So Many Pomegranate Seeds!

This week the third graders had a fabulous time exploring Rosh Hashanah symbols in greater depth.

I was so impressed with the wonderful stories the students completed for homework!

We had a special opportunity this week to combine our class with the Kindergarten-1st grade class. The students opened the class by sharing the stories they had written about their Rosh Hashanah symbols with the younger students. We then talked all about these symbols and why they are important for us. To tie this unit together, we took some time to explore the pomegranate in depth. We discussed the 613 seeds that the fruit is supposed to have to represent our 613 commandments. Some students really believed this was true, and others were a bit skeptical!

To test out this theory, we cut open two pomegranates and counted all of the seeds inside! One of our pomegranates had 516 seeds, and the other had about 650. Together, they averaged to VERY close to 613!

We also had the opportunity to begin a conversation about Yom Kippur. For homework, I asked the students to read pages 16-17 in their Experiencing the Jewish Holidays book. These pages discuss the "Al Chet" prayer and what it means to "miss the mark." Students are asked to have a conversation at home about what this means, and think about ways that they might have "missed the mark" this past year.

As always, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns!

Best,

Stacy