In conjunction with building the 2nd grade curriculum, I have been defining specific essential questions to guide our learning. One of the essential we are working to guide our learning of Holidays is the following: How can celebrating Jewish holidays strengthen my Jewish identity, while also helping me engage with the world today?
In order to measure if learning about Jewish Holidays truly strengthens our students’ Jewish Identities, we need to talk about it. What is a Jewish identity? What do we do that strengthens it?
Here is a summary of our discussion this morning (all ideas and words from the kids; I was super impressed):
Our Jewish Identity is what being Jewish means to us.
Ways that we strengthen our Jewish Identity :
Going to Temple/Synagogue
Learning Hebrew
Celebrating Shabbat and other Jewish Holidays
Giving Tzedakah
Going to MJDS
Going to Israel, going to the Kotel
Tefillah
HW QUESTION: FAMILY DISCUSSION (please have your child answer these questions in the comment section)
What does your family already do to help strengthen your Jewish identities?
**CHALLENGE(optional): As a family, take on something new to help strengthen your Jewish identities. Share with us what it is (examples: Lighting Shabbat Candles, learning the Parsha together, Singing a Jewish song or prayer at night…)
Something we do that strengthens our Jewish identity is going to synagogue. For the challenge we decided to do mishnah.
My family helps others and tries to repair the world and we have Shabbat dinners and I say the Shema.
We participate at our synagogue. And I challenge is going to be lighting Shabbat candles.
We participate at our synagogue. And our challenge is going to be lighting Shabbat candles.
My family goes to temple and we eat a lot of jewish food. My family will try t do shabbat more often.
The anonymous post and on blonde post are from Alex Magana who is having trouble and accidentally posted the anti-spam words.
I meant to say to do not t do sorry.
We celebrate Shabbat, we go to temple, and I go to Sunday school.
Challenge question: I want to celebrate Shabbat more often at home.
Kenzie
We light the candles on Friday night!😃
We light Shabbat Candles evry night and we call my grandma.
A strong Jewish identity is the foundation of Jewish life and community. Empowering our 2nd graders to reflect on this question and take action is such a powerful way to develop pride in being Jewish. This has led to wonderful dinner conversation and reflection at my house.
I really enjoyed reading these posts. Let us know if you need anything from school to help support your new family “challenge”/Jewish growth opportunity! Shabbat Shalom! -Gev. Honigman