Behar . Middah/ Jewish Value Activity Early Years & Foundation Stage 0 - 5 Shabbat is the day that we rest, so that we are ready for the next week. The parashah tells us that just like people rest on Shabbat, the Earth needs to rest from growing things, so that it can keep its goodness and continue to grow more delicious fruit and vegetables - Looking after our Earth Talk about all things environmental. Looking after the land - what does that mean? Not leaving litter, caring for the countryside. Recycling - using things again, not wasting. Compost helps to use up vegetable waste and grow healthy plants. Sing this song about litter, using 'picking up' and 'throwing in the bin' actions. Tune: Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes Throw our rubbish in the bin, in the bin, Making sure that it goes in, it goes in, Or the paper, food and all the dirty waste Will makes the Earth a messy place, messy place! Key Stage 1 5 - 8 The mitzvah of Shmittah, allowing the land to 'rest' in the seventh year, is described in detail in this parashah - Caring for the Environment The mitzvah of Shmittah is one of our mitzvot that can be done only in Eretz Yisrael - Israel. Hashem gave us the Earth and we must look after it. If the land does not have a rest it would eventually produce poor crops and the people would starve. This activity is called 'Environmental Consequences'. We look after the Environment in may different ways. Use the phrases below to start the discussion. Use the following format: Part One If we don't give the land a rest... Part Two ...it will lose it's goodness... Part Three ...crops will then fail and people will starve. Examples: If you pour chemicals from a factory into a river... If you leave plastic bags lying around in the countryside... If a tanker leaks oil into the sea... If people had dirty smoke coming out of car exhausts... Think of more examples to discuss. Key Stage 2 8 - 11 We learn from the parashah to help others simply because the torah tells us to, and not for a reward - Helping those that are needy Have a discussion of what 'needy' could encompass. Each child has to think of an example of need and how they personally could help in the situation.