Materials

New Jewish Education Materials Now Available

In the last few years there has been an influx of new Jewish education materials created for our Jewish early childhood community. BimBam is one of these amazing and innovative resources found on the ReformJudaism.org website. These educational videos are creative, fun, and accessible for learners of every age.  They were created to spark connections to Judaism through digital storytelling.

Here are a few of BimBam’s offerings connected to the themes and values for starting a new year of learning as we welcome our learners and their families into the community.

1. The Shehecheyanu prayer:  this prayer is central to marking times of transition and the start of something new. In a one-minute animated video, BimBam artfully illustrates both the many different times we traditionally say Shecheyanu as well as times that we may each use it in own lives.
2. The value of kehillah:  inclusivity and welcoming guests is what makes each of our communities sacred spaces for everyone. Even our youngest learners are invited to welcome new faces into their classrooms with a warm smile and greeting. Gabi and Rafael, the stars of Shaboom! (BimBam’s series for young children) help out a regular family that makes a lot of silly mistakes while exploring a Jewish value. In the first episode, Welcoming Guests: Hachnasat Orchim, they remind us how this value applies to our friends and family just as we practice this value in our schools.
3. Tzedakah:  Considering launching a new Tzedakah challenge for your community? BimBam offers a whole series of videos from another Shaboom! episode called Get with the Giving, from understanding the difference between tzedakah and charity to a DIY Tzedakah box, as well as an introductory video for parents, too.

Sharing these videos with the families of your students not only welcomes parents into the learning, it also offers an opportunity for families to continue the learning together at home. Children love to be experts, and encouraging families to watch these videos together creates a space for children to share and expand upon their knowledge with their families.

May our classrooms be sacred spaces of learning and connection. May we be inspired by our learners and the holy communities we create together.

Ellen Lefkowitz
Early Childhood Director
Temple Sinai
Oakland, CA

September 2019