The halls were decked with artwork and greenery to commemorate Tu B’Shevat at the JEC Lower School, but educators found innovative ways to weave substance into the celebrations that marked the day.

Israeli Rishonim representatives Oz and Stav, from the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest, graciously joined students, on their day off no less, and led the JEC Lower School’s third through sixth graders in an interactive online Kahoot competition in honor of Tu B’Shevat. The game tested students’ knowledge of trees, the environment and holiday-related concepts within Judaism. The energy in the room was electric as ten teams of students, each identified by names they chose themselves, competed enthusiastically.

“Have you ever seen this?” asked JEC Lower School Principal Rabbi Uzi Beer. “It’s amazing how engaged every single student is!”

While most answers were familiar to the students, there were some surprises and everyone walked away with some newfound knowledge related to Tu B’Shevat.