Top 10! Tefillah, Torah and other Tips for Teaching on Shabbat Dear Educator, With soccer, music lessons, homework, work schedules and shopping filling up our students and families‘ lives, how do we make Shabbat part of their regular “to dos”? What can we as educators do to make Shabbat programming more engaging and appealing, so that (even with soccer gear in tow), Shabbat activity is still a memorable and enriching part of the student “Saturday” experience? This resource will provide quick tips to enrich your Shabbat educational programming. You can try these activities out on Chagim as well. We can still engage children creatively without a Smartboard, crayons, or scissors. This user-friendly guide provides quick tips and ideas presented with many sample activities. Please also reference the Guides to Creative Tefillah: Shabbat Shachari on the USY Religion/Education website. This guide provides teaching ideas for each Tefillah, discussion on why we pray, and other resource ideas. And while you are there, you can also view several other Tefillah resources including: USY's Guide to Creative Tefillah B’hatzlacha! Amy Dorsch Education Coordinator, USY Department of Teen Learning
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Top 10! Tefillah, Torah and other Tips for Teaching on Shabbat
Dear Educator,
With soccer, music lessons, homework, work schedules and shopping filling up our students and
families‘ lives, how do we make Shabbat part of their regular “to dos”? What can we as educators do to
make Shabbat programming more engaging and appealing, so that (even with soccer gear in tow),
Shabbat activity is still a memorable and enriching part of the student “Saturday” experience?
This resource will provide quick tips to enrich your Shabbat educational programming. You can try these
activities out on Chagim as well. We can still engage children creatively without a Smartboard, crayons,
or scissors. This user-friendly guide provides quick tips and ideas presented with many sample activities.
Please also reference the Guides to Creative Tefillah: Shabbat Shachari on the USY Religion/Education
website. This guide provides teaching ideas for each Tefillah, discussion on why we pray, and other
resource ideas. And while you are there, you can also view several other Tefillah resources including:
USY's Guide to Creative Tefillah
B’hatzlacha!
Amy Dorsch Education Coordinator, USY Department of Teen Learning
Explain that prayer can happen anywhere for any occasion!
1. Pray where you are
Not everyone prays in the same way or feels comfortable in a structured prayer space. Set up different
models of a prayer space and have participants travel from model to model to test out where they feel
most spiritually alert or aware.
Top 10! Tefillah, Torah and other Tips for Teaching on Shabbat
Beyond the Building
Creating Sacred Space/Makom Kavua outside the physical synagogue space, defining prayer beyond the typical prayer space
These ideas may seem new and a little “out there,” but if what you’ve got isn’t working, try something
different!
10. Building off of the ideas in the previous section, help participants recognize the concept of Makom
Kavua – Sacred Space. Sacred space can be found anywhere we feel comfortable to experience prayer
and spirituality. Take them outside of the building to the synagogue garden or lawn.
9. Chavurah –
Shabbat morning programming outside of the synagogue can be an excellent community building
opportunity, despite participants separating themselves from the adult Kehilla. Parents and participants
may be more willing or comfortable in a family living room or kitchen. Try it once and see what feedback
and response you get. If this works, inquire about borrowing a Torah from the Kehillah.
8. Inspiring Surroundings
Walk to a park, neighboring area, beach, or body of water (lake, pond, ocean) and hold an
unstructured prayer experience surrounded by nature.
Do a guided reading or meditation that focuses on breathing and/or our relationship with God,
our friends and family, and ourselves.
Use resources such as Spirit in Nature: Teaching Judaism and Ecology on the Trail for inspiration.
7. Invite or join a community of special friends such as Jewish senior citizens or special needs young
children and create a prayer experience of lively Tefillah with them.
6. Meet at a sculpture garden or art exhibit and experience prayer through the visual arts. Connect the
art with some concepts from the structured Tefillah.
5. Body and Soul
Use a large open space (can be the synagogue social hall if not being used for Kiddish) to experience
movement and prayer. Invite a Yoga educator (and connect yoga poses to concepts in Tefillah) or use
resources such as Torah Yoga: Experiencing Jewish Wisdom Through Classic Postures as inspiration. Go
into detail about how the body is used in Tefillah (steps, bending, bowing).
Top 10! Tefillah, Torah and other Tips for Teaching on Shabbat
4. Sacred space means different things to people. For example, sacred space could be defined as any
place where you feel a spiritual connection whether that’s through prayer, the environment, or the
people you’re with. See sample activity in Appendix.
3. Connect the body with a prayer experience such as Yoga or Torah Tai Chi. Ask a community member
or parent to assist you in the Yoga or Tai Chi instruction and then tie-in Tefillot associated with
movement and the body (Tefillah choreography, Asher Yatzar) to the physical exercises. Ask the
participants how they felt using their bodies to pray. 2.Use the synagogue playground equipment, if
available, for a Siddur Quest - Capture the Flag style game. Include challenges such as completing the
Tefillah sentence, word searches, or Name the Nusach.
1. Using Visuals
Turn the hallways into a Tefillah Museum of images and/or items from various types of prayer
spaces (or even synagogues around the world).
Use different art pieces and ask participants to apply concepts of Tefillah to the art work.
Describe how images can transform a typical space in a Makom Kavu’a or sacred space.
Use Tefillah phrases as captions for the artwork and have participants choose which quote they
feel best suits the image or item. You may use the phrases or Tefillah words as literary art
(poetry) to include in the museum “display.”
Top 10! Tefillah, Torah and other Tips for Teaching on Shabbat
Shevet Achim Gam Yachad
Integrating youth with Adult Congregation
Most youth programming occurs separately from the “main sanctuary” prayer space, creating separate
communities of youth and adults. Let’s work on lowering the average age of our morning minyanim with
these tips! Make sure to meet with your clergy person to ask for opportunities to involve youth.
10.If the clergy person agrees, have a pair of youth give the introduction to the Torah reading (bonus if it
is through art or drama)
9.Have youth participants present something they may have created or performed in your sessions
together.
8.Have youth prepare their own personal prayers and share them aloud before Musaf when the prayer
for the country and congregation are recited.
7. Pair youth participants with older “buddies” and have them share their prayer experience. This may
be particularly special if there are elderly Kehillah members who come on their own and may appreciate
some assistance.
6. Have youth participants teach a new tune or teach a “ruach” song found in the siddur.
5. Train youth to gabbai (with adult support/supervision) as co-captain Gabba’im
4.If you create anything visual in your youth activity session, display it at the Congregational Kiddush and
make sure the Kehilla is made aware of the display.
3.Have youth give announcements instead of the President (they can read and if given a role, they may
stay for kiddish!)
2. Role reversal: Have youth invite older members to join them in Adon Olam!
1. Ask the clergy to introduce the Amidah with the Avot bracha and pose a challenge to Kehilla members
to share one word of advice to the younger generation and have youth share one word that would give
hope or faith to the the older generation. Most people aren’t used to speaking out loud or participating
like this in a Kehillah prayer setting. Let it feel different and new!
Top 10! Tefillah, Torah and other Tips for Teaching on Shabbat
Prayer Couture: Tallit, Tefillin and Kippah
Sample Activities to be inspired by attire! 10. Paper Dolls
Create a male and female paper doll as well as a variety of Jewish objects (e.g. tallit, tefillin, kippah,
magen david necklace, etc.). Ask the students to attach objects onto the doll that they perceive wears
the item. Go around and have each student explain what they attached and why. Next, ask them to
attach objects they believe are the standard in their community- unclear what this means? Like if
women wear tallit? and have the students explain what objects they attached and why. You can ask
them a variety of questions such as how did this doll look 25 years ago or how do you want the doll look
10 years from now? Is anything that would make this doll look “wrong”?
9. Teach the skill of Wrapping Tefilin with creative supplies
Use ribbons and/or Fruit by the Foot: Teach students how to wrap tefillin properly by using ribbons
and/or fruit by the Foot! Give each student a long piece of ribbon or a Fruit by the Foot to wrap around
their arm. For their head, give them another long piece of ribbon. As you demonstrate how to put on
tefillin, be sure to explain why we wrap it seven times on our arm, make a shin-dalet-yud on our hand,
and have the tefillin box placed in the middle of our forehead. Afterward, they can eat the fruit by the
foot -- just don’t eat the ribbon! See USY’s Tefillah Resources webpage for video instructions.
8. Competition
Divide students into groups of three orfour. Have one person from each group volunteer for a special
assignment and come to the front of the room. Next, give each group a roll of toilet paper (or, to be
more eco-friendly, use ribbon). Tell students that you are going to call out an item and they need to use
the ribbon to put said item in it’s proper place on the volunteer. The first team to get it right, wins that
round. For example, if the educator says tefillin, the students need to run to their volunteer and wrap
tefillin properly on their peer. It can be as broad or as specific as you would like. You can say tefillin or
you can say tefillin shel yad. Bonus points to the team who can explain the symbolism behind the ritual
objects.
7. Advertisement/Commercial
Divide students into three groups and assign each group one item--tallit, tefillin, or kippah. Tell them
they are selling this item and need to come up a TV commercial that advertises their product. Provide
them with a description of the item and then give them 15 minutes to read it and create an
advertisement to present to the group.
Top 10! Tefillah, Torah and other Tips for Teaching on Shabbat
6. Four Corners Game [Play on Words with the Four Corners of the Tallit]
Ask the students a question and give them four possible answers. If they think the answer is option A,
tell them to run to the far right corner. If they think it’s option B, tell them to run tothe far left corner,
etc. Repeat as many as times you want (or for as many questions you have). Note: this activity is also
great to do with the Parsha Hashavuah.
5. Print pictures of various types of tallit (long, small, colorful, Jerusalem background, from different
countries etc.) and scatter or hang them around the room. Have students walk around the room, look at
the tallitot, and pick one that sticks out to them. Have students share in pairs and then present their
tallitot and what they discovered about it to everyone.
4. Show and Tell
Invite parents, siblings, and members of the synagogue to bring their tallit to Junior Congregation. Have
them share when they received their tallit and it’s importance to them. Is it one that has been passed
down from generation to generation? Were they able to pick their tallit? Why that tallit? What does the
tallit mean to them?
2. Project Runway Shabbat Edition
Prepare an outline of a Tallit on a piece of poster paper. Have participants design their own tallit using
images, brachot or words from various tefillot, personal touches and images or themes. Discuss the
concept of “you are what you wear” in terms of the design on the Tallitot. Ask participants to share
stories about what they would want represented in a prayer garment. Teach about the Tzitzit and Atara
before the discussing the design. You may discuss the idea of women and Tallit and how tallitot and
Kippot have become more feminine to reflect women participating in this mitzvah. What can we do with
Tefillin?
2. Head’s Up
Compare head coverings of other faith groups with the Kippah. Bring in explanations of why members of
other faiths cover their heads. Discuss how the kippah helps us acknowledge the presence of God. Bring
in different examples of Jewish head coverings, especially newer styles of Kippot for women such as the
beaded wire Kippah.
1. Use the Tallit for an exercise in spirituality. Have participants sit close together under a Tallit
“chuppah” or canopy (You may mention that Tallit is often used as a Chuppah at a wedding and ask
why). Teach a niggun and ask them to envision the prescence or protection of God. Teach phrases such
as “U’fros aleinu Sukkat Shlomecha” (spread over us Your shelter of peace, from the Hashkivenu prayer)
and “Tachat Kanfei Hash’chinah” (Under the protection of the Divine, recited in the El Maleh Memorial
prayer).
Top 10! Tefillah, Torah and other Tips for Teaching on Shabbat
P.A.C.T. Programming: Parent and Child Together Activities
Prepared by Susan Wyner, USCJ Director of Learning Enrichment
Kids tend to prefer learning activities that they believe are valued by their parents as well as their friends. The more opportunities that we provide for parent engagement and participation, the more likely that the children in the family will participate with enthusiasm and engagement in the learning we provide.
Because it occurs each week, Shabbat is the perfect vehicle for family engagement and parent involvement. These recommendations are just a few suggestions to increase opportunities for parent involvement on Shabbat.
Planning for Your Audience: Ask parents about the kinds of Shabbat programming they would value.
1. At school registration time or when families sign their children up for Kadima or USY, include a
questionnaire for parents that offers opportunity for feedback about the kind of Shabbat learning or
activities that might attract them. Allow them to choose from a broad variety that might include