Smiles and Sweat

What a great time to move - SPRING is almost here!
In april you can move with me to Zumba classes, or Israeli dance classes around our community.

I am also giving a lecture about Yemeni Jews in Wayne if you can make it!

See you there!

More info in the links below:

✡️ Jodi’s Circle at Temple B’nai Or, Morristown
https://forms.gle/upd56d74fg5Y7WbX8

✡️ Temple Beth Hatikvah/ The Wayne Conservative Congregation, Wayne - Register by email - [email protected]

✡️ Temple Or Hadash, Rockaway
https://ohnj.org/israeli-dancing/

✡️ Morristown Jewish Center
https://morristownjewishcenter.shulcloud.com/.../israeli...

🪇 YMCA West Morris (Randolph)
Day passes can be found at https://www.wmaymca.org/join/facility-day-pass

🪩 Borough of Morris Plains - https://morrisplainsboro.org/register/

Coming up next week!!!
Register here - https://morrisplainsboro.org/register/

See you on the dance floor this Spring
💮💃🏽🪷🎶🌹🪭🌷🪩🪩🌻👟🌺

Get ready to ✨shine✨ in March!
Where will I be dancing with you??

✡️ Jodi’s Circle at Temple B’nai Or, Morristown
https://forms.gle/upd56d74fg5Y7WbX8

✡️ Temple Beth Hatikvah, Wayne
Register by email - [email protected]

✡️ Temple Or Hadash, Rockaway
https://ohnj.org/israeli-dancing/

✡️ Morristown Jewish Center
https://morristownjewishcenter.shulcloud.com/event/israeli-dancing-march-2026.html

🪇 YMCA West Morris (Randolph)
Day passes can be found at https://www.wmaymca.org/join/facility-day-pass

🪩 Hanover Township
https://register.communitypass.net/HanoverTownship

🪩 Borough of Morris Plains
https://morrisplainsboro.org/register/winter-2026-zumba/

A week flew by! 'Till next time 💙

Come into 2026 with a happy step!
I hope to see you in my classes after the holiday season!
Happy Holidays 🕎🎄❄️
Links and more info in the comments!

Just finished a very successful series with the 6th and 7th graders at Temple Adath Shalom - "ISRAELI DANCE THROUGH JEWISH DIASPORA".

I created this series because I wanted to share with the teens how diverse yet similar Jewish communities are.

"Israeli dance through Jewish Diaspora" was a fun project for me, and I am happy that it got the teens active and learning.
I was happy to learn that the teens had another elective at the same time, and most shifted to Israeli Dancing 🩷

I hope to lead this series again at other temples, as our core identity as Jews is the foundation of our community's sustainability.

How young do we start them on Israeli Dancing?
Before they can even walk!

My youngest group this year has babies attending my classes, and here is just a taste of the benefits they enjoy;

🧠 Cognitive Development

Language enrichment through exposure to Hebrew songs and movement instructions helps children absorb vocabulary naturally and strengthens early language pathways.

Memory building through repetition of rhythms, lyrics, and choreography boosts recall and pattern recognition.

Early math and logic through counting beats, recognizing rhythms, and following sequences develop early numeracy and problem-solving skills.

💬 Hebrew and Jewish Connection

Hebrew immersion: Children begin to understand and later speak Hebrew through music, movement, and playful repetition.

Cultural identity: Learning through Israeli melodies and dances connects children to Jewish and Israeli heritage from an early age.

Multilingual advantage: Early exposure to a second language enhances overall language learning ability later in life.

💖 Social-Emotional Development

Confidence and self-expression: Moving and singing in a safe environment helps children express emotions and build self-esteem.

Connection and belonging: The group dances and sings together, fostering teamwork, sharing, and a sense of community.

Emotional regulation: Music and rhythm support calmness, focus, and joy while teaching children to respond to different moods and tempos.

🏃‍♀️ Physical and Motor Skills

Gross motor skills: Dancing supports balance, coordination, and strength as toddlers jump, spin, and sway. Babies play around with easy-to-handle tangibles like scarves.

Fine motor control: Clapping and hand gestures refine small muscle movements.

Body awareness: Learning to move different parts of the body with intention builds spatial understanding and control.

🎶 Creative and Sensory Development

Imagination and creativity: Songs and movement stories spark imagination and creative thinking.

Sensory exploration: Varying sounds, tempos, textures (scarves, shakers, puppets) stimulate multiple senses.

Artistic appreciation: Early exposure to melody, rhythm, and dance creates a lifelong connection to the arts.

✡️ Diverse Israeli Enrichment

Cultural continuity: Hebrew music and Israeli dances gently introduce toddlers to Jewish holidays, traditions, and values.

Community building: Families connect through shared songs and movement rooted in a common heritage.

Joyful identity: Children associate Hebrew and Jewish culture with fun, movement, and positive feelings.

Temple Beth Shalom's cuties 🩷

Just got up for air to conclude Simchat Torah 2025!

Temple B'nai Or's full service can be watched here - https://youtu.be/wcgTHi1Pu6U?si=taqNrwt0Q2p2PR6U

Here are some moments from our completely joyous night celebrating our Torah, along with the return of our live hostages!

Check out the lovely smiles on everyone's faces - young to young at heart, celebrating as the resilient community that is the Jewish people!

Thank you, Cantor Galit Dadoun Cohen, for your continuous support. You are a never-ending spring of knowledge to me on bringing people together!