1st Grade: Animals and Judaism
The Netivot First Grade takes four deep dives into “Animals and Judaism:”
1. Jonah and the Whale
2. Raven and Dove/”Free as a Bird”
3. Bilaam’s Donkey
4. Frogs in Egypt
1st Grade Deep Dive #1:
Jonah and the Whale
To the teacher:
We begin our exploration of Animals and Judaism with an ancient and beloved story of one of the biggest animals in the world, a traveler in the ocean just off our coast of California—the whale. The size of a whale inspires feelings of wonder, disbelief, fear, and intense curiosity. It almost feels impossible that something so large could actually be alive. And in the story of Jonah, we imagine with horror and also with some humor:
What would happen if a whale swallowed a person? If the whale is big enough, could the person actually remain alive?
That is exactly what happens with Jonah. And when the whale spits Jonah out on dry land, he gets a chance to “start over.” This “start over” makes the story of Jonah perfect for Yom Kippur: The story captures the Yom Kippur idea that if we have made mistakes, we get a chance to start over.
Primary text: Jonah and the Whale
God spoke to Jonah, saying: “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh and call out a warning, because I have heard that the people there are doing evil.”
But Jonah got up to run away to Tarshish, away from God. He went down to Jaffa, and found a ship that was heading to Tarshish. He paid the fare and went down into the ship, to go with them to Tarshish, Away from God.
Then God sent a huge wind upon the sea. It was a mighty storm at sea, And the ship thought that she would break apart! The sailors were scared, and each one of them cried out to his god. They threw all of their tools and bags overboard, to make the ship lighter.
Jonah had gone down into the hold of the ship. He lay down and fell asleep. The captain shouted at him: “How can you be sleeping?? Call out to your god! Maybe the god will pity us, and we will not die!” The men said to each other: “Let us cast lots, to find out whose fault this is!” They cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. They said to him: “Please, tell us whose fault this is! What is your business? Where do you come from? What is your land? Who are your people?”
Jonah answered: “I am a Hebrew. I worship Adonai, God of the sky, who made the sea and the dry land.”
Then they became very frightened, and they said: “What have you done?” For they knew that he was running away from God, because he told them so. They asked: “What should we do with you to make the sea quiet?” Because the sea was getting more and more stormy, he said: “Pick me up and throw me overboard, and the sea will be quiet for you; I know that this storm is because of me!”
Then they rowed, trying to return the ship to dry land, but they were not able to, because the sea was so stormy. They called out to God, saying “Please Adonai, do not make us take this man’s life! Do not make us shed innocent blood!”
Then they picked Jonah up and threw him into the sea, and the sea became still from its anger. Then the men felt a great fear and awe for Adonai; and they offered offerings and they vowed vows.
And God sent a giant fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish for three days. He prayed to God from the fish’s belly. Then God spoke to the fish, and she spat Jonah out on dry land.
Primary mitzvah:
Teshuvah, or “return.” Return to the good path.
Making good choices, and how to make a change if we have made a mistake.
Enduring Understandings:
1. We make many choices in life, between right and wrong. Sometimes choosing the right thing is so difficult that we “run away” from doing it.
2. Jonah was a man who knew what was right, but he tried to run away.
3. Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Inside the whale, he realized that he was ready to do the right thing.
4. When he spoke to the people of Nineveh, they also made a change
5. On Yom Kippur, all the Jewish people listen to the book of Jonah and we try to make a new start.
Possible projects:
· Create decorations for the CBB sukkah with scenes from the Jonah story
· Create a large mural telling the Jonah story, which might be hung in the CBB sukkah, or displayed in the lobby of the Temple on Yom Kippur
· Prepare a play of the Jonah story…to be performed at Temple on Yom Kippur
· Learn about whales…in the Bible (Jonah, Ps 104, Job) and in Santa Barbara (grey whales, Blue whales, in the world of Chumash, etc). Present what you learn on a series of poster boards, or sukkah decorations
Choosing the Project:
· It should be age appropriate for a 6-year old or group of six year olds
· It should require learning, practice, time, and attention to complete
· It should be something the student will want to take home and keep (or create one project as a whole class, in which case the final project would stay at CBB, but each student could receive an album with photos of the project)
· It must feature the story of Jonah and the Whale
· It should incorporate the ethical message of RH and YK: free will and teshuvah
· If the project is going to be individual art projects, you should prepare for the unit by making one for yourself, and adding your own personal touch, and being ready to share with the kids what it means to you.
1st Grade Deep Dive #2:
Raven and Dove/“Free as a Bird”
To the teacher:
In our daily lives, most of the animals we encounter are tame. Our dogs, our cats, our horses, donkeys, camels, goats, sheep and cows are all tame. We give them food, water and shelter. And they live with us, carry us, protect us, comfort us, and feed us.
The only wild animals that we all see, every day, are wild birds. Sparrows, crows, hawks, jays, hummingbirds, herons, pigeons, doves, orioles, warblers, vultures, pelicans, kites and plovers. These birds share our world with us, but they are completely wild.
They are free. This is why for us, birds represent freedom. The Hebrew name for the bird we call “swallow” is dror, which means “freedom.”
After freeing us from Egypt, God said “I have carried you on the wings of eagles.” And after six months cooped up in the ark with all the animals, the first animals that Noah set free were two birds: a raven and a dove.
Primary text: Raven and Dove in the Noah Story
At the end of forty days, Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made; he set free a raven, which went out to and fro, until the waters were dried up. Then he set free a dove, to see if the waters were dried up. But the dove found no resting place for her foot; so she came back to him into the ark, for the waters covered the earth;
Noah stretch out his hand, and took her, and pulled her into the ark. Noah waited seven days; and again he set the dove free, out of the ark; The dove came back to him in the evening; and in her mouth was an olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters were drying up.
He waited seven more days; and set the dove free; and she never came back to him.
Primary mitzvah/value:
Freedom is a fundamental Jewish value.
Our basic Jewish story, told at Passover, is our journey from slavery from freedom.
Enduring Understandings:
· The only wild creatures that share our world every day are wild birds.
· Because they are free, birds represent freedom
· Our Jewish story is a journey from slavery to freedom. God wants us to be free, like the birds.
Possible projects:
· Create a photo album of all kinds of birds
· Create a dramatic performance of The Kingdom of Singing Birds or of the story of Noah and the raven and dove.
· Create individual art or a class mural showing many different kinds of birds
· Learn about and create a presentation for the school about how birds fly
· Create a presentation on bird migration. Possibly view some of the movie Winged Migration (2003)
Choosing the Project:
· It should be age appropriate for a 6-year old or group of six year olds
· It should require learning, practice, time, and attention to complete
· It should be something the student will want to take home and keep (or create one project as a whole class, in which case the final project would stay at CBB, but each student could receive an album with photos of the project)
· It must feature the story of Noah and Raven and Dove
· Incorporate the Jewish understanding that our Jewish journey is from slavery to freedom, and that birds are a basic Jewish symbol for freedom.
· If the project is going to be individual art projects, you should prepare for the unit by making one for yourself, and adding your own personal touch, and being ready to share with the kids what it means to you.
1st Grade Deep Dive #3:
Bilaam’s Donkey
To the teacher:
We share this world with other living creatures: Birds, reptiles, insects, fish and mammals. Because they do not speak, we sometimes imagine that they do not think or feel. But people who live close to the animals know very well that animals have intelligence, and have emotions.
Chimps can learn sign language. Parrots are being used to treat war veterans with PTSD because of their capacity for empathy. Elephants are regarded as having some of the most complex emotional lives of any animals.
Their thoughts and feelings may be different from those of human beings, but like us, the animals do feel.
Most importantly of all, our Jewish religion understands that animals can suffer. We always practice kindness to animals and we do everything possible to avoid making them suffer.
Primary text:
Numbers 22 Bilaam and his donkey, in which Bilaam’s donkey sees an angel blocking their path but Bilaam does not see it, and begins striking his donkey in his frustration. And the donkey opens her mouth and speaks, saying “have I not been your loyal donkey for all these years? Why are you hitting me?”
Primary mitzvah:
Tzaar baalei chayim, our responsibility to always avoid causing animals to suffer.
Enduring Understandings:
1. While animals are different from us in many ways, like us they suffer physical pain and in some cases also emotional distress.
2. In the story of Bilaam and his donkey, the Torah depicts a situation where the donkey actually sees something important (an angel) which her owner Bilaam does not see, and both the donkey and the angel rebuke Bilaam for beating the donkey.
3. Judaism teaches the general principle of tzaar baalei chayim guiding us to always avoid causing suffering to animals.
Possible projects:
· Prepare a dramatic presentation of the story of Bilaam and his donkey, to be presented to the parents and possibly to other classes.
· Learn about chimps, parrots, elephants and other animals who have shown capacity for emotion and/or intelligence and prepare posters to go up in the school hallway or somewhere else in the Temple to educate the rest of the community about these incredible animals and the Jewish principle of tzaar baalei chayim.
· Organize the class to lead a congregation wide campaign raising awareness about cruelty to animals, which could culminate in a powerful presentation at Friday night services.
Choosing the Project:
· It should be age appropriate, that a 6-year old or group of six year olds can complete successfully.
· It should require learning, practice, time, and attention to complete
· It should be something the student will want to take home and keep (or create one project as a whole class, in which case the final project would stay at CBB, but each student could receive an album with photos of the project)
· It must feature the story of Bilaam and his donkey
· Incorporate the mitzvah of tzaar baalei chayim: avoiding causing animals to suffer.
· If you have chosen an art project for the Deep Dive, prepare by making one for yourself, and adding your own personal touch, and being ready to share with the kids what it means to you.
· You may want to organize a class trip to DAWG, the agency that rescues abandoned dogs and places them with new owners. But bear in mind that your class hike is scheduled for Feb 26, which is in the next Deep Dive. It may be too difficult or disruptive to schedule two trips in two months.
1st Grade Deep Dive #4:
Frogs in Egypt
To the teacher:
This should be fun! Frogs are fascinating, amusing, and impressive creatures. Jumping (the world record is 7.2 feet), croaking (some frog songs can be heard one mile away!), and catching flies at a distance with their tongues.
Frogs are familiar characters to the kids from folklore and children’s literature (examples are Frog and Toad, The Tale of Jeremy Fischer, The Frog Prince, and Kermit the Frog!) And make a dramatic appearance in the Torah in the 2nd of the 10 Plagues in Egypt, when the entire Land of Egypt is infested with frogs.
This Deep Dive is timed to lead up to Passover, when that story is told every year, and features prominently in the Passover Seder.
Primary text:
Seven days went by after God had turned the river to blood. God said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, and say to him: God says, ‘Let my people go, so they can pray to Me. And if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your land with frogs. The river will bring forth many frogs. They shall come into your house, and into your bedroom, on your bed, and into the house of your servants, on all your people, into your ovens, and into your bread bowls. And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people, and all your servants.”
Then God said to Moses: “Tell Aaron to stretch his hand with his rod over the streams, over the rivers and ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.” Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.
Then the Egyptian magicians did the same thing, with their magic spells, and brought up fts upon the land of Egypt.
Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Pray to God, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may pray to God.”
Moses said to Pharaoh, “Tell me exactly when to pray for you, and for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only. Pharoah said, “Tomorrow.”
Moses said, “OK. Just as you say, so you will know that no one is like our God. the frogs will go away from you, from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people; they shall remain in the river only.”
Moses and Aaron went away from Pharaoh; and Moses prayed to God about the frogs. Then God did just as Moses said: the frogs died in the houses, in the villages, and in the fields. The people gathered them together upon heaps; and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that it was over, he hardened his heart, and stopped listening.
Primary mitzvah:
The recitation of the Ten Plagues in the Passover Seder, removing a drop of wine/grape juice for each plague.
Enduring Understandings:
1. Frogs are members of a major family in the Animal Kingdom: the amphibians, who live both on land and in the water
2. In the Exodus story of the Ten Plagues, the frogs of Egypt all come out of the water and run all over the land. There is nothing “miraculous” about this. In nature, sometimes large groups of animals behave strangely….
3. Usually, frogs are pleasant, interesting and even beautiful creatures. But at that time for the people of Egypt, frogs became horrible.
4. In the world today, there are many fewer frogs than there were in the past. Pollution in our water is making frogs disappear.
Guiding Questions for Teachers:
1. What have been your own personal experiences with frogs? Have you ever caught a frog? Do you find them appealing? Repulsive? Fascinating? Bizarre?
2. When you think about the 2nd Plague does it strike you as funny, or horrifying? The medieval rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra says that the tzefardeia actually should be translated as “crocodiles.” How does that change the story of this plague for you? Which translation seems most compelling to you?
3. When you recite the 10 Plagues at your Passover seder, do you remove a drop of wine for each plague? How seriously do you take that custom as a reminder reduce our joy “at the suffering of our enemies?”
4. Do you think that studying about frogs is a good way to help our children think more deeply about the plagues in Egypt?
Possible projects:
· Create a terrarium in your classroom with one or more frogs which the students can get to know all year long leading up to this Deep Dive. As a class, watch videos of frogs, listen to frog voices, and learn some important facts about frogs and their habits. There is no scientific difference between frogs and toads, although people say toads have drier skin.
· Create a class play acting out the story of the 2nd Plague. Key characters include Moses, Pharoah, God and Aaron, but you can also add scenes with frogs getting into particularly unpleasant situations
· Make a mural or scrapbook collection or photo album of “Great Frogs in Literature,” to include Frog of Frog and Toad (by Arnold Lobel), and Jeremy Fischer (Beatrix Potter), the Frog Prince (Grimms Fairy Tales), the 2nd Plague, and Toad of The Wind in the Willows) (Kenneth Grahame), Kermit the Frog….
Choosing the Project:
· It should be age appropriate, that a 6-year old or group of six year olds can complete successfully.
· It should require learning, practice, time, and attention to complete
· It should be something the student will want to take home and keep (or create one project as a whole class, in which case the final project would stay at CBB, but each student could receive an album with photos of the project)
· It must feature the story of the 2nd of the 10 plagues
· Incorporate the Jewish understanding that we recite the plagues at the seder and remove a drop of wine/joy for each plague….to remember that the Egyptians suffered terribly during our liberation
· If the project is going to be individual art projects, you should prepare for the unit by making one for yourself, and adding your own personal touch, and being ready to share with the kids what it means to you.