The Charlotte Jewish News - October 2011 - Page 11
A New Year of Giving
By Elka Bernstein, CJP Director
L’shanah Tovah Tikatev
V’taihatem, may you be inscribed
and sealed for a good year.
CJP Preschoolers began the
year learning about Rosh
Hashanah. Our teachers create
Rosh Hashanah lessons that
develop our students’ skills in lit
eracy, math, science, fine and
gross motor areas. More impor
tantly, CJP uses this opportunity to
teach the children how to live
Jewishly in this world. Learning
to live Jewishly is an ever present
theme at CJP. With Tikkun Olan
always in the forefront of lesson
development, Rosh Hashanah is
the perfect opportunity for our
students to begin to turn inward
and discover how they can learn
and grow in the new year.
Tikkun 01am, repairing the
world, has come to be a call to
participate in social action and
social justice. CJP teaches that
despite the age or family condi
tions, it is a mitzvah to participate
in Tikkun 01am. As Maimonides
wrote, “Even a poor person who
lives entirely on tzedakah must
also give tzedakah to another.”
The lesson and action of tzedakah
is part of our strong Judaic cur
riculum. Tzedakah is an essential
Jewish value, and giving is an
important part of what young chil
dren are learning to do.
“Tzedakah” is often translated as
“charity,” but the value of
tzedakah goes well beyond donat
ing money. Tzedakah actually
means “righteousness.” When we
teach our children the mitzvah of
tzedakah, we are teaching them
that as Jews we are commanded to
care for each other - Jews and
non-Jews - and to take our place
in the repair of the world.
The hands-on approach to aca
demic learning is the same
method that CJP uses to help chil
dren understand the importance of
giving tzedakah. All our students
jingle their tzedakah boxes each
Friday morning as they prepare
for Shabbat. The excitement
builds during our preparation for
Shabbat when the giant tzedakah
can is brought out and we can all
hear the clanging of coins as they
are poured into the tzedakah box.
The joy of giving a few pennies,
dimes and nickels will forever be
imprinted on the souls of our stu
dents. But, CJP does not stop there
because money has little value to
the preschooler. Each month, CJP
wants the children to “repair the
world” with tzedakah that they
can make a connection to.
Morah Becca has continued to
develop a program that has a real
effect on the local and internation
al communities. In August, the
children heard the call from
Jewish Family Services to help fill
the food pantry and the two large
CJP tzedakah boxes quickly filled.
Since September is back to school
month for all our preschoolers,
our students will carry in school
supplies for Sterling Elementary
and Huntingtowne Farms
Elementary, sister schools of
Temple Beth El and Temple Israel.
CJDS Orientation Night
Speech
By Mariashi Groner, CJDS
Director
Growing up, I never enjoyed
roller coasters, and I certainly am
not enjoying the ride we are expe
riencing right now in our world.
As I have been reading the papers
about the stock market swings,
the'economy unable to right itself,
and the crazy behaviors that are
reported throughout the world, I
thought about our kids and real
ized how unstable and precarious
this world is.
My thoughts continued as I
wondered how we can best pro
vide stability, security, and a sense
of hope for our kids. They deserve
their childhood, their time to
dream and believe, and their
knowledge that we as a people —
and as a Jewish people — can per
severe.
Moshe told the Jewish people,
“He (God) gave you the strength
to accomplish. We have the
power.” So, based on that direc
tive from Moses, our niotto for
this year is “Let’s Change the
World.” Along with our Global
Studies initiative which encour
ages the students to look beyond
themselves, our students are being
encouraged to find a way to
change the world — and this
world certainly needs changing.
We can make a difference.
Giving this kind of power to the
children, assuring them that they
are capable, and sharing all the
Schools
Our students will line the halls
with crayons, markers, notebooks,
folders, notebooks and more. To
celebrate Sukkot, our families will
harvest food from their pantries
and grocery store and once again,
help stock Jewish Family Services
food pantry. Each month a new
lesson and a new project for
tikkun olam will be implemented
One of our favorite projects is
when we teach the children tzar
ba’alei chayim - caring for ani
mals. Not only will CJP students
donate items this year to the Spay
and Neuter Clinic, therapy dogs
will come to the school, so the
children can learn how animals
help us.
A Year of Giving is part of
CJP’s Year of Learning. Please
join The Charlotte Jewish
Preschool, The Charlotte Jewish
Day School, and The Jewish
Preschool on Sardis us in our Year
of Giving and take part in Two
Days with Wendy Mogul which
will take place on January 11 and
12. Visit us at www.joinedinedu-
cation.org for sponsorship and
ticket opportunities. Purchase
early so as not to miss this incred
ible event.
Learn. Grow. Connect. With
our staff and families at the
Charlotte Jewish Preschool. For
further information on how to
enroll your child into our wjjnder-
ftil world of learning, please con
tact Alyson Kalik at 704-944-
6866 or akalik@shalomchar-
lotte.org. ^
Chariottejewidi
Presdiool
■ » ■
Larry Horowitz, CLU, ChFC
Financial
5950 Fairview Road, Suite 608
Charlotte, NC 28210
(704) 556-9982, Fax (704) 369-2918
www.L2financial.com
Helping in the CREATION, PRESERVATION &
DISTRIBUTION of your Estate
Larry Horowitz is an Investment Advisor Representative of, and offers
securities, and investment advisory services through Woodbury Financial
Services, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC and Registered Investment Advisor.
Financial and Woodbury Financial Services, Inc., arc not affiliated
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choices they have will give them a
sense of confidence, hope, and
optimism.
In a time of questioning, faith
and trust in God give us a center,*
reminding us that although much
is demanded from us, we can’t
just sit back, there is someone in
charge, someone who sees the
bigger picture.
The children at CJDS are cared
for, nurtured, and valued in ways
that don’t exist at other schools.
This knowledge surely gives par
ents the confidence that their chil
dren feel safe. We once had a stu
dent who was upset by some
frightening stories on the news.
Her mom assured her that she was
safe and that Mariashi and the
teachers would take good care of
her. She responded and said to her
mom, “I Imow I’ll be fine at
CJDS, but what happens when I
leave?”
At CJDS we have also been
researching ways in which we can
"^stay ahead of the curve and be in
touch with the latest in education.
Twenty-first century education is
the latest chatter and we realize
that if we don’t change the
methodology, goals, and purpose
of our teaching, our kids will not
be ready for life, especially in the
work place. It’s hard for parents,
teachers, and administrators to let
go of what is essential, but we all
(Continued on page 12)
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