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This lesson offers some historical information about the first Bat Mitzvah, the welcoming of a young Jewish woman to adulthood. Jews had for centuries celebrated a boy’s entry to adulthood with a Bar Mitzvah, meaning, ‘son of the commandments’. In 1922 Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan, a member of the Orthodox Jewish community in New York, performed the first Bat Mitzvah, for his daughter, Judith. This means ‘daughter of the commandments’. As we shall see, not everyone welcomed the move. We will explore historical information as well as information about Jewish belief, practice and community.

Lesson Outline

1. Search online for an image of Judith Kaplan at the 70th anniversary of the first Bat Mitzvah. The image is housed in the Jewish Women’s Archive, there are several versions online. You could also search for other images of Judith and her father Mordechai Kaplan, there are a few.
Give groups 3 minutes to come up with 3 questions about the image.

2) Cut the information below into cards and give a set to each group: (In the download at the end of this page there are ready made cards you can cut out.)

Judith’s father was a rabbi, and he performed her Bat Mitzvah

Bar Mitzvah is when a boy comes of age in Judaism

Judith Kaplan’s Bat Mitzvah was conducted in New York in 1922

No one had conducted a Bat Mitzvah before Judith Kaplan’s.

The young person reads from the Torah in front of the congregation

The first public Bat Mitzvah involved 13-year old Judith Kaplan

There are 316 commandments in then Torah (Jewish holy book)

Bat means ‘daughter’ in Hebrew

Bar Mitzvah means ‘son of the commandments’.

Ask groups to find answers to these questions, using the cards:
– What is a Bat Mitzvah?
– What is a Bar Mitzvah?
– why is the first Bat Mitzvah is significant in Jewish history?

3. Ask groups to predict how this was received in the Orthodox community. Do they think it was welcomed as a positive change, or resisted as an unwelcome change?

4. In fact not all New York Jews supported Judith’s Bat Mitzvah. Write the 4 statements below into 4 speech bubbles and display. Ask groups to identify TWO reasons why Judith’s Bat Mitzvah was seen as a bad idea, and TWO reasons why it was seen as a good idea.

A woman’s sphere of influence is the home, so it is right and fitting that a young woman should be welcomed into adulthood in the home.

Religions need to change with the times. Traditions adapt without destroying the religion. The belief has not changed, just the way of showing it has changed.

Women have more of a role in public life in modern times so it is correct for women to be more involved in public religious ceremonies.

Jewish women and girls have always been ‘daughters of the commandments’. A new ceremony is not necessary.

5. Introduce the idea that religion can be understood as a combination of beliefs, practices and community or tradition; how groups see the world, what they do, and who they do it with. Show a diagram like this. You could give examples of beliefs, practices and community traditions, which pupils have to match to each element to make this point.

6) Using the information squares below, answer the question; ‘Was Rabbi Kaplan seen as challenging religious beliefs, practices or traditions with the first Bat Mitzvah?’

The Torah is the first part of the Jewish bible, consisting of 5 books.

The 613 commandments cover all aspects of community & religion.

The Torah teaches about the Jewish prophets and early Jewish history.

Traditionally only men read from the Torah.

‘Torah’ means ‘teachings’ (Hebrew).

The Torah begins with God creating the universe.

The Bar Mitzvah ceremony is not mentioned in the Torah, or the Talmud (books that interpret the Torah).

The first mention of the Bar Mitzvah ceremony is in the Middle Ages, not the time of the Torah.

Traditionally, only men would read from the Torah in public. Women had no roles of authority in public; in business or religion.

The Jewish bible contains elements of the Bar Mitzvah ceremony. For example, adult Jews fast on the Day of Atonement, and children would begin their fast at 13.

At a Bar Mitzvah ceremony, the 13-year old boy reads a portion of the Torah to the congregation at the synagogue. This is the first time he has read from the Torah in public.

The Mishnah (part of the Talmud) states, ‘”At five years old one should study the Scriptures, at ten years for the Mishnah, at 13 for the commandments…’ (Mishnah Pirkei Avot 5:21)

In this BBC video we meet Me-Me, a Jewish girl, preparing for her Bat Mitzvah. Me-Me will read the Torah in front of the synagogue congregation to become a ‘Daughter of the Commandments’.

This resource was written by Hannah Mandelbaum, Jewish representative for Email a Believer. Hannah explains the deeper themes that are a key part of Jewish New Year. It includes a classroom activity for KS1, KS2, KS3 and KS4.

“I am all prepared for Jewish New Year,” said an RE teacher friend. “I’ve got apples, honey to dip them in and bought some Jewish New Year cards and pomegranates.”

Of course, there is nothing wrong with using some traditional food to teach Jewish New Year (this year – 2019 – will be 5780 in the Hebrew calendar). The hope for a sweet and fruitful New Year is reflected in these symbols or simanim (signs/indicators). A common Jewish greeting is ‘“Shana Tova U’Metukah” – have a happy and sweet New Year.”

However, there are other deeper themes that are a key part of Jewish New Year and are more challenging to teach.

What is Selichot?

The month preceding the New Year is Elul, a reflective time to search one’s heart and prepare for the Days of Awe – Yamim Noraim – the ten days that begin with Rosh Hashanah and end with the fast of Yom Kippur. Ashkenazi Jews observe Selichot, a word that translates as ‘forgiveness’ with prayers at the end of Shabbat, usually the week before Rosh Hashanah. For Sephardi Jews, the prayers are said for the whole month of Elul.

In a choral service often held at midnight, prayers are recited to ask for pardon from God. Jewish people examine their behaviour over the past year and think how they can make amends. This is a major theme of New Year. Some have described this early start to the Days of Awe as a way of jump-starting the season. It is as if the King is greeted on the road before he gets to his palace, when it is then harder to get past the guards to talk to him.

A key part of Selichot is the recitation of God’s Thirteen Attributes (midot). In Exodus 33:13, Moses asked God to tell him his attributes. “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”

The Selichot service can be very powerful. A member of a North West London synagogue explains his feelings about this time of year,

Selichot provides a choral curtain-raiser for the High Holy Days. The themes and the tunes are all there and it is beautiful. However, it is important not to let the beauty of the melodies lull you into anything less than the anticipation of Rosh Hashanah and the core message of return/repentance. Selichot is the start of that journey through our Days of Awe during which we must account for our actions and our words to our fellow human beings and to God. It is – potentially – a roller-coaster ride, which the familiarity of the liturgy and the music prepares us better for.”

Classroom Activities

The theme of forgiveness and saying sorry is a key element of the Days of Awe. At Selichot, one rabbi asked her congregation to place cards into a box with examples of when they had regretted hurting others in the past year. These words were then made into a communal prayer for the morning of the fast day of Yom Kippur.

Considering when we say sorry to others and why could create a link between RE and relationships education. A ‘sorry box’ could be made by KS1 pupils, decorated with traditional New Year symbols, showing that the preparation for being better people is as important as the sorry messages that are placed inside. Role plays can help pupils to model caring behaviour, for example, saying sorry to someone who has been left out of a friendship group.

KS2 pupils can list the Thirteen Attributes of someone they care about; a member of their family, friend, or special adult. The emphasis should be on their qualities and values.

KS3 and KS4 pupils can watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzBLcOm1DjI Danny Raphael Silverstein’s rap is a spiritual response to the Jewish New Year theme of teshuvah – returning. Maimonides, the medieval Jewish philosopher and Torah scholar, clearly described this process

Stopping negative actions
Feeling regret for your behaviour
Saying sorry out loud, to God and to the person you’ve upset
Making a practical plan so that you will not, for example, upset your friend again by talking about things that annoy him.

Maimonides felt that it was only then teshuvah gamurah – complete return – could happen. It is as if the mistakes are deleted from the Facebook page of the past year. Pupils could write their own New Year rap, incorporating the symbols and the messages of this season.

This resource was written by Hannah Mandelbaum, one of RE:ONLINE’s Email a Believer team.

This resource was written by Luthaneal Adams, Pagan representative for Email a Believer. Luthaneal explains what constitutes an active, sacred site for modern Pagans. It includes a classroom activity to design a personal altar space.

I’m currently enjoying a visit to Rome and am taking the time to see some of the sights. I’ve always had an interest in both Roman history and the ancient Roman religion, so being here also tingles my Pagan senses.

While visiting the Colosseum, my guide was speaking about how at one time the great arches on the outside housed statues of the Gods and important figures. It made me a little sad to think about what must have happened to all those statues, either torn down for materials or destroyed as a part of a newer religion exerting its authority.

That’s very much the case for so many Pagan sacred sites of the ancient world. The old temples were either destroyed, built over or converted into churches. Those that were not are, in the majority, ruins and all of them are now either tourist attractions or archaeological sites (barring maybe a few scattered exceptions).

Modern Paganism is very much a religion of reclamation. Bringing new life back to old religious ways. But as much as we may like the idea of being able to use these old sacred sites as part of that spirit of reclamation, trying to do so is either impractical (due to masses of tourists or the decimation of the site) or outright disallowed by the authorities.

So, what constitutes an active, sacred site for modern Pagans?

Well, Paganism today is very much a personal religion and the majority of its practices are done in private. It’s a religion based in the home. Though the home itself isn’t a sacred site, it is very common for Pagans to set up altars and shrines in their homes, as focal points for their religious observations.

Outside of the home, it’s not unusual for Pagans to practice their religion out in nature. Perhaps a clearing in a woodland, somewhere, or a nice field where there is space to enact a ritual without being disturbed. Of course, that not being disturbed part doesn’t always go according to plan. Many a time have I been involved in such a ritual with people and been stumbled upon by a rogue dog-walker or become a temporary spectacle for passing ramblers.

But the point is that being as nature is generally seen as sacred to many Pagans, a sacred site can be ‘set-up’ out in nature.

But the desire for a connection to the Pagan past is still strong and so it is quite common for some Pagans to visit old Pagan sites, not merely as a matter of interest, but also with a recognition that the site is still sacred and has meaning. It still has the energy and ambiance of the way it was used by our ancestors and so going to a site like that also stems from a desire to connect with that sense of the past and any energies that may linger there.

In the UK, a lot of Pagans visit the many stone circles and earthworks that are scattered across our countryside. While there, we may just seek to connect with the place, or we may perform rituals. We know that the religion of the people who built the stone circles was not the same as ours and that we may never really know what their beliefs and practices were, but the site is still sacred to us because we recognise that these people probably had beliefs that were at least similar to ours, honouring spirits of the land and nature, so there is still a kind of kinship there. By being in these places and performing our own rituals, we’re a part of the spiritual tradition of the site, and though we may do things a little differently and use different words, we are still giving the same reverence to the site and the spirits that reside there.

For larger, more public events, we have no buildings of worship and gathering ‘en masse’ in the great outdoors, isn’t feasible most of the time – especially not for city dwellers. But there are Pagan organisations and groups who rent spaces, like halls or meeting rooms, where public gatherings can take place. These rented spaces are not sacred sites, but in most instances when we are using the space to perform rituals, as a part of those rituals an act is performed (like casting a ritual circle, cleansing the space, or in some way spiritually anointing the area we are using) that temporarily sets the space aside as sacred. So, in this way, we create sacred space even if we are lacking a sacred site.

At a few places, most notably dotted around Europe and North America, there are some groups who have started to build new temples and permanent Pagan places of worship. These are currently few and far between, but perhaps, maybe, in the future there may be more.

Classroom Activity

Design A Personal Altar Space

Pagans often set up small altars or shrines in their houses, where they keep religious objects and representations of things that are sacred to them. This could be a small table, a dresser or even a window ledge.

Ask the students to think about what an altar would look like if it had on it all the things that were important to them. This doesn’t have to be religious items, just an attractive arrangement of things that they feel are important in their life.

Have the students write down what would be on their personal altar and explain why they included each of those things. Then ask them to draw a picture of their altar.

Example: A student could have a small table with a photograph of their family on it, a trinket from their best friend, a piece of jewellery from a relative who has passed away, a vase with their favourite flowers in it, their diary, and a football.

Learning Objectives

To get students thinking about what is important to them in their lives.
To consider how objects and images are used to represent important things.
To understand how sacred space is used to create a focal point for the objects and beliefs that we consider special, important or sacred

This resource was written by Luthaneal Adams, one of RE:ONLINE’s Email a Believer team.

Origins

The Shema may be seen as the beginning and end of Judaism. It is a Jewish prayer extracted from three places from the Torah and composed into a sequence of paragraphs. It does not appear in its entirety at the beginning of the Torah, rather it is found in Deuteronomy 6.4-9; 11.13-21 and Numbers 15.37-41. The Shema derives its name from the Hebrew word sema, meaning ‘to hear’, which is the initial word of the first verse, which states, ‘Hear O Israel’. Thereby, instructing Jews to listen. It is believed that they were received by Moses on Mount Sinai.

Significance

The Shema is included as part of every weekday synagogue service. Its significance is inferred by the fact that its centrality is recognised in all Jewish traditions, in various ways. The recitation of the passage is taken as a commandment to be fulfilled by Jewish adult men twice daily, morning and evening. It is also a core text in other prayer books.

The Shema is taught for the love of God, loyalty to the Jewish tradition and it encourages the Jewish community to study the Torah. It is reported that Jacob’s sons read it to him and therefore adults recite it to children so that they remain within their tradition. The Shema might be the first thing that some Jewish children learn in a Jewish primary schools and at home to express belonging.

Meaning

The Shema sets out what Jews believe and how they should demonstrate their dedication to God through daily actions.

It represents their belief that they have made a Covenant with God: an agreement that they will love God and follow His laws and in return God will take care of them. Thus, as an artefact, the Shema is a way for Jewish people to remind themselves of their promises to God. This is why families have a responsibility to teach their faith to the next generation.

Practice

Unsurprisingly, the Shema has acquired a pivotal position in the collective and personal life of Jewish communities. Communally, adults recite it in the morning and evening and in the afternoon at the synagogue to fulfil the commandment and remember God.

Individually, some Jews recite it before bed and after waking up, as it is the most holy thing to say during these times. It is also a way of thanking God for waking them up from sleep and to ask God for good sleep. Thus, it is a prayer which covers all activities of the day and night.

As a family, in some homes, mothers regularly recite the Shema with their children whilst putting them to bed. Some children memorise it and others prefer to look at the text when reciting it.

At happy events, such as moving into a new home, the mezuzah, which contains the Shema, is fixed to the doorpost and is followed by a religious service.

During festival days and especially on Shabbat, a double reading honours the Shema: at the time the Torah scroll is bought out from the Ark the opening verse of the Shema is recited collectively, and again, individually by the reader prior to reading the Torah.

There are some physical gestures adopted by Jews during various prayers and worship. On the Day of Atonement whilst reciting the opening verse of the Shema, the eyes are covered to remove distractions.

As death approaches, those gathered recite some passages from the Torah and end with the opening words of the Shema. In this way the dying person is helped to affirm their faith in the oneness of God. It is worth noting that the Shema may be recited in Hebrew and in other languages too.

Structure

The Shema has three paragraphs. The English translation is provided with an explanation of what it might mean to some Jews, how they might put it into practice and what they could learn from it.

Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One (Deuteronomy, 6.4)

From this, Jews learn to be attentive to the Torah so that God’s commands are with them. It also means their religion is monotheistic. Moreover, a closer examination reveals God as addressing Israel rather than Israel addressing God, thus Jews make claims of a reciprocal relationship because God chose them, and consequently, they believe God cannot ignore them.

Blessed is His name, whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever

This phrase does not appear in the Torah and is attributed to Jacob. Since he had whispered it, Jews whisper it as well. It tells the Jewish community to praise God. They know, through this, that God’s kingdom is everlasting. They recognise the holiness and greatness of God. It gives them hope too.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your might (Deuteronomy, 6.5)

The demand from God is unequivocal in this phrase: total obedience and wholehearted devotion and to remember God’s word. It implies that Jews be prepared to sacrifice everything. They are to love God with their might, heart and soul. God loves them; therefore, they too should have unflinching love for Him.

These words that I command you today shall be upon your heart (Deuteronomy, 6.6)

Jews learn to affirm these as laws and learn them orally. But there is also an emotional attachment. The heart is mentioned so that it can act as a guide following the dictum ‘in doing right follow your heart’, and in the heart should be the Torah.

Repeat them to your children, and talk about them when you sit in your home, and when you walk in the street; when you lie down, and when you rise up (Deuteronomy, 6.7)

This phrase gives adults the responsibility to pass on their faith to children, and this can take place in formal and informal settings. The key message is to keep it alive at all times. Literally, it means Jews should recite it every evening and morning.

Hold fast to them as a sign upon your hand, and let them be as reminders before your eyes (Deuteronomy, 6.8)

Literally, this means to hold fast onto the Shema and the Torah by wearing the verses on the hand and upon the forehead between the eyes. This is how the practice of wearing phylacteries (tefillin) became established. The tefillin consists of four small joined-up boxes containing the first two passages of the Shema (Deuteronomy, 6.4-9 and Deuteronomy, 11.13-21) and two other Exodus phrases of the Torah. These are handwritten on a parchment and worn on the stronger hand as this is what is used by individuals or on the left arm so that it is directed to the heart. It is a constant visual reminder for Jews that God is there, whatever they do.

Write them on the doorposts of your home and at your gates (Deuteronomy, 6.9)

The final instruction is to handwrite a parchment and fix it to the doorpost of the home and gates. In practice, to preserve the sanctity of the text, a rectangular elongated box with a slight opening, called a mezuzah, is made to house this kosher parchment, which contains the first two of the three paragraphs of the Shema (Deuteronomy, 6.4-9 and Deuteronomy, 11.13-21) and at the back, the word Shaddai (Almighty). The mezuzah is affixed on the right hand doorframe, with a little slant upwards in the direction of the room, at about shoulder height, in individual dwellings and collective compounds. In doing so, most Jews express their obedience, and, when they come into and go out of their homes, they are reminded to renew their covenant daily. The mezuzah is fixed on every door (except the lavatory and bathroom), so the whole house is covered in holiness and purity as a gift of God. Some Jews kiss the mezuzah to show their adherence to the Torah in everything they do, including daily actions like entering and leaving the home.

Mezuzah literally means ‘doorpost’, but over time came to refer to the doorpost and what is attached to it. Interestingly, a sukkah does not need a mezuzah as it is not permanent dwelling.

Deuteronomy 11.13-21

This section is an exhortation to obey, love and serve God alone with everything. In return God promises the Jewish community abundance in material well-being. Should they turn to serve other gods, the anger of God awaits them (Deuteronomy, 11. 13-17).

The next phrases (Deut. 11.18-21) repeat the instructions given above in (Deut. 6-9). Thereafter, God promises that should these be fulfilled then God will keep His promise of the land for them (Deut. 11. 21).

Numbers 15.37-41

This verse establishes the custom of Jews adorning clothes with tzitzit (fringes). Tzitzit are tassels made of several threads tied together to symbolise the numerical value of the name of God. The Shema says that when people look at the tassels they will remember their promise to keep God’s laws. Some Jews follow this rule all the time and wear a vest with tassels on four corners, called a tallit katan. At the synagogue, some also wear a special prayer shawl called a tallit gadol when praying in the morning.

To summarise, the Shema is a prayer in the first instance and a belief statement thereafter. It has a golden principle for the Jewish community in stressing that learning is initiated at home and establishes the duty to educate their children in the faith. The Shema establishes the practice of learning the three paragraphs contained within it, and of wearing the tefillin and affixing the mezuzah. These actions remind Jewish people of the promises made to and by God, their belief about unity of God and the One to be worshipped.

Learning about the Shema in RE

Here are some examples of what primary pupils might be able to do as a result of their learning about the Shema.

They can:

-use the right names for things that are special to Jews, e.g. when shown a picture, say: ‘That is a mezuzah’

-talk about what they find interesting or puzzling, e.g. talk about how interesting it was to hear that Jewish people put a prayer in a small box and fix it to their doorposts

-talk about some things that are similar for different religious people, e.g. say that Muslims, Christians and Jews all says prayers to God

-talk about some things in stories that make people ask questions, e.g. say, ‘It was mysterious when God spoke to Moses’

-describe things that are similar and different for religious people, e.g. record or say how Jews recite the Shema, but that they may say it in different languages

-ask important questions about life and compare their ideas with those of other people, e.g. ask why Jews think the Shemais such an important prayer and give their own ideas about important prayers and wishes

-use the right religious words to describe and compare what practices and experiences may be involved in belonging to different religious groups, e.g., say how different Jewish communities might have different ways of remembering God’s laws – through recitation of the Shema, through wearing of the tallit and tefillin, though doing good deeds and so on

-ask questions about the meaning and purpose of life, and suggest a range of answers which might be given by them as well as members of different religious groups or individuals, e.g. asking questions about the importance of the Shema in Jewish life and suggesting answers that might be given by a Jewish visitor to the classroom, or with reference to answers given in authoritative texts or websites.

Some common discussion questions:

What do you think it means when the Shema says: “These words […] shall be upon your heart”?
In the Shema, where does it say that Jews should talk about God’s laws?
Why do you think the Shema says that Jewish people should repeat the words to their children?
What could you use or do to help you to remember promises that you have made?

Have the music playing before the children enter the room. Explain that they are going to listen to some very special music and they have to be quiet
Sit the children in a circle and light a candle (adhering to the schools health and safety requirements). Ask children to close their eyes and listen to the music.

When the music has ended ask them to think of one question they want to ask. Children share their questions and they are written down (organise into Who, What, Where, Why). [It is important not to answer the questions at this point].

(10mins) Invite the children to select an activity to do while they think about the questions. Choose activities that allow children to reflect. Avoid ‘small world’ items for example, which children will be tempted to simply play with. [Have the instrumental version playing while the children are active]:

Colouring patterns rather than pictures;
Modelling clay, e.g., Play-Doh;
Selection of books and cushions (reading area);
Threading activities;
Painting;
Collage and making materials.

Bring the children back together and think about the questions as a group. [They may have made something relating to the music]

Stage 2: O Lord Hear My Prayer

Listen to ‘O Lord Hear My Prayer’ again and remind the children of the previous discussion.

Ask the children the following questions if they haven’t already been covered:

Why do you think they are singing this?
How does it make you feel?
Why do you think they say the same words over and over again?
Can you think about what the people are doing as they sing this? Are they standing, sitting? etc…
Where do you think they are?
Do you think anyone can sing this?

Show the children some Taizé photographs. There are many online, both on Taizé’s website and Google images. Explain that Taizé is an ecumenical Christian community in France (ecumenical means that people come from all sorts of Christian denominations, the aim is to be together rather than pursue one way of being Christian). The music is an example of prayers used during meetings. In the Taizé community, short songs repeated over and over create a meditative atmosphere and it is believed that this allows people to find and listen to God in prayer. It is also a way of joining everyone together in prayer. Meetings usually take place in a church or other welcoming space. Let the children know that some Christians like to pray or meditate in this way. There are often icons, candles, a cross, an open Bible, flowers in the church or prayer space. People can usually choose whether to sit on the floor, a bench or chair, stand or kneel during prayer.

Ask the children to suggest ways of making a quiet space in the classroom for them to go and think, reflect, pray:

What would they put there?
What would it look like?
When could they use it?
What would they use it for?

Stage 3: Prayer

Show images you have found online of Christians praying- in different places, different types of people, different types of prayer.

Explain that this lesson is about Christian prayer but many people who belong to many religions around the world also pray. Many Christians believe that you can pray anywhere and at any time. There are lots of different ways to pray too.

Show the words of the Lord’s Prayer- a very important prayer in Christianity.

Explain that when some people pray to God the prayers say: “I’m sorry” or “I love you” or “Thank you” or “Please help me”. Ask the children who they say these things to? [This may be related to family, friends and /or religion.]

Ask the children to imagine they could speak to that person now, what would they say? [Relate to the four areas above “I’m sorry” etc. Children can write/draw in a large speech bubble.]

Stage 4: Reflecting

Explain that people also pray for others around the world and show the children a selection of photos to illustrate different things people may pray for, e.g.:

people who are ill;
people who may not have enough to eat or drink;
countries involved in war.

Ask the children to say why they think people pray for these people.

Set up an area where children can look at the photos, take a pebble and drop it into an imaginary river (blue material etc) with their thought, wish or prayer for these people.

Stage 5: Prayer and music

Introduce children to some more examples of music being used in prayer. Music is also used to prepare people for worship and can range from chants to rock Some examples:

Happy Day by Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Traditional Christmas singing at Kings College Chapel, Cambridge
The Muslim call to prayer, or adhan
Christian rock or pop, for example from a Hillsong concert
Sikh singing in the Temple these songs are called ragaas and are part of worship

Stage 6: Exploring…introducing prayer in Judaism and Islam

Explain that when people pray they sometimes use things to help them. Show some images of icons in Eastern Orthodox Christianity, such as of saints, Mary and Jesus, and Jesus and his disciples. Some of these icons will be painted on the walls and ceiling of Orthodox churches.

Ask the children sit in a circle and pass a tambourine around: but to do it so that it doesn’t make a noise! Talk to them about taking care of important objects and that they are going to pass some special objects to each other that are used in prayer.

Show the children a Jewish Tallit (prayer shawl). This is used by Jewish people in prayer (usually only men). It cloaks the person like God’s love cloaks us in life.

Now pass the artefacts around carefully [This can be done in small groups], e.g., the tallit, Hajj robe, an Islamic prayer mat, cushion (hassock), prayer beads (selection), rosary, icons, cross, prayer hats from Muslim and Jewish traditions.

Ask children how they think these things are used in prayer. Can they say which things appear to be similar for different religious people?

What questions do they want to ask about these objects?

Use stories to put prayer in context, e.g., ‘Goodnight Sh’ma’ by Jacqueline Jules or ‘I am a Muslim’ by AGGARWAL and M.

Ask the children to say what helps / would help them to sit and think? (or pray if appropriate).