What a Fun Morning

2nd Year B’nai Mitzvah: Finishing our B’nai Mitzvah Projects

Watching a “Whiteboard Clip” that describes the story of King Saul, King David, and King Solomon, who made up the United Monarchy.
Playing a sorting game to match different characteristics with the right King.
Taking a minute to think about what our ideal happy place would be like.
Watching and discussing videos that capture the significance of the Western Wall and modern traditions, helping us appreciate modern-day reference to the Holy Temple.
Taking a 3D Aerial tour of Solomon’s temple online, and then creating models of our own Temples using different craft supplies, thinking about what kinds of features we would want in a special space.

Listening to the story of the golden calf
Discussing healthy ways to cope with unexpected situations
Learning the traditions for celebrating Shavuot and doing a drawing challenge to go along with the traditions.

Learning about what it was like to live on a kibbutz in Israel through pictures and videos
Experiencing communal living by turning our classroom into an kibbutz - assigning jobs, defining our roles, and living life as “kibbutzniks”
Learning the main reasons the first settlers of Kibbutz Degania (the first Kibbutz) came to Israel - they wanted to build a new society based on the values of both socialism (everyone working for the common good), and Zionism (establishing a country where Jews could be safe and free).
Playing a kibbutz jeopardy game as a class.

Taking a “trip” to Israel and visiting Israel’s four major cities: Eilat, Haifa, Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv through experiential stations.
Creating our own Wailing Walls just like from Jerusalem.
Brainstorming new technologies to learn about the industrial city of Haifa through a story game.

Discussing the story of Rabbi Hillel, who said that the whole Torah boils down to the idea that we should treat others like we want to be treated.
Reading "One Good Deed", and thinking about the idea of "paying it forward".
Making thank you gifts for people in our lives who we want to do something nice for!

What are ways you can perform Gemilut Chasadim (acts of loving kindness) in your life?
What are some ways that you can perform a mitzvah?

Reading the story Mrs. Katz and Tush, as a starting point for a discussion on the importance of making others feel loved.
Brainstorming ways in which we can perform g’milut chasadim in our own lives, and playing a compliment game with our class to practice.
Discussing the difference between g’milut chasadim (acts of loving kindness) and tzedakah (charity).

Drawing pictures of people, and reading a book about how one good deed can can lead to a chain reaction that fills the world with good deeds.
Thinking about filling up our “buckets” everyday with mitzvot, or good deeds, and decorating our own mitzvah buckets to fill with chips every time we do something nice
Making friends in another class and creating a JKG friendship chain out of paper cutouts.