the little shofar - winter/khoref2011/5771
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Jewish Family Congregation Early Childhood Center Newsletter Winter 2011TRANSCRIPT
Dear Parents,
As I write this, I am looking out my window at a world in white. The snow
has certainly dominated our days making traveling difficult and, sadly, closing
school. Fortunately it has brought learning into our classrooms as our children dis-
covered why snow forms and melts, and what animals do to protect themselves
from snow and all the winter elements. Yet, in the middle of our winter studies we
stopped to plant seeds and learn about trees. Yes, it was Tu B’Shevat, the Jewish
Near Year of the Trees, and it gave us a chance to acknowledge our role in caring
for our environment by planting and learning about what trees give us. It was a
welcome addition to our curriculum as we took a break from the snow and ice. The
highlight of Tu B’Shevat was our “Shabbat and Tu B’Shevat for Me” service, and it
was wonderful to see so many families brave the cold and join us for a fun service
and pizza dinner.
There is always something special happening in your child’s class from
“Orange Day” to “Pajama and Teddy Bear Day.” Each special day brings science op-
portunities, such as mixing colors, reasons for increased verbal expression and ex-
citing literary adventures. There are also special things happening for you at JFC.
We have rescheduled the workshop to be given by Ellen Weisberg titled “Turning
Sibling Rivalry into Sibling Acceptance” to Wednesday, March 2, 2011. You will
have a chance to learn how to handle the problems that often arise between sib-
lings and will be able to discuss any parenting questions or concerns that you have.
A most compelling presentation was given by Alexis Johnson, PhD. Her topic
was “Understanding and Working with Your Child’s Temperament,” which is part of
the three-part series titled “Wise Parenting for the Preschooler.” It was an
honor to be in attendance that evening. Dr. Johnson gave a psychologically reveal-
ing description of temperament types, and I would like to tell you a little about
her discussion for all who were unable to attend. She began by detailing the two
different types of temperaments described by Carl Jung as an “extrovert,” which
is a person who is refueled by contact and an “introvert,” which is a person who is
refueled by quiet time. As she explained, these temperaments are qualities that
stay constant. Along with the quality of being an extrovert or an introvert, there
are other characteristics that can impact a child’s or parent’s temperament. The
Jewish Family Congregation Early Childhood Center Newsletter
The Little Shofar
Winter/Khoreff 2011 / 5771
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ECC Little Shofar Winter/Khoreff 2011 / 5771
first characteristic is whether a person is a “thinker,” one who depends on rules
and thought to define their decisions, or if a person is a “feeler,” one who bases
decisions on what is felt or sensed. The second distinguishing factor is that some
people are risk takers, while others would be more comfortable playing it safe.
As parents, it helps to know what type of temperaments their children have
and also what their own temperaments are like. This knowledge guides parents on
how to best parent their children. It also helps them alter their children’s more
challenging behaviors to become more acceptable behaviors. Moderating a child’s
inclination may help a risk taker make safer choices or an introvert learn better
social skills. Other influential factors in determining a child’s temperament include
a child’s activity level and whether a child is sleeping and eating regularly. The
best part of the presentation was the time spent analyzing our own children’s
temperaments and seeing how different or alike we are to them. The discussion
created was enlightening, as I not only learned about the intricacies involved in
determining temperaments, but I marveled at the dedication our parents give to
raising their children. It is not too late to catch Dr. Johnson’s next two sessions.
Please see the flier included in this newsletter and sign up today for the next two
parts of this engaging program on parenting.
We do not mind the snow here at the
ECC. We learn about it and go out and have
fun in it. Our outside snow studies will soon
be leading into learning about our inside
selves. The Yellow Room looks forward to
learning about their bodies, the Blue Room
will be exploring their five senses and the
Green Room will be continuing to discover
the world they live in and how it affects
them.
In the mean time, enjoy the winter
and stay warm!
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ECC Little Shofar Winter/Khoreff 2011 / 5771
FROM THE RABBI’S DESK In a religious tradition that is top-heavy with serious occasions, Purim stands out like the prover-
bial “sore thumb.” It is a holiday with tenuous historical referents, with an emphasis on behaviour
entirely unlikely the rest of the year.
The serious part of Purim is the religious obligation (mitzvah) of hearing the chanting of the me-gillah, the scroll containing the Biblical Book of Esther. In traditional Purim services, the scroll is
chanted in its entirety, but we, in deference to the young people who attend our service, tell the
story in English and listen to tiny excerpts of the chanted scroll. In traditional services, the offici-
ants (rabbi, cantor, scroll chanter) all dress up in costumes, often elaborate and impressive, and in-
troduce silly things into the service, like facing the wrong way, singing prayers to unexpected melo-
dies, and chasing each other around the sanctuary.
In addition, most congregations plan something special, just for the kids. The tradition is to hold
a carnival, with lots of games and activities, to which the kids are encouraged to come in costume.
Many carnivals (not ours) feature a costume contest, with ridiculous prizes for the winners.
So the question is: what is this holiday doing on the otherwise quite solemn Jewish calendar?
That’s a good question. In the Book of Esther, the name of God never occurs. The evil machina-
tions of the bad guy, Haman, are defeated by the cleverness of the good guys, Mordechai and his
niece Esther, not by the grace of God. The story is set in Persia (present-day Iran) and the names
of the hero and heroine bear a striking resemblance to the names of two Persian gods, Marduk and
Ishtar. Furthermore, a search of the records of ancient Persia will not reveal a king with a name
like Ahashverosh. There is no evidence of a Persian king with a Jewish bride.
It is also interesting to note that amongst the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is not even a tiny frag-
ment of the Book of Esther, which shows that it was included in the “authorized text” of the He-
brew Bible quite late, well after the year 70 CE (the date by which the scrolls were hidden).
So, what is this book doing in the Bible, and why is this holiday on our calendar?
The book is in the Bible because it shows both the continuing persecution of the Jews, after the
Egyptians and the Romans, and the continuing triumph of the Jews over their persecutors; and in not
mentioning God it is consistent with the diminishing presence of God in the Bible itself. The theory
is that, though God actively intervenes repeatedly to keep the Jewish people alive, over time, God
turns that responsibility over to us; in this book, Mordechai and Esther handily defeat the bad guy,
demonstrating that we can look after ourselves and do not need dramatic rescues by our unseen God.
Purim arrives on the calendar in the early spring. Regardless of how bitter or mild the winter has
been, for us all it has gone on a long time. And we need some lightness, some joy, to get us through
till the first flowers blossom and the first leaves open.
Purim is that lightness, that joy. With its invitation to be silly and to turn the world upside-down
in doing so, Purim allows us to lighten the burden of the long winter, which, this year, seems espe-
cially appropriate.
So we invite you to join us on Sunday, March 20, at 9:00 am for our Purim service,
and from noon to 2 pm for our Purim carnival. True to tradition, there will be
games, food and silliness galore….all appropriate for very young children! We encourage you and your
youngster(s) to come in costume, and to take full advantage of Purim and all its joy!
Rescheduled for Tuesday, January 26
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ECC Little Shofar Winter/Khoreff 2011 / 5771
Discussing the difference
between mittens and gloves.
Listening to Fern and Mon-
tana sing Tu B’Shevat songs.
Nature of Things
brought a chinchilla!
Relaxing with a stuffed
Friend on pajama day.
Putting Elmo to bed
on pajama day.
Planting sun-flower seeds
for Tu B’Shevat.
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ECC Little Shofar Winter/Khoreff 2011 / 5771
CELEBRATING SHABBAT
IN PAJAMAS!
Creating a
snow scene.
Exploring magnets at our science
center.
Getting ready
for Shabbat.
I prefer leopard
gloves over my fleece mittens.
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ECC Little Shofar Winter/Khoreff 2011 / 5771
These are a few of our favorite things...
Jason:
TRUCKS
Owen:
TRUCKS
David:
HOUSE
Jordan:
DRESS-UP
Kayla:
HOUSE
Tammy:
HOUSE
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ECC Little Shofar Winter/Khoreff 2011 / 5771
Ellen and Lori
Max: BUILDING WITH
MITCHELL
Sydney:
HOUSE
Macey:
DRESS-UP
Mitchell:
HOUSE
Solomon:
PLAYING WITH BALLS
Page 10
ECC Little Shofar Winter/Khoreff 2011 / 5771
NATURE OP THINGS
COLLECTING SNOW FOR OUR EXPERIMENT
PUTTING OUR SKATES ON THE POND
BUILDING IGLOOS
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ECC Little Shofar Winter/Khoreff 2011 / 5771
NATURE OF THINGS
MAKING EDIBLE SNOWMEN
PAJAMA DAY
First-Year Dues Are FREE!
FREE!
Priority________________ Date received___________ Check #_______________
Application for 2011-2012 School Year Child’s Name __________________________________________________ Sex ___________________ Date of Birth _________________________ Home Address_________________________________________________ Home Phone_________________ Parent /Guardian Name__________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Occupation______________________________________
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Other Children: Names/Ages __________________________________ __________________________________ __________________________________ 1) My child is presently enrolled at JFC Early Childhood Center ____Yes ____No If yes, name of child__________________________________ 2) I am a member of Jewish Family Congregation ____Yes ____No 3) I am presently participating in the Parenting Center ____Yes ____No Program/Dates______________________________________ 4) I am interested in being a class parent ____Yes ____No 5) I am available to help ____Yes ____No
2011-2012 Form
Please attach a non-refundable $350 registration fee
made payable to Jewish Family Congregation
to this registration form ($300 will be applied to tuition)
Tuitions for 2011-2012:
Please note: Registration fee will be returned
only if we cannot offer your child a space.
Return this form to: Jewish Family Congregation Early Childhood Center
111 Smith Ridge Road P.O. Box 249
South Salem, NY 10590
2-Year Old Class (3-day): _____ Monday, Wednesday, Friday
9:30-11:45 Child must be 2 by child’s
school district cut-off date for Kindergarten
2-Year Old Class (2-day): _____
Wednesday, Friday
9:30-11:45 Child must be 2 by child’s
school district cut-off date for Kindergarten
3-Year Old Class: ______
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
9:15-12:00 Child must be 3 by child’s
school district cut-off date for Kindergarten
4-Year Old Class: ______
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
9:15-12:00
Child must be 4 by child’s
school district cut-off date for Kindergarten
Member/Non-Member Age Days Tuition
Member 2-year-old 2 day $ 2,500
Member 2-year-old 3 day $ 3,645
Member 3-year-old 4 day $ 4,850
Member 4-year-old 4 day $ 4,850
Non-Member 2-year-old 2 day $ 2,795
Non-Member 2-year-old 3 day $ 4,150
Non-Member 3-year-old 4 day $ 5,545
Non-Member 4-year-old 4 day $ 5,545