Chagit, for those who don’t know, is a cuddly stuffed bear at the center of an educational initiative of the Bernard Zell Anshe Emet Day School (BZAEDS) in Chicago.  She travels to Jewish day schools – and makes frequent use of her passport too – as she connects students in classrooms throughout the country and around the world.

Preparing for Simchat Torah, Chagit is celebrating the Torah with BZAEDS students, along with Debby Lewis, the ritual director at Anshe Emet Synagogue.

During Chagit’s visits, students from BZAEDS and participating schools use technology to talk to each other, share experiences and holiday observances, and build up their confidence with oral and written Hebrew.

BZAEDS received a 2010 grant from The Covenant Foundation to support Chagit Celebrates Across the Jewish World, a curricular program and a corresponding website linking Jewish schoolchildren around the world.  The grant supports expansion of the program and development of a formal curriculum for it.

In the meantime, come celebrate Simchat Torah with Chagit and the students of BZAEDS!