Each week the kindergarten children anxiously anticipate our Shabbat celebration on Friday afternoons. These past two weeks, we took the time to study Shabbat and the significance of Shabbat in a more in depth approach. We begin by exploring the question I posed to the children, "What do you know about Shabbat?" The children eagerly asnwered, "We rest," "We don't do work on Shabbat, " "We light candles and eat challah," "We go to shul!" "Yes," I replied, "But why?" "Because Hashem took 6 days to make the world, and on the 7th day, He rested, so we rest." It was clear to me that the children knew the "basics:, but there is so much more to Shabbat!
I exclaimed, "I love Shabbat, let me tell you why!" "I love that Hashem gave me the gift of a special day to enjoy peacefulness and joy. I love that on Shabbat, I have the opportunity to share the day with my family without the distractions of everyday life. Don't misunderstand, I love my life, and I love teaching - but on Shabbat, I can pause, and reflect on my week, share time with my family, and build my connection with Hashem. I can take time to figure out what went well, and what did not...and taking this time, well, it makes me feel at peace....and I feel joyful!"
I asked the children to close their eyes, and to think about Shabbat. Perhaps, they would think of our time as a class and how we prepare and enjoy a Shabbat celebration together. Or, perhaps, they would ponder their Shabbat experiences at home with their families. I asked them to think about the "sounds" of Shabbat, the "smells" of Shabbat, what they "see" on Shabbat, what they "do" on Shabbat, what they "eat" on Shabbat. To use all their senses as they created a "mental image" of Shabbat in their minds. I could almost feel the peace seettling about our room as we enjoyed this exercise together. "Now open your eyes," I said."How do you feel?" "Like I want challah now!" said one excited child. "Me too!" I said. "I feel like I could take a nap" "I want to see my mom!" "I can't wait for Shabbat this week!"
The excitement in the children was evident, Shabbat makes us happy! We discussed the rituals of Shabbat, ligthing the Shabbat candles, drinking grape juice or wine, eating challah, and we came to realize, that these practicies make us feel the "Kedusha" or holiness of Shabbat. They make the day "feel" special. Hashem gave us this special day because Hashem loves us so much! And, while everyday is important, Shabbat gives us the opportunity to feel the joy and the peace in our lives in so many ways!
The preparation for Shabbat helps us to feel that "seperation" from our week and Shabbat. As we prepared for our special Shabbat dinner we would share with our Zimmer families, the kindergarten children used their reflections about how Shabbat makes them feel to write a song, entitled, We Love Shabbat!, sung to the tune of "You're A Grand Old Flag." This song truly shared the joy they feel on Shabbat! We were so excited to teach it to our Prek friend, and then sing it together at our Shabbat dinner!
The kindergarten children also created their own representation of a family sharing Shabbat in their home by making a Shabbat Diaroma. Each child created his or her own unique "Shabbat Dining Room" that represented their idea of Shabbat. As the diaromas took shape, we discussed what we would have on our table, who would be at the table, what time of day it would be, and....how the table might differ depending on the time of day. For example, one child declared it was Shabbat evening, and he drew a picture of his dad outside the window he made, going to shul. It was Friday night!
The children also prepared part of the meal we would all share with our Zimmer family. Together, we prepared the salad and baked up many batches of yummy brownies! We could not wait for the big night. We even set all the tables! The children proudly carried their diaromas to our "Zimmer dining room" and set each one upon a table for the centerpiece. We were so excited for our families to finally get to see them!
Last Friday was indeed a busy day as we prepared for our Shabbat Dinner. "Don't forget", exclaimed one child. "We need to do some cleaning in this classroom before Shabbat!" "Great idea," said another friend, "Let's start with our cubbies!" All the children dashed to his or her cubby to clean! This might just be our new Friday ritual!
