Sample Activities

Journal of Jewish Identity Project of the Congregation Beth El Religious School for 4th & 5th Grades Sample Activities

Tishrei v’s’machta b’hagecha – rejoicing in holidays Righteous Action  Help someone else erect their sukkah – this could be a family member, a friend, or you can connect with the Jewish Federation of Group Homes and help erect or take down one of the home’s sukkot  Bring a holiday treat to an elderly person – perhaps apples and honey or some other holiday goodie  If you know how to blow shofar, you can visit a shut-in and blow shofar for them

Mitzvah and Minhag: Participate in a new holiday celebration – this could include any of the Commandments and following options, but only if your family is doing it for the first time: Customs  building a sukkah  performing tashlich  purchasing a lulav and etrog and learning the blessings and choreography for waving them  coming to the congregational Simchat Torah celebration Culture and Creativity Make and decorate an etrog box, write a song or poem about one of the fall holidays, create ushpizin decorations for your or a friend’s sukkah

Cheshvan reut – friendship Righteous Action Reach out to a peer who might be in need of a friend Mitzvah and Minhag:  Learn the bracha that one says upon seeing a friend who they Commandments and haven’t seen in a long time Customs  Invite a classmate and his/her family to your home for Shabbat dinner Culture and Creativity Write a poem or a letter to a friend, just to show them what their friendship means to you

Learn Pirkei Avot 1:6 and write a comment about how this is related to your life

Kislev Talmud torah – learning Torah Righteous Action Research Rabbi Akiva or Hillel and then write a story of at least one page about their lives and show how they exhibited Righteous Action in talmud torah. Mitzvah and Minhag: Learn the beracha for the study of Torah, and then recite it before you sit Commandments and down to read a designated text. Potential texts might be: Customs  The weekly Torah portion  A segment of Pirkei Avot  The Al HaNissim prayer in your siddur (p. 119)  After reading the text, write a reflection paragraph detailing how this text relates to your life. Culture and Creativity Create a yad and decorate it – this could be something you might use at your bar/bat mitzvah

Create a visual/poetic/artistic representation of something you have studied

Tevet Sh’lom bayit – family relationships Righteous Action Tackle an issue that divides you and a sibling or you and your parents – discuss it openly and brainstorm ways to improve the situation. Write a reflection piece on your experience with this activity. Mitzvah and Minhag: Spend at least an hour playing a game with your family on Shabbat Commandments and afternoon Customs Learn the family blessings (birkat habanim) together with your parents, and then add them in to your Friday evening Shabbat ritual

Read eishet chayil, listen to a version of it online, and then write a paragraph about the parts that you feel best describe your mother. Culture and Creativity Create a blessing of gratitude that you might recite to your parents as a part of your Friday evening Shabbat ritual

Shevat L’avdah u’lshomrah – to work and protect the environment Righteous Action Do a fundraising activity to support an organization dedicated to environmental causes (some options might include Hazon, JNF, etc).

Write letters to politicians in support of an environmental cause about which you feel strongly.

Plan a garden for your yard – include a timeline for planting and maintaining your garden, brainstorm which plants you might use Mitzvah and Minhag: Hold a Tu Bishvat seder for your family (link to online seder resources) Commandments and Customs Culture and Creativity Create a sign that will help our community be more green and adopt new eco-conscious behaviors. This could be a sign for light switches, trash cans, recycle bins, compost bins, or some other issue with environmental impact.

Adar 1 Nisim v’niflaot – Miracles and Wonders Righteous Action Make a commercial encouraging other people to recognize miracles in their lives. Mitzvah and Minhag: Keep a log of miracles that you perceive over the course of a week. Commandments and For one week, try to recite a bracha before anything you eat or drink. Customs Go through Birchot Hashachar and list one miracle that corresponds to each of the brachot

Culture and Creativity Create a collage depicting various miracles. Write a poem describing a miraculous sight or event.

Adar 2 Hatzalah – Saving or rescuing those in danger Righteous Action Conduct a letter writing campaign concerning some threat from which people need to be rescued. (Example – poverty, hunger, pollution). Make cookies or other saleable items and donate the money to an organization that saves people. Mitzvah and Minhag: Fulfill the mitzvah of matanot l’evyonim (providing for the poor) by Commandments and working at a soup kitchen. Customs Look at the brachot of the weekday Amidah. Which of those describe God as saving people from threats? Lisat a way that you can imitate God.

Culture and Creativity Write a song about one of your favorite heroes – Jewish or non-Jewish. Draw a picture of Esther confronting Haman at the banquet. Find a popular song or other work of art that brings this value to light and write a review of it. Make your own grager to use during the megillah reading.

Nisan Herut -- Freedom Righteous Action Get involved in a movement against child labor or other instances of slavery. Mitzvah and Minhag: Introduce a new symbol for freedom at your family’s seder table. Commandments and Customs Culture and Creativity Listen to different versions of “We Shall Overcome.” Pick the version you like best and write a brief review. Make a photo collage of images reflecting freedom from oppression.