Babaganoush kids get happy with their gigantic smiley face.

Last month, in preparation for the holiday of Shavuot – the harvest festival – students at Ezra Academy in Woodbridge took part in “Can Construction: Living Torah.” Each grade collected cans of vegetables, which they then used to create different designs. With only 30 minutes to complete their creation, the teams collaborated on devising unique designs – and sometimes re-designs – and construction. With the help of seventh graders, kindergarteners and first graders, known as “Keshet,” made a gigantic ear of corn; second- and third-graders – “Babaganoush” – came up with a huge smiley face, and fourth- and fifth-graders – “Ilanot,” – fashioned a child reaching for the stars; grade six made an interactive Kotel, and grade eight created a very detailed map of Israel. Best of all, Ezra kids collected a healthy “crop” of more than 815 food cans, which they donated to the JFS food pantry.

CAP: Eighth graders, with Morah Amalaya and Rabbi Amanda, show off their can construction of the map of Israel.