Rosh LeRegel Celebrations
Rosh LeRegel/ראש לרגל
In the second year of our new tradition Rosh LeRegel, Years 3-12 gathered on the basketball court for a combined קבלת שבת/Kabbalat Shabbat and welcoming of אדר/Adar celebration. Decked out in crazy head (ראש/Rosh) to foot (רגל/Regel) clothes it was a joyous time of music (High School Band), song (Primary Choir), storytelling, dance, Shabbat berakhot and Adar pre-Purim spirit of fun and laughter.
This was the first time in a long time that Primary and High School gathered together in celebration. We stayed COVID-safe with staged seating and required spacing. It was a wonderful and uplifting experience for our students and staff.
Below is a student explanation of the joyousness of the Jewish month of Adar:
“We called our celebration to welcome Adar, ראש לרגל/Rosh LeRegel: ראש/Rosh meaning ‘head’ and רגל/regel meaning ‘leg’ or ‘foot’. Rosh LeRegel – Head to Foot. Primary School students wore crazy hats on the rosh – because wearing silly, funny hats is kind of fun and can make us laugh. High School students wore wacky, crazy shoes, pants or socks on their raglayim/feet – again because wearing the regular school uniform is not as much fun.
“So as we welcomed the month of Adar with our crazy tops and crazy bottoms, we encourage you all to have fun and be silly, do things that make you happy and to do things that make other people happy”.
By Lily Foltyn (Year 6)
MiShenichnas Adar/משנכס אדר
“MiSheNinchas Adar, a term you might be familiar with… the head bopping toe tapping song… well, what does mi-shenichnas Adar actually mean, and what is it all about?
“Well, Mi-sheninchas Adar is usually translated as: ‘When Adar begins, we increase in joy’. This is generally taken to mean that, at the beginning of the Jewish month of Adar, which is the month in which the festive holiday of Purim falls, we should begin to feel especially happy. Or, as understood by some, MiSheNichnas Adar can be understood to refer to one in whom the spirit of Adar enters, as in, ‘Whomever lets the spirit of Adar enter him or her in a deep way will experience an increase in happiness’. As many of you know, during the month of Adar we give and receive gifts, משלוח מנות/mishloach manot, increasing happiness in our lives and others. There is also the mitsvah of מתנות לאביונים/Matanot LeEvyonim, giving gifts to those who need it, once again bringing joy into others’ lives. One of the other mitsvot is to partake in a סעודת פורים/festive Purim meal to celebrate Adar – a great way to come together with friends and family!”
By Daliah Smagarinsky (Year 8) and Liberty Waldner (Year 8)
Rosh Chodesh Adar Sameach!
