igniting your shabbat services
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE Hello and welcome to Spark! Spark is aimed at facilitating the smooth running of Toddlers Services, Children s Services and Youth Services across United Synagogue communities. Firstly, thank you for offering to run a Children s Service in your local shul. The US is very proud of the numerous Children s services that are run every week across the UK. We would not be able to do this without you! Spark has been designed in order to help you run your Children s Services. Obviously, every Children s Service is different, in terms of how many children there are; what their age range is; its length; and how knowledgeable the children are likely to be of this week s parasha. Ideally, where possible, a Children s Service should consist of some time used to discuss the weekly parasha and some time devoted to davening. Spark gives you an overview of the weekly parasha, a song, activity, discussion or Dvar Torah linked to the parasha or any important event that week. It is separated into sections for different age groups but often you will find that an activity in one section will be suitable for children in another section. So, please take the time to read through it all I know you are busy people but it will help you and ultimately the children. Please also try to read Spark during the week as sometimes some props will be needed. It will give you a chance to find them. It is important to note that Spark should help you to run Children s Services, but it does not completely run it for you. It is not designed to give to one of the children to read out to the group. You are running the Children s Service, and Spark is here to help you do it. I hope that you and the children in your service will benefit from Spark2. As always your feedback would be welcomed. Shabbat Shalom, Sharon Radley sharonradley@tribeuk.com 2
PARASHA SUMMARY Here are some of them: n The parasha begins by giving the laws of the Shmita Year which would take place when the Jewish people entered Eretz Yisrael. Every seventh year was to be a Shabbat, rest year, for the land. For six years one was able to work the land but on the seventh it must be left. At the end of the Shmita year all loans are forgiven. n Every fiftieth year would be a Yovel/Jubilee Year. On Yom Kippur of that year the shofar would be blown which would announce that all Jewish servants would now go free. The Yovel year was also a signal that all the land in Eretz Yisrael would go back to its original owners. n We should try to prevent poverty. n The parasha ends with the commandment that we should not make idols. 3
PRE-NURSERY TO RECEPTION Tots n Ask the children what number day of the week is Shabbat. (7) n Ask the children to name the Hebrew days of the week in order starting with Yom Rishon. When they get to Shabbat they should clap or mime a special activity that is done on Shabbat. For example, lighting the candles or making Kiddush. n Explain to the children that every seven years is a special Shabbat for the land in Eretz Yisrael. Every seven years we are forbidden to work the land in Eretz Yisrael. n This special year is called the Shmita year. Shmita means to let go. When farmers let go of their land for the Shmita year they are showing that they trust Hashem to provide for them because in the seventh year they can t earn any money from their crops. n The Shmita year is also a reminder for everyone that Hashem is in charge and it is really Him that feeds us and not the land. Song In the Shmita year as discussed above farmers and their families need to put their trust in Hashem that He will provide for them. The song below is probably well known to the children and talks about Hashem being everywhere. (To hear the tune go to You Tube.) The children can insert actions. Hashem is here Hashem is there Hashem is truly everywhere Up up Down down Right left and all around Here there and everywhere That s where He can be found 4
YEAR 1 & 2 Ages 5-7 Activity to link to Shmita Play a game linked to trust. For example, if you have a large enough area blindfold a child and ask their partner to walk them around a small and safe obstacle course that you or the group have created. You could also buy some snacks such as cupcakes or cookies in advance. Do not show them to the children. Split the children into pairs and blindfold one person from each pair. Their partner should be given the food to feed to their blindfolded partner who of course will be nervous as they don t know what the food is going to be. Please make sure that there are no allergies in your group and that the food isn t going to stain and it is safe. When the blindfolds are taken off show the children what they were eating and give everyone a chance to have some! Ask the children how it felt to not know where they were going. n Did trusting their friend make it easier? n What did it feel like to be fed with an unknown food item? (You needed to trust your partner. There is a mitzvah in the parasha this week all about trust.) n Ask the children what number day of the week is Shabbat. (7) n Ask the children to name the Hebrew days of the week in order starting with Yom Rishon. When they get to Shabbat they should clap or mime a special activity that is done on Shabbat. For example, lighting the candles or making Kiddush. n Explain to the children that every seven years is a special Shabbat for the land in Eretz Yisrael. Every seven years we are forbidden to work the land in Eretz Yisrael. This is spoken about in the parasha this week. n This special year is called the Shmita year. Shmita means to let go. When farmers let go of their land for the Shmita year they are showing that they trust Hashem to provide for them because in the seventh year they can t earn any money from their crops. n The Shmita year is also a reminder for everyone that Hashem is in charge and it is really Him that feeds us and not the land. 5
YEAR 3-6 Ages 7-11 Activity to link to Shmita This game is based on trust. You will need a bag of sweets (enough for each child to have one and make sure there are no allergies in your group) or something similar and four cards. Two cards should have split written on them and the other two should have steal. Split the children into two groups. Each group should choose a representative. Show all the children the sweets and sit the two representatives opposite each other. Their task is to secure a sweet for each member of their group. They have three options. If they both hold up the word split then the bag is split between them to give to their team mates. If they both hold up steal no one will get anything. If one holds up split and the other steal the one who holds up steal gets all the sweets and the one who holds up split gets nothing. Obviously this is a game of trust. Ideally they should both hold up split but they will need to trust their partner enough that they don t hold up steal which would mean their partner would get all the sweets. Let them work this out and their teammates to help. (For more trust games see page four.) Discussion n When they have finished you can ask the children what they thought the game was all about. (Trust) n Explain to the children that every seven years is a special Shabbat for the land in Eretz Yisrael. Every seven years we are forbidden to work the land in Eretz Yisrael. This is spoken about in the parasha this week. n This special year is called the Shmita year. Shmita means to let go. When farmers let go of their land for the Shmita year they are showing that they trust Hashem to provide for them because in the seventh year they can t earn any money from their crops. n The Shmita year is also a reminder for everyone that Hashem is in charge and it is really Him that feeds us and not the land. 6
YOUTH SERVICE Ages 12-18 The parasha this week is mainly focused on the Shmita/Sabbatical Year. Every seven years the farmers in Eretz Yisrael were to give their land a rest and not farm on it. In biblical times, debts were cancelled on the shmita year, and servants were set free. Nowadays farm land in Israel is still not to be worked on during the Shmita year. This poses the question of what food is to be eaten and how farmers would survive without their livelihood. The parasha tells us that we should not worry and that God will ensure that enough food will grow in the sixth year to last three years. The Shmita year reminds us that it is God who is in charge. He is the force behind the natural order and our bitachon (trust in God) is strengthened. Discussion points n How is the Shmita year like Shabbat? (One response: On Shabbat we are also reminded that it is Hashem who created the world and controls it.) n The next Shmitta year is going to start on Rosh Hashanah 5775, Sept 14th 2014. How could we be different during the Shmita year? n On the Shmita year all debts were to be forgotten. Why do you think debt is linked with the agricultural year? How do you think the economy and agriculture are related? n If you were a farmer preparing for the arrival of the Shmita year what type of emotions do you think it would arise in you? Would you be concerned about your basic needs being met or would you have faith? n What would you do if you had a Sabbatical for a year? 7
igniting your shabbat services We hope you find this guide to this week s Parsha useful. I would be grateful for any feedback. Please remind the children of the exciting Tribe programmes in your shul and also to look on the US website for current Tribe central events. Shabbat Shalom Sharon Radley sharonradley@tribeuk.com Tribe is part of the United Synagogue Registered Charity No. 242552.