The roots of the family are the ones that support it and keep it strong, just like the roots of the tree support and keep the tree strong. Without the roots, the tree cannot grow, develop and thrive.
What exactly are roots? Why are the roots of the tree compared to the roots of the family?
Our 7th grade Hebrew students started working on a new and exciting project called “Roots” (Shorashim). In this work we will examine our roots and be able to understand the importance of the family and its contribution to Jewish culture, and to our continued existence.
This work is an independent study, during which students will get to know a part of their family’s history, they will have an opportunity to ask questions, to inquire, to dive into their past, and thus they will learn details that they did not know about their personal histories.
Some ideas that students will focus on during their project are:
- Their Family tree
- About myself – “I am a link in the family’s chain”
- About my family: “A link in the chain of our people”
- Create or locate an art piece or artifact that they can use to connect to their personal history, family history or their connection to the Jewish traditions.
They will all be asked to write a reflection about their journey with this Shorashim project.
I invite the families to be partners in preparing the project with your child and to join the journey towards discovering “My roots”.
Morah Ruthie