Say ‘Wow!’ to Prayer: Hands on Ideas for Talking and Writing about Prayer Presenter: Alden Solovy
How do we teach connection with prayer? In this playful, hands-on session, we’ll discuss the essential forms of prayer in language accessible to youth and teens, followed by a train-the-teacher session on how to run a prayer writing workshop. The techniques are adaptable from 5th grade through high school. Differences for using the tools based on students' ages will be noted. Goals for each session include: 1) Developing an innovative language about prayer for classroom use that's interesting and exciting -- as well as challenging for older students -- building on the traditional format of the Amidah: (שבח, Praise; בקשות, requests; הודאות, Thanks). 2) Sharing challenges to teaching prayer and generating excitement for prayer. 3) Quick download and sharing of ideas for teaching engagement with prayer. 4) A training-the-teacher session on running a game-based communal prayer writing workshop for students. This breakout session is designed for teachers of grades 5 - 12.
Alden Solovy spreads joy and excitement for prayer. A poet and liturgist, his work has been used by people of all faiths throughout the world, in private prayer and public ceremonies. He’s written nearly 600 pieces of new liturgy, offering a fresh new Jewish voice, challenging the boundaries between poetry, meditation, personal growth and prayer. He’s a teacher, a writing coach and an award-winning essayist and journalist. He’s the author of Jewish Prayers of Hope and Healing and Haggadah Companion: Meditations and Readings. Alden’s work has been widely anthologized, including: Men Pray, Mishkah R’fuah: Where Healing Resides and Mishkan Hanefesh. He was the National Havurah Committee’s 2015 Summer Institute Liturgist-In-Residence and Shabbat Scholar for NewCAJE6. A native Chicagoan, Alden made aliyah to Israel in 2012. His work is available at www.tobendlight.com. He can be reached at [email protected]
