FTL #1 - Jewish Time
1) Welcome!
2) Holiday & Calendar Review: At our first Family Session we learned about the Jewish Calendar and were introduced to significant Jewish Holidays (many that we will study this year together). Here are a couple of activities that will give you the chance to review what we learned.
Jewish Calendar Exercise:
Choosing the ONLY New Year:
Learning More About The Calendar:
- Use this list of the Months of the Hebrew Calendar to write the name of each month on a separate sheet of paper.
- Shuffle the sheets and deal them to each person.
- Without looking at the order of the months, try and arrange the group in the correct order based upon the month(s) each person is holding.
- Check your guess against the actual order to see how you did.
- Put the months sheet away and try it again.
- Collect the month sheets and hand them out again (to different people) and see how quickly you can put the months in order.
- Collect and randomly hand out the month pages a few times to the group.
- Time yourselves each time to see how fast the group can order the months.
- Print out the Jewish Holiday Poll and make sure there are enough copies for everyone in the group.
- Review the list together - saying the name of the holiday and what it celebrates.
- Ask the each person in the group to think about which are the three MOST IMPORTANT holidays. On her or his sheet each person should rank their top 3. Share that information with one another, give everyone a chance to explain their choices. Take a tally of the group and see how the group ranks the top three.
- Ask the each person in the group to think about which are the three FAVORITE holidays. On her or his sheet each person should rank their top 3. Share that information with one another, give everyone a chance to explain their choices. Take a tally of the group and see how the group ranks the top three.
- Enter your group’s results on the Mishpacha! Poll on the Mishpacha! Blog.
- How easy was this choice to make?
- What are a few words that describe your choice for MOST IMPORTANT holiday?
- Why is the holiday you choice more important that the others?
- What would be missed if it were not on the calendar or celebrated?
- How would you like to celebrate that holiday?
- What are a few words that describe your FAVORITE holiday?
- Why is the holiday you chose your favorite one?
- How do your lists (most important and favorite) compare?
Choosing the ONLY New Year:
- Print out the Jewish New Year sheets.
- Divide your group into 4 smaller groups (okay if only one person in some of the groups due to your numbers).
- Assign a New Year to each group and ask each group to come up with three reason that its New Year should become the ONLY Jewish New Year.
- Present your reasons to one another and take some time (if needed) to respond or challenges each group’s reasons.
- Take a vote to see which New Year your group thinks should be the ONLY Jewish New Year.
- Post your result on the Mishpacha! Blog.
Learning More About The Calendar: