Enrich with BabagaNewz.com

An amazing on-line resource for enrichment activities is the website BabagaNewz.com
BabagaNewz provides a wealth of information, activities, and lesson plans for a multitude of Judaic topics.

One small sampling of the offerings on BabagaNewz – I selected “Learning Torah” from a long list of “Jewish Values.” Among the activities featured were a virtual tour of the Israeli Supreme Court building with an explanation of the various architectural elements; an article and lesson plan based on the long distance chevrutah experience of a Bar Mitzvah student ; an article and lesson plan connecting the wonders of laser light to the “Light of Torah.” Each activity, in turn, included links to additional information. The possibilities were endless!

If you’re lucky enough to have a computer in your classroom, BabagaNewz is a perfect site for students to explore independently. You might also assign topics for students to research on this site at home.

The “Teachers” section of BabagaNewz is a treasure trove of lesson plans on Holidays, Jewish History, current events, Israel, Torah, and more. I printed out a multi-page lesson plan about Tel Aviv, which celebrated its 100th birthday in 2009. This lesson plan included art activities, creative writing, Hebrew vocabulary, a color poster, and color photos of city sites – all the makings of a classroom learning center.

As an unexpected bonus, on the BabagaNewz home page, I discovered a dance video starring students from Bet Shraga Hebrew Academy of Albany, NY. The students were led by their outstanding dance teacher, a friend and the parent of two of my former students from the days when I was a member of the Bet Shraga faculty.

Visit BabagaNewz.com and explore the enrichment possibilities!

And…keep on visiting Jewish Educators’ Village – K’far Morim – your virtual community for sharing ideas, strategies, and resources for Jewish Education.

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Ronni Sims

Ronni has been a Jewish educator since Moses was in preschool (almost!). She has had the pleasure of teaching all age groups in a variety of formal and informal settings, as well as directing a Jewish Teacher Resource Center. While teaching in a Jewish Day School, Ronni coached an award-winning Odyssey of the Mind creative problem solving team.Ronni was an active participant in the former Conference on Alternatives in Jewish Education (CAJE), where she held leadership positions including Network Chair and Conference Co-Chair of CAJE 29 at Hofstra University. She currently teaches Hebrew at the Congregation Albert Religious School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Talmud teaches: “The Torah cannot be learned unless it is learned among friends.” Ronni views blogging on JCast as such a learning opportunity.

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