Hammer in the Jewish Holidays
Students review the Jewish holidays through an interactive, fun, and exciting activity. Focusing on speed, accuracy, and comprehension, the student must locate the holiday on the blackboard, and “hammer” the Jewish festival.
Introduction
This lesson on the Jewish calendar can be adapted to suit the level of your class by increasing the difficulty of the questions, adding fast days that are not listed below, or conducting the whole activity in Hebrew.
Lesson objectives
The student will be able to:
1) Understand the differences between the Jewish holidays
2) Comprehend similarities between the Jewish holidays
3) Outline basic facts about the Jewish holidays
Skills
The student will be able to:
1) Recognize the names of holidays
2) Pronounce words of holidays
3) Match holidays with their particular laws, customs, and times
Values
The student will be able to appreciate:
1) The cycle of the Jewish year
2) The significance of the Jewish holidays
Resources & Equipment needed
- Whiteboard
- 4×6 cards, prepared with names of holidays
- Two plastic hammers, preferably the ones that make noise when they come into contact with something
- Scotch tape
- List of holiday questions
Procedure
Teacher Preparation
1) List each holiday on the 4×6 card. Make two identical sets of the holidays.
List of possible holidays:
- Shabbat
- Rosh Hodesh
- Rosh Hashanah
- Sukkot
- Shmini Atzeret
- Simchat Torah
- Chanukah
- Tu B’Shvat
- Purim
- Pesach
- Yom HaAtzmaut
- Yom Yerushalayim
- Lag BaOmer
- Shavuot
2) Tape the cards to the whiteboard; one set on the left side, and one set on the right side.
Hammer Game
3) Divide the class into two groups.
4) One student from each team approaches the board hammer in hand.
5) Call out a question/definition, and the first student to successfully hammer the holiday then is given a chance to pronounce the name of that particular holiday, and then he/she receives a point for his/her team. (Questions may include two holidays or more, and the student will have to accurately hammer all holidays).
6) These two students sit down, and the next pair of students approaches the board and faces the list of holidays.
Continue to play the game until all the questions are complete. Total the points for each team, then announce the winner.
Assessment/Wrap-Up:
Following the game it would be an opportune time to run through the holidays with the children. Explain the value of the Jewish year, and its cycle of events which adds to the color and excitement of Judaism. Ask students which are their favorite holidays and why, or what customs/mitzvot they most enjoy.