There’s a lot of emphasis in Judaism on stopping to recognize special moments. Some do this in the form of a prayer or a blessing for the first time they are doing something new. Take a moment to learn this prayer, so the next time you find yourself in a first, you’ll know what to say.
A blessing is a short moment out of time to express your appreciation for something or someone. Judaism encourages blessings for food, drink, study, washing your hands, using the bathroom – it goes on and on. But so many parents connect very deeply with the custom of blessing their children on Friday nights. It’s ancient and beautiful and easy to learn how to do. Whether you bless your child the traditional way, or add your own twist, it will be a highlight of the week for both of you.
Having kids is sometimes hard. Giving birth to a baby is REALLY hard. Judaism has a neat ritual to mark getting through the experience. Watch this video to learn the Gomel, a prayer new mothers can say to mark the end of a great accomplishment, and anyone can say after surviving a life threatening situation.
Learn to say the Mourner’s Kaddish – Jewish Prayer of Mourning – with this simple karaoke style video that combines the original Aramaic, a simple transliteration and the English translation. The Kaddish is in Aramaic, not Hebrew, except for the last sentence.
Learn the Shabbat candle blessing with this karaoke video recorded and painted by kids in Kindergarten and Second Grade at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, California.
The development of this project was made possible by the generosity of the
Learn the Hamotzi blessing that Jewish people say before eating bread made out of wheat, barley, rye, oats, or spelt flour. (And famously, challah, the special braided bread, on Shabbat!) The name of the Hamotzi blessing, by the way, comes from the Hebrew מוציא “he removes.”
This karaoke video was recorded and painted by kids in the third and fourth grades at Temple Sinai of Oakland.
The words they are singing are:
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The development of this project was made possible by the generosity of the
Get familiar with Jewish blessings and Friday night traditions with our singalong lyrics video created through a partnership with Moishe House and Taglit-Israel Birthright.
If you want to host Shabbat dinner at your home and you are not super familiar with the tunes or blessings, this sing-along Shabbat guide should get you up to speed in no time.
Havdalah is the ceremony that marks the end of Shabbat, the day of rest. Through blessings and rituals involving the senses – plus fire, wine and spice – we say goodbye to that special Sabbath feeling.
Sing along Karaoke style and practice until you feel confident on your own.
Thank you to our friends at Moishe House for helping create this animated “Birchot Havdalah” guide for their community, and to Debbie Friedman z”l for the music.
