The Shabbat Box

The “Shabbat Box” (by Lesley Simpson) is the story of a boy named Ira, who has waited fourteen long weeks for his turn to take home the special Shabbat Box from school. Nothing is going to stop him, not even a bad snowstorm he has to walk through. When Ira finally gets home, he reaches into his backpack for the box but it is gone! What can Ira do? Suddenly, an old shoe box gives him an idea…

Ira makes his own Shabbat Box and that is what we are going to do too! What will be in our Shabbat Box? A challah cover, candlesticks, Kiddush cup, and challah. Over the next few weeks, we will put together our Shabbat Box using materials you can find around the house. There is no limit to creativity, imagination, style, and fun!  Let’s get started…

  1. Shabbat Box

Materials:

Shoe box (or similar box), brown kraft paper (or a brown paper bag, or construction paper, or printer paper), glue, tape, scissors, crayons, markers, stickers, sequins, buttons, feathers, and any other fun creative decorations for your box.

How To:

  • Take your box and make sure it is empty and clean.
  • Use your paper of choice: Kraft paper, brown bag, construction or printer paper and use it to glue/tape on to the top and all the sides of your box. This will create a clean surface for decorating.
  • Decorating time! Use any and all creative items to make your Shabbat Box  beautiful and wonderful to look at and use every Friday night. This could include using markers, crayons, stickers, sequins, glitter glue, feathers, buttons, etc. You can decorate not only the top of the box but the sides too!
  • Label your box: “Shabbat Box”.

The next part of our Shabbat Box project is making challah covers! Until then, be creative, have fun, and stay safe and healthy!

CHALLAH COVER

I hope you had fun making our first project: A “Shabbat Box”! The idea is from a story by Lesley Simpson called “The Shabbat Box” about a boy named Ira, who has waited fourteen long weeks for his turn to take home the special Shabbat Box from school. Nothing is going to stop him, not even a bad snowstorm he has to walk through. When Ira finally gets home, he reaches into his backpack for the box but it is gone! What can Ira do? Suddenly, an old shoe box gives him an idea…

Ira makes his own Shabbat Box and that is what we are doing too! What will be in our Shabbat Box? A challah cover, candlesticks, Kiddush cup, and challah.

Now, we need a “challah cover” in our Shabbat Box. Here are the instructions:

Challah Cover

Materials:

A cloth napkin (preferably solid color), or a plain handkerchief, or a cut piece of fabric from a t-shirt, sheet, pillowcase, etc.

Items to decorate your challah cover may include sharpies, glitter glue, fabric paint, etc.

How To:

  • Decide on your material and make sure it is washed and clean.
  • Gather your decorating supplies and get creative! Flowers, candlesticks, “Shabbat Shalom”, anything you would like to draw, design, or write to embellish and make your challah cover beautiful for Shabbat!
  • Take your time in decorating. Shabbat is special and your challah cover should be special too.

 

*(Scroll down for photos to help you with the “How To” in making your challah cover- 2 photos)

 

When the paint, markers, glitter,etc. Decorations that you made on your challah cover are dry, you may add your beautiful cover to your Shabbat Box.

 

The next part of our Shabbat Box project will be making candles and candlesticks. 

Until then, be creative, have fun, and stay safe and healthy!

CANDLES AND CANDLESTICKS

Let’s take a look at what we have made so far.. a lovely Shabbat Box and a beautiful challah cover! Now we finish what our Shabbat Box needs by making candlesticks, a kiddush cup, and challah. 

What is a Shabbat Box? The idea is from a story by Lesley Simpson called “The Shabbat Box” about a boy named Ira, who has waited fourteen long weeks for his turn to take home the special Shabbat Box from school. Nothing is going to stop him, not even a bad snowstorm he has to walk through. When Ira finally gets home, he reaches into his backpack for the box but it is gone! What can Ira do? Suddenly, an old shoe box gives him an idea…

Ira makes his own Shabbat Box and that is what we are doing too! What will be in our Shabbat Box? A challah cover, candlesticks, Kiddush cup, and challah.

Today we make candles and candlesticks…

Candles and Candlesticks

Materials:

2 cardboard toilet paper rolls

2 paper cups

Aluminum foil

Tissue paper or crepe paper

Markers, crayons, stickers, glitter glue, etc.

How to:

  • Candles – Take the toilet paper rolls and decorate using markers, crayons, stickers, glitter glue, ribbon, etc. Any color and any designs. Use some tissue paper or crepe paper for the flames.
  • Candlestick Holders – Take the two paper cups and cut a hole in the bottom of each cup the diameter of the toilet paper roll so that the roll can rest in the hole just like putting a real candle into a candlestick holder. Cover the outside of each cup with aluminum foil. Our candlesticks will look like silver!

*(Scroll down for photos to help you with the “How To” in making your candlesticks-3 photos)

The next part of our Shabbat Box art project is to make a kiddush cup and challah. Until then, please stay safe and healthy!

KIDDUSH CUP AND CHALLAH

Kiddush Cup

Materials:

  • One plastic drinking cup. Can be clear or color.
  • Sharpie markers (Not water-based markers)

How To:

  • Make a lip touching/drinking line on the cup. Above this line is the “drink from” area.  Below the drink line is where you can decorate with your sharpie markers. 
  • Draw any type of shapes, flowers, Hebrew letters, Jewish symbols, etc.on the cup.

*(Scroll down for photos to help you with the “How To” in making your Kiddush Cup and challah)

Challah

Materials:

Brown construction paper OR any white paper and color it brown.

How to:

Draw a challah on the paper, cut it out, and color it if needed. 

*(Scroll down for photos to help you with the “How To” in making your challah and for photos of our completed “Shabbat Box” – 3 photos- keep scrolling for each separate photo)

WE DID IT! WE MADE OUR “SHABBAT BOX” AND ALL THAT GOES IN IT!

That was so much fun! Please use your new Shabbat Box with your challah cover, candlesticks, kiddush cup, and challah proudly each Shabbat. Welcome in the “Shabbat Queen”, enjoy being with your family, be grateful for all that you have, and stay safe and healthy!

What is Jewish About Butterflies? From Ms. Hinda

There are more than 160,000 species of butterflies found all over the world! Let’s look at some Jewish concepts regarding butterflies:

  • Butterflies were created in Genesis on the sixth day, the same day as Adam and Eve.
  • Watching the beauty of butterflies and making sure they are a protected species is the Jewish value of Tza’ar Ba’alei Chaim. This Jewish value literally means “suffering of living things” and is a commandment which bans causing animals unnecessary suffering.
  • There is even a blessing acknowledging the beauty of God’s creations: “Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech HaOlam Oseh Maaseh Vreishit” – Blessed are you, our God, Creator of the Universe, Who Makes All Creations. You can say this blessing upon seeing butterflies.
  • And we also have to think about protecting our environment so that butterflies have the bounty of nature (plants, flowers, trees, grass) to survive. God gave human beings the responsibility to watch over and take care of the earth.  

So, now, let’s get started making our butterflies!

Materials:

  • One empty toilet paper cardboard roll
  • Single hole puncher
  • Cardstock paper 
  • Butterfly wing template 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_P-m5Ql8wZyPo9b7tsHWSlhre9V_bP4a/view?usp=sharing

  • Markers, crayons, paint
  • Stickers, sequins, glitter glue
  • Pipe cleaners or baggie twist ties
  • Googly eyes or buttons
  • Sharp knife or scissors- GROWNUPS ONLY USE THIS SHARP OBJECT!
  • Glue

 

How to Make Your Butterfly:

  1. Take cardboard toilet paper roll and punch out two holes near the top of the roll for the antenna. 
  2. >>GROWNUP ONLY! A Grownup must do this step! – Take a sharp scissors/knife and make two slits in the cardboard roll, one on each side. The wings will be inserted in them later. 
  3. Decorate the toilet paper roll (which is the body of the butterfly). Use markers, crayons, paint, stickers, sequins, etc. Get creative and colorful!
  4. After the toilet paper roll is dry/done take two googly eyes or buttons and glue them below the holes for the eyes.
  5. Take two pipe cleaners or twist ties and put them into the holes you punched out keeping them stretched to look like antennas.
  6. Download the template for the wings. Print onto cardstock paper. Or print and you can trace onto construction paper if you do not have cardstock.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_P-m5Ql8wZyPo9b7tsHWSlhre9V_bP4a/view?usp=sharing
  7. Cut out the wings and decorate the wings with markers, crayons, etc.
  8. Finally, take your decorated wings and insert one in each of the slits you made on the side of the cardboard toilet paper roll.

YOUR BUTTERFLY IS READY TO FLY! 

**(Photos for “How to Instructions” below. Scroll down to next page to see 2 photos)**

SCROLL DOWN FOR 2 “HOW TO” PHOTOS….

CHALLAH COVER

I hope you had fun making our first project: A “Shabbat Box”! The idea is from a story by Lesley Simpson called “The Shabbat Box” about a boy named Ira, who has waited fourteen long weeks for his turn to take home the special Shabbat Box from school. Nothing is going to stop him, not even a bad snowstorm he has to walk through. When Ira finally gets home, he reaches into his backpack for the box but it is gone! What can Ira do? Suddenly, an old shoe box gives him an idea…

Ira makes his own Shabbat Box and that is what we are doing too! What will be in our Shabbat Box? A challah cover, candlesticks, Kiddush cup, and challah.

Now, we need a “challah cover” in our Shabbat Box. Here are the instructions:

Challah Cover

Materials:

A cloth napkin (preferably solid color), or a plain handkerchief, or a cut piece of fabric from a t-shirt, sheet, pillowcase, etc. 

Items to decorate your challah cover may include sharpies, glitter glue, fabric paint, etc. 

How To:

  • Decide on your material and make sure it is washed and clean.
  • Gather your decorating supplies and get creative! Flowers, candlesticks, “Shabbat Shalom”, anything you would like to draw, design, or write to embellish and make your challah cover beautiful for Shabbat!
  • Take your time in decorating. Shabbat is special and your challah cover should be special too. 

*(Scroll down for photos to help you with the “How To” in making your challah cover- 2 photos)

When the paint, markers, glitter,and all decorations that you made on your challah cover are dry, you may add your beautiful cover to your Shabbat Box.

The next part of our Shabbat Box project will be making candles and candlesticks. 

Until then, be creative, have fun, and stay safe and healthy!

Tzedakah Box

So far this summer we have made a “Shabbat Box” that you can use each Friday night and a beautiful “Mezuzah” to proudly display. Our new project is a “Tzedakah Box”.

“Tzedakah” is the mitzvah of giving to those in need. It also means righteous or justice. We are  doing the right thing by helping people. One can donate food, clothing, toys, or one’s time to those in need. It is most common to donate money. You can begin this wonderful mitzvah by putting a few coins each week into a “Tzedakah Box”.  Look for coins on the floor of the car or under the sofa cushion. Maybe Mom has some loose change at the bottom of her purse or Dad has some extra coins in his jacket pockets? Add to your “Tzedakah Box” each week. When your box is full, donate the money to a charity of your choice. Then start all over again adding change each week. My family likes to put coins in our “Tzedakah Box” every Friday before Shabbat. Giving Tzedakah is a mitzvah to continue for the rest of your life. It will always make you feel good to help those who need it!

Tzedakah Box

Materials:

  • One small clear plastic container with lid
  • Sharpie Markers
  • Stickers
  • Sequins
  • Glue/tape
  • Glitter Glue
  • Scissors (sharp)
  • Blank white label or small piece of white paper or colored paper for label

How To:

  • Make sure plastic container is clean and dry
  • *Only Mom or Dad do this part!: Using a sharp knife, make a slot in the lid for coins
  • Decorate your box and lid: Any colors or designs using sharpies, glitter glue, stickers, sequins, etc.
  • Wait for decorations to dry
  • On the blank label or small piece of paper write: “Tzedakah” and tape or glue to box
  • Place lid on top and begin collecting coins 

**(scroll down for “How To” photo)

Harvest Basket

The holiday of “Sukkot” is an ancient harvest festival. Much of the imagery and ritual of the holiday revolves around rejoicing and thanking God for the completed harvest. Sukkot also commemorates the wanderings of the Israelites in the desert after the revelation at Mount Sinai, with the huts representing the temporary shelters that the Israelites lived in during those 40 years.

Today we celebrate this week-long holiday by building and decorating our own Sukkah (hut). We enjoy meals in the Sukkah and welcome guests – “Ushpizim” – to join  us.  The Sukkah is a temporary structure with a roof that enables us to see the stars. 

On Sukkot we also shake the  lulav and etrog; symbols of harvest time. The lulav is a combination of date palm, willow and myrtle branches, held together by a woven palm branch. The etrog, or citron, is a lemon-like fruit with a wonderful citrus smell. 

In honor of the “harvest”, we will be making our own harvest baskets using something that we all have at home; brown paper shopping/grocery bags and weaving them into baskets!

Materials

Brown paper grocery/shopping bags

Ruler

Scissors

Scotch Tape

Clear Packing tape

Glue 

Ribbon

“Bling” (sequins, beads, feathers, etc)  to glue onto ribbon if desired

How To

  • Remove the base of the bag and any handles. Flatten the remaining paper.
  • Cut the bag into strips that are 1.5 inches wide. (Use your ruler or tape to measure those out!) If you’re using grocery bags like us, the strips should be about 17-18 inches in length. Keep cutting until you’ve run through a whole bag, which should be roughly 22 strips. 
  • You will also want to cut 4-5 longer strips, measuring about 30 inches, for the sides of the basket. So break out another bag for those. Cut a slit down one side of the grocery bag and unfurl the entire thing for added height.
  • Lay out eight strips horizontally. Now, start weaving eight strips into them vertically. This will form the base of your basket. If you want to make your basket bigger, simply add your extra strips.
  • Secure the corners with tape. Then fold up the ends of the strips, so they stand at a 90 degree angle from the base.
  • Weave the longer strips around the sides.
  • Fold the top edges of the basket into the inside and secure them with tape.
  • Then secure the entire top part with clear packing tape so it all holds.
  • Take ribbon and glue around the top edge of the basket. This hides all the tape you used.
  • You can add some extra “bling” to your basket by gluing sequins, beads, etc. to the ribbon.
  • Wait for the glue to set and dry.
  • Now your basket is ready for your harvest fruit!

**(Scroll down for photos to help you with the “how to” in making your basket- 4 photos total)**