ewishVOL. IX, NO. I • ROSH HASHANAH AND YOM KIPPUR

The

UNION FOR REFORM JUDAISM • DEPARTMENT OF LIFELONG JEWISH LEARNING • 1

Each issue of Volume IX of The Jewish Parent Page will focus on b’rachot, the blessings ofJewish life, that are thematically connected to the Jewish holidays. For more information onthe holidays and how to celebrate them, access past volumes of The Jewish Parent Page aturj.org/educate/parent.

The Jewish Parent Pageis a publication of the Union for Reform Judaismand is written byBarbara Binder Kadden, RJE,BKadden@urj.org.

Parent PageMorning BlessingsConnections Rosh HaShanah celebrates the creation of the world. According to the Rabbis, every daywhen we wake up, we are reminded of the miracle of creation. By saying blessings in themorning, we also can celebrate our own creation each day.This issue of The Jewish ParentPage is devoted to the Morning Blessings, also known as Birchot HaShachar.

B’rachot, Blessings:Their Meaning and MessageWe say b’rachot, blessings, to raise our awareness and remind us to not take the world forgranted. From the Talmud we learn,“A person is forbidden to enjoy any of the pleasures ofthe world without first reciting praise to God” (B’rachot 35a).

Rabbi Moses ben Maimon (Maimonides or Rambam) taught that there are three differenttypes of blessings:

• B i r chot Hanehenin—Blessings of enjoyment said befo re and after eating;experiencing natural phenomena like lightening, an ocean, or shooting stars; smelling spices; seeing a sage or teacher.

• Birchot Hamitzvot—Blessings said before performing a mitzvah, such as lighting Shabbat and holiday candles, blowing the shofar or sitting in the sukkah.

• Birchot Hoda’ah—Blessings of gratitude to God, they remind us of God’s presence in the world.

Rosh Hashanah1 Tishrei

Yom Kippur10 Tishrei

“In the morning we become new creations.”

—Rabbi Shlomo ben Adret (Rashba),Barcelona, Spain(1235-1310)

2 • UNION FOR REFORM JUDAISM • DEPARTMENT OF LIFELONG JEWISH LEARNING

The Morning Blessings—Birchot HaShacharIn Jewish tradition, we begin and end each day with bless-ings and prayers.The blessings we say in the morning fallinto the category of birchot hoda’ah, blessings of gratitude.In the morning we express our gratitude to God for wak-ing up refreshed and renewed to a wonderful new day.Traditionally this part of the morning service includes aseries of blessings that originally accompanied all of thesteps in the process of waking up and getting ready forour day (such as opening our eyes, standing up, washingand putting on clothes).This issue of The Jewish Parent Pageintroduces your family to the theme of blessings and con-tains a few prayers to get your family started with prayingas part of your morning routine.

Family DiscussionWhy is it important to say “thank you”? How do you feelwhen someone says “thanks” to you?In what ways do b’rachot remind us of God?What b’rachot do each of us have in our lives? Draw a pic-ture of a blessing you have in your life.How might our family wake-up time be different if wespent a few minutes together praying in the morning?

Family Activities forMorning BlessingsMorning Blessings Wall Hanging Make a Morning Blessings poster or wall hanging withyour child. Print out one or more copies of the MorningBlessings included in this issue of The Jewish Parent Page.Place each copy in an inexpensive paper frame or simplyglue the blessings on to a large sheet of constructionpaper. You also can arrange them in a visual schedule indicating when in your morning routine each prayer will be said. Have your child decorate the frame or construction paper with symbols of morning—such as arising sun or illustrations of someone waking up—usingcrayons, markers or stickers. Hang the completed posternext to your child’s bed.

Family Blessing JournalThe Talmud teaches that we are to say 100 blessings eachand every day. This is a very worthy goal for which tostrive, so why not begin by recording the blessings yourfamily experiences during this Rosh HaShanah holiday?Continue through the next 10 days until Yom Kippur;encourage family members to take turns writing in thejournal, adding pictures and illustrations. During quiet timeon Yom Kippur, look through the journal and talk aboutyour hopes and goals for the coming year.

For Children:Good Morning, Boker Tov, Michelle Shapiro Abraham,URJ Press (ages 1-4)

The God Around Us,Vol. II:The Valley of Blessings,Mira Pollak Brichto, URJ Press (ages 4-8)

Thank You, God! A Jewish Child’s Book of Prayers,Judyth Groner and Madeline Wikler, Kar-Ben Publishing, Inc. (ages 3-7)

Blessed AreYou:Traditional Everyday Hebrew Prayers,Michelle Edwards, Lothrop Lee & Shepard Books (ages 4-8)

For Adults:My People’s Prayer Book,Vol. 5: Birkhot Hashachar (MorningBlessings) Traditional Prayers, Modern Commentaries, editedby Rabbi Lawrence A. Hoffman, Jewish Lights Publishing

Shiru Shir Chadash Sing a New Song Good Morning, Good Night: Jewish Children’s Songs forDaytime and Bedtime,URJ Press/Transcontinental Music

For morning songs, listen to Boker Tov,Modeh Ani and Sh’ma.

My Jewish World: Kids’ Songs for Everyday Living,Judy Caplan Ginsburgh, URJ Press/Transcontinental Music

For morning songs, listen to Wake Up Sh’ma, God Made All Living Things: Modeh Ani and Boker TovMeans Good Morning.

Days of Wonder, Nights of Peace: Family Prayers in Song for Morning and Bedtime, Mah Tovu, Sounds WriteProductions, Inc.

For morning songs, listen to Modeh Ani, Round and Round and Thank You God

Everybody’s Got a Little Music, Rabbi Joe Black,Sounds Write Productions, Inc.

For a morning song, listen to Boker Tov.

A Jewish Family’s Bookshelf

Choose from the ideas below to create your own ritual.

Wake up your child by whispering in your child’s ear:How long will you lie there, lazybones?When will you wake from your sleep?A bit more sleep, a bit more slumber,A bit more hugging yourself in bed… (Proverbs 6:9-10)

Incorporate music:Consider playing songs from one of the CDs listed in the “Shiru Shir Chadash Sing a New Song” section. Usethe music to wake up, as an accompaniment to the blessings, or to conclude the ritual and get started onyour day.

Recite with your child:

Úyn,p;l] ynia} hd;/m ÷ hd,/mµY;qæw] yjæ ]̊ l,m,

hl;m]j,B] ytim;v]ni yBi T;r]zæj‘h,v,≥Út,n;Wma‘ hB;ræ

Modeh (for boys)/Modah (for girls) ani l’fanecha, melechchai v’kayam shehechezarta bi nishmati b’chemlah, rabahemunatecha.

Creative Translation I:Thank You, God, for the new day. I hope it will be a dayfor learning, laughing, playing.Thank You for the love ofmy family and for the beautiful world which has awak-ened me.Today I hope to show my love for my parentsand all my family, to be kind to my friends, and to be gen-tle with animals. For the power to grow, I give thanks.(From On the Doorposts of Your House: Prayers and Ceremonies for theJewish Home, CCAR)

Creative Translation II:Thank you, God, for a good night’s sleep and a freshchance to learn and grow.(From Thank You, God! A Jewish Child’s Book of Prayers, Groner andWikler)

You can continue with:

≥dj;a, y ;y] Wnyheloa‘ y ;y] laer;c]yi [mæv]

Sh’ma Yisra’el Adonai Eloheinu Adonai Echad.Hear, O Israel, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One.

≥d[,w ; µl;wO[l] wOtWkl]mæ dwObK] µve ]̊ WrB;

Baruch shem k’vod malchuto l’olam va-ed.Blessed is Adonai forever and ever.

You may include this creative translation of the continuationof the Sh’ma:We shall love Adonai with our heart, our being and allour strength.Today, tomorrow and always, when we areat home and when we are away, from the time we get upin the morning until we go to bed at night we will liveaccording to God’s Torah.

Try incorporating some of the blessings below into your usualmorning routine:As you wake up: Blessed is God, who gives strength to the tired.As you put on clothes: Blessed is God, who clothes the naked.As you wash your face: Blessed is God, who removessleep from my eyes and slumber from my eyelids.As you start to walk: Blessed is God, who makes firm my steps.As you begin your day: Blessed is God, who gives me all I need.

Talk with your child about what he or she anticipates andhopes for in the coming day and what you wish for eachother.

UNION FOR REFORM JUDAISM • DEPARTMENT OF LIFELONG JEWISH LEARNING • 3

Creating a Family Wake-Up Ritual

Get Woven Into the Jewish Web www.urjpress.com/dg/101072.html Parent’s guide to The God Around Us Volume I and Volume IIurj.org/educate/childhood/wakeup/ Morning rituals for childrenwww.rebgoldie.com/Morning.htm One rabbi’s guide to developing your own Jewish morning spiritual practicewww.njop.org/html/service_explanations.html An explanation of the Shabbat morning service