HOW TO RESPOND TO CHILDREN AND TEENS IN A CRISIS GENERATED BY HUMANSWhen talking to elementary school aged children, adults could explain that Jewish tradition teaches that God gave us the gift of being able to make choices – people have the free will to choose either to be good or bad. Some people make choices that hurt or sadden others and so the consequences of God’s gift of freewill may seem unfair. But we need to understand that having choice allows us to move beyond the kind of control similar to that which parents have over us when we are very, very young. Jewish tradition says that God granted us this choice so we could mature. But freewill is just that - people have the choice not to do the right thing, and even to do evil. These people might choose to resolve issues with guns or bombs, bully others, or become involved in inappropriate relationships. But these people were given the ability to choose a good path – we are all created in God’s image.
Check the RESOURCES tab for materials that provide more detail on this topic. One that may be particularly helpful in the face of tragedy is here. Also check the TEXTS section for quotes that could be helpful to your students. |
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Jewish Education Center of Cleveland
http://www.jecc.org
Jewish Education Center of Cleveland
http://www.jecc.org