Opening Our Hearts and Hands to Others (Tzedakah)

Unit of 3 Lessons
Grade Levels: 
3
4
5
Subjects: 
Arts Education
Language Arts
Philanthropy
Social Studies
Mathematics
Issue Area: 
Civil society
Focus Question 

Why is tzedakah important for the giver and the receiver? How can I be involved in tzedakah?

 

Photo Credit:  Girls Sharing by Jason Staten is licensed under CC by 2.0

Unit Overview 

Using traditional Jewish texts as a basis, students explore the concept of tzedakah (charity). Students are engaged in acts of tzedakah (charity) for the good of the communities to which they belong.

Service Experience 
  Students exchange gifts with their classmates in order to understand how it feels to give to others and to get from others. Students create tzedakah boxes so that they can collect money for charity. Students research a charity and prepare a display and project for a tzedakah fair to involve the school community in their fundraising efforts.  
Lessons in This Unit 
Unit: 
Opening Our Hearts and Hands to Others (Tzedakah)
Lesson 2 of 3
Grades: 
3
4
5

This lesson focuses on eight levels of tzedakah (charity) that were identified by a great Jewish thinker known as Rabbi Moses Maimonides. Students will investigate various ways to give charity and gain an appreciation of how people give of their time, talent or treasure. They will create their own tzedakah box to begin collecting money at home. 

 
Unit: 
Opening Our Hearts and Hands to Others (Tzedakah)
Lesson 3 of 3
Grades: 
3
4
5

In this lesson, the students are empowered to explore charities related to their own interests and make an impact of their own. Students research different charitable organizations and choose one to represent in a creative way at a tzedakah fair. The students invite family and community members to the fair to raise awareness about the charities that mean the most to them. Visitors learn about the different charities and have the opportunity to contribute while at the fair or on their own using information provided by the students.