Temple Israel families celebrated the weekly Torah portion —Parshat Noah — through a fun, hands-on celebration on Sunday, Oct. 30.
Religious school students learned about Noah and the flood through the lens of how we can take care of our animals. Each student gave Hebrew names to their animals (real and stuffed), made special bags for pets and animals in shelters, learned about organizations that care for animals and shared a communal blessing.
Rabbi Josh Bennett taught everyone a Blessing of the Animals. Following the blessing, families were able to learn from visiting animal organization vendors and connect with one another over lunch. The pet bags with toys and treats were donated to Teacher’s Pet, an organization that pairs shelter animals with at-risk youth in the Metro Detroit area.
