Curriculum Modules to Help Teach
Tikkum Olam and Respect for the Elderly
(approx. one class hour)

Nachman of Bratzlav said: "The prosperity of a country can be seen simply in how it treats its old people." During these prosperous times how do we convey this message to our religious school students? How do we make them partners in tikkun olam? Myriam Mendilow was a remarkable role model for this task. Building on her vision and activities, Myriam's Dream created a series of curriculum modules to inspire the young minds of our students. All include biographical information about Myriam, letters to the parents explaining the unit, and most of the materials needed to complete the project. The volunteers at Myriam's Dream are available to answer any of your questions and to provide you with additional information.

For further queries, contact Linda Kantor at info@myriamsdream.org.

To order Educational Modules, contact Linda Kantor at info@myriamsdream.org or go to our Order Educational Modules form.

Enough materials are included in each project listed below for a class of 12 students.

GLOBILIZATION AND THE PUPPET FACTORY - - NEW ! - $26
12 hand puppets in each set, of frogs or lions. Component parts are made by the elders in Hod Hasharon, Israel, and sent for your students to complete. Accompanying curriculum and suggestions for future activities.

HAMSA - - NEW ! - $18
Produced by elderly at a Myriam's Dream workshop in Israel, hamsas are sometimes called "the hand of Miriam." Included is lesson plan and all materials for make-your-own wall-hanging hamsa. (Ceramic hamsas are ordered separately.) For class up to 12 students.

MYRIAM'S MARVELOUS MEZZUZAH - $18
Every child who makes a personal mezzuzah will learn the significance of this important mitzvah. This kit includes supplies for 12 students with detailed instructions and a lesson plan for grades one to six. The beads were made by the elderly in Israel and sent to Myriam’s Dream. When the students mark their own doorposts with a handmade mezzuzah, the meaning of the mitzvah takes on a special meaning. This module contains a letter to parents explaining the significance of the project.

TZEDAKAH: PARTNERS IN RIGHTEOUSNESS - - NEW ! - $18
A tzedakah box project as a meaningful physical manifestation of Jewish community values. One handcrafted tapestry box created by elders in Israel is enclosed -- plus Master sheet for each student to create their own in cardboard. For old AND young! All supplies and lesson background are included. For class up to 12 students.

KESHER...THE CONNECTION - $18
Clay beads made in Israel by elderly who live in rural areas (such as Mate Yehuda) will connect their aging hands to the young hands of your students. The teacher's and student's imagination is the only limit to this project. Items for the students to make include friendship bracelets, decorative covers for siddurim, and other easily designed decorative items. Use these beads as a springboard to having the students create their own beads. A natural connection between the units would be to show the hands and faces of the elderly workers who are supported in their work by Myriam's Dream. (See Face to Face Curriculum). For class of 12 students.

FACE TO FACE - $18
Learn about Israel through the Faces of the Elderly. . . Utilizing six 8 1/2 by 11 inch color photographs of elderly Jewish workers, students will learn about the diverse ethnic backgrounds of Israel's population. Each face tells a story built on the biographies of real people who arrived in Israel from Yemen, Iraq, Russia, Czechoslovakia, India and Africa seeking a new life of freedom in a Jewish country. Each photo module will serve as a springboard for the students to do research on various places of importance in the story of the Jewish people. For class of 12 students.

PIECES OF THE DREAM $ - 18
Encourage your students to create their own images and concepts about the elderly and the work of Myriam's Dream with these blank jigsaw puzzles and a few colored markers. Encourage every student to become an artist simply by providing the colors and the textual information which they need to learn about the conditions, problems and contributions of the elderly in Israel. The finished puzzles can be put together to form a wonderful bulletin board mural for your school or as a gift when the students take a field trip. For class of 12 students.

LIGHT A CANDLE - $18
Myriam Mendilow was "a light in the darkness." She provided a working situation for Israel's poor elderly which lent dignity and purpose to their lives. This unit contains candle decorating wax in vibrant colors (without heating the wax) so your students can make a pair of beautifully decorated candles to remind them that we all can be a "light in the darkness." The unit has an excellent component on Jewish text study about caring and respecting the elderly. It provides ideas on how to create a bulletin board display about "shalom" and "shalam." Myriam Mendilow brought the old and the young together to teach them "not to curse the darkness but to light a candle." This unit will help your students understand the meaning of that profound thought. For class of 12 students.

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