Teaching A Jewish Curriculum When You Are Not Jewish

1. Teaching A Jewish Curriculum When You Are Not Jewish Tracy Rice Kindergarten Teacher Congregation Kol Shofar Tiburon, CA

2. Group Demographics • How many people teach in a Jewish Preschool? • If you are comfortable sharing- how many of you are not Jewish? • What is the biggest challenge you face in teaching a Jewish curriculum? • What do you enjoy most about teaching a Jewish curriculum?

3. Your Goals For This Workshop • What do you hope to gain from this workshop? • Are there particular concepts that you find “troublesome?” • Are there things that you feel you do very well that you would like to share with the group at the end of the session?

4. Basic Concepts • Holidays- Going through a Jewish year and teaching the rituals and stories associated with each holiday • Shabbat- Teaching about Shabbat through songs, stories and ritual • Prayer and Blessings- Introducing and reinforcing the idea of “talking” to God. Teaching them the blessings and prayers for specific rituals and occasions. • The Torah- both the physical object and the stories included. • Mitzvot- Basic Commandments as a concept of values and behaviors. • Hebrew and Israel- A basic introduction to Hebrew with simple words and visual aspects, and the land of Israel as the home for all Jewish people. • The Synagogue and People in the Community.

5. The Jewish Year Through Holidays • The Jewish year begins with Tishrei and Rosh Hashanah (the Head of the Year) • Concepts- apples and honey for a sweet new year, we wish each other Shanah Tovah (Happy New Year), we send New Year cards, the Shofar is blown • Sample Lesson- “I Was So Mad” and tashlich • Yom Kippur • Concepts- Thinking about how we behave and how we can be better, we wear white clothes and no leather, the grown-ups fast, Yom Kippur ends with the blowing of the Shofar • Sukkot • Concepts- we eat in the Sukkah, we pray for rain, we decorate the Sukkah, we celebrate the Harvest • Simchat Torah- Starting Over • Concepts- we sing and dance with the Torah, we read the end of the Torah and start at the beginning again • Sample Lesson- Make a Torah

6. The Jewish Year Through Holidays, Continued • Chanukkah • Concepts- Chanukkah is celebrated for 8 days, the miracle of oil, special foods for Chanukkah, playing dreidel, Chanukkah songs • Sample Lesson- make a Chanukiah • Tu B’Shevat • Concepts- we take care of trees, what comes from trees, planting trees • Purim • Concepts- hearing the Megillah read, the main characters and plot of the story, festive meal, gifts to the poor, Shalach Manot, noisemakers, wearing costumes • Sample Lesson- Shalach Manot • Pesach • Concepts- the story and characters of the Exodus, matzah, the 10 plagues, the four questions, the Seder, songs for Pesach • Shavuot • Concepts- eating dairy, decorating with flowers, wearing white, the Ten Commandments, the Book of Ruth

7. Teaching About Shabbat • Shabbat is the celebration that happens with the most frequency and the hardest concept to teach. • It is good to start with the basics: • The Ritual Items • The brachot • Songs and Stories • The Shabbat Box for an at home connection. • Materials for making a box: • Video storage box • Plastic Kiddush cups from Benny’s • Candle cups from Benny’s • Candles • Challah • Challah covers • Handbook for families • Journal for families

8. Prayer and Blessings • Prayer as Talking to God • Talking to God is easy for children and a great way to phrase the idea of prayer and brachot. • Modeh/Modah Ani- The morning prayer • The Shema as meditation • The Shema is one of the most powerful and moving prayers and one that is easy to learn. I introduce the prayer through meditation. I take the students outside and ask them to listen. We are silent for a while then share all the things we heard. The next step is teaching the actual prayer and talking about it • Make a mezuzah for the class and learn how it relates to the Sh’ma • Basic brachot that the class should know • Kiddush • Hamotzi • Lighting candles • Resources for learning • Websites- www.aish.com, www.chabad.org, www.ritualwell.org

9. The Torah • What is the Torah? What makes it special? How is it different from the “Old Testament?” • What does the Torah look like? How is a Torah written? • Books of the Torah- • Bereshit- in the beginning (Genesis) • Shemot- Names (Exodus) • Vayikra- He called (Leviticus) • Bamidbar- In the wilderness (Numbers) • Devarim- Things or Words (Deuteronomy) • Stories for your classroom with sample lessons: • Creation- Eco Judaism • Sample Lesson- Activities for each day of creation with a lesson on Tikkun Olam at the end- decorating canvas bags, planting trees or picking up trash. • Joseph- Jealousy, betrayal and forgiveness- • Monkey and Horsey, friends with real life problems (see handout) • Abram and Sarai- Strangers at the Tent- Welcoming and Faith • - Discussion- how do you make people feel welcome in your “tent?” Why is it important to treat strangers with kindness? What lesson does Sarai learn? • Moses- The Journey into freedom • Act out the story with dolls from the house corner. • Make a pyramid for the wall (sample in Pesach Lesson)

10. Mitzvot • B’Tzelem- Taking care of ourselves and others- God created us in God’s Image • How do we care for others- visiting the sick, supporting the mourners, visiting the elderly • Shalom- peace between friends, in the classroom, at home (Shalom Bayit) and in the world • Creating classroom rules that promote the idea of Shalom, respecting parents and teachers • Tikkun Olam- we are God’s partners in taking care of the world • Cleaning up garbage, saving water, recycling, reusing materials, not wasting paper • Tzedakah- our responsibility to help those less fortunate- not charity • Bringing money for the tzedakah box, involving the kids in the donation process • Tzaar Baalei Chayim- taking care of animals • Classroom animals, talking about caring for pets • Hachnassat Ochim- hospitality and welcoming • Discussion on welcoming guests at home and in the classroom

11. Hebrew and Israel Hebrew Terms to Know: • Shalom- Hello, Good-Bye, and Peace • Todah Rabah- Thank You • Bvakasha- Please • Sheket- Quiet • Boker Tov- Good-Morning • Chaverim- Friends • Yeladim- Children • Abba- Father • Imma- Mother • Mishpacha- Family Relating Israel to Children • Israel is home for all Jewish people • We always pray for peace in Israel • Israel on the map • The Flag of Israel • The languages of Israel • The food of Israel • People we know who are from Israel • Music from Israel

12. The Synagogue and People in the Community • Interview with a Rabbi- Collect questions from the students and invite the Rabbi to come and answer them. In the future, if questions arise, start an “Ask the Rabbi Box” where you can put questions in. • Take a tour of the Synagogue with journals. Have the students draw pictures of what they see. Invite them to recreate the space using classroom materials. • Decorate kippot for the classroom • Make a small Aron for the classroom • Visit other classrooms and plan joint lessons to create a sense of community. • Do projects with local Jewish Organizations: • Sample plan- JFCS Holiday Gift Bags.

13. Teaching Tools • Puppets- Puppets are a great way to capture interest and to encourage “audience participation.” • Stories with a Jewish Theme that are not Jewish (I Was So Mad) • Wall of the Month

14. Sample Lesson:Pesach

15. Pesach Lesson Plan • Begin by telling the story of Moses • Build a Pyramid on the Wall of the Month • Incorporate more of the Pesach story as the month goes on. • Make Seder Plates • Make “Bag of Plagues” • Learn “The Four Questions” • Culminate with a Model Seder

16. Resources • Benny’s Educational Toys- http://www.tjssc.com/ • Easy to navigate website with awesome materials for Jewish Educators. • Staff is very helpful and the prices are reasonable. • Oriental Trading Company • While most of their stuff is for general ed schools and Christian-based schools, they have a surprising amount of Judaica. • There general craft supplies are also great for prizes and activities • Jewish Every Day • This book breaks it down by age and provides teachers with a great resource for each holiday and observance

17. Brainstorm Ideas

18. How to Get The Handout and Sample Flyers • In an attempt to go paperless, I’m not providing handouts. • If you would like a copy of the presentation, I’m happy to email it to you. Same with any of the other materials I have shown you today. • Please email me at teachertracy@gmail.com and specify if you need it in a Word format.