Eighth+Grade

Hello! We are Dayna and Blakely, the 2011-2012 8th Grade Teachers.

Dayna teaches history and film at Enloe High School, where she has worked for 12 years. She has taught 8th grade TBORS in previous years and is looking forward to another great class!

Blakely grew up at TBO and is excited to carry on the family tradition of teaching 8th grade (her dad taught 8th grade at TBO for many years in the 80's!) In addition to teaching 8th grade, Blakely is also the Jr. RalFTY advisor.

This year, we will be studying Ketuvim (writings) and the Holocaust. We will be reading Psalms and Proverbs; journals and poetry written by Jews during the Holocaust; and contemporary poetry, essays, and fiction. We will examine Nazi propaganda, learn about the aftermath of the Shoah, and discuss WWII from the perspective of America, Europe, the Middle East, and other countries.

Our class will culminate on April 20 with a Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) service. Don't miss this moving event!

For more information about the 2012 Maccabia Games, download this informative PDF!

**__Class Emails (You can always find the latest news about our class here!)__**

Hello, 8th Grade Families!

We had a small class today, but it was still a whole lot of fun!

We celebrated Passover by drinking four cups of grape juice and making charoset, macaroons, Israeli salad, and chocolate-covered matzo. We also reviewed the story of the Exodus, sang Chad Gadya, chanted the four questions, sang HaTikvah, and sang a song about the four sons.

We also put the final touches on our preparations for the 8th grade service on **April 13**.

Please plan to be at TBO at **5:30pm** on April 13. Students who have not yet submitted written pieces for the service should email their speeches to Blakely as soon as possible. Your speech does NOT have to be long. You can write something as simple as a few lines about what you learned this year, or a poem about what happened during the Holocaust or how the trip to Richmond made you feel.

**Remember, we** **do not have TBORS for the next two weeks**.

We hope everyone who attended TheVent had a GREAT time. We look forward to seeing you at 5:30 on Friday, April 13! B'Shalom, Dayna and Blakely

Hello, Eighth Grade Families! This week, we began preparing for our service, and it was so much fun! Students are working on a number of different projects to display. Next week, we will work on writing special things to say during the service, and prepare some music, as well.

We also made Hamentaschen this week - YUM!

**Please note, the 8th grade service has been re-scheduled for APRIL 13.**

We appologize for any inconvenience this change might cause. We hope it will enable those who could not attend the service on the original date to join us, and we are very sorry if this change prevents anyone from attending.

Finally, please see the Wiki page to download copies of the music for the service. Some students expressed an interest in playing the songs as part of the service, so this music is intended to help them prepare. It is __not__ necessary for every student to review the music.

We are excited about our upcoming service, and hope you are, too. See you next week! B'Shalom, Blakely and Dayna



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Thanks to everyone who submitted payment for the 8th grade lock-in and permission slips for the trip to Richmond. If you forgot to send payment for the lock-in, or you want to find out if there is still room on the bus to Richmond, please contact Emilia (principal@tboraleigh.org).

This week, we talked about the importance of tzedakah, and we made a pledge to bring at least $0.50 per person each week for tzedakah. This is a small amount, but it will make a difference if everyone honors the pledge. Please remind your child to bring at least $0.50 to give each week - together we can do great things! We also talked about //When Bad Things Happen to Good People//. We read part of a graphic novel by Will Eisener, //Contract with G-d//. This story, told in comic book form, explores many of the same topics as Kushner's book. We talked about how Judaism is a contract with G-d, but the contract does not offer automatic protection from evil; nor is it "null and void" if we doubt or make mistakes. Rather, the contract is an ongoing conversation. The only obligation is for both parties to keep "talking" to each other. If your child still has a copy of //When Bad Things Happen to Good People// please be sure to send it back to TBORS! Finally, we continued our discussion about resistance during the war. We acted out modern day scenarios involving varying degrees of danger. Our Madrichim, Josh and Lexie, led the class in discussions about how (and whether) they would resist in each situation. It was a fun way of approaching a serious topic and acknowledging that it isn't always easy - or even possible - to stand up to wrongdoing without risk to yourself or others. We finished class looking at an interactive map of Europe to see how borders moved during WWII and watching a brief video about post-war resettlement. As always, it was fun and informative class! B'Shalom, Blakely

ps - Check out our class wiki for video of one of the skits and to see our Madrichim leading the class discussion!

Hello, 8th grade families!

Last week we had a lot of fun holding a special Tu B'Shvat seder and learning about some of the brave resistence fighters who stood up to the Nazis.

This week, we'll be wrapping up our discussion of //When Bad Things Happen to Good People//. Please be sure your child brings the book with him/her to class!

Our special trip to Richmond is coming up, and we are very excited about it! The deadline for submitting a permission slip has passed. If you forgot to submit a permission slip and you want to send your child on the trip, you must contact Emilia ( principal@tboraleigh.org) right away.

We are also planning a very exciting sleepover the night before the trip to Richmond. The students are excited about it, but so far we do not have many RSVPs. If your child plans to attend the sleepover, please send payment with your child to TBORS this week.

B'Shalom,

Blakely & Dayna

Hello, Eighth Grade Families!

Today our class focused on the concentration camps. Although it was not an easy topic, the students did a wonderful job engaging with this difficult subject.

We also attended a presentation from Six Points Camp, the URJ's sports academy located in Greensboro. The kids had a great time hearing about the camp!

If you are interested in any of the URJ Summer Camps please don't hesitate to ask. Six Points is an excellent choice for kids who love sports. Camp Coleman in Georgia and Camp Harlem in Pennsylvania both offer more traditional summer camp experiences and are attended by members of our regional youth group, NFTY-MAR. In addition, many people in the TBO community have connectons with Jewish camps and would be happy to talk to you about their camp experiences. There are also scholarships available, especially for first-time campers.

Finally, please be sure to return your signed permission slip for our field trip to Richmond. Thank you to those who already returned their slips. If you haven't sent yours in, yet, please do so next week!

L'Shalom,

Blakely and Dayna

Hello, 8th Grade Families- This week, we eased back into TBORS by watching a movie. Please note, this is NOT the movie we told you about before. The movie we watched was "The Devil's Arithmetic" a film based on the young adult novel of the same name by Jane Yolen. The film is about a teenage girl named Hannah who travels back in time during a Passover seder to the Holocaust. As a result of this experience, Hannah learns about her family's history. The movie introduced us to the topic of concentration camps, which we will discuss during our next class. Please mark your calendar with these important dates:

First, MAJYK (Mid-Atlantic Jewish Youth Kallah) takes place January 27-29. All the information and registration forms can be found here. Second, our class will be taking a trip to Richmond to the Virginia Holocaust Museum on Sunday, Febrary 26. Please sign and return the permission slip by February 1. We are planning to hold an 8th grade lock-in the night before the field trip. We will provide more information about the lock-in and the field trip soon. Finally, our class Shabbat is April 20. The students will create and lead a special service in honor of Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Rememberance Day). The whole class will participate actively in this service, and we will be devoting a significant amount of class time to preparing for it. Please put it on your calendar and plan to join us. We will not have class next week. See you January 22! L'Shalom, Dayna and Blakely

Hello, 8th grade families!

We had an amazing class last week. The students did a wonderful job engaging with some really tough material!

We asked a few students to sit at new table, without giving them a reason why. As we learned about the events leading up to the Nuremberg Laws, we made additional requests of students sitting at that table: we asked them to take off their shoes, and we asked them to give up their chairs. Eventually, as we were wrapping up our conversation about the Nuremberg Laws, we handed out donuts to everyone except the students sitting at that table.

After our discussion of the Nuremberg laws ended, we de-briefed what had happened to the students at the "unfortunate table." We talked about how everyone saw what was going on - some students were even overheard whispering to their neighbors that it seemed unfair - but no one objected or questioned it. In fact, only one person at the "unfortunate table" even raised an objection, and no one else spoke up to side with that student!

We talked about how easy it is to give in to authority. We also talked about how for students sitting in chairs, wearing shoes, and eating donuts, what was happening to the "unfortunate table" seemed like a class exercise and not that big a deal. But for the students at the table, it was uncomfortable and weird - even though they guessed it was a classroom exercise. We asked why no one even tried to share their donuts with the students at the "unfortunate table."

Then, we learned about Stanley Milgram's groundbreaking experiment on obedience (you can read about it here: http://www.muskingum.edu/~psych/psycweb/history/milgram.htm). We compared the experiment to what had happened in our own class. We also talked about how the experiment helps us understand what happened during the holocaust.

It was an intense class, and students did a great job engaging with the material in a thoughtful, appropriate way. What an impressive group of young people!

L'Shalom, Blakely and Dayna

ps - Don't worry - the students at the "unfortunate table" got their chairs and shoes back - and they also got donuts!

Message: Hello, Eighth Grade Families!

Thanks to everyone who participated in Mitzvah Day! Our class packed 4,000 meals for Stop Hunger Now, an international hunger relief organization. We had a great time working together, listening to music, and helping provide nutritious meals to people who are not as fortunate as we are.

See you next week! L'Shalom, Blakely & Dayna

This week our class was especially wonderful! We began on a bittersweet note, thinking about Mrs. A. We talked about how much she gave to the TBO community, and students had a chance to write about her in their journals.

Next, we talked about the high holy days and we baked applesauce honeycakes to celebrate the new year. Every student took a cake home with them - hopefully, you got to taste it!

While the cakes were baking the class watched a video about Hitler's rise to power. The video contained actual footage from Nazi propaganda films.

We wrapped the day up with a really fun art class in which students created drawings in the round. This is the time of year when we pay attention to the cyclical nature of life, as one year ends and the next begins. The drawings we created represented our thoughts at the beginning of 5772.

Below is the recipe for the applesauce honeycake, in case you want to make them at home. One recipe yields about 6 mini-loaves, 24 muffins, or 2 regular size loaves.

Finally, our thoughts go out to Jared and Jasper Mark and their family for the loss of their grandmother. Blakely and Dayna

1 cup honey 3 eggs 2 Tablespoons oil 1 ½ cups sugar 2 cups applesauce 4 cups flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 ½ tsp baking powder 1 ½ tsp cinnamon

• Beat honey, oil and egg • Add dry ingredients and mix well • Grease loaf pans or muffin tins • Bake at 325 for approximately 25 minutes (muffins), 40 minutes (mini loaves), or 1 hour (regular loaves). Don't overbake! Remove cake from oven once the center is not doughy. The cake should remain moist.

Hello, 8th Grade Families!

This week, we learned more about the conditions in Germany in the aftermath of WWI. We also talked about some of the issues facing America today. The students realized that many of the issues are similar in nature, though different in degree: high unemployment; dissatisfaction with the government; and heated debates about immigration.

The class examined the political platforms of 3 candidates, and everyone voted for one of the candidates. After the voting was tabulated, we revealed that the political platforms were based on the platforms of the 3 candidates for the German presidency in 1932. To the surprise of the class, the Nazi party DID receive some votes!

We finished class by reading Psalm 121 and comparing it with a poem written by a 12-year-old victim of the Holocaust. As we listened to Dan Nichols singing "Esah Einai" (which is based on Psalm 121) students wrote in their journals. They reflected on the message of the Psalm and of the poem.

We were also fortunate enough to hear Rabbi Ari blow the shofar. His Tekkiah Gadolah is truly impressive!

We are still looking for a couple of AMAZING parents who are willing to serve as our class parents. The job is not difficult or unduly burdensome. You will serve as the initial point of contact for certain all-class events, but you will NOT be expected to attend meetings or coordinate anything big. Please let us know if you are willing to do this fabulous mitzvah by responding to this email!

Next week, we will have an extra-special class with a super-fun art project and a special High Holy Day activity.

L'Shana Tovah Tikatevu (May you be inscribed in the Book of Life for a good year)! If you see either of us at High Holy Day services, please come and say hello! Blakely and Dayna

Hello, Eighth Grade Families!

We had a great week last Sunday. We continued talking about the events leading up to WWII. Student created a timeline of events, and received a prize when they finished. Then, we had a fabulous song session with Zemer Lexie and her music madrichim! We ended the day by reading Psalm 19 ... and discovering that we already knew parts of it!

Now that the year is underway, we are looking for a couple of AMAZING parents who are willing to serve as our class parents. The job is not onerous. You will serve as the initial point of contact for certain all-class events, but you will NOT be expected to attend meetings or coordinate anything big.

We really need two parents (from different families) to serve as room parents. Please let us know if you are willing to do this huge mitzvah by responding to this email!

See you Sunday! L'Shalom!

We had another amazing week at TBORS today!

The students continued the discussion they began in the first class about anti-semitism. We learned the truth behind the myth that the Jews killed Jesus, the reasons for the persistent stereotype that Jews are greedy, rich, and in charge of the media, and the reasons why some people accuse Jews of thinking we are better than other people. We also talked about 9/11 and the lies people have spread about the terrorist attack being part of a Jewish conspiracy.

After our discussion, the students created "Myth Buster" Posters. Our wonderful madrichim judged the posters and selected 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners.

Next, we spent some time discussing the events leading up to the Holocaust. We will continue this discussion over the next few weeks, to give students the background information they need to understand the tragedy of World War II.

We ended the class by reading Psalm 27 and considering these ancient words in light of our discussions about anti-semitism and Jewish stereotypes.

We are off to a great start this year! L'Shalom, Blakely and Dayna

Hello, 8th grade families!

The year began with fun, friends, and frozen yogurt this Sunday! After some ice breakers and introductions, our class created a Brit Kavod (classroom rules and expectations) and conducted a brief overview of our two main topics for the year: the Holocaust and Ketuvim (the book of writings). Then, we took a break and visited the frozen yogurt truck for free froyo!

Our theme this year is, "Writing Our Stories." In addition to studying the ancient writings of our people and writings from/about the Holocaust, we will also be doing our own writing. Every student will keep a journal, and we will post some of our writing (anonymously) on a class blog. Stay tuned for more information about this fabulous project!

We ended our day with a discussion about anti-Semitism. Students began learning about some of the ugly myths about Jews and the facts that disprove or explain those myths.

We ended our class with Psalm 150 and spent some time writing in our journals. Then, we headed to a high-energy Ruach session, full of music and movement!

We don't have TBORS next week, but don't forget to come to Splash Bash at the JCC, 1-4pm.

We will be posting copies of these emails, as well as other information about the class on the TBORS wiki (http://tbors.wikispaces.com/Eighth+Grade) Be sure to check it out to get information about our class. And while you're there, take a look at the Jr. RalFTY page, too! (http://tbors.wikispaces.com/JR+RALFTY)

Finally, please note that the 8th grade will be leading a Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) service on April 20. This service will represent the culmination of a lot of hard work by the students. It is a powerful experience, and one you don't want your family to miss. Put it on calendar now and avoid a schedule conflict later!

L'Shalom, Blakely and Dayn