Beginning Torah Studies

Gan Consecration

Students decorated Torah covers

We welcomed our Gan class to the study of Torah in Beit Sefer.  On Simchat Torah, we invited them to the Bimah and gave them each a small Torah in honor of their first year in our program.  While we begin teaching the large idea of Torah as in Jewish teachings to the Gan class, we don't begin formally teaching the stories of the written Torah until Kitah Bet, second grade.   

Both classes were focused on learning about the Torah and the study of Torah today.  Both classes visited the sanctuary to look at the Torah, to see how it is decorated, how we treat it and what's written inside.  

All the Gan and Bet students had a chance to look inside the Torah

Kitah Bet students checking out the Torah

Our Gan students were sharing ideas of what might be in the Torah. We talked about animals, foods and holidays that are in the Torah and ones that aren't in the Torah.  What belongs and what doesn't seemed interesting to them.  Of course, why didn't I ever think of using in the Torah and not in the Torah for a age appropriate game in Gan?

Kitah Bet wants to keep reading more Torah stories

Our Kitah Bet students questions were more about the how and why of the Torah.    Why is the Torah heavy?   Why is it called the Torah?  We could have sat there all day asking questions.   Luckily asking questions is exactly what we do when we study Torah!  
At each age, we ask different questions.   I guess this is why we come back to the Torah every year. Though it stays the same, we change as does our ability to find new questions and new meaning.