Hope: Shema as Foundation, Prayer as Expression

Grades: 4-6
Length: 30 minutes

Introduction:

In this lesson, students will explore the declaration of Shema and discuss how it is the foundation of Jewish hope. Students will consider what Jews have hoped for through the years, and how it finds expression in tefillah. 

Objectives: 

• Students will connect the statement of Shema to the foundation of Jewish Hope. 
• Students will consider what the concept of hope looks like in their own lives. 

Essential Questions:

• How has the idea of “tikvah” been sustained throughout the ages/Jewish History? 
• What are some Jewish mantras/statements that demonstrate hopefulness? 
• What do we hope for now? 

Lesson Sequence

The teacher should prompt the students to explore the word “hope.” The teacher should ask the students to define the word hope, to provide examples of what it means to “hope” for something and to share a moment when they might have hoped for something that either did/did not come to fruition. 

The teacher should then state that Jewish people are hopeful people, and explain that the national anthem of Israel is called “Hatikvah,” the hope.  

Part 1: Hatikvah 

The teacher should begin the lesson by playing Israel’s national anthem – Hatikvah – to the students, displaying the lyrics in Hebrew and English: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DPqNHkm1bM 

The teacher should read the lyrics with the students and ask the students to suggest the primary theme of the text. The teacher should suggest the theme of hope as a key theme and highlight the lines of “Ayin l’Tzion tzofiyah (my eye is looking toward Zion),” “Od lo avdah tikvateinu (our hope is not yet lost),” and “Hatikvah bat shnot alpayim” (our hope is 2000 years old) as illustrations of this theme. 

The teacher should pose the question, “How do you think that the tikvah of the Jewish people lasted for so many years?” and ask students to respond to the question in turn, followed by a class-wide sharing. 

The teacher can try to put this question in perspective by asking the students if they have ever been hopeful for an extended period and then lost hope. For instance, perhaps someone was hopeful that they would receive a special gift and then gave up hope because it took too long to get it. The teacher can ask the students how long it took to lose hope and put it in context. The teacher can emphasize that the Jewish people have been hoping for Israel and redemption for over 2,000 years (since the destruction of the second Beit Hamikdash/ Temple) and that the Jewish people have not yet given up on that hope. 

PART 2: Shema 

The teacher should suggest that perhaps hope has been sustained throughout the years because it is a fundamental value of the Jewish people. The teacher should explain that Shema is a mantra that underlies the concept of Jewish Hope. The teacher should explain what the words of Shema mean – phrase by phrase.  

Translation: 

Shema Yisrael – Listen Israel
Hashem Elokeinu – ‘ה/God is Our God
Hashem echad – ‘ה/God is One  

The teacher should ask students to suggest possible ways in which this mantra connects to the concept of hope. 

Following this, the teacher should explain that according to Jewish belief, the phrase “Hashem Elokeinu” is a phrase that holds true, regardless of the circumstances. Since “Hashem Elokeinu” is always true, Jews believe that ‘ה/God will ultimately look out for the best for the nation and that the Torah’s promises throughout the ages will come to fruition – regardless of what is happening in the current moment.  

The teacher can utilize the metaphor of a parent and child to explain this further. Like a child who might be going through a hard time and might look to the parent for support as they know their parent won’t leave them, so too we know ‘ה always has our backs so we can hope/try for a better future.  

The teacher should explain that the belief that emerges from Shema has continued to provide Jewish people with hope throughout the centuries. 

Older students – The teacher can point out that the way we refer to ‘ה/God in the brachot of Shemonah Esrai is connected to the belief that ‘ה/God is our God, the only God, all-powerful, and can actually make a difference. (Ex. Blessed are YOU ‘ה/God Who….gathers in the exiled, who heals the sick, who loves justice, who rebuilds Jerusalem). Knowing this about ‘ה/God gives us the belief/hope that praying/requesting from Him can actually make a difference. 

PART 3: Hope & Prayer 

The teacher should ask students to brainstorm, in pairs or in groups, two different lists. One list should be what Jews throughout history may have hoped for, and the other list should be what the students/Jewish people hope for in 2023.  

The teacher should review these lists with the class and compile a list that can be hung up in the classroom.  

The teacher should emphasize that one of the methods by which the Jewish people have survived throughout Jewish history and maintained their hope is through prayer.  

The teacher should connect the specific requests and hopes of the students with the berachot in Shemonah Esrai and explain to students that prayer is a place where the students can articulate what they are hoping for.