Donate to Bnos Yisroel
BE A Mentch is the preschool middos program. This year in honor of Shmitta the preschool is “visiting” different places in Eretz Yisroel and working on middos along the way. Along with our beloved puppets, Shulamis and Shoshana, this program was kicked off with passports and a general introduction to the topic of Eretz Yisroel. BEAM TIME is a special opportunity for the preschool to gather together as a group and spend time on interactive group activities run by our preschool director, Morah Chani Goldstein. These monthly activities are followed up with charts for students to complete in the classroom and at home so that the lessons are internalized.
Bnos Yisroel incorporates an annual performance for each grade into the curriculum. In First grade we celebrate the Siddur Play. It is a culmination of the review of letters and nekudos. This milestone marks the time that students can begin to read tefillos from inside a siddur!
The First Grade Siddur play, led by our first grade moros and morah Suri Schwartz, our music teacher, is all about shevach, bakasha and hodaah. The principal, Mrs. Itzkowitz, explains to the students each year, “The siddur you receive at this play is the same siddur that you will use until you are bubbies. This is a lifetime accomplishment. You might have to wait until you are older to drive a car but you can daven from a siddur now as a six year old and Be’H for many years to come!” The event is attended by parents and grandparents who join in celebrating this milestone. In addition to the Siddur, each girl receives a special gift wrapped picture wearing her costume and holding a siddur. It is our goal that this event generates excitement to embark on their new journey of tefillah to Hashem.
Recently, we explored the topic of “avira d Eretz Yisroel machkim”. Mrs. Turk taught that Torah wisdom is intensified in Eretz Yisroel. To illustrate this point the Elementary played a custom designed A Yiddishe Kop game. Pictures were presented of scenes from everyday life in Eretz Yisroel. Students were challenged to solve riddles based on the pictures. Some of the pictures included:
A Bus with a sign that says “mipnei seiva takum”
Signs on the walls of the streets announcing mechiras chametz, Simchas Bais Hashoeva or the time for Shabbos candle lighting
Corona Vaccination sign with a pasuk “vnishmartem meod lnafshosechem”
A related concept of tefilla kneged hamikdash was discussed and depicted . At the assembly famous shuls such as the Churva and Belz shul were visited. A take home lesson was the idea that from Baltimore we turn in the direction of mizrach-East to direct our tefillos toward the makom hamikdash. That week’s assembly included a paint party with Morah Paisley where each student designed a mizrach sign for her home. All of these activities are bringing the students to a new level of connection to Eretz Yisroel during this shemita year.
High School Production is the highlight of each school year. An interview with Mrs. Neuberger who, together with Miss Goldberg, oversees the production revealed the many levels at which our students are involved in bringing the production to the audience. This year’s performance was a festival of song and dance.
Bnos Yisroel wants each girl to have a role in the production process. This includes planning as well as performing the production itself. Student production heads Itta Gopin, Ahava Bondi, Rikki Breur and Elisheva Ehsanipor led their peers through the process. But the process really began with them. The were presented with a topic: Shalosh Regalim and then it was up to them to creatively develop content to express the idea in a meaningful way.
Each of the Shalosh Regalim - Pesach, Sukkos and Shavuos were depicted through an underlying theme related to that Yom Tov.
Once the theme was defined songs and dances were creatively introduced and included. For example, Pesach’s lesson of Hashem orchestrating our lives was clearly demonstrated when students danced in the role of chess pieces against the backdrop of a custom designed life-size chess board and we now have a better understanding of Shavuos after watching the girls dancing as links in a chain overcoming the costumed enemy soldiers.
The Festival of Song and dance began and ended with scenes of the בית המקדש and עליה לרגל. We are grateful to Mrs.Toby Berkowitz and Itta Gopin for preparing unique costumes for that time period. Our sewing heads, Nechama Reitberger, Esther Bloch and Nechama Katz worked on many beautiful costumes that brought each choir and dance and songdance to life. The heads of each group were involved in the process as well, designing the many accessories such as headbands and hats that added that necessary final touch.
Most students were involved both as performers and behind the scenes with scenery, costumes, props, lighting and more. Production is an activity providing individual development and personal growth - an opportunity for each girl to express her talents, in the yearly performances. The girls look forward to it each year!
