Parent: How was school today?
Child: Fine
Parent: What did you do at school today?
Child: Nothing

Why not try to shake things up a bit and use these suggestions as after school conversation starters (source: http://www.kidspot.com.au/10-things-to-ask-your-child/)


1. What was the funniest thing you heard all day?
2. What was your favourite thing that happened today?
3. Did your teacher get cross today? What happened?
4. What subject was the most interesting today?
5. Was anyone away today? Did that make the day different?
6. What was something new you read today?
7. What happened today that you wish hadn't happened?
8. What did you enjoy most for lunch today?
9. What are you learning about in science?
10. Did anyone do something nice for you today? Did you do something nice back?

 

This week we read the double parshiot of Tazria-Metzora. I wasn't so excited when I was informed that I would be doing these parshiot. In fact I've been told it is among the hardest parshiot for a Bar Mitzvah to write a d'var Torah on. This weeks particular Torah portion deals only with ritual and purity and mostly with the disease tzara'at which affects a person's physical well being and or house and is a source of ritual impurity. Clearly this isn't such exciting stuff for people in the modern period. Although I wasn't ecstatic to do it at first, as I read through some commentaries I stumbled upon one that interested me. Nehama Leibowitz wrote that as someone with tzara'at should should immediately begin going into the necessary steps to treat the infection, a person who has done something wrong should also immediately go into the necessary steps to repent. By doing so they have a chance to repair a relationship before to much damage is done.

 

 

Although this commentary is very important, much of the time we don't repent after doing something wrong to another person. This is why I am going to list three reasons why making right of something wrong you did to a person is better than ignoring what you had done and growing farther apart from them. The first reason is that owning up to what you did can relieve the guilt of you doing something wrong to that person. If you don't apologize for your actions you may always carry the guilt of what you did wrong to that person. The second reason is because it's a shame to destroy a relationship when it can be repaired. According to some rabbis relationships bring G-D closer to us, and solid relationships are important for us to fulfill this thinking. If you are able to repair a relationship, no matter how hard, it is a shame if you don't save it. The last reason is because it makes you a better person for owning up to what you did. Having the courage to say sorry when you are embarrassed about what you did can be hard, and having the courage to do it instead of taking the easy road makes you a better person.    

 

In Pirkei Avot, it is explained that you should run even to perform a light mitzvah. If so, we should be scrambling to repent for our wrongdoings. By repenting we have performed the mitzvah of repairing a relationship and so if ever we have to own up to something wrong we have done, we should do it immediately. Nehama Leibowitz explains that a person who got tzara'at should go into the necessary steps to heal, and in that same way when we do something wrong to another person we should go into the necessary steps to repent. Shabbat Shalom!

 

This week in Yossi Argov's Hebrew enrichment lesson, students explored the many facets of the IDF (Israeli defense forces) including its history, its units, its ranks, its colours, its slang, and who can and cannot join. Since Yossi has three years of army experience, the students also enjoyed peppering him with questions and creating their own military ranking system.

To complement their science studies, third grade students spent an afternoon at GardenWorks in Burnaby where they had the opportunity to taste test a variety of herbs and plant their own for home. The hands-on field trip was thoroughly enjoyed by all!

Grade 1 students always look forward to a visit from the bug man!
Grade 6 chesed club started working on different initiatives to raise money to help the people of Nepal. The first one started on Thursday near Arbutus Mall and will be continuing over the coming weekend in various locations and in VTT's parkade in the next few weeks.

On Tuesday May 5th, Ezra Shanken (CEO of Jewish Federation) and Alan Gill (CEO of the Joint Distribution Committee) will explain JDC's effort in Nepal and how the money raised by VTT students will be spent.

P4 students proudly show off their giant tower!