Behrman House Resource Libraries Curriculum Guide: HOLIDAYS

Get a head start planning next year’s Holidays curriculum with the new Holidays Curriculum Guide to the Behrman House Resource Libraries. The suggestions below can be used to add a lesson or two to your current program, to supplement your Hebrew program, or to form the core of a completely new approach to your students’ engagement with Jewish holidays.

New to the Resource Libraries? Click here to learn all about it.

Choose your Holidays resources by grade level or focus on specific goals:

  • Text: The source text and liturgy of the Jewish holidays
  • Ritual: Rituals and celebrations associated with each holiday
  • Values: Jewish values rooted in each holiday
  • Modern: Modern interpretations of the holidays

Simply click the title of the resource to view additional information and to download the materials. Don't forget to rate the resource when you're done—it will help your fellow educators find the same great resources!

Goal

Resource Title

Description
Grades 3-4
Ritual
Values		 All holidays:
“Jewpardy! Holidays” and Jewpardy! games for each holiday		 Holiday-related trivia questions
PDF trivia games
Ritual All holidays:
The Holiday Gaming Site		 Holiday-related games and activities 
Ritual High Holidays:
Jewpardy! High Holiday Edition		 High Holidays trivia questions
Single-player online trivia
Ritual Pesach:
Seder Plate Simon		 Single-player online game to teach all Passover-related words
Ritual Tu B’Shevat:
Two Plants, Two Voices: A Tu B’Shevat Assembly		 Tu B’Shevat assembly
15-minute script and 14-slide PowerPoint
Text
Ritual
Values
Modern		 Lag B’Omer:
Lag B’Omer Rain-or-Shine Picnic Celebration		 Step-by-step guide to planning a Lag B’Omer picnic, complete with indoor or outdoor bonfire, songs, snacks, and educational content
Planning guide
Grades 4-5
Text
Values		 Yom Kippur:
Kol Nidrei: Keeping One’s Word		 Kol Nidrei, the opening declaration of Yom Kippur, and promises
50-minute lesson plan
Text
Values		 All holidays:
Festivals of Joy PowerPoint		 Value of spiritual happiness on holidays with texts, images, discussion questions, video, and an activity
11-slide PowerPoint
Modern Shabbat:
How to Host an Oneg Shabbat		 Guide for planning and hosting a Friday night oneg Shabbat celebration
5-section planning guide
Ritual
Values		 Sukkot:
Welcome to My Backyard: A Sukkot Assembly		 Assembly introduces the sukkah and Ushpizin
20-minute script, 15-slide illustrated PowerPoint, and audience participation worksheet
Text
Values
Modern		 Rosh Hashanah:
Yonina: A Rosh Hashanah Assembly		 Assembly is a modern retelling of the Book of Jonah
20-minute script, 16-slide illustrated PowerPoint, and audience participation worksheet
Text
Ritual
Values
Modern		 Purim:
Diary of a Wimpy King		 Modern retelling of the Book of Esther in “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” style
20-minute script, 15-slide PowerPoint, 50-minute lesson plan, and source sheet
Grades 5-6
Values
Modern		 Hanukkah:
Heroes Among Us: A Hanukkah Assembly		 Examples of heroism throughout Jewish history
20-minute script and 18-slide PowerPoint
Values
Modern		 Pesach:
It Happened to Me: A Pesach Assembly		 Profiles of Jews throughout history who experienced redemption
30-minute script, 14-slide illustrated PowerPoint, and audience participation worksheet
Text
Ritual
Values
Modern		 High Holidays:
Tashlich Leader’s Guide		 Tashlich experience for home or school with step-by-step instructions, the Tashlich prayers, and experiential activities
Instructions
Grades 6-7
Values High Holidays:
Roller Coasters		 Kinetic and potential energy and the spiritual energy of the High Holidays season
Science article and 50-minute lesson plan
Ritual
Modern		 Simchat Torah:
Simchat Torah Flash Mob Dance		 Preparation for a flash mob dance to be performed at a Simchat Torah celebration
50-minute lesson plan
Text
Ritual
Values		 Hanukkah:
Al Hanissim and the Hanukkah Miracles		 Al Hanissim prayer, gratitude, and Hanukkah
50-minute lesson plan
Ritual Tu B’Shevat:
Flowering Fruit		 Craft project instructions for an edible Tu B’Shevat centerpiece
Instructions
Text Purim:
Megillah Myth Busters		 Quiz based on little-known midrashim about the Purim story, with source sheet of all texts
10-question quiz and source sheet
Text
Modern		 Pesach:
Google Exodus		 Imagine what the Exodus story would look like in the social media age
2-minute video and 10 activities

 

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