Each year, Westchester Torah Academy celebrates Chol HaMoed Sukkot in a special way—taking advantage of school being in session and making the holiday part of the whole school day. Other than eating in the school’s sukkah, students get the chance to practice the themes of the holiday! In lower school, they get a taste—both figuratively and literally—of the harvest festival aspect of Chag HaAsif. Just like our ancestors would pick the fruits of their labors, WTA students go apple picking! Of course, picking the apples is only the beginning. The core value of anava is deeply ingrained at WTA, so after a stop to eat lunch in the sukkah of Chabad of New City, the apples are donated to Hope House Food Pantry! Zman Simchateinu didn’t end there—the amazing bnot sheirut made a beautiful “indoor sukkah hop”—a carnival full of different games, all Sukkot themed and run entirely in Ivrit!
Middle school students get the best of both worlds during Chol HaMoed at WTA. The first day back at school is a big day of learning! The middle school takes the rotational model of education to heart, combining it with the holistic educational philosophy that is prevalent at every level of education at WTA. Each of their teachers, from Gemara and Tanach to science and language arts, gives workshops that teach about the chag from the unique perspective of their subject matter. After this exciting and intense day of study, middle schoolers have an opportunity to go to LIFE, The Place to Be, where they can enjoy laser tag and arcade games, eat in the sukkah, and celebrate Chag Sukkot together with their friends and teachers.
WTA ended the week of Chol HaMoed with a huge milestone! To celebrate its 10 year anniversary, and in honor of Simchat Torah, next week, the school celebrated a hachnasat sefer Torah, welcoming the entire community and students of all ages to the beautiful ceremony. Each class had the opportunity to learn about the process, and the sofer stam helped each class inscribe a letter, dedicated to their grade. What an amazing way to celebrate the end of the chagim!
