The “friends” to whom I’m dedicating this post are wonderful colleagues in Jewish education who support, motivate, model, inspire, and teach – colleagues from whom I’ve learned so many valued skills and worthy insights. Sharing and learning with our colleagues strengthens and enlightens us as a professional community. We need as many opportunities as possible […]

Once upon a time, when the grandchildren of my students were, like myself, in Classical Reform “Sunday Schools,” children learned “Bible Stories” – the adventures of Adam and Eve, Noah and Family, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and, of course, God. To young learners God, as portrayed in Bible stories, seemed to be a distant, […]

Finding exactly the right mix of oral and written exercises, experiential activities, frontal teaching, hands-on projects, and individualized learning is a never-ending challenge in Jewish education.Sometimes, an unexpected element can make or break a lesson. “Classroom picks” as described in this and future posts are selected strategies, learning activities, techniques, ideas, and resources which I’ve […]

For future Hanukkah celebrations, here is a quick, fun activity that requires only a little simple preparation. Students of all ages will enjoy transforming themselves into a “Living Menorah.” Set-up:Make nine “candles” by rolling a piece of colored construction paper around a cardboard paper towel roll. Tape the construction paper along the seam and tuck […]

A wealth of Judaic studies information, professional development material, and learning activities for students, teachers, and families is available on a variety of websites. In addition to Jewish educational podcasts and blogs on JCast Network, here are 4 more websites well worth exploring. www.akhlah.comThis site is especially useful for Hebrew teachers. Among the Hebrew offerings […]

Eons ago, when I was in Sunday school, each student received a little wooden dreidel for Hanukkah. We’d spin it a bit, play a few rounds of the dreidel game and then take it home, presumably to provide entertainment during our Hanukkah celebration. But honestly folks, the dreidel game wasn’t nearly as exciting as Monopoly, […]

For many years, I received by mail a colorful, lavishly illustrated gift catalogue of upscale Judaica. I never ordered any of the pricey items, but I did save the catalogues. The illustrations made wonderful classroom visuals, especially for Holiday lessons. Fancy, artistic dreidels were a popular item and their pictures provided the raw material for […]

It’s been awhile since Rosh HaShanah – 81 days to be exact. Many of the optimistic, exuberant New Year’s resolutions that I made in the fine fall days of Tishrei, now look as tattered and dormant as my snow-covered rose bushes in the gray chill of Kislev. Thanks to the sacred wisdom of the Jewish […]

Thanksgiving is a perfect opportunity to follow Abraham’s example in the Torah Portion Va-Yera and perform the mitzvah of Hachnasat Orchim, welcoming guests. We bustle about, as Abraham did, preparing a feast and making our visitors feel comfortable. We embrace Thanksgiving as a treasured tradition; a Norman Rockwell scene of family and friends thankfully enjoying […]