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February 28, 2003/Adar1 26 5763, Vol. 55, No. 27
Learning together
Program unites fifth-graders for fun and friendship
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
Alyssa Heeman, left, and Kelsey Yukolis proudly display stained glass they made at the fifth-grade Limud program.
Photo by Gelie Akhenblit
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Fifth-grade religious school students from across the Valley recently gathered at Har Zion Congregation for learning, friendship and fun.
The fifth-grade Limud program, sponsored by the Bureau of Jewish Education, has been bringing the fifth-grade religious school classes in the Valley together each spring for more than 10 years. Each of the children selected two stations of interest, on the theme of Israel, in which to participate.
"If they like to learn through drama, they learn through drama. If they like to learn through art, then they have that option. It really plays to the kids interests and that helps to keep their attention," says Myra Shindler of the BJE, organizer of the event.
Each of the activities is run by one of the participating school's fifth-grade religious school teachers. Gelie Akhenblit, the teacher from Temple Beth Sholom, was in charge of a station that included a game called "Building a Nation" - a rummy card game that had the participants collect cards about important figures in Israel's history.
"The kids like it because they get to meet other kids from other schools," says Akhenblit. "They get to interact."
Shindler believes that the social aspect of the program is very important.
"The kids see other kids they know from school and then they can introduce them to their (religious school) friends," she says.
Shindler estimates that about 200 fifth-graders take part in Limud each year. This year's participating congregations were Temple Beth Sholom, Har Zion Congregation, Temple Chai, Temple Beth Israel, Temple Solel and Beth El Congregation.
"It's really nice because they see different teachers and they get to be with different kids and they learn about a subject in a way that they wouldn't normally have time to do in a classroom setting," says Shindler.
Shindler also holds a Limud program for fourth-graders each fall, which focuses on the Friday night service, with a station for each of the prayers in the service.
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