Today’s topic is Ask and today’s post is from Hannah Elbaum, Jewish Learning Guide and 4th Grade Curriculum Coach at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, MA.
When I was in elementary school, we learned how to write descriptive sentences that answered the 5 W questions: Who, What, Where, When, Why. This was very helpful to my younger self, and is still something I think about each time I sit down to write. And yet, this left out my personal favorite question word: How? To me, how is an even bigger ask of the world, and of ourselves: not just what can computers do, but how can we build computers to do what we need? Not only do we wonder: where could other life live in our universe, I ask: how can we understand what life needs to exist and thrive? How can we understand more about the universe? This Elul, I am asking myself, not just what I am reflecting on, where I want to shift my intentions, and why feel the need to make these changes, but how can I do so in a way that sparks lasting impact?
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Today’s topic is Want and today’s post is from Hannah Elbaum, Jewish Learning Guide and 4th Grade Curriculum Coach at Temple Beth Shalom in Needham, MA.
On January 1, 2019, Netflix released a wildly popular show, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Kondo teaches families how to KonMari their homes by ridding themselves of belongings that do not “spark joy.” This show prompted a national trend of home clean outs, to the point that donation centers were overwhelmed with the influx. It's always a good lesson, to continually evaluate your life and belongings to ensure that what you have brings you joy, rather than weights you down. However, Kondo spends little time talking about the opposite side of the coin, bringing in new items. Today’s idea is want, and as we head into the beginning of 5781, I am thinking about what I want to bring into my life to spark joy. In some cases, this can be tangible items, such as frames for art from my grandmother so it can hang on my wall. In other cases, it can be intangible, like my commitment to have a weekly check-in with my friends. Now that we are maintaining social distancing, I’m wanting to connect with them regularly as we work from home. What wants are you pursuing in the coming year? What will spark joy for you? |
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