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15-Day Making Meaning Challenge
March 22, 2020/26 Adar 5780
Dear UJC families,
Thanks to Amy Rosenbaum, Ph.D., from the Community Synagogue of Rye for sharing the following letter and challenge with us. It was the brainchild of a Westchester Day School educator. It is a series of acts of kindness that can be done without leaving home that children are encouraged to document in photos or videos and share back with us.
The world stands on three values: Torah, prayer, and acts of kindness (Pirkei Avot 1:2).
In our current reality, each of these core values is being accomplished in a different way than we are used to. Though we are not learning Torah together in our classrooms, with the help of technology, our Jewish learning is continuing. Though we are not gathering together in the synagogue to pray, we each continue to pray on our own, in our homes. When thinking of acts of kindness, there is no doubt that there are plenty of ways to spread kindness even within the confines of our homes.
While spending extended amounts of time at home, with one day blending into the next, it is important for us to make meaning of these days. Our friends and colleagues at Westchester Day School have shared a special program they are doing with their school and several other schools in the NY/NJ area, and we are excited to be joining them in the “15-Day Making Meaning Challenge.”
This challenge will help us bring an extra level of meaning to our days at home. One way to rid the world of darkness is by spreading more light. The more we look beyond ourselves, by being kind to others, the more light we can bring into the world.
Here’s how your children can participate in this challenge. Download and print the attached 15-Day Challenge chart. Choose an act of kindness to do each day. Keep track by coloring in the boxes on the chart each day you accomplish one of these challenges. Over the next few weeks, take pictures and videos while you are involved in acts of kindness and share them with us - send them to your teacher or me at eddir@unitedjewishcenter.org.
On April 7th, let us know if you completed this 15-day challenge and send in pictures of your filled in charts! We can’t wait to see what our community can do together during these uncertain times, each from our own homes, to increase light and goodness in the world. #SpreadKindness #StrongerTogether
READY? SET? GO!
Have fun,
Daryl Bain
Director of Education
United Jewish Center
Download the challenge chart here:
Education at the UJC
The United Jewish Center Religious School serves families from all over the Greater Danbury area: Bethel, Brookfield, Danbury, New Fairfield, New Milford, New Fairfield, Newtown, Oxford, Redding, Ridgefield and Westchester just to name a few. The UJC Family wants to welcome you to our community!
Children attend Religious School on Sundays from Preschool through Confirmation; grades 2 through 7 attend on Wednesday afternoons as well.
Be sure to join us for holiday celebrations, family education days, Shabbat services and dinners, as well as junior congregation prayers. Our monthly Shabbat for All Ages Services - usually the 3rd Friday evening of the month - is when Rabbi Tiwy tells a story and kids and grownups celebrating birthdays in that month are given a special blessing and a UJC Birthday Chocolate Bar.
Religious School at the UJC is free for UJC members.
Daryl Bain is the Director of Education; she can be reached at (203) 743-1180 or eddir@unitedjewishcenter.org.
Prayer of the Month
November 2019: Cantor Kessler chants "Shema and V'ahavta"
December 2019: Cantor Kessler chants "Shabbat Candle Blessing, Borei p'ri ha-gafen, and Motzi