JOURNEY THROUGH THE LIVING TORAH
OVERVIEW
Journey Through the Living Torah is an experiential tour of the Torah for young children and their families. Families sit on the floor while a Sefer Torah is unrolled entirely to surround them. The children are taken on a journey through the Torah with dynamic storytelling and props. Children actually get to see what the breaks between parshiot look like…the textual layout of the Shirat Hayam and can say things like “I am now standing at the Yam Suf”. You should walk around as you go, so they get the sense that your movement through the story reflects the movement through the text. Say things like “Come join me over here in Sefer Bamidbar”.
PREPARATION Check out www.parshaactivities.com or www.g-dcast.com for outline ideas
· Write up an outline of the Torah with key plot/parshiot points
· Remember: The Torah is long - so be selective and brief in your storytelling
· Make sure to discuss textual anomalies (e.g. Shirat Hayam, “Vayikra”, a new sefer)
· Rehearse! Assign biblical characters and practice mini skits
SUPPLIES
· Prepare your story
· Sefer Torah (preferably pasul)
· Yad
· Box of white cloth gloves for volunteers to hold the klaf (disposable rubber works too)
· Bag of props. Get creative – bring whatever you can think of. Suggestions:
o Tour guide/Explorer outfit, binoculars: As narrator, you can act as an explorer taking the children on an exciting journey
o Headscarves – Imahot
o Noach. Pour water on a leader’s head for the mabul (with advance permission)
o Animals – Teva, Makot (throw cotton balls in the air for hail), Karbanot
o Donkey on a stick (sold at Toys R Us for $10) – Eliezer, Bilaam
o Fruit – Miraglim (magnifying glass), Bikkurim
PRACTICAL NOTES
· Secure a large room. Set up consecutive rectangle tables along the length of the room.
· Plan on a minimum of 30-40 min for set-up. Logistically, this is quite complicated.
· You need a LOT of volunteers. Recruit as many parents and teens as possible (up to 40). Ideally you want 3 managers to 1) oversee volunteers and Torah holding 2) maintain quiet and facilitate listening and 3) oversee storytelling and props