Aleph Beta for Kids

Ages 9ᐩ

We’ve created a special Teacher/Parent Guide  for you to use along with our “Sinat Chinam: Baseless Hatred” series, so you can discuss the concepts of Tisha B’Av together with your kids at their level.

Other Jewish Programs

• “Dovy Learns to Share” Storytime Audio from Chilazon Press (Ages 3-5)
• "The Days of Moshiach" with Zalman Goldstein from Chabad.org (Ages 5-8) 
• "Tisha B’Av Tales" with Rabbi Yitzy Erps from Oorah (Ages 6-10)
• NCSY Kumzitz of the World (All Ages)
• Jigzi interactive learning programs on Tisha b'Av by Jewish Interactive (Ages 5-9)
• “The Lost Tribe of Menashe” from Unpacked (Ages 12ᐩ)
• “Uncovering the Ashes of First Temple Period Jerusalem” from City of David (Ages 12ᐩ)
• “A Temple in Flames: The Final Battle for Jerusalem and the Destruction of the Second Temple” from Megalim Institute (Ages 14ᐩ)
• “The Farhud: What Happened to Iraq’s Jews?” (Ages 15ᐩ)
• “The U.S. and the Holocaust” from PBS (15ᐩ)
• “Heroes of October 7” from Unpacked (Ages 15ᐩ)

Movies

• Where Is Anne Frank  (9ᐩ) - an animated film told from the perspective of Anne Frank’s imaginary friend, Kitty, seeking to learn what happened to Anne 
• When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit (10ᐩ) - German/French language film about a Jewish family in Berlin who flees the Nazis, told from a 9-year-old girl’s perspective
•  One Life  (11ᐩ) - the true story of a London broker who rescued over 600 Jewish children from Czechoslovakia during the Holocaust
• Life is Beautiful (13ᐩ) - follows a father’s efforts to shield his son from the dangers of the concentration camp  
• The Ant Bully (5-11) - when a bullied child is magically shrunk to the size of an ant, he learns about making good friends, working as part of a team, and standing up to bullies instead of continuing the cycle 
• Wonder (8-13) - a boy with facial differences enters 5th grade and has to learn to make friends and contend with bullies, as his classmates discover compassion and acceptance
• Inside Out (6-9) - young Riley learns how to navigate her emotions throughout various challenges

Tisha B’Av Coloring Pages 

For Ages 3-7

Downloadable coloring pages are perfect for classrooms or home learning and promote screen-free exploration and reflection.

Arts & Crafts

For Ages 5-9

• Ahavat Chinam Puzzle - Print or draw a blank puzzle template and cut out each piece. Have your kids write one way they’re going to be kinder to others on each piece. Alternatively, print an illustration of the Beit HaMikdash and cut into pieces; have your kids put it back together so that they are “rebuilding the Beit HaMikdash.” 
• Make Your Own Kotel - Paint images of the Kotel in watercolor. Alternatively, cover a cardboard box with brown construction paper (a cereal box will work great) and draw bricks on it; have your kids write notes with prayers to fold up and put in the “Kotel” box.  
• Kindness Crafts - Create a “kindness flower” out of construction paper (or draw using markers); kids can write on each petal how they will show kindness to others, or who they are going to make a special effort to show kindness towards. 
• Fill A Bucket - Read the book “Have You Filled a Bucket Today?” by Carol McCloud & David Messing, and talk about what it means to be a “bucket-filler,” and different ways that you can make others feel good. Create your own buckets using Solo cups, stickers, & pipe cleaners, and fill each other’s buckets with objects or affirmations that make each other happy. 

Volunteering Activities At Home (Chessed)

For All Ages

• Letters for Israel - Write or draw messages of support to IDF soldiers and their families, victims of terror, displaced families, medical personnel, etc, and upload. Alternatively, write letters of thanks to local first responders, teachers, family members, or community leaders.  
• “Shabbat Boxes” for Seniors - Put together “Shabbat boxes” for homebound seniors or individuals in the hospital; include a challah, mini grape juice, tea light candles, and a nice message for them; gather in paper bags or decorate a box. 
• Sandwiches for the Homeless - Contact a local homeless shelter and ask if they’ll take sandwich donations. Make an assembly line to put together peanut butter and jelly sandwiches; get your neighbors or friends involved too!
• Decorating Bags for Hungry Kids - Decorate standard brown lunch bags with markers and encouraging messages; mail them to Kids’ Meals, who will fill them with snacks and deliver them to hungry children

Confronting Moral Dilemmas: “What Would You Do?” Game

For Ages 10-14

Play a card game with your kids to help them think through moral dilemmas. 

Instructions: Print and cut out scenario cards. Put them in a pile, and take turns choosing a card, discussing together, and answering what each person would do in each situation. If you have a group, you can give each child a few minutes to think and jot down their answer before sharing; the child who picks the card shares first and then the others respond with their input.

You can find sample responses below.

These sample responses are just a few of the many ways you could respond to the above scenarios using Torah principles. Feel free to come up with your own! 

1. Judging Favorably (Dan L’Kaf Zechut): The Torah commands us to not “hate your brother in your heart” (Leviticus 19:17). If you feel hurt, rather than stewing about it in silence, talk to your friend about it and see if you can resolve your feelings. Calmly explain to your friend that you feel hurt, being careful to talk about how you feel rather than what she did, which will make her feel blamed and defensive. (For example, instead of saying “You blew me off all day and that was so wrong of you,” try something like: “I felt really hurt when you didn’t want to walk with me to class today. What’s going on? Are you okay?”) Opening up a conversation will give you the chance to express what she did that hurt you and give her the chance to apologize, explain, and/or change her actions for the better. And who knows? Maybe there was something you did to hurt her, and this is your opportunity to find out and make things right.  You can also be dan l’kaf zehut, or judge your friend favorably. Maybe your friend had a really bad day. Maybe her mom yelled at her this morning, or she found out a family member is sick. When you try to judge others favorably, you can feel more sympathy for them (rather than anger), and you help yourself see the bigger picture of what’s really going on. 
2. Stopping Gossip (Lashon Hara): You could speak up and gently remind your friends, “Hey, let’s not talk about So-and-So.” You could change the subject of the conversation (“Did you guys see the new video game that’s out?”). You could also pull aside the friend that started speaking the lashon hara after lunch and tell him that there’s lots of other fun things to talk about, and we shouldn’t talk about other people. Even if the speech is true, it is still lashon hara. 
3. Preventing Baseless Hatred (Sinat Chinam): This scenario is similar to the famous Talmudic story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza, where someone gets publicly excluded from a party. The Sages say that event led to the destruction of the Beit HaMikdash! We want to make sure that everyone feels included. You could pull your friend aside and explain that while you understand how painful it must have been when those girls were mean to her, maybe she could talk it out with them and resolve it. You could ask her to imagine how she might feel if she were the only one excluded from a party. Maybe there’s a compromise, where she could invite them to the birthday party along with everyone else but have only a small group of her close friends stay afterwards to open presents with her. You could also go over to the girls who were excluded and invite them to hang out with you. Maybe once you get to know them, you can invite your friend along too, and you can help start to heal the rift between them. 
4. Defending the Vulnerable: You could tell a trusted adult (parent, teacher, neighbor, family friend, etc) about what you saw and discuss with them the best way to handle it. You could reach out to the girl who is being bullied and express your support for her (“Hey, I’m so sorry that those girls were being so mean to you. It’s not right. I just wanted you to know I’m here for you”). You could speak individually to the people who are bullying her and ask them to delete their posts, explaining to them how even though it may seem like a joke to them, their words are more powerful than they think and they are really hurtful. You can also remind them to be dan l’kaf zechut, since none of you know what she’s going through in her life, and why she does what she does.
5. Returning Lost Objects (Hashavat Aveda): Returning lost objects, when it is possible to identify who lost the object, is a mitzvah! The initials on the back of the watch can help you figure out who it belongs to. You could take the watch to the principal’s office and ask him to announce that a watch was found on the floor of the school hallway. He should specify that whoever is the owner of the watch will be expected to describe it and identify the special marks on it before receiving it – that will help ensure that you’re getting the watch to the correct owner! It certainly might be tempting to keep the watch for yourself, but think about if you lost something like that – you’d want someone to return it to you, as well. 
6. Giving Credit Where It’s Due: You could approach the teacher after class and tell him that you noticed the essay he showed as an example in class seemed like the same essay you had written. You could ask him why he decided not to share that it was yours. Go in with the mindset of being dan l’kaf zechut – maybe he had a good reason for not sharing your name! Maybe the teacher thought he had already asked you for permission to use the essay, or maybe he thought it would embarrass you if he shared that you had written it. You could share with him honestly that it hurt your feelings not to know that he was using your work as an example and not to be credited for having written it, and ask him if he would mind asking you for permission next time he wants to use an essay you wrote as an example.  If you don’t feel comfortable approaching your teacher directly, you could talk through the scenario with another respected adult, such as another teacher or counselor in the school who could help advise you. 
7. Being An Honest Witness: Someone who watches a crime happen is obligated to testify, or be honest about what they saw, according to Jewish law. Your situation is a little tricky – you didn’t see the boy steal the iPad, but the fact that you saw the iPad in his backpack is important information. Without rushing to conclusions about whether the boy did or did not steal it (maybe someone else slipped the iPad in his backpack… maybe you’re misremembering details… or maybe he has a similar iPad!), you could notify the teacher that you thought you saw the iPad in that boy’s backpack and that it might be worth her asking him about it.  
8. Protecting Others’ Dignity: First, you could try talking to the girls in your bunk and explaining to them that the prank will really hurt your counselor, and you don’t want to see her or anyone get hurt. If they don’t listen, you could pull aside some of the girls individually and try to make your point again – they may agree with you, but they may be uncomfortable disagreeing in front of the group. It might be helpful for you to try to get them to put themselves in your counselor’s shoes, asking them how they would feel if they were pranked with something they’re terrified of. You could also suggest a different prank you could all do that wouldn’t embarrass or scare your counselor and that would be funny for everyone (rather than laughing at someone). If the girls still don’t listen, you could tell another counselor or trusted adult at camp what’s going on. You can always ask them to keep your identity a secret if you don’t want your bunk to know that you were the one who shared what was going to happen.
9. Am I My Brother’s Keeper? You might be tempted to defend your brother and lie that your sister broke the lamp so that he doesn’t get in trouble (since your sister is a baby and won’t be punished!) but it’s also important to be an honest witness. One option is to approach your brother and ask him if he will go with you to tell your parents the truth; you’ll support him and explain that it was an accident. If he refuses, then you can gently let him know that you feel it’s not right to lie to your parents, and you’re going to let them know what happened. 
10. Showing Gratitude(Hakarat Hatov): Parents are people too! You could start by giving your mom a hug and telling her you appreciate her and you are sorry that she feels unappreciated. You could write little cards with everything you’re grateful to your mom for. You could also make a point, in the future, to say thank you when she does something for you (like make you dinner, pick you up from school, fold your laundry, etc). Write a note to yourself to remind you to tell her that you appreciate her, and get your family to do the same.

Jerusalem/The Temple

• The Beis HaMikdash: A Touch and Feel Book by Malka Groner (Ages 3-5)
• I’ll Never Forget Yerushalayim by Rabbi Mordechai Dubin (Ages 3-5)
• A Song of Redemption by Zecharya Hoffman (12ᐩ)

Holocaust Stories

• Bar­tal­i’s Bicy­cle: The True Sto­ry of Gino Bar­tali, Italy’s Secret Hero by Megan Hoyt & Iacopo Bruno (Ages 4-8)
• The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs by Chana Stiefel & Susan Gal (Ages 6-8)
• Gifts from the Enemy (The humanKIND project) by Trudy Ludwig& Craig Orback (Ages 9-12)
• Go, My Son: A Young Jewish Refugee's Story of Survival by Chaim Shapiro (14ᐩ)
• To Vanquish The Dragon by Pearl Benisch (15ᐩ)

Worldwide Jewish Communities

• Shoham’s Bangle by Sarah Sassoon & Noa Kelner (Ages 5-9)
• Yosef’s Dream by Sylvia Rouss (Ages 5-8)
• Abuelita’s Secret Matzahs by Sandy Eisenberg Sasso & Diana Bryer (Ages 5-8)
• Yuvi’s Candy Tree by Lesley Simpson & Janice Lee Porter (Ages 5-9)
• The Sabbath Lion: A Jewish Folktale from Algeria by Howard Schwartz, Barbara Rush, & Stephen Fieser (Ages 5-9)
• The Secret Shofar of Barcelona by Jacqueline Dembar Greene & Doug Chayka (Ages 5-9)
• Always an Olivia by Carolivia Herron & Jeremy Tugeau (Ages 7-10)

Ahavat Yisrael/Kindness/Gratitude

• The World Is Awake: A Celebration of Everyday Blessings by Linsey Davis & Joseph Bottom Lucy Fleming (Ages 2-4)
• How to Be a Mensch by A. Monster by Leslie Kimmelman & Sachiko Toshikawa (Ages 3-6)
• Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud and David Messing (Ages 3-6)
• I Love Jewish Faces by Debra Darvick (Ages 4-8)
• Out and About: A Tale of Giving by Liza Wiemer & Margeaux Lucas