Creation/ Bereshet By Sara Gordon Goal: Just as G-d is creative so to we should be creative. How can we add to this world? What can we as teenagers accomplish? Trigger: Make a chair (2), table (4), elephant (6), bottling factory (everyone). Age Group: chevraya bet Suitable for Shabbat Sicha: There’s an idea that everything that G-d does we have a command to imitate. Kindness, chesed, visiting the sick. (H’ visited Avraham).There’s also an aspect of creating. What are things we can create in this world? What are things that we can accomplish? Mitzvoth, settling land, build houses, build families (people say after the holocaust). What are things that once we pass away, these are things that stay, things that we have accomplished and added to the world? Daily life- never know the effect of our deeds – even small things – bein adam lechavero, how we treat other people, smiling – story of rabbi who always said good morning to person who became a nazi and it ended up helping jews. What about with affecting other ppl? Mitzvoth. Being a counseller, affecting ppl, teaching ppl. What about literally building? What about with regard to Israel? (Maleh et haaretz v’cavshuha). Building organizations, yeshivot, schools, hospitals, literally building the land. Giving money to Israel. Making aliyah. Think of something you have done or you have heard of someone doing that you thing really changed the world, changed your community. What about fixing problems? Is this also an aspect of creating? Why? Show them headlines – these are issues in Jewish community today. Is there anything we can do about it? What are ways that we as teenagers can help? Yoni Jessner h”yd. This was a boy who in 19 years, revitalized his community in Glasgow, kept a struggling bnei akiva alive, taught Hebrew school, was a counselor and role model to so many and influenced so many kids, worked in the chevra kadisha!! (true chesed shel emet, bc they cant pay you back). Wanted to be a doctor. Was a masmid in the yeshiva. B4 he left spent his summer writing peulot and shiurim so that there would still be torah taught in the Hebrew school. Last act was returning a pen. This was someone who left an impact on the world. Created. In what ways do you think Yoni reflects what we’ve been talking about? (Read 2 quotes). What do you think of these? Do you think we can realy impact, change, create, add to the world?? (time is an issue, watch less tv, take this seriously) Read Nobody, somebody, anybody, thing. Discuss. Hand out Yoni’s reflections on life.