Theme of Freedom Permeates Third Grade Tefillah

Third graders confidently led their families and fourth and fifth grade peers this morning for their grade-level tefillah (service). With Passover beginning next week, students explored the theme of freedom, with each student sharing a quote about freedom—“'A friend is someone who gives you total freedom to be yourself,' said Jim Morrison,” a student shared—as well as about what freedom means to members of the community. To prepare for the tefillah, third graders first selected the theme of freedom (voting as a class), and then looked at the prayers in the siddur (prayer book) to select the prayers that spoke to their chosen theme. “This whole process was done to empower the students to take ownership of the process and be leaders,” says Judaic studies teacher Sharona Israeli-Roth. The tefillah incorporated music, as Mr. Ferris led everyone on the guitar, and students played instruments—the Tubano drums and tambourines—and sang songs about freedom and Passover (“Chai” by Ofra Haza and “Miriam’s Song” by Debbie Friedman, among others).

 

Adds Ms. Roth, “This is not just about teaching about freedom but letting them experience the freedom of choice: the freedom to pick what is included in their service and is meaningful to share with the community. I’m extremely proud of their ownership of this tefillah.” MORE PHOTOS