Pre-Kindergarten and Fourth Grade Report on JPDS-NC’s Yom Chesed (Good Deeds Day)
April 8, 2015 by
We had a special Good Deeds Day at JPDS-NC. Every grade performed a different good deed to help the world. As fourth graders, we got to mentor the pre-Kindergarteners, and work with them to bake challahs for the Hebrew Sheltering Home, which provides transitional housing to Jewish people in need. First, we taught Torah to the pre-Kindergarten kids, teaching them about the ritual of ‘taking challah’ when baking bread. “We taught them a bracha (blessing) and read to them. Then we baked the challah together. I learned it’s important to teach them stuff before they do it,” said Shoshana. “We baked 28 or so challot for the needy. We mixed the flour and water together; we braided it; then we gave it to one of the teachers to bake,” said Eliav.
The challahs were done and delivered in time for Shabbat. “It was very important because it was helping families who didn’t have enough food to eat and they would love challah,” commented Matan and Max. “We baked challah for people who don’t have it,” observed Theo, a pre-Kindergarten student. “I liked that we could teach younger kids about the tradition of taking challah,” said Judah. “I learned how you braid it!” added Joshua, a pre-Kindergartener.
“It was fun to play with the younger kids. It felt good to help people who need it,” said Ella. “Helping the families was a good thing. I think doing it with the pre-Kindergarteners made it even better,” said Isaac.