We’re having a great time getting to know each other on Makom @ Home, as our learners from across the country get together three afternoons a week for Jewish Enrichment! This week, we opened the story of the Scouts checking out Canaan for Bnai Yisrael before they go into the land.
The story of the scouts immediately follows Miriam’s experience being publicly punished for teasing her brother Moshe about his wife, Tziporah. Our learners were quick to create commentary and put the two texts in conversation with one another. They reflected on the ways our words are powerful.
“Teasing isn’t good! About people or a place. They weren’t being kind.”
“Saying bad things about someone doesn’t solve any problems.”
They also asked incredible questions about our text:
- Why is it a new story? Why are we making up a new story and why are we telling about it tomorrow
- What does the first words mean “God spoke to Moshe”?
- What makes them princes of each tribe?
- Where does this story come from?
- Why are the spies leaders from their tribes, why can’t they be regular people?
And we got to start digging for our own answers and the commentary we could create together:
Who would you send from your family to check out a new place?
- Dad b/c he’s good at paining
- Aunt b/c she’s good at art?
- Me & mommy We’re a great team!
- Isabella b/c she loves clear instructions
- Selah to make sure everyone gets listened
Who would you want to help you move to a new place?
- Grandma b/c she moved a lot.
- Brother b/c he’s good at driving & directions.
- Friend b/c they have moved a lot and they have a pool.
Why would you want someone in charge to be a scout?
- They know what problems to look for.
- People will listen to them
Our learners also use their project time to dig for answers to their own questions and follow their own curiosity about the text. Stay tuned for more about our project work!
We’re looking forward to digging into more of the text of the Scouts story this coming week, hearing more amazing questions from your kids, and inviting them to continue working toward their own answers and the questions they’ll find along the way, too.