Please look at the program titled Ta'aseh Lecha Teva- Part One (this program is an add onto that one, but can also stand on it's own ) Creating Sacred Space:
*Invite the students to share with a partner or in threes, three things they find sacred. (if you are using this as an add on: then it would be the three things they brought to class) Ask the students to share why they chose those specific items.
You may want them to think about what the items they chose represent for them.
The following questions may be helpful.
* Why are these items sacred to you?
* What do they say about who you are and the things that are important to you?
* How might Noah have felt when he was building the Ark?
* In what ways may Noah have had similar feelings to the ones you have about these sacred objects?
Group Project
At this point you will want to begin to culminate this learning process with a hands on project that involves group work, kinesthetic learning (learning by doing) and ties in the idea of responsibility and sanctity of life. You may have the class brainstorm a project that you can build or create together or you may want to suggest planting a garden- a vegetable or flower garden if you have the room outside or a herb garden inside. Doing a class garden project will bring all of these themes together. It involves cultivating life, preserving species, caring for creation and provides further opportunity for Jewish learning- blessings over spices, using herbs in Havdallah or eating the foods and offering blessings, laws about shmita and the laws of agricultural practice found in the Torah and the Mishna. This is an excellent way to cultivate continued learning in the classroom.
Note: You do not have to do a garden as a group project, but from this point on the program concentrates on the garden project.
Garden projects can also take place at JCC's, Sunday Schools, youth groups If the facility does not have landm most larger cities have urban garden projects in which one can participate.
For gardening with Antique seeds or sees that have not been genetically altered one can write to Seed Savers Exchange, 3076 North Winn Road, Decorah, Iowa 52101 or Gardener's Supply Col, 128 Interval Road, Dept. NNE, Burlington,VT 05401
Talmud Intergration:
Ta'aseh Lecah Teva, Build for yourself an Ark. You may suggest that they place this phrase in the middle of a page. The surrounding commentary may be about the following three themes:
1. Why did Noah build the ark? What was he attempting to achieve?
2. Why do we build sanctuaries? These may be emotional or physical.
3. What are the places and beings in our lives, in the community, country, world in which and for whom we need to build sanctuaries? Why How?
