This week in Religious Education, we have been learning more about Judaism.
In class, we started by recalling everything we already know and understand about Jewish beliefs and practice from our learning in previous years and from studying the Old Testament in our previous topic.
This year’s new learning was about the significance of Rosh Hashanah to Jewish people today and the meaning of its key symbols.
Rosh Hashanah celebrates the Jewish New Year and the creation of the universe and humanity. It is an opportunity to spiritually cleanse oneself and is a time for atonement. Rosh Hashanah is the festival which marks the beginning of the Jewish new year. It is the anniversary of the creation of the Universe and Adam and Eve.
We made cards to show our learning which included the key symbols of Rosh Hashanah. We then reflected on the meaning of the symbols and the significance of the festival for Jewish people.
We were also lucky enough to welcome Hannah and Zoe from the Jewish museum for a fascinating workshop about the Kindertransport, which links to our learning in History and English this term. We learned the real story of a person who survived the Holocaust by being evacuated from Nazi Germany as a child in the Kindertransport. We then explored two paintings (‘Boycott’ and ‘The Kindertransport’) by Hans Jackson, an artist who also escaped Nazi Germany as a child in the Kindertransport.
Year 6 showed off their excellent prior knowledge of the topic and also their high level of interest when asking a great range of thoughtful questions.
Many thanks to Hannah and Zoe for coming to St. Vincent’s. We really appreciate you sharing your time and knowledge with us.
What did you learn this week and why is it important to learn about other faiths, Year 6?
