This week, Nitzanim children are diving into the Book of Ruth to search for examples of נוֹשֵׂא בְעֹל עִם חֲבֵרוֹ(nosei v’ol im chaveiro–helping a friend carry a burden).
After hearing the text read aloud, children created comics, buildings, and collages. This second pass at the text is an opportunity to extend their thinking, use their hands, and work in partnership with other children. This exploration made it possible for children to begin identifying examples of nosei v’ol im chaveiro (helping a friend carry a burden) at the end of the day.
Here’s what children had to say:
Morah Sara: What does Nosei v’ol im chaveiro mean to you?
Child 1: Helping a friend carry a heavy thing
Child 2: Helping a friend carry a really big feeling
Child 3: Helping a friend carry a problem
…
Morah Sara: Some of us are starting to think that nosei v’ol im chaveiro has to do with problems or big feelings. Who’s a character that has a problem or hard feelings in our text?
Child 4: Naomi because all of her family has died.
Child 5: I think Rut is like having a heavy feeling ‘cause she doesn’t want to go and Naomi says go. I think it’s a problem for her.
…
Morah Sara: Is anybody helping Rut with a problem in the story?
Child 6: Boaz. He’s giving her extra food. Extra to eat, and he’s being nice to her.
