Spring at JKG

2nd Year B’nei Mitzvah: Gifts from a B’nei Mitzvah

Understanding the core values of celebration/Simcha in the Jewish community.
Identifying the variety of feelings that they might associate with elements of their b’nai mitzvah.
Identifying elements of the b’nai mitzvah celebration that can still bring them joy in a Covid-19 world.

Singing Hatikvah (the Israeli national anthem) and playing freeze dance with Israeli folk music
Playing a group game about Israel
Learning about the 3 different Israel’s.

Playing a traditional Israeli children's game called “Arnevet Shchora” (Black Bunny).
Creating our own Israeli coins “Shekels” and “visiting” different cities in Israel.

What are some similarities and differences between American and Israeli culture?
What is a “shekel”?

Reading The Language of Angels.
Learning about the power of working together as a community and how you can accomplish more as a group by creating “The JKG Cooperative”.
Playing snowstorm to review what The JKG Cooperative taught us.

What is “The JKG Cooperative” and what did you learn from the game?
How do you feel about having a homeland like Israel that will always be there for you just because you are Jewish?

Singing some Israeli folk music and practicing the dances, and discussing how it can connect us, as Jews in the U.S., to Jews around the world.
Discussing how shared music and food contributes to our Jewish Identity and how Israeli food consists of recipes that people brought with them from all kinds of different places.
Playing an Israeli food guessing game and coming up with our own dishes and presenting them to the class as possible new additions to Israeli cuisine.

Learning that Yom Ha’Atzmaut is Israel Independence Day, seeing a short video shot in Israel, and creating mini-Israeli flags.
Talking about how Yom Ha’Atzmaut is Israel’s birthday, that Israel is turning 69 this year, and decorating a “Happy Birthday, Israel!” poster.
Reading a story about visiting Israel, learning the customs of Yom Ha’Atzmaut, and playing a dancing game in which we are learning some capitals of Israel.