December was a very exciting month for the Temple Micah Religious School. A highlight was the pancake breakfast to celebrate Hanukkah. Micah Cooks hosted the breakfast and made delicious pancakes for more than 200 people; we played dreidel, sang Hanukkah songs and enjoyed schmoozing with each other. This was the first of what we plan to be an annual event.

In mid-December, we began a new format for the school by expanding the Boker Tov morning assembly to 30 minutes. Boker Tov is for students and parents, and includes a short morning service with a d'var Torah, or story, and singing. The elimination of Family School has allowed us to include Hebrew every Sunday for grades kindergarten through five, and to have expanded classroom time.

The sixth and seventh grades spent a wonderful morning with Temple Micah seniors, discussing the Holocaust and World War II. The seniors gave students a firsthand perspective on what it was like to live through these difficult times. Students gained a new understanding by hearing fascinating personal stories and anecdotes. In addition, new friendships are beginning to develop between seniors and students; we plan on expanding programs with seniors and students in the coming months.

One Sunday, all the third through fifth grade students had their (Polaroid) pictures taken, and they wrote letters to students in our sister congregation, Or Hadash in Haifa. Many students were able to write greetings in Hebrew. We all look forward to hearing back from the Israeli students. The kindergarten through second graders drew pictures and wrote short explanations of our American holiday of Thanksgiving for students in the Gan in Haifa. Our religious school collected a large amount of school supplies for the Gan (kindergarten), and also sent soft, cuddly Teddy bears for each of the Gan students.

Our eighth grade students are having a very interesting year. In the past month, they have visited a Baptist church and heard a gospel choir; they also were guests at a Catholic church in Micah's neighborhood. The class has been learning about Islam, and visited a mosque on Massachusetts Avenue. A trip to Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, the site of our largest High Holy Day services, is planned for January, and students from the church will visit Micah.

The sixth grade class of Morah Henia is creating a museum project in connection with its study of the Holocaust. Students are collecting eyeglasses, which they will donate to New Eyes for the Needy, a nonprofit that provides free glasses to thousands of people who are unable to afford them in the United States and around the world. The class has asked temple members to place eyeglasses, including frames without lenses, in a box in the lobby. They hope to collect 1,000 pairs.

We welcome all of you to come and visit the religious school any time. You will find that it is an exciting and stimulating place!