Day 3 in Israel was "a day of extremes—beauty and sorrow, peace and pain—all of which made it incredibly special.” Read Ezra A. and Rina S.'s full reflection:
Today was our second full day! We spent most of the day in the Negev, filled with breathtaking sights and deeply emotional moments. We began the morning overlooking a stunning view of the Negev, a scene so beautiful that it’s indescribable. It made us think and feel many things. Sitting in peaceful silence, we took in the quiet beauty of the desert. Later, our journey took a heavy turn as we visited Kibbutz Nirim, one of the communities attacked on October 7. Despite it being heartbreaking and hard to hear these stories, we feel that as young Jews of this generation it’s crucial to hear and learn about these horrors. It felt both interesting and important to feel such strong and opposite emotions in the same day. In between, we had a fun and stunning hike in עין עבדת. Lastly, we also got to participate in an experience where we got to try fresh vegetables, fruits, and plants and meet some really cute animals! As the day came to an end, we drove to Jerusalem, where we shared dinner at the hotel. It was a day of extremes—beauty and sorrow, peace and pain—all of which made it incredibly special.
Aliyah Chet Day 2! 🐫 Gabby A. and Aidan R. wrote today's recap:
In the morning we visited Ben Gurion’s desert home at Sde Boker and learned cool facts about him. After, we went cliff rappelling. It was so fun and a little scary at first! Next, we all split up in jeeps and rode through Machtesh Ramon (Ramon Crater). We learned cool facts like: if you mix certain plant leaves with water and oil you can make soap. Last, we hiked to a camel riding place in the Negev. We rode camels and played cards (while waiting for the other riding group—not while we were on the camels!
Aliyah Chet is off to Israel! 🇮🇱 Nesiyah tovah (safe travels) to the Heilicher eighth graders.
Aliyah Chet landed safely in Israel and is already off on their adventures!
Students Stacie A. and Delilah R. wrote about their first day in Israel:
The first day of our Israel trip was long but meaningful, with memories that will last forever and activities that will never be forgotten. We started off the day by finishing our long flight. The journey begins, and we are all so excited! We got to see Aviva and Maayan [fellow student and teacher, respectively], who were waiting for us in the airport, and we met our awesome tour guide, Yoav. From there, we took a bus to the Negev, where we had our first Israeli meal. Many of us practiced ordering in Hebrew and got to try new foods. Next, we relaxed in the sand dunes, surrounded by the beautiful desert, and tried sandboarding, an activity similar to sledding and snowboarding, which was new to most of us. This was an amazing way to start off the trip, and made us even more excited for the coming days! We went to Sde Boker to visit the burial site of Ben Gurion, looking over Nachal Tzin, a beautiful canyon, where we did our shehechianu ceremony with many songs to celebrate being in Israel for the first time as a class! We ate our first dinner in Israel, and went to our hotel in Sde Boker to relax and get a good night's rest. Today was an amazing day, and we can’t wait for tomorrow!
The third graders presented their schoolwork to their families at their curriculum night. They got to show off their zoo enrichment ideas and more!
Today we celebrated 💯 days of school! Kindergarten and first grade dressed up and enjoyed activities using the number 100.
Tu B'Shvat higiya, chag la-ilanot! Tu B'Shvat has arrived, the festival of trees!
Happy Tu B'Shvat. Yesterday the seventh graders led us in a Tu B'Shvat seder at all-school lunch!
“We see kids come home who are amazing self-advocates and all of a sudden are motivated to do their own self-care and plan their day.”
Our very own Student and Teacher Resource Team Director Beth Shapiro was interviewed by the Star Tribune about sleepaway camp readiness. Beth has lots of expertise as a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist. She is also a mental health consultant for Herzl Camp.
Heilicher eighth graders got a taste of college at the University of Minnesota today!
Thank you, Minnesota Hillel, for welcoming us. The students got to tour Hillel as well as the university physics department. They visited the Upper Midwest Jewish Archives and even took the campus connector!
Fourth grade led a beautiful Havdalah ceremony Saturday evening. Families joined us for Havdalah and a celebration of learning, where students presented songs and classwork, including the glass Havdalah drip plates they made — see our earlier post of the students making the plates!
In addition to studying for Math Masters, Math Club students work on architectural projects each week. They used architectural diagrams and measurements to create working windmills.
Sometimes a field trip means getting to have a picnic lunch! Today K-2 went to the Children’s Theatre Company and then enjoyed lunch in the auditorium.
Seventh grade is displaying their knowledge and creativity!
To wrap up their study of the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries, seventh graders designed board games that reflect their knowledge of the Industrial Era, immigration, technological advancements, the Gilded Age, and the Progressive Era. In small groups, students combined historical evidence, game strategy, and creativity to create: Boom and Bust, The Hull House Project, Oligopoly, and Rags to Riches.
Lots of action on the court as Heilicher‘s Grades 7/8 boys basketball team won 39 to 9 last week! Go, Lions!!! 🦁
The sixth-grade students have begun a long-standing Heilicher tradition: The B’tzalel Project. This project brings together the creative arts, Jewish studies, and the students’ personal spiritual journey.
Each student is designing and creating a talit (prayer shawl). They have started planning the artwork for the four corners of the talit.
Three talented Heilicher students won Minnesota Scholastic Art Awards in photography! They won nine awards between them. Mazel tov to Carmela C-L., Elnatan J., and Lila M.
1. Reflections by Elnatan J.
🥇 Gold Key Award
2. Up There by Lila M.
🥇 Gold Key Award
3. Fireflies by Carmela C.-L.
🥈 Silver Key Award
4. Look Deeper by Lila M.
🥈 Silver Key Award
5. My Aunt by Elnatan J.
🏅 Honorable Mention Award
6. Umph by Carmela C.-L.
🏅 Honorable Mention Award
7. City Lights by Lila M.
🏅 Honorable Mention Award
8. Sunset Cityscape by Elnatan J.
🏅 Honorable Mention Award
9. Tower to the Sky by Lila M.
🏅 Honorable Mention Award
Fourth grade is further preparing for their Havdalah Ceremony and Celebration of Learning with the help of Heilicher grandparent and glass artist Claude Riedel These beautiful mosaic pieces will become drip plates for their havdalah candles.
Are Heilicher students prepared for high school? Find out on the Heilicher Blog: https://www.hmjds.org/news-events/heilicher-blog/heads-up-blog/~board/all-blog/post/are-heilicher-students-prepared-for-high-school
Our kindergarten class has a special family bond within our larger Heilicher family. Each student and teacher chose a color to represent themself, and they all have bracelets made up of beads of each of those colors — one for every family member.
Our very own staff from Heilicher and around the Barry Family Campus have their artworks displayed in the Minnesota JCC’s Tychman Shapiro Gallery! Stop by the gallery to see beautiful pieces of different mediums, and you'll recognize artist names such as Victoria Thor, Aimee Orkin, Deborah Getsug, Jackie Smith, and more.
