Where & Why We Pray

Ask children to design or describe their own ‘peaceful prayer spot.’

Children wonder and discover; you facilitate more than you lecture.

• Where do you pray?
• Where do others pray?
• What makes a space special for prayer?

Prayer isn’t limited to synagogue — Jews pray at home, outdoors, anywhere. This unit honors the inner, personal side of prayer.

• T’filah — prayer
• Kadosh — holy

“Can I pray in my room?”

Absolutely — anywhere can be a holy space for prayer.

• Children understand we can pray anywhere, anytime.
• Children identify what makes a space feel holy to them.

Affirm many styles of prayer (words, song, quiet, nature) so every child finds their way in.

Folktale. The Shepherd’s Whistle (Hasidic (Baal Shem Tov)) — a boy who could not read prayed with a simple whistle — and it opened the gates of heaven.

Changemaker. Debbie Friedman — a songwriter who gave Jews joyful new melodies so prayer could feel alive anywhere.

How does a place become a good space for prayer — and why?

“We talked about where we pray. Try at home: find or make a calm ‘quiet spot’ in your home together.”