3rd-5th Grade Family Program

3rd-5th Grade Home Unit

 

CSZ Religious School’s 3rd-5th Grade Home Unit

V’ahavta L’reiacha Kamocha

Love Your Neighbor as Yourself

Activity 1

The Lamplighter

In our first video, Molly Levy, Director of Youth and Family Education, shares a story about how we can think about loving our neighbors. How can you be a “lamplighter?” Watch the video to find out!

Questions for your family:

• How do we spread our light to each other?
• How do we give light to our neighbors/ community/ world?
• In the story, the lamplighter carries a light that is always burning. If we give too much away, our light may go out. How can we care for ourselves and make sure we don’t give too much away?
• Make a plan as a family to give back to your community or neighborhood. What can you do to make a difference for someone? 
  • Ideas:
    • Make a happy poster to put in your window for neighbors to see.
    • Buy food for someone in the drive-thru behind you.
    • Paint “happiness rocks” and leave them around your neighborhood.
    • Video chat with a relative you haven’t spoken to in a while.
    • Collect tzedakah for a cause your family cares about.
    • What are your ideas? We would love for you to share them with us!

 

Activity 2

Family Scavenger Hunt

Join us on Goosechase for a family scavenger hunt all about how we can “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Goosechase is a free app where we have added challenges and fun ideas for you to complete as a family. All of the challenges will offer opportunities to laugh, learn, and discuss this topic with each other. Follow other families as they go on the same journey and maybe win a few prizes!

How to join:

1. Download the GooseChase iOS or Android app.
2. Choose to play as a guest, or register for a personal account with a username & password of your choice.
3. Search for and select the 3rd-5th Grade Family Scavenger Hunt game, or search by game code 1BZ1L6.
4. Join your grade team to compete!

The hunt is open until January 31st! We will see you on Goosechase and cannot wait to play with you!

Activity 3

“Love Your Neighbor” Spotify Playlist

Check out this playlist of songs about helping, being kind, and making the world a better place. Listen to the songs as you are driving, out of a walk, or around the house. Which songs to you connect with the most? What songs would you add?

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0kuHEK6jpD3QDju07nBhd8

Activity 4

Kindness Tokens (link to Art Project here)

We have mailed this craft kit to all of our 3rd-5th grade students. When you receive the kit, you can create a key chain, necklace, or token to remind you how you want to show love for your community. 

You can take a look at the directions, here: Art Project (link goes here)

Thank you!

Thank you for being a part of this community and sharing your light with us. We look forward to seeing what you create, talk about, and share in the weeks ahead. Please contact us with any questions or ideas! 

Parents’ Bonus 

The Philosopher Martin Buber talks about how we find God when we truly love another – not because of what we may gain from him/her but just for the purpose of loving. This, for Buber, is called an I-Thou relationship. The following article challenges us to think about how loving our children goes beyond the love we feel for anyone else and can be an expression of the way in which we love God. If you enjoy the article, you may want to consider reading Nurture the Wow: Finding Spirituality in the Frustration, Boredom, Tears, Poop, Desperation, Wonder, and Radical Amazement of Parenting by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg. Rabbi Simon and Lindsey will be leading discussions based on the book in the Spring. 

https://www.myjewishlearning.com/the-torch/i-thou-parenting/ 

https://danyaruttenberg.net/books/nurture-the-wow