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Hear Our Voice "Shema Koleinu"
- Hear the Voice of the Shofar "Lishmo‘a Kol Shofar"

In this unit on hearing the shofar, students will be challenged to consider what it means for a Jew to hear and how hearing constitutes mindfulness of their own personal spiritualwelfare as well as that of their fellow human beings. Approaching the mitsvah of hearing the shofar in this way will empower our students to explore the intersection of ritual practice, ethical sensibilities and tikkun ‘olam.

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Sarah and Hagar: Relevant lessons for early childhood educators

It is time to broaden our approach to Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur from apples and honey to include the story of Abraham, Sarah and Hagar. There are lessons to be learned from each of these characters and from the ways (positively and negatively) they interacted with each other. Emotions rage, dreams are dashed and fulfilled, messages are misunderstood.Using the story as the vehicle, these lessons can be referred back to throughout the year.
By Maxine Segal Handelman

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Rosh Hashanah/ Yom Kippur: Exploring Themes of Teshuvah

How does Teshuvah make us better people? What do the calls of the Shofar say to us? What do we wish to throw away with our Tashlich crumbs, and what should we keep?
This project will take participants through a series of encounters, culminating with a family program, which will explore Teshuvah through creative dramatics, learning the meaning of the various shofar calls and their relation to the chagim, art, poetry, and finally an interactive family activity with a meaningful "air tashlich" ceremony.
The activities may be run as a unit in sequence, or individually as desired.

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Get Ready, Get Set . . .Wait!

Halacha – Jewish law – as well as tradition and custom, emphasizes the need to engage in thorough preparation for the careful and fulfilling observance of Miztvot. Preparation in response to anticipation is a basic concept of life; it is well-reflected in Jewish tradition. Indeed, preparation becomes a value-laden exercise in itself.
The Mishna tells us that “early righteous ones would meditate for one hour before [required] prayer in order to direct their hearts to God.” (B’rachot 5:1)
The Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe) are such a complex time that the tradition provides us with multiple frameworks through which we anticipate and prepare for its objectives. In the following activities we will use the perspective of the period from Rosh Hodesh Ellul to Yom Kippur.

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Heshbon ha-Nefesh

This project, composed of seven core elements, presents an approach to the concept of Heshbon ha-Nefesh (reunion with the soul), understanding “balance” in terms of “value” and as an attitude within Judaism.

Given the significance of time within Judaism, balance is not achieved in a day but over a period of time, with a beginning marked by the start of the year and a final judgment to evaluate this balance.
There are four key concepts that support this period of time: the start or beginning of this period of reflection (Teruah), the awakening of the soul and awareness to carry out this task, memory or introspection, and the evaluation and judgment of acts.
This leads to balance, which is the act of thinking, analyzing, and drawing conclusions with regard to one’s own actions and those of a collective.

Two main aspects of Jewish culture are connected to balance: memory and the right to free will (the right is given but the responsibility it entails is unavoidable)

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A Blank Sheet: Here’s to a Colorful New Beginning!

This ludic proposal encouraging group participation broaches the concept of turning a new leaf. Activities focus on Hebrew vocabulary pertaining to Yamim Noraim, the story of Jonah, and the custom of wearing white. It also entails the creation of artistic exhibits and closes with a party, to which families are invited.

The activities in this project can be either carried out as an integrated series, or individually, as per the objectives of the coordinator.

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