Kehillah — Community
Vayeishev & Mikeitz (Joseph) • Uncle John’s City Garden
Read part of the Joseph story; sort actions into ‘builds us up’ / ‘breaks us apart.’
Children wonder and discover; you facilitate more than you lecture.
- What does it mean to be a good community member?
- How do Joseph’s stories show good and not-so-good community behavior?
Kehillah means ‘community.’ Joseph’s brothers act badly out of jealousy, but Joseph later helps everyone survive — a story about repair and belonging.
- Kehillah — community
- Achim — brothers
- “Why were the brothers mean?”
- They were jealous. The story shows jealousy can hurt — and that people can grow and repair.
- Children identify behaviors that build or harm community.
- Children name their own communities and their role in them.
Highlight the many communities each child belongs to (family, class, team, congregation).
Folktale. The Bundle of Sticks (Jewish fable tradition) — one stick snaps easily, but a bundle holds strong — together we are stronger.
Changemaker. Henrietta Szold — built a huge community of helpers and rescued thousands of children.
What would you do to be a good member of our class community?
“We explored what makes a good community. Try at home: name your family’s communities and one way to help each.”