GCJC Religious School finishes year with fun and games

On Sunday May 22^nd, the students and staff of the Garden City Jewish Center Religious School celebrated their final session of the year with their annual Lag B ‘Omer game day.  Lag B ‘Omer is about three quarters of the way between the two festival holidays of Passover and Shavuot, and traditionally celebrates scholars with picnics and studies.

The first contest was “Name that Tune” conducted by Cantor Rachel Weston, in which the children identified prayers and songs that they had learned during children’s services throughout the year.  The next quiz was Rabbi Stephen Goodman testing their knowledge of Jewish history, holidays, and culture.  Finally, Mrs. Andrea Krupen conducted a Wordle-like game to test their Hebrew skills.  Mrs.Cheryl Minsky and Ms.Carolyn Hoera were the judges and scorekeepers.

Blessed with beautiful but hot weather, the final activities were the outside games, relay races, ice pops and bubbles.  The culmination was the annual egg toss, which as always, is a huge funny mess.

The students, parents, and their volunteer teachers, were very happy with this past school year.  Multi-access (in-person and Zoom) classes started in September, with a “Zoom only” period during the bad January/February Omicron outbreak, and then back to in-person classes for the remainder of the school year.

Rabbi Stephen Goodman conducted individual Hebrew enrichment classes via Zoom throughout the year.  The technology of Zoom has made it possible to offer an on-line option to Seniors (6^th grade through Bar Mitzvah) to accommodate students who have conflicts with sports, clubs, and other activities.

The Garden City Jewish Center is a Reform congregation where everyone is welcome – Jews of all denominations, dual-faith families, singles, and students. The Religious School serves children from Grade 1 through Bar/Bat Mitzvah, with classes Sundays from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Please go to www.gardencityjewishcenter.org for more information!