Gratitude for Our Community
Each November for the past ten years, I’ve written about gratitude in the November e-news message. It makes sense given the season but now, in light of the unfolding crisis in Israel and rising antisemitism, I feel especially grateful for our vibrant, generous, and resilient Jewish community and all the ways in which we are coming together to support Israel and one another. In particular, The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, which has raised more than $11 million from 4,000 community members for the Israel Crisis Relief Fund for humanitarian assistance (read more about that ongoing work), and PJ Library, which connects children worldwide to their Jewish heritage and each other through Jewish books – 670,000 books in 39 countries across five continents each month.
We know that our PJ families have children of all ages, and how you respond to this crisis and share information with your children is deeply personal. We are here to support you. If your young child has questions, consider using this social story created by my PJ colleagues in Australia. For older children, check out the resources on the PJ Library website and choose the ones that are appropriate for your child’s age and stage.
If you want to get involved closer to home, consider one of the many volunteer projects we have this month. Some are previewed below, and the rest you can find on our Facebook page. You can also look for opportunities to practice gratitude as a family using these ideas.
Hug your children and tell them “todah rabah” (thank you very much) for being awesome, brave, and a wonderful part of our Jewish community.
B’shalom (with peace),
Sarah
Additional Resources
- Creative Ideas for Helping Kids Learn About Gratitude | PJ Library
- 8 Ways to Teach Kids About Gratitude | PJ Library
- Easy Kid Craft: Colorful Gratitude Sticks | PJ Library
- 9 Children’s Books that Help Kids Learn to Be Thankful | PJ Library