For the past month, one of the focuses of fourth grade Judaic studies has been tzedakah which, explains teacher Sharona Israeli-Roth, “comes from the Hebrew root tzedek, meaning political justice.” Each student worked with their families to choose a tzedakah project for their family to engage in. “This project empowers students and their families to take time out of their busy schedule to engage as a family in an act of giving in our community,” Ms. Israeli-Roth adds. The culmination of these family tzedakah projects was on full display yesterday during the Tzedakah Fair. Students shared with classmates and lower school guests their chosen area of action and chronicled their family participation. Projects ranged from support for institutions such as the San Francisco Ronald McDonald House and the SF SPCA to bringing environmental awareness through agencies such as the Marine Mammal Center and Friends of the Urban Forest, or performing beach cleanups. Some students set up lemonade stands and neighborhood bake sales to raise money for their selected organizations.

 

Says Ms. Israeli-Roth, “By sharing their projects with the school community, the fourth graders are learning how to present and speak publicly and to inspire others and maybe start a chain of tzedakah.” MORE PHOTOS