Ideas for Educators

This section is intended for educators at every level, to help engage your students and colleagues with ideas for social action. We've started with just a few resources, but we hope you will take the time to contribute more ideas and content.

Add a comment below, or create a page with your own ideas for action. We will link it to this one when you tell us it's ready and send us the link. You can also create a Group for your idea, or discuss it in the Forum.


Animated movie about Tzedakah

Click here for the 'Maagalim animated movie on the importance of tzedakah. Designed for elementary school students from the Snunit Center for the Advancement of Web-Based Learning.

Kavana for JSAM

A kavana or prayer for Jewish Social Action Month created by KolDor members Rabbis David Gedzelman, Dov Greenberg and Jill Jacobs: Mekor HaChayim, Source of all life, as the Hebrew month of Cheshvan begins, we join our prayers to the prayers of others across the world for success in committing ourselves anew to the task of bringing blessing to all the families of the earth, of repairing the world, of performing acts of loving-kindness and of acting in the world and in our communities for good and for justice.

We are reminded of the famous words of the prophet Isaiah: "And I will set you as a covenantal people, a light of nations..." Almighty God, let us never forget the task with which You charged us, to make this world a home for the Divine presence, and our lives a blessing to others.

As guardians of the world for future generations, as feeders of those in need, healers of the sick and protectors of the helpless, whoever they may be, may our commitment to and acts of social action in the next days be a wellspring for renewed commitment to Tikkun Olam for the year to come.

[Optional Shehecheyanu Blessing]

Praised are You, Our God and Sovereign of the Universe, who has kept us in life, sustained us and enabled us to reach this special season. Baruch Ata Adonai, eloheinu melech ha-olam, shehecheyanu, v'kimanum, v'higi-anu laz'man hazeh.

Talmudic stories about Charity

Pelimo used to say every day, "An arrow in Satan's eyes!' One day – it was the eve of the Day of Atonement – He disguised himself as a poor man and went and called out at his door; So bread was taken out to him. 'On such a day,' he pleaded, when everyone is within, shall I be without?' Thereupon he was taken in and bread was offered him. 'On a day like this,' he urged, 'when everyone sits at table, shall I sit alone!' He was led and sat down at the table. As he sat, his body was covered with suppurating sores, and he was behaving repulsively. 'Sit properly, ' they rebuked him. Said he, "Give me a glass ," and one was given him. He coughed and spat his phlegm into it. They scolded him, [whereupon] he swooned and died.

Then they [the household] heard a 'voice' crying out: 'Pelimo has killed a man, Pelimo has killed a man!' Fleeing, he hid in a privy; he [Satan] followed him, and he [Pelimo] fell before him. Seeing how he was suffering, he disclosed his identity. And then said to him, why have you [always] spoken thus? Then how am I to speak? You should say: 'The Merciful rebuke Satan. [Tractate Kidushin 81a]

For R. Akiba had a daughter. Now, astrologers told him: On the day she enters the bridal chamber a snake will bite her and she will die. He was very worried about this. On that day [of her marriage] she took a brooch [and] stuck it into the wall and by chance it penetrated [sank] into the eye of a serpent. The following morning, when she took it out, the snake came trailing after it. ' What did you do?' her father asked her. 'A poor man came to our door in the evening.' She replied, 'and everybody was busy at the banquet, and there was none to attend to him. So I took the special portion which was given to me and gave it to him. 'You have done a good deed,' said he to her.

Thereupon R. Akiba went out and lectured: 'But charity delivereth from death': and not [merely] from and unnatural death, but from death itself. [Tractate Shabbat 156b]

Mar Ukba had a poor man in his neighborhood into whose door-socket he used to throw four zuz every day. Once [the poor man] thought: ' I will go and see who does me this kindness'. On that day [it happened] that Mar Ukba was late at the house of study, and his wife was coming home with him. As soon as [the poor man] saw them moving the door he went out after them, but they fled from him and ran into a furnace from which the fire had just been swept.

Mar Ukba's feet were burning, and his wife said to him: Raise your feet and put them on mine. He was upset! She said to him, 'I am usually at home and my benefactions are direct'. [Tractate Ketubot 67b]