Love Your Neighbor: Building Healthy Relationships

Sourcebook Credit: created as a Joint Project of United Synagogue Youthand Jewish Women International. Edited by Karen L. Stein, 2009

Teacher’s Guide Outline: Draft 1

  • 4 units, corresponding to sections of LYN Sourcebook
  • 3 concluding/wrap up sessions- taking it home, focusing on healthy decision making skills

Unit / Session topics / Core Concepts
Unit 1: Introduction
Jewish value/mitzvah: Ve’ahavtaL’reyachaKamocha /
  • Me, You and Us – living in a world of others
  • Ve’ahavta- love for myself, love for another
  • L’reyacha- Friendship- having a friend, choosing our friends
  • Kamocha- Being a friend
/
  • Community, online communities
  • Dissecting the term V-L-K, we must love ourselves before we can appreciate others
  • How we choose our friends, how we become good friends, characteristics of friendship

Unit 2: Bein Adam L’Atzmo
Jewish Value/mitzvah: B’tzelemElohim, Kavod, K’dusha /
  • “I’m Awesome”- individuality, equality and B’tzelemElohim
  • Body Image and self esteem (separated by gender)
  • Appreciating our Differences- equality
  • Being a mensch
/
  • Our first and longest lasting relationship is with ourselves. Body Image and self esteem through B’E)
  • Equality- appreciating differences, gender appreciation
  • Behaving toward another with Kavod and menschleichkeit

Unit 3: Bein Adam L’chavero
Jewish values/Mitzvot: ShmiratHalashon, K’dusha and Kavod (for oneself and for another) /
  • Power of words- 21st century L’shon Hara
  • Love and Dating (including same sex relationships)
  • Soul Mate and Marriage
  • Physical Intimacy and the Jewish teenager
/
  • The impact of what we type, limitless L’shon Hara (cyber-gossip, cyber-harassment)
  • Choosing a date, choosing a mate- friendship versus romantic love
  • “The Bachelorette/Bachelor”- soul mate, love and marriage
  • The “birds and bees” according to Jewish values (right time, right place, right person- K’dusha)

Unit 4: Issues in Relationships
Jewish values: Shalom Bayit, Kibud Av Va’em, Ve’ahavtaL’reyacha, K’vodHabryot /
  • Conflict at home
  • Conflict at school: Bullying and Bystander
  • Dating abuse
  • Peer Pressure
/ Getting along with parents and siblings, conflict between parents and child (will not get into divorce or physical abuse here, most teachers not equipped to handle this)
When Love Hurts
Peer pressure and negative impact of friendship
Conclusion (1 session that can be split into 2)
Jewish Values/Mitzvot: YetzerHatov and Hara /
  • Making Healthy Choices Intro
  • Challenges to Making Decisions and the Decision Making Process
  • Now What? Using these skills, ideas, values and mitzvot in Your Life
/ Free will/yetzerhatov and hara review, DEWS process, choosing the life you want to live (using key Jewish concepts in your life)
Game of Life human board game