Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Rosh Chodesh Astronomy Observatory!

Our first middle and high school only event was incredibly successful! With only 60 spots available for our Rosh Chodesh Moon Viewing trip to the University of Maryland, we were completely booked within 4 days of announcing the event. The eagerness to be a part of this event spilled over into the actual event, as people arrived early and packed the room.

 
Dr. Jeremy Schnittman, our resident astronomer, opened the night by sharing a variety of interesting stories and facts about Rosh Chodesh and the moon. He engaged the crowd by turning out the lights and doing a student led demonstration, with one child standing in the back of the room aiming a flashlight, and another student standing in the front of the room with a hula hoop and tennis ball.  Dr. Schnittman made the learning come to life by showing how the moon orbits the earth!

After taking a few questions, we went to the building next door to 
have the opportunity to see the moon through the high powered telescopes! Prior to our arrival, the staff opened the roof on the building, and we were incredibly fortunate to have perfectly clear skies, and a beautiful moon to see. Everyone had a turn looking into 3 different telescopes, and we ended the night by saying Kiddush Lavanah, and having a maariv minyan.

Again, we were fortunate to have a wonderful mix of people from various communities join us at this event. We will continue to work towards being an inclusive and welcoming program that stays at the forefront of fun and exciting experiential Jewish education!