As you come into my Synagogue (Dix Hills Jewish Center) on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or even a Thursday afternoon; you will find children in the building.  As you walk towards the Religious School wing you may hear these children vocalizing as they learn the Hebrew alphabet, repeating lines of prayers as they learn them, and chattering as they engage in activities in their classrooms.

In the Religious School our students are learning about their own Jewish Identity, not only outside of the Home, but also amongst their peers.  As an after school program, our teachers understand that not all lessons can be taught through lecture or reading.  As someone said – Learning can be fun!  In our school, some of these lessons involve arts and crafts activities.  I have fond memories, and I’m sure you do too, and learned more about the holidays in my Synagogue Religious School – whenever we worked on projects that depicted a specific holiday.  One that always has stuck out in my mind was a project we did for Purim in Dalet (4^th grade).  We were organized into groups of 4 students.  As a group, we had to decide together on a project that would show our knowledge of the Purim Story.

My group decided to write a play (not a musical!) on the Purim story.  We were going to create the sets, write a script, and put on our “play” for the class and the Rabbi.  The script was easy as we could reference the Megillah Esther – a simplified version was given to us as part of the Curriculum on the Holidays. Basically we used the text word for word, only changing it to more modern language.   The sets were created from Cardboard, paper, crayons, and other material.  The play could be no more than ten minutes since everyone in the class was presenting on the same day.   The projects would then be showcased at the early service for Purim just prior to the reading of the Megillah Esther.

During this process of creation, regardless of the project the groups chose, we learned more about Purim than we ever could by simply reading about it in a book, going to hear the Megillah Esther at Synagogue, or even learning it from our Parents or Grand-Parents.

The utilization of creativity has always been a great way to learn about our history. Building “edible dreidels” at Hanukkah, making spice bags for Havdallah, creating your own Miriam’s cup for Passover, are just a few examples of creative art projects throughout the Jewish world. Through this process our students are not only learning about the specific holiday, Shabbat, Israel, or Jewish living, but they are expressing themselves on a creative level, how they view these subjects within their lives, at that point and time.

This type of learning is referred to as Kinesthetic learning or tactile learning.  This is a learning style where learning takes place when students carry out physical activities.  Instead of listening to a lecture or watching demonstrations, the students become do-ers or active learners versus passive learners.  This style of learning is also referred to as hands-on learning.

Kinesthetic learning was defined and discussed in Howard Gardner’s Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences.  In his book, Gardner notes activities – art project, dancing, even putting on plays and skits, as great ways to increase kinesthetic intelligence: “….using the body to create (or do) something.”

Even through our prayers we demonstrate Kinesthetic memory – for the Sh’ma we wrap our Tzitzit around our fingers and in the third paragraph we kiss those fringes every time we say the word tzizit.  We bow during the Bar’chu (call to worship) and also at other points in the service.  During the Torah Service – we do not just read from a book, instead we devote an entire processional and recessional to take out and read the Torah, then to return the Torah to the Ark.  All of this represents Kinesthetic Memory, which we develop in our early years through Kinesthetic learning.

One of the pleasures I have at DHJC (Dix Hills Jewish Center) is having my office in the Religious School wing.  If I am not with a student or a Congregant, I will work in my office with my door open so that I can hear the sounds of the students learning.  I can hear students reciting prayers, reading Hebrew texts, or just having discussions on Jewish topics.  It is amazing how much the students are doing and learning in just a couple of hours two times a week.

As you know, learning just doesn’t happen in the classroom.  Another great opportunity for Jewish learning within our community are the family programs we have at DHJC.  These programs are a way for the students to learn alongside their families and other families  – whether it is making Latkes for Hanukkah, or working on a Purim project, or a Shabbat encounter – these programs are an important part of the learning process and an important part of building our DHJC community.

One of these programs we are most proud of is the Class participation Shabbat services.  Throughout the year we had several of the classes take part in and even take leadership roles in Kabbalat Shabbat Services; Shabbat morning services, and Shabbat Minha services along with Havdallah.  These services are vital to the continued Jewish education.  At class Havdallah services in particular, some of our  teachers read the Torah so that they can be an example to there students.  This is a touching moment as they read from the Torah – the students are quiet and listen appreciatively as their teacher demonstrates reading from the Torah.

All this and more is done in Synagogue Religious Schools.  When you come into your Synagogue building, if you are there during Religious School hours, please stop by and observe, see how your children are learning, not only the Hebrew language, but their Jewish Values, the holidays, Shabbat, and living a Jewish life.  And when your see their teachers, or any of the teachers in the Religious School, or when you see the Education Director, remember to thank them for their hard work and dedication to our children who represent the future – L’Dor Vador.