Reform Judaism for Teachers module - Touro Synagogue

Applying Your Learning
Here are some suggestions for bringing your learning from this lesson back to
your classroom:
What is Reform
Judaism?
Union for Reform Judaism-Department of Lifelong Jewish Learning
Younger Students Older Students
Hold a discussion about
progress…compare it to the
invention of television, then the
onset of color television to indicate
progress and change
Role Play Using the time periods of Rabbinic
Judaism, the Enlightenment and
present day, play charades with
age appropriate materials that
refer to the periods presented. For
example, Rabbinic Judaism‐
forming our laws; Enlightenment‐
choice; present day‐ Reform
services, etc.
Text Study Provide an opportunity for
students to practice their
interpretation skills. Give them a
story from the Bible such as
Noah’s Ark and ask them to make
it relevant to their own lives‐‐what
happens when we are bad, how
we are punished, etc.
My Jewish
Identity
Create an opportunity for
students to explore factors that
contribute to their Jewish identity
utilizing an art activity such as
encouraging students to trace
themselves and incorporate why
they are proud to be Jewish, or
distributing a cut‐out of a heart
and direct students to fill it with
elements of Judaism
Create a timeline on the wall of the
classroom including the three periods
being studied, encouraging students
to create pictures, reactions, etc.
After studying about each of the three
time periods, encourage students to
work in groups and create a character
who might have lived in one of these
time periods. Then have them
introduce that character to the class.
Reform Judaism text study
“Im Ein Ani Li Mi Li”
“If I am not for myself, who will be for
me? If I’m only for myself, then what am
I? And if not now, when?” (Pirke Avot
1:14)
Create an opportunity for students to
explore factors that contribute to their
Jewish identity by encouraging them
to work in groups to create a Jewish
“well‐oiled machine.” Each student is
responsible for a component that
when combined works effectively
because of the strength of each of its
parts.
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