Since June 2020, Herzog College’s global education team has been creating free Torah resources to inspire weekly conversations between grandparents and grandchildren. These pages of Torah sources, ideas, and stories are intended for discussion with children in 2nd to 5th grade, based on conversations about ethical issues and grandparents’ own life experiences. Billed as “The Parsha Package for Quality Conversations with Your Grandchildren”, these pages are sent free of charge by email to any family that signs up.
“The idea of Mi’Dor L’Dor is to connect the generations”, explains Rabbi Yehuda Aaronson, Herzog College’s Vice President of Strategic Development. “During the first lock-down we realized that life was particularly tough for grandparents who were socially distanced from their grandchildren. This was true of families living in the same neighborhood, as well as grandparents living in different countries, who had very little news to share. Suddenly they found that there was very little to talk about with the children on the phone or during their weekly pre-Shabbat Zoom video calls. That’s why we decided to find new and interactive ways for the generations to connect by discussing themes that arise in the weekly Parsha.”
Six months into the project, Herzog College carried out a user survey and received positive feedback from grandparents all over the world, who said they enjoy discussing the texts and the topics with their grandchildren of different ages. One grandmother wrote: “I think it is a wonderful tool. Lovely ideas for conversation, and not just burping out answers – there was some good thinking happening!”
It also turns out that you don’t have to be a grandparent to utilize these educational materials! The user survey revealed that they are being used by several Rabbis and educators, and some families were even using the materials as a resource for their Shabbat table conversations, particularly during lockdowns when their kids were not bringing Parsha sheets home from school.
You are invited to download this week’s Parsha package to learn with your family, and sign up to receive the weekly emails at: http://herzog.activetrail.biz/Mi’Dor-L’Dor