Bat Mitzvah girl at her bat mitzvah celebration at Melabev with a center participant. Photo courtesy Melabev read about the Bar and Bat Mitzvah program at birkat chaverim

Teaching the mitzva of “respecting the elderly”

We are happy to have gerontologist, Rakel Berenbaum, as part of our Mitzvot Unplugged series, writing about a creative program which both teaches the value of Chesed and of valuing our elders. "It is very fulfilling to give. When you give, you get something too." Meira, Bat Mitzvah program participant Melabev Beit Shemesh has created two unique pr ...

ScavengerHunt

Teaching Jerusalem one footstep at a time

In honor of Yom Yerushalayim, Jerusalem day, and as part of the Mitzvot Unplugged series, we are pleased to welcome, Joanna from FunInJerusalem.com, a website that helps families explore Jerusalem and its environs. Take a walk down the small alleyways of the Old City of Jerusalem and you may be wondering how you can experience such an Old City in a m ...

Maccabeats Interview

Mitzvot Unplugged Interview with the Maccabeats

The Mitzvot Unplugged Series has to do with teaching kids Jewish values in a creative way. One of the ways of doing that is through music. I want to thank Julian/Chaim Horowitz from the Maccabeats for agreeing to an interview, as part of this series. How does being representatives of Orthodoxy and the concept of Torah uMadda come out in your song ...

Review of Seven Steps to Mentschhood by Stanley H. Fischman for mitzvot unplugged via birkat chaverim

Review: Seven Steps to Mentschhood Training Your Child to be a Mentsch

As part of Mitzvot Unplugged I am happy to review Stanley Fischman's Seven Steps to ''Mentschhood'' - How to Help Your Child Become a Mentsch: An Interactive Guide for Parents, published by Urim Publications. Mentschhood at Home In our home we are constantly telling our children that we want them to grow up to be mentchen. However, we did not have a def ...

tiny ninja theater presents m'amati, from when? based on learning talmud via birkat chaverim

Tiny Ninja Theater’s M’amati (From When)

As part of the Mitzvot Unplugged series we are pleased to have Dov Weinstein, director of Tiny Ninja Theater, talk about a creative way of teaching gemara with Tiny Ninja Theater's M'amati. "Tiny Ninja Theater presents M'amati (From when?)" is an educational performance piece based around the opening Mishna in (tractate) Berachot.  It uses everyd ...

Group photo Areyvut Mitzvah Clowns via birkat chaverim

Turning Jewish values into Concrete Actions through Areyvut

Teaching our kids Jewish values also is about contributing to the community. I'm happy to have a guest post by Daniel Rothner, director of Areyvut as part of the Mitzvot Unplugged series to talk about some of Areyvut's creative projects, including Mitzvah Clowning. Jewish Values to Action Areyvut believes in turning Jewish values from abstract ideas i ...