Description

Engage children and their families in your classroom or holiday events with NEW original short plays. Great for intergenerational groups – can be used over Zoom or in person. These plays are ideal for the classroom or informal education setting

Each play comes with a set induction, discussion questions and extending activity ideas. There has never been a more important time to highlight the courage of women’s voices in our tradition!

The plays include:

The Daughters of Zelophehad Speak Out (grades 3-7): Students may never have heard of these five bold sisters who challenge Moses about their inheritance and property rights. This play evokes their boldness and courage in a developmentally-appropriate way and encourages students to consider issues of justice and equality.

Orpah and Ruth: Friends and Choices (grades 3-7): While our tradition honors the important relationship between Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi, there has been less examination of Orpah, a character in the Book of Ruth whom we don’t know as much about. This plays is an imagining of the relationship between Orpah and Ruth and the different choices that they make in response to the challenges they face.

The Courage of Esther (grades 3-7): This play about Queen Esther is different from the usual funny Purim shpiel; it focuses more directly on Esther’s courage and the choices that she makes to protect her community as well as herself.  It challenges students to consider what they might have done in her position.

A Heroine to Remember: Dona Gracia Nasi (grades 5-12): This play introduces students to the complex and fascinating life of a great historical woman who was born into a Jewish family in Portugal in 1510. Gracia’s family not only kept up their Jewish traditions privately in their home–but also used her resources later in her life to help other Jewish people to flee Portugal and create a thriving Jewish community in Constantinople.