Birkat Chaverim
Here are some resources for Zeved Habat/Simchat Bat welcoming a baby girl. This is by no means extensive so feel free to add ideas in comments. Thanks to my friend Rosemary Eshel who shared resources when I was looking for ideas of what to do for our daughter quite a while ago. In the end we did a siyum. We learned Makot and did a celebratory meal or ...
Character Counts Week begins October 20th. Building character is something we tend to agonize about in our family (are we modeling appropriate behaviours? do our kids understand our values and have they internalized them? are they being mentchen when we are not around? are they interacting with their friends in appropriate manners? are we putting them i ...
I have not been photographing any of the parsha related projects we are currently doing but we have a bunch of posts online that could be useful for familes looking for parsha ideas. These are mostly geared towards young children, but some are also good for older children. In addition, there are lots of interesting projects pinned to the Jewish informal ...
This is version one of a free template to make Kamtza and Bar Kamtza puppets. Children can color them, cut them out and attach them to popsicle sticks. There is a small script, a version of the story if you will, on the template page. You are welcome to use this with small children. However, it is in no way intended as a definitive telling of the story. ...
The depiction of the Romans bringing the spoils of war, including the Temple Menorah and its vessels to Rome, on the Arch of Titus is a depiction that for many Jews symbolizes the loss of the Beit Hamikdash and of exile in their minds eye and in their hearts. This arch celebrated Titus's victory over the Jews, the destruction of Jerusalem and the holy ...
I'm very thankful to everyone who participated in the Mitzvot Unplugged series. We had a wide variety of topics in the series and personally, I am grateful for all the different perspectives. I know that I personally tend to focus on certain types of activities and themes, so its nice to hear from others and ask myself how I can incorporate these appr ...
This is by no means a comprehensive roundup. This post focuses on topics that are not typical for inclusion in teaching about values. Nevertheless, they are topics which definitely need discussing. And from the perspective of your own family values, rather than via mass media. I am always looking for additional links. Please do continue to submit links ...
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 ...
As part of the Mitzvot Unplugged series we are happy to welcome Amital from Organized Jewish Home to talk about resources her family uses for homeschooling. Some of my favorite learning opportunities aren’t formal learning. There’s so much to talk about as you live your life: brachot as you eat and when there is lightning, chesed as you make a meal for ...
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 ...