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.