The purpose of these little tidbits is to find elements in each Torah Portion and relate them to early Childhood Education.
This week's Torah Portion is named Korach. This is the name of one of the characters in the story.
But, Korach is not the character we are going to focus on. Instead, I am going to share the story of Aaron and his staff.
A very brief background on Aaron's staff: There was a big hullabaloo between Korach and Moses. Lots of fighting and accusations. Who should lead the people? God told Moses to have each leader of each tribe bring a staff to the tent of meeting. God told Moses, "Buds will spout on the staff belonging to the man I choose. Then I will finally put an end to the people's murmuring and complaining against you" (Numbers 17:5). Guess whose staff sprouted? Aaron's! “Aaron’s staff...had sprouted, budded, blossomed, and produced ripe almonds” (verse 8). Aaron’s staff didn’t just sprout buds; it brought forth flowers and fruit. Pretty Cool! So he was the winner!
How I tell this story to little ones: Once upon a time there was a really cool dude named Aaron who had a staff - kind of like a cane or a walking stick. Do you know anyone who uses one of those? Have you ever seen a picture of someone using a cane or a walking stick? One of my favorite characters that uses a cane is Carl from the movie Up.
Carl was a grumpy guy, but not Aaron. Aaron was a leader. He was a good friend. He always took care of people - kind of like your teacher (or caregiver) takes care of you. Aaron was so cool his staff grew flowers at the end and even nuts! It was almost like a magic wand! Would you like to have a staff (or a stick or a cane) that grew flowers and nuts?
Things to do: One of my favorite activities to do with little ones is to have them design their own staff. I tell each child that they can be a leader like Aaron. Be a kind friend, help others when they need it and do the right thing. You can call the project anything you want - it can be a "Leader Stick", a "Super Friend Staff" - the language you use is secondary to the idea that this story is about someone who was a cool dude and a good leader.
I like to have children design their own staffs on paper first and then have them collect sticks and decorate them with leaves, flowers, or whatever they choose. Or, you can have them draw staffs on paper. Or paint them. You can use Popsicle sticks, toothpicks - or even glue sticks to paper to decorate. There are many ideas on the internet!
Dipping pretzel rods in cream cheese or another yummy dip is a fun snack idea.
Have fun! And, if you ever need a walking stick - may it bloom!
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