As Avraham traveled to a new land in parshat Lech Lecha, kindergarten children at Lubavitch on the Palisades also did some “traveling” and explored the cultures of Italy and China. The children enjoyed a taste of Italy when they ate the pizza they baked and created the Italian flag out of pasta. They read the book “All The Way to America,” by Dan Yaccarino about the experience of the author’s family when they left Italy and came to America. The children learned about the Italian artist Michelangelo who painted ceilings and walls. They had a great time painting like Michelangelo while lying under a table.

The kindergarten children also explored Chinese culture when they learned to play Mahjong, a game with tiles that is played in China. The children learned some Chinese words, saw photos of important landmarks in China and were introduced to important Chinese objects such as: the panda, a bear that is native to China; an umbrella, whose origins began in China 3,000 years ago; and chopsticks, which the children practiced using at lunch time. The children also enjoyed using their creativity to make conical hats, a style of hats that originated in Asia and is worn in China.