Welcome On Board!
Well I think our first day at Edjewcation Station 2018 was a success! I’m so excited and loved each one of the kids and their participation! We are excited to welcome Boynton Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Coral Springs to our lineup of classes this year, as well as returning Davie students!
Our Coral Springs edjewcation station group on their 1st day
Our classes are meant to INCLUDE, not PREACH to. They are introspective, and none moreso than at this time of year, the High Holy Days. But the teaching doesn’t end in the classroom. As parents, you can continue the lesson at home, by ALL members of the family participating in discussion.
As you know, the High Holy Days are approaching, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. We learned the actual meaning of those words, and we learned about the 10 days in between, called the Days of Atonement.
On Rosh Hashanah, we celebrate the birthday of the world. We eat apples & honey for a sweet new year, and we usually have a “Yontif” (yiddish word for holiday) dinner the night before, as all Jewish holidays begin in the evening, and continue until sundown the next day. On this day, we begin to “take inventory” of our behaviors in the past year, and try to identify and acknowledge where we did not “hit our targets” in our behavior in the past year.
During this time – we take 3 key steps in examining and rectifying our behavior.
1. Acknowledge – we look at ourselves, and decide what actions we were not proud of or could have been better.
2. Apologize – we decide who we must apologize to – either to others, G-d, or ourselves, and we approach them with true apologies.
3. “Flip” to the positive! – we set our goals, or our new resolutions, using POSITIVE behavior words – rather than statements with “won’t” or “never”. We say – “I WILL respect the rules of my home”, etc., using those positive behavior statements.
Apologies and change are necessary because we believe that God seals our fate for the coming year, in our ability to make amends and implement positive change. Everyone is always given the opportunity to do things better, but the intention must be good in our hearts.
This is our “Jewish” system of accountability – knowing we have an accountability even when nobody human is watching. And we have the chance to start each year with a clean slate, but there are things we must do to wipe that slate clean.
We talked about the things they were not proud of this year, and how they can make positive changes each year as they get older, taking more responsibility for themselves. Now, let’s be honest – these are all 4 great kids – who NEVER miss their mark intentionally, but – there’s room for growth in everyone, and even if we weren’t bad – we can always get better in some area, and that is what I focused on. (I’ll NEVER focus on bad – only personal improvement and striving to be the best version of ourselves we can be)
All of this being said – I would LOVE for you to consider joining us for High Holiday services. It’s only 2 days out of the year – and I promise you will LOVE these services, and it will really reinforce what your children are learning.
Here is a link to our website and on this page is a link to purchase tickets:
Also, if you didn’t already – please tag yourself and/or share the facebook post on edjewcation station’s facebook page:
Thanks SO much! Looking forward to September 4th!
Deb
I love the opportunity to gather together as families (yes, my family often joins), welcome Shabbat, share what has been happening in our often all-to-busy lives, and have a lovely Shabbat dinner. I have always welcomed and invited my new families to these events, but I had never created one for families with whom I haven’t worked.
Fortunately, a family offered to reserve the clubhouse in The Canyons, a lovely community in West Boyton Beach that is home to young families and centrally located to many of those with whom I work. I created an invitation and opened the event to those I knew, those who wished to meet me and their friends. In keeping with the belief that this event should be casual, I decided a “Pot-Luck Shabbat” would encourage everyone to participate. I developed a sign up list, and in no time had volunteers for every item from main courses (salmon and chicken ) to sides to desserts. Looking for inspiration? Click 
As it turns out, all that worry was for nothing! First, the new families that joined me were warm, interesting and so much fun. And, their children were adorable! Each time I participate in event with young families I am reminded how much I love what I do. Obviously, families are the base of my community and welcoming new ones is always exciting. It felt like my own family was growing; what a beautiful thought.
We chatted and had a delicious Shabbat dinner and some yummy desserts. Then, we recited the Shabbat prayers over the candles, the wine and the Challah and we all sang some Shabbat songs together. I visited with old friends, met fabulous new people and shared the most special time of the week. The evening could not have been better.
The story of Hanukkah is exciting. There are bad guys and heros and happy endings — there is even a miracle. A little Jewish education is important during the holidays. Sometimes the best way to share the story is with a story – a story book! Years and years ago (oh no, am I showing my age?) Hanukkah books were hard to find. Today, that’s not the case. In fact, I recently found this 
As much as I love a latke, after all their salty goodness you do need something sweet. And that is where sufganiyot comes in to play. These sweet donuts filled with jelly are the perfect way to end a holiday celebration. And while you can always grab some jelly donuts from the local store, here is a quick and easy
Holiday games are always fun, and dreidel is always a crowd favorite. Each of the letters on the side of the dreidel corresponds to a specific action in the game. Click
Make the candle lighting special each night. Perhaps everyone in the house has their own Menorah (what a great idea for a first night of Hanukkah gift – 
Hurricane Irma happened…..and she happened hard. Because of Covenant House’s location, east Fort Lauderdale, it was one of the last organizations to have power restored. However, they were still responsible for caring for the young people who relied upon them. I was contacted and asked to help with the coordination of food and supply delivery. They usually prepare their own food, but the lack of power left their kitchen inoperable. So, I put out a call on my FB, and my community responded.
How to celebrate Shabbat. You heard me, Shabbat. In today’s day and age, when we all have so much going on, it’s easy to forget. But because we are so busy is precisely the reason we shouldn’t.