teaching moments Archives - Values & Ethics

SIMCHAT TORAH—Opportunities for Joy

Sep 30, 2018 | blessings, gratitude, holidays, rituals, teaching moments

SIMCHAT TORAH — Unbridled joy is the gift that children often experience as they go through their daily lives. They are capable of so much feeling, of happiness and sadness, and with such intensity. We celebrate with them when they are happy, and we are sad when they grieve. At times it’s important not to get too caught up with our children’s emotions and to maintain a calm front in the face of their ups and downs. At other times, it’s important to get right in there and rejoice or grieve right along with them. As a parent it...

SHAVUOT—Study for Its Own Sake

Sep 1, 2018 | holidays, teaching moments

SHAVUOT — Parents naturally want their children to do well in school. We are concerned when they, for one reason or another, are not flourishing in school, and this gives us anxiety regarding their futures. We do all we can to address whatever problems or obstacles seem to be in their way. There are times when children feel a great deal of pressure from parents and teachers to do well in school and often this pressure can be counterproductive. The Jewish holiday of Shavuot sheds a different light on the meaning of study. This holiday, marking the receiving of the Torah by Moses on Mount Sinai, is...

PASSOVER—Asking Questions

Aug 15, 2018 | communication, holidays, sharing, teaching moments

PASSOVER — Asking questions is essential to childhood. Doing one’s best to answer these questions is part of being a parent. Sometimes we are delighted by these questions, and at other times we are discomfited, at a loss as to how to answer them. Whichever it is, we know how important it is for our children to keep on asking questions. This coming week is time for the yearly Passover seders. The Torah and the rabbis who shaped the seders placed children’s questions at the heart of the seder. Not only are the “Four Questions” designed to specifically engage...

PARENTS ARE POWERFUL TEACHERS…

Aug 1, 2018 | communication, leadership, teaching moments

EKEV — When we teach our children, we don’t only teach them with our words. We teach them with every act we do; in fact, we teach them with who we are at heart. If we go through life angry or resentful, our children will learn anger and resentment. If we go through life critical and judgmental, our children will learn criticism and judgment. Or, if we go through life with love and joy, our children will learn love and joy. In our Biblical portion it says that we should teach the words of the Torah “when you stay...

TEACHING ETHICS TO LAST A LIFETIME…

Jul 25, 2018 | communication, compassion, courage, teaching moments

VA-ETCHANAN — Raising children is not only about teaching our children how to be successful in the future, going to the right schools and finding the right job. It’s also about teaching them ethics that will carry them through their lives. The ethics we teach to our children are meant to last a lifetime and, in fact, to outlive us. Moses is told in this Torah portion that he will not be able to enter the Promised Land. But he is to teach the people of Israel a body of ethics to serve them in their building of a...

Category: teaching moments

SIMCHAT TORAH—Opportunities for Joy

SHAVUOT—Study for Its Own Sake

PARENTS ARE POWERFUL TEACHERS…

TEACHING ETHICS TO LAST A LIFETIME…

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