Levey Celebrates the Spiritual in Spring
February may be the shortest month, but April at Levey felt the shortest
because we were so busy with Passover preparations and many other
exciting activities. While secular studies of math, language arts, science
and social studies hummed along at the usual brisk pace in April, it was
an especially busy and rich time for Judaic studies. Here is just a
sampling of the creative happenings at Levey in the few short weeks
before we dismissed for the Passover holiday:
Our third, fourth and fifth grade students hosted their parents for a
spiritual art show featuring personal prayers, mizrachim, and mezuzot.
Children wrote their own prayers, then translated them into Hebrew and
wrote them in beautiful calligraphy. A sampling of their moving
expressions gives us a glimpse into their hearts:
“Thankful am I to you for bringing me through life every day” – Willie
Gardner
“The soul in your body shouts out, There is a heart inside you and there
it will always be.” – Brianna Greenblatt
“Give help to whoever needs help and the world will be filled with
happiness” – Abby Popenoe
“Thankful am I that I have a voice to sing with” – Lillian Gardner
“My prayer is that five billion years from now there will be love, happiness
and peace and that this home of ours – planet earth – will continue and
that we will all live in peace.” – Maxine Eisenberg
Mizrachim, from the Hebrew word for “east,” are decorative pieces the
kids painted and drew to hang on the east wall, a reminder to face
Jerusalem when we pray. Mezuzot, which the children created of painted
wood, hang on doorposts and contain each child’s own Sh’ma prayer in
calligraphy on vegetable parchment. Interdisciplinary study is a hallmark
of the Levey education, and by combining art, Hebrew and prayer,
teacher Camille Davidson sparks genuine excitement for Judaic studies.
Our younger students prepared for seder by creating their own
haggadahs and gorgeous glass decoupage seder plates and dipping
bowls. Our older students explored the haggadah’s admonition that
God took “you” out of Egypt by trying to imagine what it would have been
like to be a kid leaving Egypt. They each wrote a journal entry about the
imagined experience, including such insightful observations as these
excerpts:
“I think the guy leading us is bragging. Let my people go. We’re not even
his people. … The bragger just stuck his rod in the water, what’s that
going to do? AWESOME! The waters are parting. I feel great.” – Kobi
Davidson
“I don’t want to run into the sea! My mom is calling me, Pharaoh is
almost next to us, my legs are walking fast. I am in the open sea, it
smells horrible, I don’t want to leave everything behind. We are in the
middle of the sea, people are screaming, I am running fast, we are at
the other side, the sea closes, we are safe.” – Hattie Simon
“Moshe told us that we have to leave now. My mom said, ‘But our bread
is still baking.’ Moshe said we have to leave now. So we went.” –
Lynnea Harding
Also in April, we continued our program of having a different student in
our fourth/fifth grade lead prayer services each morning for a week,
culminating with their parents’ participation in services Friday morning.
In a few short years, when these Levey graduates go to the bima to lead
services as they become bar or bat mitzvah, they will have the
confidence borne of experience that they are capable and qualified, they
will know and understand the prayers from daily recitation and study.
Our whole school community gathered for a Shabbat celebration in mid-
April. We enjoyed a program that included rock ’n roll Hebrew Shabbat
and Passover songs and the four questions in Yiddish, plus a chance
for the whole school to see the spiritual art creations. Following was a
delicious dinner cooked by a talented group of volunteers headed by
Chef/dad John Fox. The school is small enough that the whole
community of children, families, teachers and staff can gather cozily in
the social hall. It is moments like those that bring into focus what is
palpable every day – Levey Day School is a special place for our children’
s minds, hearts and souls to be nurtured. It is a place where each child
is known and appreciated as an individual and a member of the group.
BACK TO NEWS
because we were so busy with Passover preparations and many other
exciting activities. While secular studies of math, language arts, science
and social studies hummed along at the usual brisk pace in April, it was
an especially busy and rich time for Judaic studies. Here is just a
sampling of the creative happenings at Levey in the few short weeks
before we dismissed for the Passover holiday:
Our third, fourth and fifth grade students hosted their parents for a
spiritual art show featuring personal prayers, mizrachim, and mezuzot.
Children wrote their own prayers, then translated them into Hebrew and
wrote them in beautiful calligraphy. A sampling of their moving
expressions gives us a glimpse into their hearts:
“Thankful am I to you for bringing me through life every day” – Willie
Gardner
“The soul in your body shouts out, There is a heart inside you and there
it will always be.” – Brianna Greenblatt
“Give help to whoever needs help and the world will be filled with
happiness” – Abby Popenoe
“Thankful am I that I have a voice to sing with” – Lillian Gardner
“My prayer is that five billion years from now there will be love, happiness
and peace and that this home of ours – planet earth – will continue and
that we will all live in peace.” – Maxine Eisenberg
Mizrachim, from the Hebrew word for “east,” are decorative pieces the
kids painted and drew to hang on the east wall, a reminder to face
Jerusalem when we pray. Mezuzot, which the children created of painted
wood, hang on doorposts and contain each child’s own Sh’ma prayer in
calligraphy on vegetable parchment. Interdisciplinary study is a hallmark
of the Levey education, and by combining art, Hebrew and prayer,
teacher Camille Davidson sparks genuine excitement for Judaic studies.
Our younger students prepared for seder by creating their own
haggadahs and gorgeous glass decoupage seder plates and dipping
bowls. Our older students explored the haggadah’s admonition that
God took “you” out of Egypt by trying to imagine what it would have been
like to be a kid leaving Egypt. They each wrote a journal entry about the
imagined experience, including such insightful observations as these
excerpts:
“I think the guy leading us is bragging. Let my people go. We’re not even
his people. … The bragger just stuck his rod in the water, what’s that
going to do? AWESOME! The waters are parting. I feel great.” – Kobi
Davidson
“I don’t want to run into the sea! My mom is calling me, Pharaoh is
almost next to us, my legs are walking fast. I am in the open sea, it
smells horrible, I don’t want to leave everything behind. We are in the
middle of the sea, people are screaming, I am running fast, we are at
the other side, the sea closes, we are safe.” – Hattie Simon
“Moshe told us that we have to leave now. My mom said, ‘But our bread
is still baking.’ Moshe said we have to leave now. So we went.” –
Lynnea Harding
Also in April, we continued our program of having a different student in
our fourth/fifth grade lead prayer services each morning for a week,
culminating with their parents’ participation in services Friday morning.
In a few short years, when these Levey graduates go to the bima to lead
services as they become bar or bat mitzvah, they will have the
confidence borne of experience that they are capable and qualified, they
will know and understand the prayers from daily recitation and study.
Our whole school community gathered for a Shabbat celebration in mid-
April. We enjoyed a program that included rock ’n roll Hebrew Shabbat
and Passover songs and the four questions in Yiddish, plus a chance
for the whole school to see the spiritual art creations. Following was a
delicious dinner cooked by a talented group of volunteers headed by
Chef/dad John Fox. The school is small enough that the whole
community of children, families, teachers and staff can gather cozily in
the social hall. It is moments like those that bring into focus what is
palpable every day – Levey Day School is a special place for our children’
s minds, hearts and souls to be nurtured. It is a place where each child
is known and appreciated as an individual and a member of the group.
BACK TO NEWS
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Levey Day School
A Community Jewish Day School
