TG-Dec-Kislev
K I D
11/2/05
1:12 PM
P O W E R
“Matt Jeffers:
Standing Proud”
M A G A Z I N E PA G E 4
Matt Jeffers has overcome
the challenge of being born
with dwarfism to excel on the
basketball court. By recognizing
his limitations and celebrating
his talents, Matt embodies the
value of sameah. b’h.elko, personal satisfaction. In this lesson, students will explore the
relationship between challenges
and strengths and reflect on
ways to celebrate who they are.
OBJECTIVES
L Students will appreciate what
makes them unique and
different, as well as appreciate
the range of difference in the
world.
L Students will explore how the
concept of tzelem Elokim, being
created in the image of God,
ties in with the value of sameah.
b’h.elko, personal satisfaction.
VOCABULARY
ls
6]rWD=
6
Hb
6g-
basketball
height
Send your students to
babaganewz.com to
hear Matt’s thoughts in
his own words.
4
BABAGANEWZ
TEACHERS’ GUIDE
KISLEV 5766
Page 4
L E S S O N
P L A N
B Y
S A R R A
A L P E R T
QUOTES & QUESTIONS
“ ‘That’s when I realized that this is the way God made
me,’ says Matt. ‘If God is cool with it, then I’m cool
with it.’ ”
3. Read the Kid
Power article on
page 4 of
BABAGANEWZ.
How do you think Matt is able to say this about
himself ? What personality traits of his do you
think help him say this?
How does Matt
celebrate his
strengths and
work with his
challenges?
“He’s most proud of his ability to help others see the
positive side of things. ‘I like to lift people’s spirits,’ he
says. ‘If I see someone struggling, I try to let him or
her know, “It’s not as bad as you think it is.” ’ ”
How is Matt able to help others?
How does this
article relate to
the theme of
sameah. b’h.elko,
personal
satisfaction?
What do you think that you could do to lift
someone’s spirit in a similar situation?
ACTIVITY: CELEBRATING WHO WE ARE
1. Begin class by playing the song “Shir Lismoach,”
track 6 on the Babapalooza! CD. Distribute the lyrics
to the song and instruct students to work in pairs to
study the first stanza and the chorus.
What reasons for rejoicing do these lines give?
What do you think is the “spark” mentioned in line
3? What is the “beginning” mentioned in the line?
Why do you think the chorus specifies the activities
of living, breathing, and moving? What message is
the chorus trying to convey?
Review the rest of the lyrics with students.
What other reasons for rejoicing does the song list?
What other reasons do you think you have to
rejoice on a daily basis?
A midrash states that the Hebrew word for rich,
ryve (ashir), is the acrostic for the Hebrew words
for eyes (Myynye, aynayim), teeth (Myynyv,
shinayim), hands (Myydy, yadayim), and feet
(Myylgr, raglayim). Whoever has healthy use of
them all may be called rich. How does this text
relate to the song?
2. If possible, go outdoors for this portion of the
activity (although a classroom will do). Have everyone
be quiet for a full minute and just listen. Ask students
to name the things they heard during that minute.
Now give everyone a blindfold, and then repeat the
exercise—a full minute of silence. Afterwards, ask
students to name what they heard. Discuss:
4. Study the
Jewish texts
below and discuss how they relate to the article and
to Matt’s outlook and attitude.
5. To complete the lesson, instruct students to use
magazine pictures and other decorations to make a
collage of the list they made earlier of their strengths
and interests (i.e. ears for a good listener, a ball for
sports, etc.) with their name in the center—a
“Celebrating Who I Am” page.
JEWISH TEXTS
MISHNAH SANHEDRIN 4:5
If a person mints many coins from one mold, they all
resemble one another, but the Supreme Ruler, the Holy
Blessed One, fashioned every person in the stamp of the
first human, and yet not one of them resembles another.
Therefore every single person is obliged to say: “The world
was created for my sake.”
How does this text explain differences in people?
What is the result of these differences, according
to the text?
Why should people feel as if the world was created
for them? How should someone act on this belief?
PIRKEI AVOT 4:3
How did wearing the blindfold change the
experience of hearing?
[Ben Azzai] used to say: “Do not be scornful of any
person and do not be disdainful of anything, for you
have no person without his or her hour and no thing
without its place.”
How are our challenges and strengths tied
together?
What does it mean to be scornful or disdainful of
someone or something?
How can a challenge in one area enhance strength
in another area?
What’s the opposite of being scornful or disdainful?
How can we appreciate our own strengths and help
our friends appreciate theirs?