MILTON Celebrates Mitzvah Day
June 14, 2018 by
The whole school celebrated Mitzvah Day yesterday (6/13, in honor of the 613 mitzvot listed in the Torah).
On the North Campus, children and adults spent a week writing down different mitzvot they performed on paper hearts, then decorated the North Campus with them! Students were challenged to go on a mitzvah scavenger hunt and see how many types of mitzvot our community performed. Some of the mitzvot the students did or saw others do, included learning Torah, visiting their grandmother in the hospital, helping out friends or parents, and celebrating Shabbat. Thank you to Nechama Malkiel, MILTON Judaic Studies Teacher and one of our Ayeka cohort members, for this meaningful and creative learning experience on Jewish values and living.
On the South Campus, the festivities focused on learning and practicing a different mitzvah each day. The first day was themed “v’ahavta lere’acha kamocha” (love others as you love yourself). Kindergartners read the Hebrew story “Lemale et Hadli” (How to Fill Your Bucket) and talked about what they love about themselves and how they would like to be treated. The second day focused on “bal taschit” (not destroying needlessly), which coincided perfectly with Yom Sport (Field Day), as all the students worked together to help clean up trash from the park. On the third day, the students learned and talked about “derech eretz” (thoughtful conduct), making insightful comments about what derech eretz looks and sounds like. Some of the children’s ideas included “being respectful,” “saying please and excuse me,” and “doing good things.” The final day leading up to Mitzvah Day focused on “kabed et avicha v’et imecha” (honor your parents).
On Mitzvah Day itself, to honor the mitzvah “lehiyot besimcha” (it’s a mitzvah to be happy), South Campus students enjoyed Israeli Dancing and a lively sing-along! The students also wore their completed mitzvot necklaces, featuring a paper charm the students made for every mitzvah of the week.
