JKG Sunday 9.27.20

Second Year B’nei Mitzvah Class: Personal Interest Projects

To learn about doing research for our Personal Interest Projects, we are…

  • Watching videos on how to do successful searches and how to find credible sources.

  • Experimenting with different search terms to see these principles in action.

  • Playing a game with real and fake articles and learning how to distinguish between them.

  • Making a keyword web alert for our PIP research.

Ask your student…

  • Tell me about your research plan for your Personal Interest Project.

  • How can our family be involved in your project?


First Year B’nei Mitzvah Class: Intro to Blessings & Shema

To learn about the Shema & Jewish blessings, we are…

  • Listening to the Shema and meditating on it.

  • Playing drama games to learn the basic words of Jewish blessings.

  • Creating brachot (blessing) comic strips, and discussing a variety of blessings for different occasions. 

  • Discussing the meaning and purpose of the brachot (blessings), and playing blessing-themed group games.

Ask your student...

  • What is the Shema prayer about?

  • What does unity have to do with the Shema?

  • How do Jewish blessings usually start?

  • Did you learn any blessings that surprised you? 


5th Grade: Responsibility to Solve Conflict

To learn about our responsibility to solve conflict, we are…

  • Acting as judges for different scenarios and discussing how we would solve certain hypothetical problems. 

  • Listening to a story of conflict resolution from Jewish history, and discussing what we think of this resolution.

  • Discussing steps to resolve conflicts that have been proposed by rabbis.

  • Playing group games to practice the art of compromising. 

Ask your student...

  • What are some steps you can take to solve a conflict?

  • Have you ever had a conflict with someone that you had trouble solving?


4th Grade: Jewish Symbols and Rituals

To learn about Jewish symbols and rituals, we are…

  • Reflecting on our own beliefs and how we act on them on a day to day basis

  • Making visual representations – with a twist – of different Jewish ritual items, such as mezuzahs (a small box that goes on a doorpost and holds a prayer), Kiddush cups (cups used for blessings over wine), and kippahs (traditional head coverings, also known as yarmulkes). 

  • Playing group games to practice categorizing food as Kosher or not Kosher.

Ask your student…

  • Do we have any of these ritual objects in our home? 

  • How can we incorporate these objects into our daily lives and Jewish holidays?


3rd Grade: The Jewish Calendar

To learn about the Jewish calendar, we are…

  • Hearing some interesting facts about lunar months (since the Jewish calendar is a lunar-based calendar).  

  • Playing a jeopardy game about the moon phases.

  • Discussing how the holiday Rosh Chodesh – which happens the first day of every Jewish month – is traditionally celebrated, and where it comes from.

Ask your student...

  • Can you name at least one custom we partake in to commemorate Rosh Chodesh?

  • What does the moon look like at the beginning of a new Jewish month?


2nd Grade: 10 Commandments

To learn about the 10 commandments, we are…

  • Coming up with the “ingredients” we need to make the world a better place, and comparing them to how the 10 commandments serve as ingredients for being a good person.

  • Playing 10 Commandments games to learn each commandment and its meaning. 

  • Singing and dancing along to a song that helps us remember the 10 Commandments.

Ask your student...

  • Which commandment do you think is the most important? The least important? Why? 

  • Why is it important to follow rules/laws? What purpose do they serve?


Kindergarten & 1st Grade: All About Yom Kippur

To learn about Yom Kippur, we are…

  • Watching a Lego story about Jonah and the Whale, which is typically read on Yom Kippur.

  • Discussing the importance of asking for forgiveness.

  • Playing “I’m Sorry” freeze dance! 

Ask your student...

  • What do we do on Yom Kippur? 

  • How does the story of Jonah and the Whale relate to Yom Kippur?


Preschool/Pre-K: Yom Kippur Forgiveness

To learn about Yom Kippur, we are…

  • Watching a video to learn the story of Jonah and the Whale. 

  • Learned about Yom Kippur and what we do during it. 

  • Learned about Tashlich, the tradition of washing away the things that we are sorry for. (Learn all about tashlich here!)

Ask your student…

  • What is Yom Kippur about?

  • What is the story of Jonah and the Whale about?