Jewish Enrichment Center in Philadelphia
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We are two weeks into our first Rosh Pinah project about all things tefilah (prayer). After our exploration of tefillah gear, we have been learning about the various opinions about when communal prayer began, diving into ancient and rabbinic Jewish history. We talked about what Jewish communal worship looked like during the time of the Temples about the early…
Makom @ Home started off our Fall session exploring what community means and what is holiness. We read a text from Leviticus about Bnei Yisrael (the Jewish People) being a community and being holy because God is holy. We started off our questions thinking about who is part of the Bnei Yisrael community while they were wandering in the desert…
Is Two Truly Better Than One?This week, we looked at the Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 text, “Two are better than one… for should they fall, one can raise the other; but oh no! for the one who is alone and falls with no companion to raise them!” Garinim started off our learning on Tuesday with a trust fall activity. Kiddos had the opportunity to fall with a…
Welcoming Warm and Fuzzy Feelings!Another beautiful week at Makom has come and gone. As we worked through themes of companionship, helping, and the mitzvah (commandment) of the essential Jewish prayer, Shema. I observed so many moments of growth and learning this week. During snack time learning, we tested out our peace walk. Learners have been creating this resource to support problem-solving with agency when…
If I Am Not For Myself, Then Who Is For Me?This week, our learners looked at the Pirkei Avot 1:14 text: “Rabbi Hillel used to say, If I am not for myself, who is for me?” As well as the story from Shabbat 31a:6, “Another time a non-Jew came before Shammai and said, ‘I will convert if you can teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot.’…
If Not Now…When?With fall in the air and the High Holidays behind us, we were excited to experience this joyful five-day week with students! We explored Jewish wisdom around boundary setting, independence, communication, and the importance of treating others with kindness. I was blown away by how much these kiddos already know about themselves and their needs. During shulchanot avodah students had…