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Yamim Noraim
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Malkhuyot, Zichronot, Shofrot: the special service of Rosh Hashana

The Rosh Hashanna service has entirely unique components: 3 differentTorah readings, filled with symbolism. In this unit, students explore not only these Torah readings, but also how the Talmud puts forwardthis information, and how the Rabbis of the Talmud understood it's symbolism. Through hevruta study, close analysis of Torah and Talmud texts, and a creative art project, students engage the Rosh HashannaTorah readings - Malkuyot, Zichronot, and Shofrot with an eye for meaning and symbolism.

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A New Year for Us and Our Speech

As we approach the Jewish New Year, we note that this is an intensified period of prayer. Many Jews spend many hours in synagogues throughout the world immersed in the language and thought of the words that bring us closer to G-d. In the midst of these words and this contemplative season, we repent and ask G-d as well as our fellow human beings for forgiveness for the variety of misdeeds we may have committed. We use the words of our prayers and the speech of our mouths to vocalize these thoughts and concerns that emanate from our innermost being, our “meditations of our heart.” The question that this series of lessons poses is what ramifications are found in this experience for our use of speech in our daily lives. As we pray to be better and more focused human beings during the pensive time of the Aseret Yimai Teshuvah, what in our daily actions indicates that we have truly succeeded in this process? Speech is a 24/7 matter in terms of proper use and actions. What we need to keep in mind about our words of speech as we use the words of prayer is the focus of these lessons.

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You’re the Expert on Chagei Tishrei: Rosh Hashanah

This exciting program is individualized for and equally useful to classrooms and camps, schools and centers! It is similar to the method that many scouting groups use to promote experience and award merit badges. Here, children will select and accomplish a certain number of activities and, through their efforts, acquire increasingly higher levels of expertise.

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The End of Jewish Education

The title of this essay, borrowed from the title of Neil Postman’s book “The end of education" (1996) with the addition of Jewish as an adjective qualifying the last word in it (‘education’), plays on the double - meaning of the term 'end': as a purpose, goal or direction and end as a dissolution and termination of any specific event or phenomenon in our human reality. The Hebrew month of Elul, whose acronym is Anee Le’Dodee Ve’Dodee Lee, “I am my lover’s and my lover is mine”, during which we are called upon to conduct a religious-ethical accounting of ourselves and our actions in the way of preparing ourselves to enter into the 10 days of Awe beginning on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, is a very suitable time to address this double-edged question of the ‘end’ of Jewish culture and education.

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Rosh Hashanah/ Yom Kippur: Exploring Themes of Teshuvah

How does Teshuvah make us better people? What do the calls of the Shofar say to us? What do we wish to throw away with our Tashlich crumbs, and what should we keep?
This project will take participants through a series of encounters, culminating with a family program, which will explore Teshuvah through creative dramatics, learning the meaning of the various shofar calls and their relation to the chagim, art, poetry, and finally an interactive family activity with a meaningful "air tashlich" ceremony.
The activities may be run as a unit in sequence, or individually as desired.

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A Blank Sheet: Here’s to a Colorful New Beginning!

This ludic proposal encouraging group participation broaches the concept of turning a new leaf. Activities focus on Hebrew vocabulary pertaining to Yamim Noraim, the story of Jonah, and the custom of wearing white. It also entails the creation of artistic exhibits and closes with a party, to which families are invited.

The activities in this project can be either carried out as an integrated series, or individually, as per the objectives of the coordinator.

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Creative Openings

The Jewish Tradition has it that Rosh Hashanah is not only a time for change and of preparation for Yom Kippur, but also the very birthday of the entire world. Or, if you prefer, a new anniversary of the creation of the first man and the first woman.
Rosh Hashanah is a time for us to reconnect both with creation and our own creativity, for putting into practice the challenge of getting out of the sieges that often – and in the belief, even, that they protect us—end up drowning in our own being, which becomes void of meaning when it cannot feed on the surrounding world.
On this occasion, the idea is to be able to press on in our search for texts from different ages that show us that we are responsible for the world we live in, and how, should we wish to free ourselves of these mental blinkers, there are many roads to doing so.

By Rabbi Joshua Kullock

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Principles of Rosh Hashanah: A New Continent, A New Life


This program’s aim is to look at the different beginnings which took place in the history and culture of the Jewish people and which also left their trails and values within the legacy we have today.

This program focuses on the central theme “A New Continent, a New Life." Three other programs have similarly been created, (Beginnings of a People; Beginnings of a Jewish Philosophy; and Beginnings of Unity in the Diaspora), all of which share an introductory activity; therefore if you wish to use all four programs, the introductory activity should be used only once, at the start of the project.

This project is made up of three activities.

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Heshbon ha-Nefesh - An Adventure for the Emotions

The following activity enables the students to study the central values of Yamim Noraim: Heshbon ha-Nefesh, which can be considered the backbone of these holidays.

One activity is to consider the actions to be carried out in order to return to the correct path. Another is linked to reconsidering the paths of life in order to make a new selection. Finally, the search for one’s inner essence and reunion with oneself will be considered.

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Get Ready, Get Set . . .Wait!

Halacha – Jewish law – as well as tradition and custom, emphasizes the need to engage in thorough preparation for the careful and fulfilling observance of Miztvot. Preparation in response to anticipation is a basic concept of life; it is well-reflected in Jewish tradition. Indeed, preparation becomes a value-laden exercise in itself.
The Mishna tells us that “early righteous ones would meditate for one hour before [required] prayer in order to direct their hearts to God.” (B’rachot 5:1)
The Yamim Noraim (Days of Awe) are such a complex time that the tradition provides us with multiple frameworks through which we anticipate and prepare for its objectives. In the following activities we will use the perspective of the period from Rosh Hodesh Ellul to Yom Kippur.

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