Kislev 5770/November 2009 Hakarat Hatov and Thanksgiving

ACTIVITY: THANKS, THANKSGIVING, AND TODAH LESSON 1. Begin class by displaying several traditional Thanksgiving objects on your desk: a pumpkin, ornamental corn, a picture of a turkey, a bag of cranberries, etc. You may also want to come to class wearing a pilgrim’s hat and/or shoes. When students arrive, welcome them to your Thanksgiving PLAN celebration and ask the following questions. BY TAMMIE RAPPS Why do Americans celebrate Thanksgiving? LESSON AT A GLANCE Why do you think we are celebrating Thanksgiving On the American holiday of today? Thanksgiving, families gather to Why do you think we are celebrating Thanksgiving in enjoy a festive meal and a Judaic class? partake in the bounty of the  TEACHING TIP earth. In this lesson, students If time and resources allow, this lesson provides an will study (the excellent opportunity to study Birkat Hamazon in context. In after Meals), to addition to using the props mentioned above, invite students to explore how its theme of break bread with you at the feast. Spend a minute or two to hakarat hatov, recognizing the review with them the method for ritual hand washing and remind Now study the second of Birkat Hamazon (see good that God provides, them to recite the berakhah (blessing) of …Al Netilat Yadayim babaganewz.com/teachers). after washing and Hamotzi before partaking of bread. These resonates on Thanksgiving. are available at babaganewz.com/teachers. For what do we thank God, according to this excerpt from Students will then create a Supplement the bread with other Thanksgiving treats such as Birkat Hamazon? project that brings the value of dried cranberries, popcorn, etc. When the class finishes the feast Is this a personal thank you or a collective thank you? hakarat hatov to their families’ (and the lesson), you can sing Birkat Hamazon together. How do you know? Thanksgiving celebrations. 2. As a class, study and discuss the following Jewish texts Are there other things for which you think we, the Jewish OBJECTIVES (also available to print at babaganewz.com/teachers). People, should thank God that are not listed in this berakhah? Students will study and discuss DEVARIM 8:10 an excerpt from Birkat Hamazon If you were to compose a personal thank-you berakhah and consider how the blessing When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to God your to include in Birkat Hamazon, what would it say? after meals is an expression of God for the good land which God has given you. appreciation for the gifts that / y.j Myrbd MEGILLAH 18A God has bestowed on the Jewish 5yq3-la9K h}ta3 5k4rT 6b2W 5e4b5c5wT 4 5l4k6a5wT 4 The Temple service and expressing thanks are one. People. ,K4l5}Nt6n5 rv3a8 hb5oFh6 Xr3a5h5}le6 a dwme jy Pd hlygm dwmlt Students will analyze additional ,ayh1 at5L4ym1 ad5j8 ha5d5ohw4 hd5obe8 Jewish texts to explore the concept of hakarat hatov, To what does this verse refer? [saying Birkat showing appreciation and Hamazon] ON TALMUD MEGILLAH 18A gratitude to God. Expressing thanks is also a form of service of God. This is the only berakhah that is mentioned in the Torah.  Students will explain how giving All other berakhot (before meals, etc.) were instituted by a dwme jy Pd hlygm y“ur thanks to others can also be the Sages. Why do you suppose Birkat Hamazon was the ,aWh Moqm5 lv3 hd5obe8 ha5d5oh Pa6 seen as a way to thank God. only blessing commanded in the Torah? Students will craft thank-you Why do you think traditionally mandates that What is the relationship between serving God and giving décor to add a Jewish element to their Thanksgiving holiday tables. we recite berakhot before we eat and follow our meals thanks? with Birkat Hamazon? Why do you think that the Talmud equates service in the What values does the recitation of Birkat Hamazon Temple and giving thanks? reflect? How does Rashi’s commentary expand upon the Talmud Now study the first berakhah of Birkat Hamazon (see text? babaganewz.com/teachers). How does Rashi’s commentary help you understand the What do you notice about the words in this text? Talmud text? Which words are repeated most often? [all, world, verbs When do we thank God during tefillah (prayer)? Provide for sustain/nourish] an example. BABAGANEWZ.COM KISLEV 5770 Why do you think those words are the most repeated? How do we serve God when we express gratitude to — PAGE 1 — How do they help establish the theme of Birkat Hamazon? people who have done kindnesses for us? Hakarat Hatov and Thanksgiving (cont.)

VOCABULARY How might celebrating American Thanksgiving be a way  BIRKAT HAMAZON MATS to express gratitude to God? bofh6 tr6=5h6 recognizing the Provide art materials, such as construction paper, good (literal), What can you do at your Thanksgiving dinner that scissors, glue, glitter, and markers to students. Instruct showing ensures that you thank God at the celebration? students to choose one meaningful line from the Birkat appreciation Hamazon texts that they just studied and write the text PSALMS 92: 2, 5 in Hebrew and/or English on a large piece of paper. hB5r6 hd5oT thank you very It is a good thing to give thanks to God, and to sing Decorate the page with images that reflect the meaning much praises to Your exalted name…for You, God, have made of the text and how it expresses gratitude to God. NozJ5h6 t=6r4B1 blessing after me glad through Your work; I will sing joyously of the Laminate the completed papers that can then be used as meals works of Your hands. a placemat on the Thanksgiving table. hD5e7s4 festive meal h /b.bx Mylyht ,,,Noyl4e3 5m4v1lK 4 rJ2z6l4W /hl6 todohl4 bof  THANKFUL THOUGHTS hy5d5ohh6 Moy Thanksgiving / ,N>2r6a8 5ydK 3y5 yc2e8m6B4 5l3e5p5BK 4 h yn1T6j4J6c1 y=1 Have students brainstorm a list of at least ten thoughts or expressions such as: my family, my home, what I’m most thankful for, my favorite things, etc. Be sure they Why do you think the psalm uses singing as a way to think about small and large gifts that God has given express gratitude to God? Why is singing a good way to them in their lives. Students should then cut out the list express thanks? with one thought per strip of paper. Decorate a bag or envelope to store the thoughts. At the Thanksgiving Can you think of any songs—Hebrew or English—whose table, each family member or guest can select a thought lyrics express thanks to God? and expound on it, explaining how that thought relates What is the reason for singing thanks to God according to them personally and for what they are most thankful. to this text? What is the relationship between feeling happy and  A WORLD OF THANKS feeling appreciative? Have students research online how to say “thank you” in Is it possible to feel gratitude even if you are having a different languages. Students can transfer the terms they difficult time? Explain. learn onto pieces of paper that can be strung together as a decoration to hang in the doorway to welcome guests How does saying Birkat Hamazon express the feelings in on Thanksgiving. Then instruct students to brainstorm this psalm? a few questions that they can pose at the table (and 3. After studying the texts, ask: maybe a parent or host would allow them to place the questions under people’s seats or plates) to a How can we incorporate these texts and the ideas they conversation going about how Judaism says thanks to teach us into our families’ Thanksgiving celebration? God in different ways. How can we ensure to include all guests at the table, even those who may not be familiar with Birkat Hamazon or  SINGING OUR THANKS Jewish texts? Challenge musically inclined students to compose a new Explain that in addition to the ideas the class just generated, melody for Birkat Hamazon, write a personal kavannah students will have the opportunity to create a project to that fits the tune of the first paragraph of Birkat present at their Thanksgiving celebrations. You may choose Hamazon, or to arrange a rendition of Birkat Hamazon one project from the following ideas to present; you may that is novel or unique. As an alternative, teach students opt to set up a few of the ideas with instructions and have a different song that also expresses thanks to God that students choose one project; or if time permits, you may they can teach at their Thanksgiving feast. One set up several stations and have students complete more suggestion for a song is “Modeh Ani,” a version of which than one project. is available on the jPod at babaganewz.com.

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