(Note: The transcripts in this webcase are excerpted from longer classroom discussions. They are not intended for use independent of the videos that they accompany.)
Teacher: Before I play the song for you, I want to acknowledge something, that one student that’s here is not in the room right now. And I want us to brainstorm ways that we can "at noten aleha even achat v’chulah omedet." The last line of the text. How can we welcome back in a member of our community in a way that is going to be supportive to everyone? So that the whole class can stand strong together.
Kaniel: Would you please come back in? Please come back in, we really miss you."
Hannah: We need you.
Jacob: What do you mean about missing him, because he’s only on the other side of the wall?
Hannah: Maybe we could say instead of missing ...
Teacher: Right, so it’s trying to come up with realistic things to say, right? What do we mean? Maybe you could go into more specifics.
Hannah: Maybe we could say, "We need you for this and we thought you might like it."
Teacher: So what would be another reason why we might want to welcome someone back in?
Jacob: Because something special like the song might happen. Well, it is happening.
Hannah: What do you mean by "happening"?
Sophia: It's happening right now.
Jacob: Yeah, in a couple minutes we’re going to learn the song. Anyway, I meant like — could you come back to me. I just forgot my idea.
Hannah: You mean you lost your train of thought or you lost your idea?
Teacher: We were talking about what were some reasons that we might welcome someone back in or how we might welcome someone back in. It could be either.
Jacob: Oh, yeah. Now I remember. You could welcome them back in by saying, "We want you to be part of a special song that we are about to learn, and we don’t want you to miss out on it because that wouldn’t be fair for you and us."
Teacher: And why wouldn’t it be fair for us?
Jacob: Because he's part of the community.
Sam: And next time we sing it, he won’t know it. He would be like, "What is this song? When did we learn it?" Like when I missed a day of school people made stuff and I didn’t. So that means I missed something and they got to do something.
Teacher: Go ahead, Jake.
Jake: If we know the song, he might feel left out by not knowing the song. So if we sing the song and he’s totally not sure what the song is.
Teacher: So could that make the group "totter" (from the text)? It adds like a wave into it.
Kaniel: Yeah, but if we don’t know the song and he comes in the classroom, he’ll feel like he’s been here. And he’ll just be like, “Oh, we’re all going to learn the song together.”
Teacher: Is there anyone that would like to welcome him back in?
(Many students raise their hands to volunteer.)
(To the student who goes out to bring the other student back in:) Tell him why we would like him back in. Yeah, and then come in.
(Once whole group is seated on the rug, teacher begins to teach the song.)
Teacher: OK, so you want to repeat after me? Chavurah u-mishpacha.
Students: Chavurah u-mishpacha.
Teacher: kach hen domim.
Students: kach hen domim.
Teacher: lechipat avanim.
Students: lechipat avanim.
Teacher: See how it [the music] makes the pile? Chavurah umishpacha.
Students: Chavurah umishpacha.
Teacher: kach hen domim.
Students: kach hen domim.
Teacher: lechipat avanim.
Students: lechipat avanim.
Teacher: At notel mimenah.
Students: At notel mimenah.
Teacher: even achat.
Students: even achat.
Teacher: v’chulah mitroa’at.
Students: v’chulah mitroa’at.
Teacher: At noten aleha even achat.
Students: At noten aleha even achat.
Teacher: Then we are going to go up — v’chulah omedet.
Students: v’chulah omedet.
Teacher: So, on the word “to stand,” the music goes up. So the music kind of flows with the words.
Everyone: Chavurah u-mishpacha, kach hen domim: lechipat avanim. Chavurah u-mishpacha, kach hen domim: lechipat avanim.
Teacher: And the English is: “No one needs to be alone. We all can feel we belong. We belong. Take one away from our circle we’re not complete. Everyone feels the hurt.” What does that sound like? "Everyone feels the hurt." Mitroa’at, right? “Bringing in someone new will lift us up and hold us together.” What is that like? Standing.
Everyone: Chavurah u-mishpacha kach hen domim: lechipat avanim. Chavurah u-mishpacha, kach hen domim: lechipat avanim, lechipat avanim, lechipat avanim. We belong.