- Ensure that girls and boys both have meaningful, full roles in Shabbat rituals experienced in school. For example, make sure that early childhood departments are creating real roles for Shabbat Imahot and Avot and exploring the various possibilities within that role. To the extent that children have Shabbat roles in lower or middle schools, make sure that the roles are as equal and inclusive as possible.
- Teach students which Shabbat roles women and men may share or exchange. Be as creative and expansive as possible. Examine and discuss the halakhic vs. cultural reasons that men have historically had certain roles on Shabbat while women have had other roles. Talk about what roles children would like to have as part of a more inclusive Shabbat experience.
- Examine your Shabbat imagery, whether through story, song, pictures or books, for gendered or gender-specific messages about Shabbat. Create and introduce imagery and language that show women involved in Shabbat ritual, and men and women sharing in Shabbat preparation. If there are images that are gendered, encourage the children to question the images and what they represent. Ask whether the same ideas could have been portrayed in a more inclusive way.
- Make sure that both female and male faculty members have substantive involvement in Shabbat assemblies, plays and productions. Have teachers model the ways in which Shabbat can be inclusive for women and men within the framework of halakha.
- Talk to students about how they may optimize their Shabbat shul experience. Explore with both girls and boys the models that they see at shul, the opportunities available in learning and prayer and the ways in which they can ensure that the opportunities are more fully inclusive. Help female students examine their shul experiences and the ways in which they may have internalized those experiences. Boys and girls should be equally encouraged to attend shul regularly and on time and to participate in Shabbat rituals.
- Encourage girls to give divrei Torah and lead parasha questions on Shabbat. Teach girls that they have a place in Shabbat learning and teaching and encourage them to find their voices.
- Examine each weekly parasha through gender-sensitive eyes, and teach your students how to do the same. Even for younger children, there are opportunities to talk about the women as well as the men found in that week’s parasha. Encourage all students to think about the messages in the Torah with respect to men and women and how those messages make them feel.
Seven Ways That Schools Can Make Shabbat A More Inclusive Experience For Children
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About the Author
Pam Scheininger works as a court attorney referee in New York County Family Court. She currently serves as a vice president of Yavneh Academy in Paramus, NJ, is vice president of programming and education for JOFA, and is a member of the editorial board of the JOFA Journal.