From Generation to Generation

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, when explaining what being Jewish means to him, said, “To be a Jew is to be a link in the chain of the generations”. What does this mean? How is it done? One way to accomplish this is by adding our voices to the ongoing commentary and interpretation of the Torah; to transmit and add to what we have been taught and pass it onto the next generation. This Shavuot themed resource features the famous first mishna in pirkei avot (The ethics of our fathers) which describes  how the Torah is passed down from teacher to student in a never ending chain. After studying the text, learners will discuss how this process impacts the Jewish people and why it is essential for Jewish continuity. Creative learning activities such as participating in an exercise that illustrates  the path of Torah transmission over the centuries, (see attachment below) and invites students to to add commentary of their own, demonstrates how they too are vital links in the chain of the generations.