At the “Beit Tzindlicht” children’s educational center, a leading preschool institution of the Jewish Community of Dnipro, thematic classes dedicated to the weekly Torah portion of Noach took place. The children became acquainted with the story of Noach, the building of the ark, the Great Flood, and the salvation of people and animals, and also learned about the rainbow that became the symbol of the covenant between the Almighty and humanity.
In each age group, the educators told the children why the Almighty commanded Noach to build the ark, how it was constructed, and how Noach’s family and representatives of the animal world were saved within it. To make the story from the Torah understandable even to the youngest children, the classes were accompanied by games during which the children themselves placed figures of people and animals into models of the ark, reenacted the events, and discussed their significance. Thanks to this approach, the story of the weekly Torah portion became not merely a tale to be listened to but an exciting journey into the world of Torah, in which every child could take direct part.
A special place in the program was given to creative activities dedicated to the rainbow, which the Almighty showed Noach after the Flood as a sign of His promise never again to destroy the world by a global flood. To depict the rainbow, the children used an unusual technique of painting with colored ice. Water, whose properties the children had studied in previous classes, was colored in various colors and frozen, and then the resulting pieces of ice were used to paint on paper. Thus the theme of water, which had run through the educational program of the previous week, received an interesting continuation, combining the study of natural phenomena, artistic creativity, and acquaintance with the story from the Torah.
“It is very important to us that children from an early age not only know the stories from the Torah but also understand their significance, and learn to see the connection between what the Torah tells and the world around them,” noted preschool teacher Malka Averbukh. “The story of Noach makes it possible to speak with children about faith in the Almighty, responsibility for the world around us, and the fact that the rainbow reminds us of His promise to humanity. When a child builds the ark themselves, places the animals in it, or paints a rainbow with unusual paints made from colored ice, they perceive the content of the weekly portion much more deeply. This is how we combine the study of the world with Jewish education in an atmosphere of Yiddishkeit, and for the opportunity to raise the new generation of Jews in such conditions, we sincerely thank the united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
