How can we connect our students to Yerushalayim?
Part 1
Ask your students:
Why do you think Yerushalayim has been so important to the Jewish people throughout history?
Show your students the Torah Live series Yerushalayim!
Ask your students:
How can we stay connected to Yerushalayim, even when we're so far away or have never been there?
Suggest some options, since this question can be hard to answer depending on their age. Here are some ideas:
Through Tefillah
Through our actions. By doing chesed, we bring the world closer to redemption and the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash.
Ask your students:
What are some things we do nowadays to remember the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash?
Breaking glass at a wedding
Leaving a section of the wall in the home unpainted
Ash on the forehead of the chasan before the wedding
Saying "Al Naharos Bavel" before Birkas HaMazon
All of the minhagim related to the three weeks between Shiva Asar B'Tamuz and Tisha B'Av
Part 2
Put up a large poster, then hand each student a square card and a marker. Ask them to design their own square by answering this question:
When each student finishes their square, they come up and stick it on the poster.
The goal is to fill the poster with all the students' answers, so they can see how each of them connects to Yerushalayim. It's also fascinating to see the unique ways everyone feels a bond with this holy place.
B'hatzlacha! ✨