A tasty treat for Cohen School students

On Jan. 15, Temple Torat Yisrael’s Cohen School students, with the help of Tslil Reichman, the Israeli shlicha (emissary) at the Jewish Alliance of Greater R.I., explored, prepared and enjoyed traditional Israeli dishes.

It is a Jewish tradition to share food as part of celebrations and as a way to tell a story. This special Israel Day program also taught the students about different aspects of Israel and its history.

The program kicked off in the East Greenwich temple’s kitchen, where Reichman shared her Israeli cooking expertise. Excited students from grades K-7 were assigned different dishes to prepare. Reichman, speaking in Hebrew and English, provided a hands-on learning experience about the food culture of Israel.

With Israeli music playing in the background, the students busily measured, stirred, mixed, cut and mashed the fresh ingredients. The sounds of their laughter filled the air along with cracking eggs and the chopping of vegetables.

The students worked together to create a feast that included Israeli Chocolate Cookie Truffles, hummus with tahini, which was served with fresh pita, chopped Israeli cucumber and tomato salad, and shakshuka (eggs poached in tomato pepper sauce), a popular Israeli breakfast food.

After feasting at the family-style meal, the students enjoyed Israeli music and dancing. Also, the upcoming Kotel wall-building project was introduced. This project gives the students an opportunity to write messages that will be placed in the Kotel by a Cohen student in March.

The K-1 students then worked on a map puzzle of Israel. Grades 2-3 received pen-pal letters from new friends in Beer Sheva, Israel. The students were excited to get a response to their letters, which were exchanged by Reichman before Hanukkah.

The Cohen School is looking forward to more learning experiences with Reichman, who has partnered with the school to help with programs on Israel.

DORI ADLER is the education director at Temple Torat Yisrael’s Cohen Religious School, in East Greenwich. For information about the school, contact her at school@toratyisrael.org.