How can we teach our students to love Hashem?

To answer that question, your students should first watch the Torah Live video "How to Love Hashem."

Choose an activity your students enjoy. For example:

Ask your students for a show of hands: Who loves baseball? ⚾

Next ask:

Why do you love baseball?

And then ask:

To become an excellent baseball player, what do you need to do?

Hand out sticky notes. Each student places one idea on the board for how to become an excellent baseball player, like this:

Regroup: As we can see from the board, when you really love something, you have to work really hard to achieve it!

Now ask your students: How can we love Hashem?

Put up a new board and hand out sticky notes. Have your students create a board of the many ways we can come to love Hashem:

Quickly sum up what you've learned so far: when you love something, it takes effort, and there are many ways to express that love. In this next activity, your students do something new for most of them. They write a letter to Hashem!

In this letter, students should address these questions:

(Students can read their letters to the class or seal them in an envelope to keep for themselves.)

Ask your students:

End the activity with a class discussion on these two questions. Try to come up with practical advice for how each student can deepen their connection with Hashem.

There's so much more we can do to teach our students about loving Hashem. We'd love to hear your ideas from your classroom!