3D Temple diorama

 HOLY  TEMPLE  DIORAMA

Vayeshev

Yaacov and his family settled in Canaan. Of all his sons, Yaacov favored Yosef, the firstborn of his deceased beloved wife Rachel, and he made for him a special robe of fine wool.

Coloring Yosef's robe 

In this week's reading, Vayeishev, Yosef relates to his brothers his grandiose dreams of greatness, arousing their jealousy. He is consequently sold into slavery to an Egyptian master. After defying his Egyptian master's wife, Joseph is thrown into jail, where he interprets the dreams of Pharaoh's cup-bearer and baker .

Yosef's game board

A game with cards asking questions about Yosef's life. Players are trying to empty their hands of cards with questions and to collect the grain card for every right answer they give.

Channukah apple

Star of David apple. Sun painted.

Dreidels

Wood Dreidels and jute bag

Hand painted wood dreidels for Channukah coming with handmade jute decorated bags.

Children menorah

Clothespins menorah

Menorah of clothespins made by my little girls

Channukah Star of David decoration

Channukah felt frame decoration

Safed photo frame

Tzefad felt photo frame

Vayetze

Yaacov left Be'er Sheba and headed towards Charan, to his uncle Laban's home. While traveling, Yaacov encountered "the place" (Mount Moriah) and since the sun had set, he lay down to sleep. In a dream he saw a ladder reaching up to heaven with angels ascending and descending its rungs. G‑d appeared and informed him that He would bequeath the entire land to his descendants, and that He would safeguard him until he returned to Canaan. Yaacov awoke, and now recognizing the holiness of the location, he erected a monument to G‑d, named the location Beth El ("House of G‑d"), and vowed to tithe all his belongings when G‑d's promise of a safe return would be fulfilled.

Yaacov's dream cut and paste board 

 

Chayè Sarah

Sarah died at the age of 127, and her grieving husband Abraham identified a plot in the city of Hebron that he wished to procure for use as a family burial ground. This plot, a cave situated in the Machpela field, belonged to Ephron the Hittite, so Abraham approached the Hittite tribe and asked for permission to purchase the parcel of land. Originally Ephron wished to give the plot to Abraham as a gift, but after Abraham insisted on paying full price the acquisition was concluded with Abraham paying 400 premium silver coins.

The Cave of Machpela pop up card 

Vayerà

G‑d paid Abraham a visit, as he sat at the entrance of his tent. Abraham suddenly noticed three travelers passing by, and ran to invite them into his home. These passersby, who were actually angels in human disguise, accepted the invitation, and Abraham and Sarah prepared a sumptuous feast for them. The angels informed Abraham that Sarah would give birth to a child exactly one year later. Eighty-nine-year-old, post-menopausal Sarah, who was standing nearby, heard this assurance, and laughed. G‑d was displeased with Sarah's lack of faith.

Abraham's tents by Michael Muchnik

G.d appeared to Abraham at the Oaks of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance of his tent. It was the hottest part of the day. 

 THE OAK OF MAMRE

Oval wooden hand-painted with the children showing the oak of Mamre, and the three angels

Lech Lecha

And the Lord said to Abram, "Go forth from your land and from your birthplace and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will aggrandize your name, and [you shall] be a blessing. And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you." (bereshit 12:1-3)
And G-d took him outside, and said, "Please look heavenward and count the stars, if you are able to count them." And He said to him, "So will be your offspring.." And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him as righteousness.(Bereshit 15:5-6)

Glittering stars waterglobe 

 Glass jar outside painted with stars and filled with glitter, water and glycerin

Noach

Of kosher animals and birds, Noah was commanded to take seven pairs of each species (as opposed to one pair of all other species). Noah, his family, and the required animals boarded the teivah and the mabul began.

 Animals shapes and shadows modern Ark tableau

The tree of Life for parashah Bereshit

After Adam was formed from the earth, G‑d placed him in a garden just east of Eden where G.d plated the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge. G‑d permitted Adam to eat from any tree in the garden, with the exception of the Tree of Knowledge. 

Tree of Life necklace

Necklace with Tree of Life handmade. Draw on a rod of pine wood the tree of life, make a hole with a fine point and pass a green waxed thread. Add your favorite wood or stone beads for decoration.

Bereshit

The story of creation in six days. On the first day G‑d made darkness and light. On the second day He formed the heavens, dividing the "upper waters" from the "lower waters." On the third day He set the boundaries of land and sea and called forth trees and greenery from the earth. On the fourth day He fixed the position of the sun, moon and stars. Fish, birds and reptiles were created on the fifth day; land-animals, and then the human being, Adam, on the sixth. G‑d ceased work on the seventh day, and sanctified it as a day of rest.

Creation Collage

 

Children images collage of the seven days of creation

Tefillah Geshem on Shemini Atzeret

TEFILLAH GESHEM

Children artwork of raindrops on autumn leaves glued on paper

Shemini Atzeret, meaning "the eighth day of assembly," is a Biblical Jewish holiday that follows the Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is written: "On the eighth day you should hold a solemn gathering; you shall not work at your occupation".
Shemini Atzeret marks the beginning of the rainy season following the harvest in Israel.
The prayer for rain, Tefilat Geshem, is the only ritual that is unique to Shemini Atzeret. In ancient times, an offering was brought to the Temple in Jerusalem on Shemini Atzeret. But once the Temple was destroyed, the only Shemini Atzeret ritual that remained was the liturgy requesting rain for a plentiful year.
After the prayer for rain is recited on Shemini Atzeret, the phrase Masheev HaRuach U-Moreed HaGeshem (He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall) is inserted into the Amidah prayer until Passover.