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Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur also known as the Day of Atonement is the most solemn and important of the Jewish holidays. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jewish people traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services.
Yom Kippur is considered one of the holiest of Jewish holidays and it is observed by many secular Jews who may not observe other holidays. Many secular Jews fast and attend synagogue on Yom Kippur, where the number of worshippers attending is often double or triple the normal attendance.
This year Yom Kippur begins at sundown Sept 25 and ends on Wednesday evening.
Wishing all of our Jewish host families, au pairs and friends a peaceful Yom Kippur
Annual host family meeting at the apple orchard in Stow
Local community counselors of the greater Boston area of Au Pair in America
Last Saturday, eight Boston area au pair clusters met at Carver Hill Orchard in Stow, MA for our annual host family/au pair picnic. Host families and au pairs enjoyed apple cider and cider donuts provided by the counselors and the kids participated in fall themed art projects. Families and au pairs also went apple picking and enjoyed a hayride through the orchard.
As per State Department regulation, as an au pair agency, we need to offer our host families an informational host family workshop each year during which host families can also meet each other and get to know the cluster better.
We always like to offer this apple picking venue since it offers the cultural experience that is so much part of our au pair program. Host families had a choice of informational handouts relating to the host family – au pair relationship and cultural differences.
Nat from Thailand with her twin host children and host mother
A host family with their 4 children ( 2 month old baby sleeps in the stroller)
Birgit from Germany with two of her three host children
Hayride into the orchard
Au pair Ari from Spain with Dany from Ecuador with harvested pumpkins
To see all pictures please go to: Apple Picking 2012
Celebrating Rosh Hashanah
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Rosh Hashanah is a Jewish Holiday commonly referred to as the Jewish New Year. It is observed on the first day of Tishrei, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar. Rosh Hashanah is the first of the high Holidays specifically set aside to focus on repentance that concludes with the holiday of Yom Kippur. Rosh Hashanah is the start of the civil year in the Hebrew calendar. It is the New Year for people, animals, and legal contracts. Jewish people believe Rosh Hashanah represents either analogically or literally the creation of the World, or Universe.
On Rosh Hashanah, Jewish people all over the world gather in synagogues to celebrate the day. The holiday is celebrated with sweet foods, like apples dipped in honey and honey cake and round Challot made with honey and raisins as a wish for a sweet year.
Here is a link to children’s games and activities to celebrate the holiday. It includes information, art projects, crafts, stories and recipes:
http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/354744/jewish/Rosh-Hashanah.htm
Rosh Hashanah will is celebrated for two days, Monday September 17th and Tuesday September 18th. The two day holiday will begin at sundown on Sunday evening.
Wishing all our host families,au pairs and friends a very happy Holiday!
Arts and Crafts : Butterflies & Bugs
Hier are some more ideas on what to do with kids during the summer:
Camp Au Pair – Butterflies & Bugs http://pinterest.com/aupairinamerica/camp-au-pair-butterflies-bugs/
More pictures of our last cluster meeting
I have a few more pix to share of our last July cluster meeting. Please go to July cluster meeting 2012 to view them all.
Fun things to do with the kids during the olympics
100 Things to do with kids this summer
It’s officially summer and what a great time to get outside and have some FUN! With the kids out of school and home during most of the day, it is a good idea to plan some activities that will keep them entertained and have a great time doing it! Check out the APiA Summer Fun Pinterest Board for some terrific new ideas, crafts, and creative snacking.
Enjoy!
Free concert series at the Emerson Park in Brookline
To come together with families and kids some of our aupairs joined the fantastic atmosphere of the free concert series in Brookline last Wednesday. Our aupairs introduced other families to our program and families had a chance to speak directly with questions to our aupairs.
Lisa from Germany
Vanessa and Lisa from Germany
This boy had a lot of fun with the beach balls we handed out to play
Meeting at the Vapiano restaurant in Boston
Lisa, Mareike and Linda from Germany who will go home after one year of being an aupair
We got together with a group of aupairs to say good bye’s to many of them who will go back to their home country soon after spending one or two years in Boston as an aupair with their hostfamilies.
We shared many great experiences and new friendships developed easily with new arrivals who came for their first meeting.
Left: Anika form Germany who just arrived in our cluster, Right: Vanessa from Germany who will start her travel month soon after being an aupair for 2 years.
Christina from Germany with her boyfriend Wes from Brazil. She also spend two years as an aupair in Boston. We will miss her !
From left: Maye from Mexico, Susanna from Costa Rica and Candice from South Africa.
For more pictures go to meeting at the Vapiano restaurant 2012.