morim-madrichim.org

My Jerusalem

Tue, 03 May 2011 15:04:54 GMT

This program consists of activities designed to allow students to ‘visit’ contemporary Jerusalem wherever their classroom is situated!
A photo gallery invites them into the complex identity of the city. They walk its streets and observe the T-shirts worn by residents and visitors and decide what statements each makes and then they risk getting lost while traversing its streets.
Students are invited to make choices that range from where to eat dinner to the neighborhood in which they might live – all intended to increase their familiarity with the city and develop a personal connection to it.
The lesson concludes with the sharing of a contemporary poem and a brief creative writing summary of each student’s personal Jerusalem.

Jerusalem - Gold and Stones

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:49:45 GMT

There are probably few cities in the world that evoke the images that Jerusalem evokes. Tension between the past and present, but also between the ancient and the modern; between religions but also between the religious and the secular; between nations but also between the East and West; lastly - although the list could go on - between the two images of the West and the East: those confronted every day in concrete facts and those that are shaped by the imagination, fears and hopes of each side.
What were the origins of these tensions, of this labyrinth of these junctions and missed encounters? When did the stones begin to come to life and to take lives? What was the past of this spot that is so minuscule on the planet but so powerful in its emotional, political and religious significance?
A brief tour through these next few pages will attempt to unravel some of the mysteries of the City of Peace.

Yom Yerushalayim through the five senses

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 11:41:54 GMT

Some things are just tried and true! For instance, more than 300 years ago, the educator John Amos Comenius said, “Those things, therefore, that are placed before the intelligence of the young, must be real things and not the shadow of things….real and useful things that can make an impression on the senses and on the imagination.” And so we present a tour of Jerusalem for our youngest learners through the five senses; sight, sound, taste, smell, and touch.

Yom Yerushalayim - Celebrating a City

Mon, 02 May 2011 13:51:21 GMT

More than a day, more than a city– Yom Yerushalayim symbolizes independence, a return to Zion, and the culmination of thousands of years of history. In this unit learners explore the history of Jerusalem – from the time of the Bible and Tanakh up through the present day, through texts, poetry, art and photography.

Our Jewish Year Series: Iyar

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 13:50:07 GMT

Iyar; the month in which we celebrate the reunification of our eternal capital, Jerusalem! In a slight departure from the standard Our-Jewish-Year Series programs—though continuing to address holidays, heroes, history, and heritage —this month we embark upon a multigenerational investigation into the joys of Jerusalem; an investigation organized according to the eight gates of the Old City.
The program propose to ‘visitors’ of all ages to experience a wide array of activities designed to help them readily identify the eight gates of the Old City by name, description, and history; explain the significance of the sealed gate and its special connection with Messiah; provide details about our relationship with the Kotel (Western Wall); investigate Jerusalem-related art, media, literature, animals, plants, archaeology, food, housing, and ancestors; and explore basic Hebrew vocabulary commonly used in Jerusalem and throughout Israel.

Jerusalem: Geographical space, (meta-) physical hope

Thu, 12 Apr 2007 18:04:11 GMT

In this article, the author attempts to present Jerusalem as possessing a double function; one spatio-geographical—to which the Jewish people were able to return after many years; the other as a symbol that was able to erect itself in a concentration of hope and longing, of redemption and utopia. Jerusalem, terrestrial and celestial, loses sight of the borders between the symbolic and the real as it becomes transformed by our actions into a place of paradigm, inviting us to strive not towards territorial quarrels, but in favor of sincere spaces for fraternal encounter and dialogue.

A Wall Between Heaven and Earth: Jerusalem

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:50:36 GMT

This project aims to trace the streets of earthly and celestial Jerusalem through its history, songs, poems and people. Starting with a historical tour, we will deal with the presence of the city in contemporary Israeli poetry and in popular music, trying to analyze the different meanings and feelings that the city inspired in its poets. We will analyze the arguments used by parties in conflict to refer to the city with the aim of identifying political, cultural, religious or other intentions. To sum up, the goal is for the participants to be able to appropriate the city in its beauty and spirituality but also in its struggles and tensions.

The activities enter the city through the gateways of history, politics, religion and literature. But, as happened with that other wall, the real one, the point of entry doesn't matter. Once inside the Old City, streets, gazes and emotions will cross over and blend together. It is inevitable.

We All Stood: Experiencing Sinai in Early Childhood

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 20:25:38 GMT

The Rabbis tell us that each one of us stood and received the message at Mt.Sinai. Still, communicating this to young children is difficult. Concrete thinkers that they are, they don't remember standing at Sinai. With dedication and some flair, we can combine a playful experience of being at Sinai with an enduring connection to the Torah, mix in some opportunities to reflect and revisit the experience and truly bring children to stand at Sinai.

Education in values. A Shavuot project.

Wed, 06 Jul 2005 11:46:23 GMT

Planning a project on education and values means talking about how to accentuate the positive attitudes of our students. Education today is in general extremely concerned with how to make the educational environment not just a space for improving technical skills, but an environment for learning to be better human beings. Why begin a program of education in values with the celebration of Shavuot? To begin a program of Education in Values with Shavuot is to begin by dealing with the primary source of Western culture, the source that laid the foundations for the system of values that today serves as the standard for living in society. The majority of legal codes in the Western world are based directly or indirectly on the Bible and in particular on the Decalogue. In it are values such as freedom, equality before the law, the right to study, the reason for the day of rest, and, of course, the value of monotheism vis-à-vis idolatry. In this way the individual no longer feels at the mercy of the forces of nature, but comes to feel part of a world in which s/he is responsible for what takes place.

Images of the Handing Over of the Torah: a Visual Interpretation of the Second Commandment

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:49:31 GMT

For centuries, Jews gave great importance to the event of the handing over of the Torah, celebrated on Shavuot, by means of figurative and narrative illustrations in mahzorim (1), tanachim (2) and haggadot and interpretation and reinterpretation of the Second Commandment to define artistic creation and avoid falling into the domain of idolatry. Within the framework of these interpretations we see the creativity of the Jewish artists who create with intelligence and wisdom to honour the Second Commandment. This article invites us to explore how some of these interpretations visually reflect two sources: the Mahzor Bnei Roma and the Birds’ Head Haggadah.

Ruth and Lessons on Our Relationships with Each Other and G-d

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:09:58 GMT

Once again, we are going to look at one of the personal and practical messages that a Jewish observance and season, in this case, Shavuot and its telling of the story of Ruth, has for our lives. Here we observe our celebration of receiving the Torah as well as the interactions we have with each other and with G-d. It is these interactions in our lives and how we relate to each other that will be the focus of this set of lessons. We learn that every person is created BeTzelem Elokim, in the image of G-d. As such we are required to treat each other with regard and respect and the same honor we would accord to G-d. These relationships occur on many levels, within ourselves, our families and communities and in our consideration of “the other,” that is the outsider whom we bring inside. We do all of this out of respect for the human being as the handiwork of G-d.

Chag HaShavuot, Love Stories

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 19:13:38 GMT

Two love stories dominate the scene during the Shavuot holiday. God and the people of Israel make a pact of eternal love, wherein the “wedding ring” is a commitment to observe and transmit the Torah. In celebration of this alliance, each year the people make a gift of their bikurim to God on the day of its commemoration. On the other hand, the story of Ruth teaches us that a commitment to good actions is the ideal environment in which to enter into a solid and enduring relationship. For this reason, perhaps, this festivity is not only Chag Hashavuot, the Feast of Weeks, but also Chag Ha Shavuot, the Feast of Promises, of commitments.

The Big Ten – Inside and Out: An Exploration of the 10 Commandments for Shavuot

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 19:11:58 GMT

Shavuot provides a wonderful opportunity for study sessions. This project proposes the rediscovery of the Ten Commandments through multiple activities based on the different perceptions and spectrums from which they can be studied. The project also incites the learner to explore nuances in the relationship between the one who Commands and the one who is Commanded, and apply the themes of the Commandments to modern life. The participants will approach the subject by exploring their own ability to define classification categories and creatively write parodies based on the Decalogue.

The Numbers of Shavuot

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:37:24 GMT

Emphasizing numbers associated with Shavuot, this fascinating program provides young children with a variety of lively opportunities to explore an ancient and multifaceted festival. From Ten Commandments, Two Tablets, and Forty-nine Days to Two Friends, and Seven Species ... the numbers are in! Easy-to-understand Torah text, Hebrew, quick facts, discussion guides, bulletin-board ideas and, of course, wonderful developmentally appropriate hands-on activities are included.

On Shavuot, I Imagine …

Tue, 03 May 2011 09:21:56 GMT

This program is designed to introduce your children to central Shavuot concepts through a program filled with opportunities to “make-believe.” This allows young children to engage in role-play and pretend to be someone—or something—else. Through make-believe, children are free to explore and interact, taking on roles they generally don’t have the chance to assume in real life. An excellent tool for fostering and promoting social and emotional development; cognitive processing; language and literacy skills; and inquiry and creativity; make-believe empowers children and helps them to make sense of their world.