Prep to Year 5 students are buzzing with excitement for the upcoming High Holy Days! We have been hard at work learning about, preparing for and immersing in knowledge of this awesome time of year. And sweet voices have rung out in chorus across Google Meets!

Chodesh Elul, the month of Elul which precedes the celebrations of Rosh Hashanah, has brought with it a wealth of learning experiences and opportunities to explore the mitzvot (commandments) and minhagim (customs) associated with this time of year. Chodesh Elul is characterised as a period of introspection and self improvement. Our students kicked off Rosh Chodesh, the start of the new month, with a special Rosh Chodesh Kabbalat Shabbat led by our Jewish Experiential Educators (JEEs), Danny and Noa. Linking the idea of Teshuva (repentance) to the Shofar, each student made their own craft shofar, whose kolot (sounds) could be heard across the suburbs! To augment the sounds of children ‘blasting’ in their own homes, we have come together each Friday as a community for a live shofar sounding by Marc Light. The Elul theme continued with a P-5 schoolwide project promoting Tzedakah (charity) and community mindedness. The A.O.K. project encouraged students to create their own Acts of Kindness trees and to grow their awareness of others through meaningful actions.

In Jewish Studies classes across the Junior School, students have explored the meaning of Rosh Hashanah and the Days of Awe through discussion, craft, song and hands on experiences. We have examined various simanim (symbols) of Rosh Hashanah, learning about the representations, characteristics and name puns associated with blessings for the new year. Students have produced artistic wordarts, explanation pamphlets, gorgeous greeting cards, tzedakah boxes and more. Many of our students have also taken part in Rosh Hashanah challah baking, experimenting with a variety of shaping techniques to make challot agulot (round challot) for the New Year.

The Jewish Life team is thrilled to announce that on Wednesday 16 September the Junior School will be celebrating a Rosh Hashanah Festival! This virtual gala will comprise a full day of tailored LIVE activities for each year level. We will begin the day with P-5 together and split off into individual timetables. Each year level will have their own schedule of click tiles on their myKDS page to navigate their activities for the day. The day will conclude with a virtual Rosh Hashanah Assembly led by our Year 5s.

The Jewish Life and Learning team would like to take this opportunity to wish all of our families a healthy, happy and sweet new year. Shana tova u’metuka!

Louise Lowinger
Teacher & Jewish Life Coordinator K-5