PORTLAND JEWISH ACADEMY At the Schnitzer Family Campus
Think for yourself. Work for the world.
Exclusive updates for our donors and supporters from PJA May 2013 – Iyar/Sivan 5773
A Journey through Generations: The Heirlooms and Artifacts Project By Sam Rosenfield, 5th Grade This project is about having a look in the past so that in the future, the story can be told and can continue living on in other people’s minds. If we honor someone with the chance at living again through our words, it’s worth it. ~ Julia
This project is about finding your meaning and why you are here today. It’s about discovering your ancestors, their story, and the sacrifices they made to get to America. ~ Zach
This project is about going through old family files to find an immigration story; painting a lifetime; listening; and recording a memory for your own children. ~ Basia
On Tuesday April 23, 2013, I joined my fifth grade classmates, along with our teachers, parents, friends, and loved ones, at the Oregon Jewish Museum (OJM) to celebrate the opening of a special exhibit we call A Journey through Generations. The exhibit is the culmination of our unit, Heirlooms & Artifacts, which focuses on a family (or honorary friend’s) immigration story. In order to prepare for the exhibit, we interviewed our subject or family members who still remember our subject’s story; we wrote lots of beautiful poetry and a narrative; and we designed three spectacular panels using collage to showcase our subject’s origins, journey, and establishing a new home. To celebrate our hard work, we had a gala at the OJM to share our work with our family and friends. I was happy to see everyone dressed up and looking fancy, excited, and ready to honor our family and friends.
Guests enjoy seeing family artifacts at the OJM. Before the gala, my classmates told me how nervous they were about presenting their poem and singing our four songs: Tumbalalaika, Those Were the Days, Oyfn Pripetchik, and I Am Your Child. I think my classmates and I did a great job of reading our poems and singing those beautiful songs. After the gala, I caught up with a couple of students and asked them to tell me one thing they enjoyed about the night: “Everyone was so happy and supportive,” Olivia said. “Giving gratitude felt great!” exclaimed Isabella. Abraham and Rishon both agreed that their favorite part was the food! After interviewing some students, I had to find the one who made the project possible. Luckily, I found her! “Everything flowed beautifully! You all made me so proud,” the amazing Ms. Harriet Wingard said. 5th grader Abigail Brown shows off her panels and poem at the OJM.
All in all, it was a memorable night, and to top it off, outside there was a beautiful, almostfull moon. I overheard Sam and Orly commenting that this could be their “moon memory” moment for their moon journals! April 23 was a spectacular night to spend together with the amazing fifth grade stars of PJA.