Zionism at a Chinese Restaurant

We brought in Chinese food for lunch today.

As Josh was finishing his meal, he opened his fortune cookie and found the above fortune inside.

Theodor Herzl isn’t dead. He’s secretly working for Panda Express, writing fortunes for their fortune cookies.

Let Me Count the Ways: 5 Ways to Promote Jewish Summer Camp

by Carol Oseran Starin

It’s November. Too soon to be thinking about summer camp? Not at all. Now is the time to register for next summer.

Actually, as educators, we should be thinking about camp all year ‘round.

Next to formal Jewish schooling, Jewish summer camp is at the top of the Jewish communal agenda. Communities and philanthropists have learned (and educators have always known) that living and playing Jewish 24/7 has a powerful effect on Jewish identity and the possibility to transform lives.

There are so many natural and authentic connections between camp and school – so many ways that teachers, principals and rabbis can promote Jewish camping and meaningfully integrate enthusiastic camp returnees into schools and synagogues. Here are more than a dozen ideas to get you started:

R’fuah Shlemah Quilt

by Laurie Bellet

I recently made a “get-well” quilt with a 3rd grade class. The children were culminating a unit on Bikkur Cholim. A member of our community was in the hospital and the quilt was made to coincide with her hospital discharge.

The background is fleece 72 inches by 59 inches. I cut 3 inch fringes and tied them into knots for the edging. The children worked on 6inch squares of white poplin. I ironed a product called “Wonder Under” onto the back of the poplin. This makes it easier to cut and then will be used to adhere the squares to the fleece without sewing.

The children first sketched their design onto white paper to work out the format. This also allowed the teacher to check the appropriateness of the content and to check-in verbally with each student as a unit evaluation. They used the Crayola Fabric Markers to render the design onto the poplin. The students spent a total of about 90 minutes from preparation to completion. I peeled the back off the “Wonder Under” and ironed each square onto the fleece. This also ‘set’ the fabric marker.

Using Whole-School Lessons for Family Education

We got this note from Rachel Margolis, Director of Education at University Synagogue in Los Angeles:

I was excited to have Torah Aura’s Whole School Tzedakah lessons in our curriculum this year. The idea of having anything “whole school” is so great because it shows the students that they can learn the same subjects year after year while at the same time getting more depth from them.

This year I planned on using the lessons as part of our first all-school family day where the theme was tzedakah and tikkun olam. We introduced the theme with some family activities, and then split into classes to learn more about tzedakah and how it is connected to tikkun olam. Each teacher used the Torah Aura lessons and prepared another activity on how tzedakah and tikkun olam are connected (continuous, deliberate acts of tzedakah can lead to tikkun olam).

Introducing BJL Lifecycle

We’re proud to introduce you to BJL Lifecycle, a set of folders that make studying lifecycle moments and practices easier for students to embrace.

Because different schools teach lifecycle in different grades, just the right resource is needed for students in each grade level. The Circle of Jewish Life, our newest lifecycle book, is perfect for grades 4-6. But when you want to teach lifecycle to second and third graders, BJL Lifecycle is the perfect choice.

A set of eight folders, BJL Lifecycle looks at vocabulary, ritual, and meaning behind birth rituals, Torah rituals, b’nai mitzvah, Jewish family life, marriage, old age, and death. They can be used in any order with any starting point, making them the most flexible and effective lifecycle materials on the market.

Each unit introduces the key vocabulary, basic concepts, and provides a story about that stage in Jewish development. It is the perfect resource for younger students. The folders unfold eight major lifecycle events using stories and hands-on activities. They utilize simple explanations and family involvement, and in doing so, students study the moments in life that connect us to our families, the Jewish people, and God.