Tefilla

Tefilla is said at the start of every day either in whole school, key stage, house or year group assemblies. The children daven beautifully with one child from each key stage chosen for the tefillah award during our Monday whole school assembly. Tefillah begins with our 'Thank you Hashem' song talking about the opportunities we have each day to make our neshama shine by doing mitzvot and building our connection to hashem.
This year we have introduced a new 'Totally Terrific Transformational Tuesday Tefilla' assembly where we invite pupils to have the chance to lead the davening. We also invite guest speakers to share inspirational stories with the children which have a beautiful message they can take away from the assembly each week.

What Tefillah means to me?

Rav Elad Eshel from Bnei Akiva came to speak to King David Primary KS2 pupils in assembly with an inspirational story connected to  Israel. He is pictured with pupils Noah Levine, Jessica Gilbert, Barney Stephens and Evie Weiss.

Pupils stood up in assembly to explain which tefilla is their favourite and why.

Years 5 & 6 pupils and parents enjoyed a child friendly interactive shacharit experience led by our family educator Rabbi Dovi Colman. Every child received a specially printed siddur companion with stories and explanations on the different tefillot. There was beautiful singing of tefillot and as it was a Thursday morning, the Torah was also taken out and read with fathers being called up for an Aliyah. After shacharit, the children and parents enjoyed a small kiddush in the shul hall.

Year 6 boys took part in leading  kriat Hatorah in assembly. Year 6 girls gave a d'var torah about the Parasha.

We enjoyed a special musical Havdalah assembly with Michoel Balshine from Whitefield Shul.

We aim to do kriat Hatorah in assembly each term so that the children can experience the joy of seeing the Torah being taken out of the Aron. The year 6 boys get to experience what it is like to say the brachot, read from and dress the Torah preparing them for adult Jewish life and to encourage them to be part of a shul community. Year 6 girls are involved too reading a d'var torah about the parasha.

The pupils in KS2 have been covering their siddurim to protect them as they are so special to them and writing messages on the front to thank Hashem for something in their lives so every time they open them to daven they can look at their messages and share with others what they are thanking Hashem for. Here are some examples.

As part of their Shabbat topic, year 2 pupils visit Heaton Park shul where Rabbi Walker, our school Rabbi, shows them around and explains all the different parts of the shul and the Sefer Torah to them. Afterwards, the children enjoy a small kiddush in the shul hall. For many children, this is their first experience in a shul and it is a joy to watch their faces light up when they see the Ark being opened and they see the beautiful Sifrei Torah with all their ornaments.