This short lesson plan vaguely outlines a classroom activity for children based on the words of the song “Shalom Aleichem.” This educational resource, posted on the Behrman House website, is an excellent way to help children deeply engage with the ritual in a creative, hands-on way. Behrman House is a publishing company that creates a broad variety of educational materials to support and promote active participation and deep engagement in Jewish life and learning.
Lesson at a Glance
Shalom Aleichem is a popular song sung on Friday night. It is made up of four verses with a different theme for each verse. After singing the song in class, students will rotate through four different work stations that focus on the different themes of the song. The stations include creating a work of art to reflect the past week, designing a community service program around the theme of hospitality, making an artistic blessing for a home, and creating a supplement to Havdalah.
Objectives
Students will learn the message of Shalom Aleichem. Students will take part in four station activities that focus on the themes of the song.