Program Guide Breakdown Theme- Each year our curriculum will focus on a theme. By centering the entire year around one overarching theme, our youth group participants will understand different characteristics and concepts that will help them achieve this lofty goal. This year’s theme is Manhigut (leadership). Our goal is for our children to view themselves as leaders and to inspire them to play a leadership role every day. Parsha Review- Each week group leaders will have the opportunity to roundup the parsha in two or three paragraphs. By giving over the parsha in a short and simple way, group participants will be able to grasp the parsha as a whole and to get them to think globally and conceptually. Parsha Questions- No Shabbat morning group is complete without a list of parsha questions. These questions allow group participants the opportunity to win fun prizes while increasing their Torah knowledge. Questions vary from basic understanding of story line to challenging source-based material. The answers are provided as well. Tefillah Treasure- Many youth directors have asked for help when it comes to teaching tefillah to children. This is a problem that not only shuls are dealing with. Schools, camps, and youth organizations are having trouble developing creative ideas to help children understand tefillah. Over the course of the year, this section will highlight one aspect of davening by providing both the Hebrew and English text, and one explanatory idea. The older the age group, the more we delve into the idea. This section is designed to help group participants follow the flow of tefillah while understanding what they are saying. Group Activity- Now the fun begins! We start off with a GOAL. Each game has a purpose. The youth leaders should familiarize themselves with the goal before implementing the game. Discussion Portion- After the game is over and the participants are settled down, the youth leaders should facilitate a discussion. The guidelines for this discussion are broken down into easy to use instructions. Youth leaders should review the discussion topics and goals before the start of morning groups. Story- Each week we will include a story that addresses a modern day concern with lesson taken from that week’s parsha. Jewish Leader of the Week- In keeping with our theme of Manhigut, every week a different Jewish Leader from modern Jewish history will be highlighted. This will allow group participants to expand their knowledge of history and to learn how they can be a Jewish leader in today’s society. Teen Minyan Packet- This packet is filled with stories, riddles, points to ponder, and more. Leader Tip- Each section has some great tips for leaders and how they should conduct that section. Copyright by National Council of Young Israel 2015 All Rights Reserved, No reproduction or copying of this work without permission of the National Council of Young Israel is permitted. Any copying of this work is a violation of U.S. Copyright law and Halacha. Shabbat Morning Groups Lesson Plan Time Duration Activity Notes Registration Welcome parents and children in to 5 min the group room. Davening Depending on your group size and 10-35 min level. Introduction to Yearly Theme (Manhigut) Refer to Handout 5 min 5 min Simchat Torah Review Prep participants for parsha questions. Simchat Torah Questions Prizes and awards should also be 10 min given out if participants answer correctly Understanding the Goal Leaders should start prepping for 2 min Shabbat activity Activities Your choice of two games to play 30 min Follow Up Discussion Refer to materials 10 min Simchat Torah Song This is for younger groups 10 min only. Free Game Play Groups can break for free game play 20 min or continue their own programing. Story Assemble in a circle and have 5 min participants read sections of the story out loud. Discussion Refer to handout 5-10 min Jewish Leader of the Week Refer to handout 4 min Tefillah Treasures Refer to Handout 4 min 5 min Parent Pick up/Dismissal Parents pick up their children. Total Time: 2 hours & 40 min of programing! SIMCHAT TORAH REVIEW Immediately following Sukkot comes the two-day holiday of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. (In Israel, the holiday is "compressed" in a single day). Shemini Atzeret means "the eighth [day] of preservation"; the chassidic rabbis explain that the primary purpose of this holiday is to recognize the spiritual inspirations and powers that we are given during the holidays of the month of Tishrei. The Arba Minim are not taken on Shemini Atzeret. We still eat in the sukkah(according to the custom of most communities), but without making a bracha. We also say the special tefillah asking for rain on Shemini Atzeret. The second day of Shemini Atzeret is called Simchat Torah. On this day we finish, and begin again, the entire reading of the Torah. The event is marked with great rejoicing, especially during hakafot, in which we march, sing and dance with the Torah around the bimah. Every male, as well as all children, get an Aliya in celebration of this joyous holiday! LEADER TIP: Simchat Torah is one of, if not the most, exciting days on the Jewish calendar. Make sure to bring your energy and excitement to groups!! SIMCHAT TORAH QUESTIONS Questions 1. How many books are in the Torah? 2. What is the last parsha in the Torah? 3. What is the first parsha in the Torah? 4. How many days is Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah in American? In Israel? 5. What are hakafot? 6. How many hakafot do we do on Simchat Torah? 7. How long does it take to read the entire Torah? 8. What holiday did we get the Torah? 9. Who gets an aliya on Simchat Torah? 10. What special about hagbah on Simchat Torah? Answers LEADER TIP: Make sure to have lots of candy to give out as prizes! 1. 5 Simchat Torah is all about the 2. V’zot Habracha candy! (Well, kind of) 3. Bereishit 4. 2, 1 5. When we circle around the bimah dancing and singing with the Torah 6. 7 at night and 7 during the day 7. An entire year 8. Shavuot 9. All males over bar mitzvah as well as all the children 10. Sometimes people do it backwards! Copyright by National Council of Young Israel 2015 All Rights Reserved, No reproduction or copying of this work without permission of the National Council of Young Israel is permitted. Any copying of this work is a violation of U.S. Copyright law and Halacha. SIMCHAT TORAH ACTIVITY GOAL: To give the kids the sense of excitement and accomplishment to finishing the entire Torah. ACTIVITY: Start off by talking with the kids about how Hashem gave us the greatest present ever, THE TORAH! Sometimes we get presents but they don’t last very long. Either they break or they get old and we don’t use them anymore. The Torah though is the greatest gift we’ve ever gotten since it lasts forever and we use it every single day! We read and learn the Torah almost every single day and we work hard to finish the entire thing every single year. When we finish the entire Torah, we have a HUGE celebration where we dance with the Torah and are so happy and proud of what we’ve accomplished! Activity 1: A Journey Through the Torah Start off by “taking a journey together” and learning through the entire Torah with the kids. Pick a few people or stories in the Torah and go through them together. You can have kids/group leaders act them out together (make sure to come in costumes!). 1. Start off by serving the kids black and white cookies (in honor of Hashem creating light and dark), marshmallows, water or blue Powerade/Gatorade, and graham crackers (in honor of Hashem creating the sky/clouds, waters, and earth), and animals crackers (in honor of Hashem creating animals as well as the story of Noach). 2. Then continue your journey into a tent where someone dressed as Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov are sitting welcoming everyone into their tent. They will gather the kids together and tell them a little bit about themselves and their lives. Then they will take out a big object as a present for the kids. Get a cool something for your kids such as a big bag of candy, a cool new game for the group, small toys for everyone, etc. Wrap it in a bunch of bags/boxes and make it really big so that the kids have to take off all the layers. Pass it around while singing a Simchat Torah song (Torah Torah is always a great one!) when the song stops, the kid holding the object must take off one layer of the present. Keep going until the present is completely unwrapped! 3. The final step of the journey is a visit to the Yam Suf. Bring in blue blankets, sheets, towels, table cloths and create a big “Yam Suf” for the kids. Moshe Rabbeinu (dressed up of course) will meet the group there and tell the kids a little bit about how the Jews were slaves in Mitzrayim and Hashem set them free and they are about to cross the Yam Suf on their way to the Land of Israel! In order for Hashem to perform the miracle of splitting the sea for us, we have to listen to what Hashem says and always follow his mitzvot. Moshe will then lead a round or two of “Hashem (Simon) Says”.