Doing Jewish During the Summer

Summer is a time to relax, play, rejuvenate and celebrate quality time as a family. Here are some suggestions on ways you can view your summer through a Jewish lens.

Most of these ideas are specific to the Washington DC area - if that is not your locale, check out your Jewish Federation’s website (you can get local contact information for YOUR area by visiting this website) – they often have many community resources, ranging from volunteer resources to cultural highlights.

Visit a Jewish Museum! We have a number of wonderful Jewish museums in our area. Here are a few to check out:

• US Holocaust Museum (www.ushmm.org) – Even if you’ve visited this museum before, there is always something new to see. While the main exhibit is most appropriate for older teens and adults, the children’s exhibit “Daniel’s Story” is appropriate for a younger audience. Don’t miss the special exhibit “State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda” currently on display – this is perfect for adults and teens.
• Lillian and Albert Small Jewish Museum – First synagogue in Washington DC. The Jewish Historical Society also provides walking tours of Jewish Washington and other related activities. www.jhsgw.org. Visit the “Jewish Life in Mr. Lincoln’s City” exhibit held at Washington Hebrew Congregation through July 20^th.
• Jewish Museum of Maryland in Baltimore (history, immigration) www.jhsm.org
• The Dennis and Phillip Ratner Museum (art depicting bible stories) www.ratnermuseum.com

The Zoo Take your own Jewish adventures through the zoo! Many zoos include animals who are highlighted in the Torah – if you’d like a copy of a zoofari adventure guide (created for a local synagogue program), contact me (efrumkin@bethelmc.org) and go wild!

See a Movie or Read a Book There are so many wonderful books out there with Jewish themes – check out the Association of Jewish Libraries’ website (www.jewishlibraries.org) to see their list of Notable Books of Jewish Content for Children and Teens for 2010.

Want to catch a summer flick? Start your list of favorite Jewish movies – you’ll find a bunch on Netflix or at Blockbuster. Need some ideas? This page has a list of what they consider to be the top 50 Jewish movies – maybe there are more you would add! Leave a comment if you think something should be added.

Study and Discuss Torah Together A favorite weekly activity for Shabbat is to discuss the weekly parshah. For summaries, commentaries, and ideas, visit Jewish Family Living every Thursday for our synopsis and discussion questions.

Want more resources for Torah study? Check out the following websites: USCJ’s Torah Sparks is a great resource(http://www.uscj.org/Torah_Sparks__Weekly5467.html) and the Jewish Theological Seminary has many commentaries on each portion (www.jtsa.edu).

Internet Activities for a Rainy Day:

• http://www.babaganewz.com/ Check out the many child friendly activities, including art activities, games, and so much more.
• http://www.jewishheritage.gov/index.html - Discover this government site that honors National Jewish Heritage Month (May). Read stories about Jewish parachutists, learn about Jewish places on the National Register of Historic Places (maybe visit one!) and much more
• Jewish Women’s Archives – www.jwa.org This website is a wealth of information about Jewish women in American history. Read their stories, listen to their voices. Also find tools for creating an oral history of a family member.

Do a Mitzvah Project!
There is so much we can do to improve the world around us. Raise money for a good cause or spend time helping others. For some ideas of volunteer opportunities currently available, visit the DC Jewish Federation’s website (www.shalomdc.org) – you can find information on volunteering under the “Get Involved” tab.