By Avi F. (Grade 5) In this week's parasha, Parashat במדבר, we learn about many things. In the beginning, Hashem commands Moshe to count every male that is age 20 or older. Hashem tells Moshe to ask each male over 20 for a מחצית השקל, a half-Shekel, and then count the money they collected. Then the Torah lists...

This year's Friday Oneg has included many unique ways of connecting to each of our students at their own age and developmental level. Our newest addition has provided 4th graders with a chance to bring art, technology, and parasha into the same room. The Oneg team, including our Technology Teacher, Andy Greenspan, and our director extraordinaire, Morah Hadas, are guiding 4th graders in creating weekly Parasha videos, in which they are the stars! Each week, a topic in the parasha is imparted with a modern twist. Students practice their lines, choose their costumes and backgrounds, and then film their movie. This new addition has become a highlight of our Onegs and the audience loves seeing classmates up on the big screen while getting a new perspective on the parasha. For details and a sample video...

By Alex S. (Grade 6) In this week's parasha, parashat Emor we learn about numerous laws dealing with ritual purity and what makes a kohen tameh (impure) and tahor (pure). The parasha starts off with the laws of kohanim interacting with the dead. Kohanim are generally not allowed to go near the dead or they will become tameh. However, there is an exception...

By Rabbi Justin Pines, MS Mashgiach Ruchani From the Second night of Pesach until Shavuot, we count 7 weeks, 49 days, the Omer. This should be an exciting time. A count up to Matan Torah (the receiving of the Torah at Har Sinai). Yet today, the Omer is designated as a time of communal mourning. We don't make weddings...