Foundations of Jewish Family Living 

This rich learning experience provides an opportunity for parents to bring the Jewish conversation home to share with their young child. Foundations of Jewish Family Living provides you with the learning, the language, and the confidence to be a teacher to your own children.

Foundations of Jewish Family Living provides a thought-provoking encounter with the core values of Judaism. Developed by the renowned Florence Melton School of Adult Jewish Learning, a project of The Hebrew University, the curriculum brings to life the master stories from our tradition and the profound messages they convey.

This rich learning experience for adults will provide an opportunity for you to bring the Jewish conversation home to share with your young child. At a time in your family’s life when your child is experiencing his or her own Jewish education, Foundations of Jewish Family Living provides you with the learning, the language, and the confidence to be a teacher to your own children.

Foundations for Jewish Family Living:
Values for Parents to Share with Their Children

(20 lessons)

Foundations of Jewish Family Living is a new curriculum for parents that provides a thought-provoking encounter with the core values of Judaism. The curriculum brings to life the master stories from our tradition and the profound messages they convey.

Part I: A Year of Values: Exploring values through the Jewish holidays

• Lesson 1: Stories and Values — Introduction to Foundations
• Lesson 2: Reflecting the Source — Creation, Rosh Hashanah, and our Godly Image
• Lesson 3: The Gift of Self Improvement — Teshuvah (Repentance), Yom Kippur, and the Golden Calf
• Lesson 4: Embracing the Other — Welcoming guests, Abraham, and Sukkot
• Lesson 5: Living Beyond the Day to Day — Shabbat: creating holy time
• Lesson 6: Making Our Own Miracles — Chanukah, Maccabees, religious freedom
• Lesson 7: Protecting Our Eden — Protecting our world, teaching our children, Tu B’shvat
• Lesson 8: Rising to the Occasion — Esther, Purim, freedom of choice and heroism
• Lesson 9: Forever Leaving Egypt — Passover, Jewish Identity: Israel and the Diaspora
• Lesson 10: Joining the Jewish People — Ruth, Shavuot and covenant

Part II: Day to Day Values: Exploring values for everyday family living

• Lesson 11: On the Move — Abraham and heeding the call
• Lesson 12: Creating Jewish Spaces — Jacob’s dream, the home, the objects within
• Lesson 13: Gratitude – David and Saul
• Lesson 14: Essential Judaism — Hillel and treating others the way you would want to be treated
• Lesson 15: Words that Hurt — Miriam and avoiding gossip
• Lesson 16: Healing Process — The value of visiting the sick
• Lesson 17: Overcoming Anger — Joseph and his brothers, avoiding grudges
• Lesson 18: Clearing a Path for Others — Building trustworthiness
• Lesson 19: Giving Respect, Expecting Respect — Honor between generations
• Lesson 20: Eternal Hope, Concluding Lesson

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