traditional Rosh Hashanah foods including______ pomegranates, apples and honey, sweet carrots and honey cake  We baked honey cakes and honed our math skills by measuring and counting the ingredients.  We used touch in our sensory table full of ``pomegranate seeds``  We compared and contrasted various types of apples dipped in honey and charted our friends preferences.  We experimented with a new textures as we tasted the sweet carrots that we peeled ourselves.  We made a real Shofar for our class in the amazing Shofar Factory.  We thought of others as we made cards and took a walk to a real mailbox to mail the cards with wishes for a sweet new year. The excitement was in the air every morning as the cards reached their destinations and the children told everyone that their card got to the person they sent it to.  We used our fine motor skills to bead apples(buttons) onto apple trees(pipe cleaner trees)  We experimented with honey on our fingers as we honey painted.

Our Rosh Hashanah Project Package: Please note that although the children are encouraged to do all the activities, some choose to do only some.  A painting using apples as the paint brush  A page of the different sounds the shofar makes. Make no mistake this was not a quick project.

We really used those hand muscles concentrating on cutting the lines of coloured paper and making sure to use just the right amount of glue to stick it all together carefully being able to line the pieces up properly to see the sounds of the shofar.  The honey cake we made together  A mat to put under our honey dish to make sure it does not drip all over the table. Some of us used the Rosh Hashanah sponges to create pictures of different things we eat or do on Rosh Hashanah while some of us used the Rosh Hashanah shape sponges to create a unique design.  A honey dish to put the honey in.  A Rosh Hashanah match it game that we cut and colored.

It has been a pleasure and wonderful start to the school year and we are so excited to continue growing together with your children.

Wishing each one of you a L'shana Tova Umsuka and year of only revealed good.

Morah Chana, Morah Shirit, Morah Ahava and Ms. Leah Chabad Torah Tots Jewish Preschool. 204.339.8737 ext 210. chabadtorahtots.com

Sound of the Shofar We hear the Shofar. The Shofar is the horn of a ram. Its sound pierces the status quo, urging us to take charge of our lives.  Your child has heard the

shofar in school. He has had an opportunity to try to blow it and explore it. He has learned all about it. Now would be the

At The Rosh Hashanah meals

time for him to just listen to the shofar – together with everyone else in the synagogue.  It is important to keep the children quiet at

this time – from the first blessing until after the shofar is blown. Some parents find it helpful to give a special treat to keep their mouths occupied (something simple like a lollipop works well, nothing can drop on the floor).

 Light the candles together as a family.

 The evening meals will probably take place later at night than your child is used to being awake. It may be hard for him to be attentive and happy. Consider having him take a nap in the afternoon and you all will enjoy the pleasant atmosphere.

 Allow your youngster to make Kiddush on his own cup of grape juice.

 Set the table with your child. In order to help your child see this as a special and different type of meal, first put out all the things you’d set for an ordinary dinner – table settings, etc. Then, add the special items you’d add for a Shabbat meal – candle sticks, Kiddush cup. And then ask him what special things we should put out for Rosh Hashanah. This will help your child see this as a special Rosh Hashanah meal.

 Don’t insist that your child stay by the table the whole time. Consider preparing other activities for him but tell him in advance that you may call him to the table to partake in different parts. You can prepare Rosh Hashanah related books and props (or any other toys and books that he likes).

 Children can get all dressed up but don’t fret if the clothing gets dirty.

 Make a big deal about him saying the special Rosh Hashanah prayers on the special foods, even if he doesn’t say it just right.

 Take a picture of your child near the special Rosh Hashanah table (before the holiday begins at sundown) and add to a Holiday Memory box or album.

The Tashlich ceremony We feel cleansed and ready for this new year. We visit a live body of water and recite a prayer there. This is the Tashlich ceremony. The waters represent the cleansing theme of the holiday. The fish swimming in the water, with their open (lidless) eyes represents G-d eternally watching us, protecting us and rooting for us!

(The translation of Tashlich means ‘throw’. We symbolically shake out our pockets, as if we are emptying them of crumbs and throwing them to the fish. This reminds us to think about starting off the year without mistakes – to begin the year with a clean slate.) Before Tashlich, talk to your child about what will be happening: “we will be ‘pretend’ throwing away our mistakes. We can’t really throw away our mistakes, since they are not real things. So we pretend, and that helps us think about it and talk about it.” Together, talk about one mistake that he (and you) really want to make sure he does not do. And as you empty you pockets at Tashlich, say that mistake aloud, don’t just think it (but quietly, so that others don’t hear) and then say “bye, bye that mistake. I really hope I don’t do that ever again.”  Maximize on the experience. As you walk toward the water, talk about what you see, what you smell, what you hear. Slow down; make it a contemplative moment.  Talk about the water, feel the water – just as water washes away the dirt, we want to remind ourselves to wash away our mistakes. (Water symbolizes purifying; we want to be purified from our past mistakes).  Count the fish together, point out the colors and size.

Chabad Torah Tots Jewish Preschool. 204.339.8737 ext 210. chabadtorahtots.com

Symbolic Foods for Rosh Hashanah How sweet it is to be able to recalibrate! How sweet it is to ponder new beginnings! So, we eat sweet foods, like apple dipped in honey, honey cake, raisin-filled challah, and so on. The sensory experience awakens within us this idea of sweet new beginnings. There’s more food symbolism on a Rosh Hashanah table: Apple dipped in honey We take an apple which is sweet (not a green, tart apple) and dip it into sweet honey, trusting and praying that G-d will grant us a sweet new year). There is special blessing and prayer said when eating the Apple and Honey.  Make the dipping ceremonious, with fanfare, “Let’s dip 1-2-3. Let’s dip again 1-2-3.”  Sing the special songs that your child has learned in school.  Talk about the sweetness of the apple and of the honey, and the sweetness that we hope for the new year.  Prepare different honeys and taste them all, using slices of apples and challah. Discuss the sweetness.

Pomegranates Pomegranates are symbolic of ‘plenty’. There are plenty of seeds in a pomegranate. We ask G-d for plenty of health and happiness for the new year.  Open the pomegranate together. Look how many seeds there are! Count (some of) the seeds. Talk about how many there are!

We want to have so much happiness and good things in our lives—just like there are so many seeds. Ask your child for specific good things he wants for the upcoming year.

Head of a Fish We eat a fish head so that we will be ‘like the head and not like the tail’. We remind ourselves that we can be leaders (head) of our lives, and not tails (followers)!  Some young children find this food fascinating, others are repelled by it. Do not insist that your children eat it or even look at it.

Round Challah Instead of the usual braided challah, we eat a round challah. The special round challah reminds us of the roundness of the year and tells us that the coming year will be full and fruitful. (Some people also add sweet raisins to the Challah).  When washing your hands for the Challah, make it ceremonious, “Let’s wash hands 1-2-3 on the right, and 1-2-3 on the left.”  We dip the challah into the sweet honey. Make the dipping ceremonious, with fanfare, “Let’s dip 1-2-3.

Let’s dip again 1-2-3.”

Carrots In the Yiddish language, carrots are called ‘merren’. This word also means ‘more’ in Yiddish. We want more of all the good things in life: More happiness, more health, and more success. Many people prepare the carrots in a sweet honey sauce (called tsimmes).  Allow your child to help you prepare this dish. Your child can peel the carrots, pour in the ingredients, etc.

Avoid sour or bitter foods We try not to eat things that are sour or bitter. We definitely do not want a sour or bitter year.

As we are part of a shared world, we give and gain strength from each other. Let’s wish each other a “Shana Tova!” – a happy (and productive) new year!

 Create a few New Year cards for some lonely people in your community. Explain to your child that we want to bring happiness and good year wishes to those who don’t have family to wish them (homeless shelter, senior centers, shut-ins, etc.)

 Children at this age like to create the cards rather than send something electronically. It is more memorable and meaningful to them to spend time creating it, and of course to the recipient. Send Rosh Hashanah greetings to family and friends.

 Talk to your child about what kind of greetings does he wish for - himself, for the family, for his friends, for his friends at school. Ask him to draw something.

Keep this in the Holiday memories box.

Special Rosh Hashanah greetings

Chabad Torah Tots Jewish Preschool. 204.339.8737 ext 210. chabadtorahtots.com

Preparing for a Meaningful Rosh Hashanah for your family Traditionally, Rosh Hashanah, the start of the Jewish new year, is steeped in Jewish rituals and traditions, family time and Jewish memories – prayer, blowing of the Shofar, the Tashlich ceremony and 4 holiday meals. The meals provide a wonderful opportunity for family to get together, enjoy each other’s presence and reflect about the past year and be optimistic for the upcoming year.

With this in mind, it is worthwhile to think about how you want to bring the spirit and traditions of Rosh Hashanah to your family in order to create enjoyable, cherished memories of a tradition your children will want to continue. This will take some extra planning, but the rewards and Nachas are worth it!  Make the Rosh Hashanah meals special with beautiful clothing, dishes and food.  Don’t overwhelm your child with too much information. Add some more every year in order to ensure that he

understands it and will continue to be stimulated.  Review your own family’s traditions and decide how you will incorporate them. Prepare your preschooler for all

aspects of Rosh Hashanah – how to conduct himself while at the synagogue, during the Shofar blowing and during holiday meals. Children generally behave and participate better when they are aware of what will be happening. Explain to your child how you will be celebrating the Holiday.

 Children learn best when they ask the questions and then explore the answers together with the teacher or

parent. Set provocations to encourage your children to ask questions. Then, explore the answers together. Place the honey in a prominent place on the table. Bring both round and braided challahs to the meal to encourage questions about why a round challah on Rosh Hashanah. Reward your children (with appropriate praise) for questions they ask and answers they give.

 Your child has learned about Rosh Hashanah in school. Talk to him and help bridge the gap between the

learning that is taking place in school to what will be happening on Rosh Hashanah in your family. Your youngster can also help in preparing for Rosh Hashanah, especially in the areas that he has learned about in school. Allow him to help prepare the special foods, to pour the honey into the honey dish and of course to show you his projects

Maximizing the Learning Experience Providing the environment to foster thinking is one of the fundamental principles in our classroom. We support flexibility and encourage creativity in exploration, and are so lucky when we can see this process come to life! While feeling the honey, one of the Jk children thought of a great idea. She ripped paper into little pieces and created an apple tree using the honey as glue. The class got so excited and many tried the same experiment. We let our projects dry, and then learned that honey does not harden like glue! This captured the process of the children thinking of ideas, trying them out and seeing the results of their experiment, even without a project to take home:) (everything was super sticky!) We took pictures of the amazing craft to remember the learning experience, that originated from the children themselves.

Chabad Torah Tots Jewish Preschool. 204.339.8737 ext 210. chabadtorahtots.com