November Blog
12/06/2019 02:57:31 PM
Dear Families,
Last week we finished our unit of study called b’tzelem Elohim בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים, which translates to “in God’s image.” Our lessons are summarized below.
Students explored what it means to be created in God’s image and how we act in a Godly way. We then moved to the text study in Bereishet of God’s creation of Adam and Chava in His image, and examine positive characteristics. We also looked at a text in Pirkei Avot, (Ethics of the Fathers) which focuses on how much God loves us by creating us in His image. We ended by learning about what it means to act B’tzelem Elohim as partners with God. We watched a short video called “Around the World in 80 Clips” which was a great way to appreciate the beauty and diversity in the world in less than two minutes. Students also discussed that what they see superficially isn’t really who a person is. We addressed the idea of physical beauty by analyzing what makes people beautiful, and we discussed the concept of beauty in relation to being created in the image of God. As it says in Pirkei Avot 4:20
אַל תּסִתְַּכֵּל בַּקַּנְקַן, אֶלָּא בְמַה שֶּׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ-- Do not look at the jug but rather at what is in it.
We also discussed how we prioritize mitzvot through practical applications and through a story. It is incumbent upon us to hurry to do a mitzvah! Looking at the world through the lens of B’tzelem Elohim involves not only seeing ourselves as partners with God but also seeing God’s image in everyone we encounter. We must not only be aware of our differences but also work for inclusion. This lesson introduced students to Jewish texts that guides us as we encounter people with disabilities and empower us to be inclusive. Students identified symbols that show resources for people with disabilities, and they even created a new and improved symbol. We connected Jewish texts with inclusion of people with disabilities. Students explored their own feelings and ideas about inclusion. I was very impressed with the thoughtfulness and maturity of the students’ responses.
