Sharing The Storymore
Introducing The story
Before the story, bake or braid challah with students. Share the story while the challah bakes.
Students can practice braiding challah using either play-doh or wiki-sticks to prepare for the task.
This video is one of a 10 part video workshop that provides challah braiding instruction, which can help the students learn how or master new braid braiding skils:
Assess student s prior knowledge during activity, prompting informal discussions about the experience and children s prior experience baking, braiding, preparing, eating or serving challah.
Reading The Story
- While reading the story, faciliate discussion to deepen engagement using questions such as:
What would you do if you found something with unfamiliar writing on it?
How is Shabbat like other Jewish holidays, what do you see on the page that is familiar to those other holidays?
How do you think the recipe got in their attic?
What ingredients do you think they will add to the challah, what would you add?
What else could the recipe be for?
What other food could they have added to the table to make Shabbat special?
How can the children include their Bubbie and her friends in the future?
After The Story
Talk about the traditions of Shabbat and share our favorite aspects of Jewish holidays.
Recite the blessing and practice any other custom your community might practice related to this ritual- blessing the children? giving tzedakah? drinking grape juice?
Take this opportunity to ask what children know or wonder about this ritual that may be familiar.
Explore, Discover, and More Extension and Reinforcement Activitiesmore
Art and Hebrew
Guide students in the creation of a challah cover that they can use in the future with their deepened understanding of the role and ritual of this bread. Craft activity can be found here.
Civic Engagement
Do a challah or general bake sale to raise money for a charity of their choice.
Technology/Culture
Consider sharing this clip about how Grover learns about Shabbat:
Evidence of Learningmore
To assess if students met the goal that they are able to apply this learning to other Jewish holidays: Start the next holiday exploration by comparing and contrasting the holiday and Shabbat. Depending on age either verbally or with a T-chart, write out what makes Shabbat special (when it happens, what you eat, what you do) to the holiday you are introducing. This will not only reinforce what we learned about Shabbat but help students remember it as a special Jewish holiday that is both different and similar to our other special moments throughout the year. Evidence will be seen when students can recall what makes Shabbat special, and build upon their understanding by demonstrating how it is celebrated each week.
To compare holidays, use a Venn Diagram. Check out this short tutorial here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GB3ivbichw In the video, the facilitator compare Cats and Birds. For your class, you could compare Shabbat with the next holiday you are teaching, such as Hanukkah. Depending on age, you could do this as a class together on the board, or if they are older, have each student complete their own Venn Diagram. For Shabbat, students might say "it happens weekly" or "you eat challah", for Hanukkah students might say "you eat latkes" and "you play dreidel", in the center of the circles, students could say "you light candles" or "you celebrate with your family" or "it is a Jewish holiday". This helps to reinforce what your students learned about Shabbat while also introducing a holiday they may already know about. This could be an introduction or used after you begin to learn more holidays.
HOME AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONSmore
-Create enough challah that each student can bring home a loaf
-Ask families to share pictures or recipes that relate to their Challah or Shabbat culinary customs