Submission Template Teacher name Ronit School name The

SubmissionTemplate
Teachername
Ronit
Schoolname
TheTorontoHeschelSchool
Projectname
PayItForwardPurim
Age/Gradeofstudents Grade7and8
Tellusaboutyourschoolanditscommunity
TheTorontoHeschelSchoolisapluralisticindependentJewishdayschoolfromjunior
kindergartenthroughgrade8inToronto,Canada.AsacommunitybasedJewishDay
School,itrespectsawiderangeofJewishobservances.
TheschoolisnamedforRabbiAbrahamJoshuaHeschelwhoisthereligiousand
philosophicalinspirationoftheschool.HeschelbelievedthatinordertobeagoodJew,one
mustfirstbeagoodhumanbeing,concernedwithjustice.Inthisspirit,studentsatThe
TorontoHeschelSchoollearntoapplytheteachingsoftheTorahintotheirdailylifebothin
theschoolandwithinthecommunityatlarge.RabbiHeschelbelievedthatJewishethical
valuesmustbeappliedandlivedtoeveryaspectoflife.
Describetheheritage,religion,orculturethatgroundsthecurriculum/project/
initiativethatyouaresubmitting
TheTorontoHeschelSchoolisgroundedinJudaismasitisseenthroughthelensofRabbi
AbrahamJoshuaHeschel’swritings.HeschelframedtheJewishimperativeasa
wholeheartedsearchforjustice.Heschel’suniquecontributiontoJewishthought
emphasizedthepersonalrelationshipbetweentheindividualandGodandsothestudents
studyfromoriginaltextandlearntomakemeaningfromtheirheritagethemselvesandto
takestepstowardsjusticeonadailybasis.HeschelsaidthatwhenhewalkedwithRev.
MartinLutherKingJr.atSelma,“hislegswerepraying.”
Whichvalue(s)areyouhopingtoinspireinyourstudentsthroughthiscurriculum/
project/initiative?
Theprojecthopestoinspirethevalueofrighteousness(Tzedaka)whichincludes:
1. respectforallpeople,eachmadeintheimageofGod(B’zelemElokim);and
2. charitytothosewhoneedhelp.
Identifythesource(s)ofthevalue(s)youareteaching(text,tradition,ritual,
practice,story,etc).
ThestudentsstudytheBookofEsther,MegillatEstherwhereQueenEstherriskedherlife
tosaveherpeople.
TocelebratetheholidayofPurim,theMegillatellsJewstogive“MatanotL’evyonim”,gifts
forthepoorand“MishloachManot,”giftsoffoodforone’sfriends.
TheversethatliststhesepracticesisEsther9:22
“ThedayswhereintheJewshadrestfromtheirenemies,andthemonthwhichwas
turneduntothemfromsorrowtogladness,andfrommourningintoagoodday;that
theyshouldmakethemdaysoffeastingandgladness,andofsendingportionsoneto
another,andgiftstothepoor.”
Listthelearninggoalsforthisproject
 ThestudentswillstudyMegillatEstherinpreparationfortheholidayofPurim;
 Thestudentswillconsiderthepositiveandnegativepersonalqualitiesofthepeople
inthestoryoftheBookofEsther;
 Thestudentswilldrawparallelstoleadershipperformancesbyleadersinourtimes;
 Thestudentswillstepoutsideoftheircommunity,considerhowtohelppeoplein
needaroundthem;theexperiencewillraiseconsciousnesstowardshomelessness,
reducethestigmaofhardship,andinspirethestudentstoseekappropriate
solutions;
 ThestudentswillthenactandfulfillthelawofMatanotL’evyonimandMishloach
Manot.
Describetheproject
Theprojecthasfivephases.
1. OnthedayofPurimitself,whenthegrade7and8studentsreadthemegillah
togetherandworkinsmallgroupstocontemplatethepersonalitiesinthestory,
theircharacteristicsandleadershipinsavingtheJewsinPersiafromdestruction.In
keepingwiththeplayfultoneofthecelebrationofPurim,eachgroupcreatesanart
installationportrayingaselectedPurimcharacterasamoderndayfigure.For
example,onegroupportrayedKingAchashveroshasRobFord(Toronto’sformer
mayor).
2. Thechildrencatalyzetheirlearningaboutnoticingandhelpingpeopleinneed,in
thePayitForwardPurimProject.Thestudentsareaskedtofindhelpfulsolutions
fromwithintheirowncapabilitiesandskillstocreateandprovidegiftsforhomeless
peopleinToronto.Lastyearthestudentsdecidedtoknitscarvesandbakegranola
bars;toactivatetheentireschoolcommunity,theycollectedtangerines,socks,
gloves,hatsandbottlesofwaterfromallgrades;theyhadtheyoungerchildren
createcardswithmessagesoffriendshipandsolidarity.Thegrade7and8students
packagedthebasketsofMishloachManotinpreparationfordelivery.
3. Oneevening,students,parentsandteachersmeetattheschoolandreceivetraining
fortheirengagementwithstreetdwellers.Thefacilitatorsalsoprovidemapsand
routesindowntownTorontoandafacilitatoraccompanieseachsmallgroupasthey
gooutintothestreetsofToronto.
4. Walkingthegivenrouteinasmallgroup,thestudentcomesuponastreetdweller,
engagesthehomelessperson,introduceshimself/herselfandofferstwogiftbaskets.
Thestudentexplainsthatonebasketisfortherecipienttokeepandthesecondisto
givetoanotherrecipientwhowillappreciateit.Thisprocesscontinuesuntilwhole
routeistravelled.
5. Thenextdayinclasstheteacherleadsthestudentsthroughaguidedreflection
abouttheirexperienceandwhattheylearned.
Describetheevidenceofimplementationthatyouaresubmitting.Thismayinclude
studentwork,photographs,documentedclassconversations,oranythingthatshows
thelearningofthechildren.
Evidenceincludedis:
 Photostakenthroughouttheproject’simplementation;
 Reflectionsfromthreeperspectives:astudent,aparent,andoneofthefacilitators
oftheeveningprogram.
ReflectionsontheExperience
“Itfeltgoodseeinghomelesspeoplesmilingwhenwegavethemthebagsoffoodand
blankets.Itisimportanttogivetootherpeople,andatPurimwhenwegivemishloach
manottoourfriendswecanalsogivetopeopleinneed.”
“Icametoappreciatehowotherpeopledon’thaveasmuchaswedo.Andbygivingthem
somethingweweredoingsomethinggoodforthem.Wegotintointerestingconversations
withpeopleonthestreetsandlearnedsomuchaboutthem.”
“Ilearnedalotaboutthepeopleandhowdifferentitisforthem.Itwasrewardingtosee
thesmileontheirfaceswhenwegavethemthebags.Someofthemaskedformorethan
onetogivetotheirfriends.ItiscooltoseehowourJewishtraditionscanhelpgivethese
peoplemeaning.”
~Grade7students
“Iwishtoextendmygratitudetothosewhoorganizedthisevent,includingHeschelstaff,
thestudentsformakingsuchwonderfulgiftbasketsandthefront‐linevolunteerswho
helpeddeliverthegifts.Thisexperiencewasmeaningfulonmanylevels.Manyofus
(parentsandstudents)goingintoit,feltnervousaboutwalkingthecoldstreetsof
downtownTorontoandinitiatinginteractionswithhomelesspeople.Itwasawonderful
awakeningtoseehowwarm,friendlyandappreciativepeopleweretoreceivethesegifts.It
wasalsoamazingtoseethateventhoughthepeoplewemetdonothavemuch,theystill
retaintheirsenseofcommunitybysharingtheirgiftswithothersandtellinguswhereelse
onthestreetwemightfindpeoplewhowouldreallyappreciatethepresents.One
gentlemanpreferredtochatandtellhisstoryandeventhoughhewaslivinginashelter,
feltweshouldsavehisgiftforsomeonewhohadevenlessthanhim.Itwasextremely
Ironicthattheonlypersonwhowasbundledup,lyingonastreetcornerandinmyopinion
lookingthemostdesperateofthehomelesspeoplelastnightwasinfactJewish.Andsoit
wasanightwherewewereallremindedhowpowerfulourpreconceivednotionscanbe
andnotonlyhowthatcanaffectthelivesofothers,butjustasimportantly,howlimiting
thatcanbeforustoo.
Bytheendoftheeveningdespitethefrigidtemperatures,manyofusdidnotfeelthecold
asmuchaswedidinthebeginning.Thatmighthavebeenasresultofdispellingthemyths
andsheddingourfearaswellasthewarmthgeneratedfromwithinbythegiftofgiving.”
~Parent
“Itwasareallygreatexperiencetoworkwiththestaff,studentsandparentsattheschool.
Ourteammanagedtogiveawayall35MishloahManotbasketsanditwasareallypositive
experienceforourgroup.
Someofthehighlights:
1. WemetWarren,aJewishhomelessguywho"lives"onthecornerofSpadinaand
Queen.Hewasverytouchedbythemishloahmanotandblessedtheteacherandthe
restoftheteam.
2. Wegaveoutacoupleofmishloahmanotsoutsideofayouthshelterjustwestof
SpadinaonQueen.Wethenwalkedawayand2teenagerswhowerestayingatthe
shelterfollowedusandshylyaskedusformishloahmanotsaswell.Theywereso
gratefulandblesseduswithahappyPurimblessing.
3. Oneofthebighighlightsformewastoseehowthekidsinthegroupactedsomaturely,
askedgreatquestionsandreallyseemedtoenjoythemselves.”
~Facilitator