How do values and tradition impact my Jewish practice?

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3 Unit(s), 12 Resource(s),

Unit

The Why of Shabbat

What are the philosophical underpinnings of Shabbat observance that make it a critical area of religious observance throughout history? In this house this will be explored through the eyes of several contemporary Jewish thinkers.

Ages: 15-18,
Unit

The How of Shabbat

In this house the “how of shabbat observance” will be explored in all its complexity and diversity among the Jewish people today.

Ages: 15-18,
Unit

You Are What You Eat: Finding Meaning in the Laws of keeping Kosher

This Unit will familiarize learners with the concepts of kashrut, as well as expose them to the basic laws of keeping kosher. It will examine some of the rationales behind these laws and consider a broader understanding of kashrut and its relevance to Jewish values and contemporary ethics.

Ages: 15-18,
Resource

Shabbat and Creation

In this block we will consider the connections between Shabbat and the Creation of the world.

Ages: 15-18,
Resource

Shabbat and the Exodus

In this block we will consider the connections between Shabbat and the Exodus.

Ages: 15-18,
Resource

The Spirit of Shabbat

In this block we will explore the overall theme of “rest” on shabbat as a way to maintain the spirit of shabbat.

Ages: 15-18,
Resource

Contemporary Approaches to Shabbat

In this block we will explore contemporary approaches to shabbat observance from various streams of Judaism that differ in some way from Orthodox observance.

Ages: 15-18,
Resource

Hidden and Revealed: Central Motifs of Purim

This resource deals with the motifs of things that are hidden and those that are visible in Megillat Esther (The Scroll of Esther) and how these motifs are expressed on Purim through costumes and masks.

Ages: 9-11, 12-14,
Resource

Zachor – the “dos” of Shabbat

In this resource we will consider the positive aspects of Shabbat observance, including the positive mitzvot involved in an active Shabbat observance.

Ages: 15-18,
Resource

Shamor – the “do nots” of shabbat

In this block we will consider the classic Biblical and Talmudic sources for the prohibitions involved in shabbat observance.

Ages: 15-18,
Resource

Holding back: How Kashrut teaches social and moral self-discipline

In the “Are there health benefits (for body and soul) to keeping kosher?” block the potential physical and spiritual health benefits to observing the laws of kashrut were considered. In this block we will explore possible sociological, psychological, and ethical reasons behind the laws of kashrut.

Ages: 15-18,
Resource

For the body or the soul: Possible reasons for keeping kosher

The laws of keeping kosher have no immediately obvious rationale behind them. Yet we assume that observance of all the mitzvot in the Torah are beneficial to us. Therefore, for generations, Jewish thinkers have formulated various approaches to the benefits of keeping kosher. In this lesson we consider four approaches to the physical and spiritual benefits of observing the laws of kashrut.

Ages: 15-18,
Resource

Introducing the Laws of Kashrut

What does it mean to keep kosher? There are a multitude of complicated laws that are the starting point to answering that question, and in this lesson we will look at their sources.

Ages: 15-18,
Resource

What the Bible says on remembering the Exodus

In this lesson the themes of the Exodus in Judaism and Jewish history are explored, including the importance to remember the Exodus, and the lasting impact that this experience has had on Jewish national memory, on the Jewish psyche, ethics, and living.

Ages: 15-18,
Resource

Prayer Formulas

When the Sages formalized the Jewish prayers, they used fixed turns of phrase that we may call “prayer formulas” (or prayer coinages). In this resource we will study some of these formulas and understand their importance.

Ages: 12-14,