Torah Study

When I sit down with the children and tell them about Moses and Pharoah, I feel a certain kind of magic descend into the room.  It’s as if I've opened a portal through time and space and reached into the souls of the children sitting in front of me. They are unusually silent and still, eyes and ears open, waiting to hear what happens next. Spell bound.

This is the power of a story. It has been used since the start of humanity across all cultures and places, to pass on the most important messages to the next generation. 

Stories are vehicles, they transport a message. What message will you share?

The Torah stories are layered and rich with meaning. How fortunate are we to have such a deep and magnificent heritage.  And now, the opportunity to share it with the children in your classroom. So their hearts can come alive with love and pride in their Judaism.

Let’s take the story of Purim, which is coming up in the Jewish calendar. A great drama - with a villain, a hero, and even a heroine!  All the elements of a great story.

But, is our goal simply to share a great story?  To entertain?  

No, my goal is more than to just entertain. My goal is to transmit Jewish values. Values such as faith in God, courage, love for a fellow Jew, kindness, respectful and honest communication and prayer.

Choose the values you wish to teach and talk about in your classroom and then tell the story.

When Queen Esther was faced with entering the king’s chambers without being called, she was full of inner conflict.  She was afraid she would get punished, but she also knew, with her feminine knowing, that she was needed to help save her people.  

This is the definition of courage and the children get to watch first hand, get an inside view of the inner workings of a heroines’ struggle.  We get to show them up close what faith, courage and prayer look like.

“God, please help me. I am afraid. The king has not called me to come to his room. Please be with me, as I go help save my people.”

We pray in front of the children, for them to hear and see what it looks like. The children learn through watching.

While I focus on sharing values, I would like to mention caution about transmitting fear and pain to the children.  While their hearts are open, we must tread carefully and gently.  I avoid any mention of death and violence for young children, and instead use words such as hurt or went away.  Vashti was sent away and so was Haman.  

My goal is for the children to feel connected and proud of their holy ancestors. To feel God's love and know they are part of something important.  For the children to know their place in the world as loved, part of a special nation and inheritors of strength, faith and love.

Sorah Cohen
Educator
Creator of the Torah Felt Stories @ www.myfeltstory.com
Email: hello@myfeltstory.com