Purim: Celebrating the Holiday Through Four Mitzvot

Opening Hook

• Prepare the class to dance together
• Play the video of the song Mahapecha shel Simcha [Happiness Revolution] and encourage the kids to do the dance steps shown in the video
• After the dancing, explain to the students that on Purim, we emphasize our happiness about the miracle of the Jews being saved

Part 1: The Story in the Megillah and the Explanation of the Four Mitzvot

• Ask the students, “What miracle happened to the Jews on Purim?”
• Briefly tell the story in the megillah
• Explain the four mitzvot: mikra megillah, mishloach manot, matanot l’evyonim, and mishteh
• Show the students the slide “Mitzvot Ha-Chag” and ask them to identify which picture matches each mitzvah

Part 2: Experiential Activity Stations

• Station 1 – Mishteh: We’ll learn about the source of the mitzvah in the verses of the megillah, study a picture, and play a memory game
• Station 2 – Matanot L’Evyonim: We’ll learn about this mitzvah through the words of the Rambam and compose a jingle to encourage people to contribute to those in need
• Station 3 – Mishloach Manot: We’ll learn what mishloach manot are and design some special mishloach manot of our own
• Station 4 – Mikra Megillah: We’ll learn about reading Megillat Esther. Somebody wrote about the Purim story, but made a few mistakes. Find and fix all of the mistakes

Conclusion

• Bring the class back together and let the groups present what they’ve made and done
• Ask the students summarizing questions
• Invite the students to think about other things that make them happy and about how they can engage in acts of giving in the classroom

• 4 Activity cards (in the supplements)
• White sheets of paper for drawing
• A pen or pencil
• Station 2 : sheets of paper and markers, colored pencils, or crayons
• Station 3 : sheets of paper and markers, colored pencils, or crayons
• Station 4 : print out a copy of the activity card with the story to be corrected for each student

Computer Game: What’s Hidden in the Picture?

• Invite the students to play a guessing game involving digital pictures
• This game has two levels. The students can play as individuals or as teams
• In the game, there are slides that represent the mitzvot and customs of the holiday
• But only some of the pictures can be seen. The students will compete against each other as they guess what each picture shows

“Just for Fun” activities per station:

• Station Mishteh: Here is a picture of a Purim meal from more than 100 years ago — study carefully and answer from memory
• Station Matanot L’Evyonim: Work together to write and draw an advertisement or prepare a short song to encourage everyone to give to poor people
• Station Mishloach Manot: Choose two of the rules from the list and design a special mishloach manot of your own
• Station Mikra Megillah: Dan wrote the story told in the megillah, but he made a few mistakes. Find the mistakes, cross them out, and write the correct words above them