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The ESP of the Jewish Way of Life  Roll your mouse over each circle to find the questions. Click on circles for more about Jewish ESP!
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Eight Days of Giving
by Christine Levin |
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Make a Tzedekah Box
Make a tzedekah box out of a plastic food container or canister. Cover the outside with contact paper, leaving the lid free. Decorate the outside of the container with pom-poms, feathers, or stickers. Cut a slot in the lid. If you make this the first night, you can put some money in it before you light candles every night and by the end of Chanukah, you can go buy food for the food shelf or a new toy for a local cr isis nursery or children’s home. If you’re not into the art project, but you are into the tzedekah idea, give each of your kids or grandkids $10 to spend at your local grocery store, then set them loose to shop for food they want to give to the local food shelter. This is both fun and educational — they will quickly see that the expensive or tantalizing foods are not necessarily the smarter route when you want to provide someone else with a solid meal. Hopefully they’ll also see how far $10 goes and you can use the experience as a point of reference in later discussions about spending.
Christine Levin is a graduate of Carleton College. She is married and is a stay-at-home mother of two. She and her family live in Excelsior, Minnesota. |
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Being
a more ETHICAL person.
Clean Out Your Closet Day
Have a "Clean Out
Your Closet Day"
where everyone goes
through the
closets in your home
looking for
clothes,
winter coats,
boots,
extra
blankets,
sheets,
and housewares.
You’ll
be amazed at the amount of
excess you
have.
Then take the items in
good condition
with you on a family field
trip to a
local shelter.
Take the time to call
ahead,
and if you can,
arrange it with the
shelter,
to stay and help sort your
own donations and the donations of others — teaching
your children that time
and energy are
also welcome gifts in many
places.
Adopt A Grandparent
Make latkes and bring them
along with a basket filled
with
Chanukah goodies (dreidels,gelt,
menorah, etc.) to a
nursing home.
They probably don’t
allow candles, so
bring an electric menorah
as a gift, or
make one for the night
with tin foil and
glow sticks. If you don’t
know someone
in the home already, you
can call in
advance to ask if there’s
someone who
would like to have a
family come visit.
There are fewer visitors
in the winter
months so you will likely
be very
welcome.You’ll probably
need to go at
visiting hours, so pick a
day that is
convenient for your whole
family.
Serve a Christmas Dinner
This year the fourth night
of Chanukah falls
on Christmas Eve. Use the
opportunity to
take your family to serve
Christmas dinner
at your local church or
homeless shelter.
This is both a rewarding
and educational experience
for all members of the
family. 
Shovel a Driveway
Shovel a neighbor’s
driveway
or have it cleared for
them.
You can do this
anonymously
or leave a note wishing
them
well.
If you leave a note,
you may just get
treated to hot chocolate
and a visit withsomeone you don’t often talk to.
If you live
somewhere where there’s
no snow at
Chanukah,
pick a park near your home
and
clear it of litter and
debris.
Bring a picnic
along for after so you can
enjoy the fruits
of your labor.
Make a Dinner
Make dinner for someone
who has
just had a baby,
someone who has
recently returned from the
hospital,
or anyone whom you think
could use
the help.
Make the whole meal,
from appetizer to
entree to salad and
dessert.
Bring it over "oven
ready"
with paper goods and
drinks.
A home-cooked meal
can be a great gift.
Make Art forSick Children
Make colorful pictures
or posters and bring
them to your local
children’s hospital to
display in a sick
child’s room.
Or,
if you are uncomfortable
going to a hospital,
bring the
artwork to a local crisis
nursery or
shelter for families.
Brightening scary
or bleak surroundings may
make
someone’s day more
bearable.
Investigate Other Religious or
Holiday Celebrations
Keeping with the theme of
Chanukah
— celebrating the
independence and
fortitude of a minority
religion in a
majority culture — give
a gift of education to yourself and
your family by
investigating other religious or holiday celebrations
in your community.
This could mean attending
a
family’s Kwanzaa dinner,
joining in Chinese New
Year festivities
(if they fall around the
same time),
learning more
about Ramadan,
going to a Christmas
tree-trimming party,
or taking your f
amily to see a midnight
mass service (they
often telecast it from the
Vatican as well).
While learning
about the traditions of
others promotes tolerance and opens
the doorway to increased
dialogue and better understanding,
it also gives you the
opportunity to seriously
discuss Judaism with your
family.