parashah Shemot

Jocheved gives birth to a son, and of course, she is afraid that he will be killed, so, at first, she hides him in her house. But then, when she is afraid that the Egyptians will find him, she makes him a little waterproof cradle and hides it in the long grasses near the edge of the river. 
RIVER NILE 

As it happens, Pharaoh's daughter comes down to the river to bathe, and she notices this strange little basket floating in the river. She sends her maid to get it, and she sees a crying little baby inside! She names the boy Moses and decides to take him home and raise him as her son. That's how it happens that Moses, a Jewish boy, grows up in the palace.
BABY MOSHE' ORIGAMI BASKET 

here you find the origami instructions

 

Parashah Vayechi

HAMALACH HAGOEL
This picture of a hand giving Yaacov's blessing of "Hamalach Hagoel" was the blessing Yaacov gave to Ephraim and Menashe on his deathbed.

 When Yosef saw that his father had placed his right hand on Ephraim's head, he was displeased. He tried to lift his father's hand from Ephraim's head and place it on Menashe's.
"That's not the way it should be done, Father," said Yosef. "The other one is the first-born. Place your right hand on his head." 

 His father refused and said, "I know, my son, I know. The older one will also become a nation. He too will attain greatness. But his younger brother will become even greater, and his descendants will become full-fledged nations."
On that day Yaacov blessed them. He said, "In time to come Israel will use you as a blessing. They will say, 'May HaShem make you like Ephraim and Menashe.'" He deliberately put Ephraim before Manasseh. (Akhlah.com) 

YAACOV BLESSINGS SHEVATIM SPINNER GAME PROJECT.

Yaacov called for his sons. When they came, he said, "Come together, and I will tell you what will happen in the course of time.
Come and listen, sons of Yaacov; listen to your father Israel.
Help children review the Birchas Yaakov from Parshas Vayechi, including each shevet’s symbol  by playing this spinner game. This is a fun, educational, self-checking method of review since if the cards are placed in the correct spots; a beautiful picture of the Birchas Yaakov will be formed.

Game Instructions:
1. Print, cut and laminate the spinner, gameboard, and cards.
2. Each card has a picture.
3. Attach Velcro to each square of the gameboard and the side of each card.
4. Spin the spinner.
5. Find the card for that Shevet
6. If the cards are placed in the correct places, a beautiful picture will be created.

HANDS ON THE PARSHA: VAYIGASH

HANDS ON THE PARSHA: VAYIGASH

parashah vaiygash

Judah approaches Joseph and begs him to free Benjamin. He even offers himself as a slave, yes he offers to stay in Egypt as Joseph's slave instead of Benjamin! As long as Benjamin is set free and allowed to return to his father's home in Canaan. At this point, when Joseph sees how much his brothers care about one another, he can no longer hold back his feelings. He sends all his servants and guards out of the room, and when he and his brothers are left alone he cries and says "I am Joseph, is my father still alive?"
ANI YOSEF, HAOD AVI' HAI?

A creative project for students to visualize the differences between the way Yosef
appeared to his brothers as the Egyptian viceroy and how he looked to them
once he revealed himself.
Tape the two faces of Yosef onto the Vayigash page so that the faces can be flipped up.
The bottom face should be the one of Yosef as the loving brother (with beard, smile, kippah)
The top face should be the one of Yosef as the Egyptian ruler ( with beard and angry look)

SERACH KINOR

Serach played on her kinor, Yosef is alive
Yaakov was so happy when the wagons did arrive
When Yaakov saw Yosef after so many years
They hugged one another and cried happy tears 
Children are delighted to use this harp, made out of a wooden
hanger that really "plays" music, just like Serach’s did in Parshas
Vayigash.

Both projects from Chinuch.org

Wood Star of David

A wood blue painted Star of David with a silver floreal decoration we made on it.

Used as Chanukah hanging decoration

parashah miketz - Shabbath Channukah

Pharaoh dreams. He stands by the Nile and watches seven fat, beautiful cows pasture together. Moments later, seven gaunt, ugly cows approach the others. They stare at each other. The seven skinny cows devour the seven fat cows. Pharaoh wakes up.

The same night, Pharaoh dreams again: Seven perfect, healthy ears of grain grow on a stalk. Seven parched ears grow after them. The cracked and dry ears swallow the beautiful and bursting ears.

PARO' DREAM

 the fat cow

and the skinny cow.
















SHABBATH CHANNUKAH

channukah homemade menorah

Miketz - Shabbat Chanukah I

Title: Miketz - Shabbat Chanukah I
Echelon Art Gallery
Oil Paintings, Prints, Drawings and Water Colors
Medium: Water Color on Paper
Size: 26-1/2" x 18-1/2"

CHAG CHANNUKAH SAMEACH!

Channukah hanging menorah

Painted poposticks door hanging menorah.

Channukah Gelts packs

Channukah Gelt tissue packs

Channukah tissue menorah

Simple quilt and sewing tissue and felt menorah

Channukah paper menorah

This all-paper menorah allows students to add the correct number of candles each night of Chanukah using Velcro.
Find the template and instructions HERE

Channukah stars of David decorations

parashah Vayeshev

Yaacov favors Yosef over his other brothers. Yaacov even makes him a beautiful coat of many colors.

YOSEF COLORFUL COAT

Yosef dreams about 12 bushels of wheat. Yosef 's bushel rises up and the other bushels bow down to it. When he repeats the dream to his brothers, he is laughed at and they ask him if he really believes that they will ever really bow down to him. His brothers hate him more because of the dream.
Yosef has another dream where the sun and moon and 11 stars are bowing down to him. When he repeats the dream his father scolds him saying, "Will I, your mother, and your brothers bow down to you?"

 YOSEF DREAMS