This week, we’re debuting a new feature in TAPBB. It’s called News2Use, and it’s by Adrian Durlester. Each week, Adrian (who used to edit C.Ha and Bim Bam) will pick a few stories in the news, talk about their “Jewish angles” and recommend ideas for bringing them into your classroom.
by Adrian A. Durlester
The Shofar — A Rhapsody In Green? This High Holidays Feature article written for the JTA by author and toy designer Edmon J. Rodman (perhaps best known for his YouTube video where he builds a pyramid of matzah) asks:
“Is green the theme of the shofar this Rosh Hashanah season? In a year of sustainability and carbon footprints, high gas and hybrids, the shofar is the simplest, most eco-friendly method of reaching the Jewish community with a vital message. The shofar, if you pause to think about it, is a rhapsody in green…A totally natural product, its availability is a byproduct of an already ongoing ancient enterprise — sheep herding. Powered by one human, and empowered by a congregation, the shofar requires no batteries, power cord or transformer. When we hear it, we are the ones who become transformed.”
A discussion suitable for almost any grade: What do you hear in the call of the shofar? How does it call us to take care of our planet? Find the complete article at: http://tinyurl.com/greenshofar.
Tzipi, you’re in. Ehud, you’re out. If Israel is your topic of interest, one of this week’s hottest stories is, of course, the resignation of Ehud Olmert and the potential rise to power of Tzipi Livni. Lots of articles all over the web. A nice place to start is with this article from Time Magazine: http://tinyurl.com/timesep22olmert.
For grades 5 and up: How might the resignation of Olmert and the new government to be formed by Tzipi Livni affect the situation in Israel?
Posted by TAPBB Editor 