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HANDS-ON:

Discover where chocolate comes from, make chocolate from bean to bar, and create awesome creations from chocolate.

Hands-on activities include:

• Roasting
• Deshelling
• Grinding the cacao beans
• Learning the tempering process
• Making chocolate creations
  
  

WORKSHOP DETAILED OUTLINE

BIG IDEA:

The foods we eat tell the story of who we are and what is important to us.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

• Why do we eat the foods that we do?

• What can you learn about people from the food they eat?

OVERVIEW

Food is culture. It is much more than simply what is on our plates and where we derive the energy to fuel our bodies. The daily act of eating is as much about family, community and human relationships. And because absolutely everyone has to eat, food is probably the most universally shared cultural experience that we have.

In this workshop, participants will reflect on their own food preferences and memories as they make chocolate from scratch. They will harvest the cocoa pods, roast the beans, grind them, winnow and complete an 8 step process to create delicious mouth-watering chocolate. Using cutting-edge technology, They will temper and mold their own chocolate creations while exploring traditional Jewish foods steeped in symbolism and meaningful stories.

(Optional) Students will also uncover the traditions that Jewish people have maintained about which foods are eaten and which are not, as well as the manner in which food is prepared and the particular way in which it is eaten. This food culture has been passed from one generation to the next, stretching back thousands of years, and is commonly referred to as Kosher.

The workshop also delves into the rich history of chocolate and its significance in Jewish culture. Participants will discover fascinating stories about the relationship between Jews and chocolate, adding a deeper layer of meaning to their experience.

Students can begin growing into informed eaters at a young age. Informed eaters make better choices for their taste buds, health, community, and environment. The Bean to Bar workshop will have your students licking their fingers as they discover how food can connect us with the world around us.

SAMPLE EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Customized according to age group

Particpants will:

APPRECIATE how Jewish foods reflect the cultures and regions of the world where Jews have lived.

IDENTIFY their own food cultures and memories.

(Optional) UNDERSTAND what the term Kosher means and the meaning behind Jewish cultural foods.

(Optional) RECOGNIZE a number of Kosher symbols on common food items.

DESCRIBE the various stages for making chocolate, beginning with raw cocoa beans.

DESIGN chocolate confections.

BE FAMILIAR WITH foods that are common to Jewish festivals and their significance, and the rich history of Jews and chocolate.

SHARE examples of foods or recipes that are significant to their families or contain a particular memory.

(Optional) UNDERSTAND that blessings on food have two roles in Jewish life. 1. They help the person eating express gratitude for the food. 2. They provide an opportunity to focus on the broader purpose of eating and be intentional about what a person places in their mouth.

GENERAL INFORMATION

AUDIENCE: Elementary School - Middle School.

DURATION: 45 minutes

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: This Bean-to-Bar workshop is designed to accommodate up to forty students. This number may be exceeded based on the circumstances.

MAKE AND TAKE: Cacao beans and chocolate!

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HANDS-ON:

The Olive Press program is a fun, hands-on, and educational experience!

Activities include:

• Pitting the olives and helping in pressing them, using a century-old iron press.
• Once the precious liquid has been extracted, it is purified into oil via a hand-driven centrifuge.
• Participants learn how to fashion their own wick out of cotton and the oil is tested to see if it will light!
• The oil is then placed in the Menorah with its multiple different branches symbolizing the human diversity that exists among us.
  
  

WORKSHOP DETAILED OUTLINE

BIG IDEA:

There is a beauty and strength in our differences.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

• Where do I feel like I belong?

• What makes me feel different or like an outsider?

• What can I learn from others who are different?

OVERVIEW

Participants relive the Hanukkah story as they try to procure new oil to light the Menorah.

Students pit the olives and help in pressing them, using a century-old iron press. It is only by the pressure of squeezing the olives that the valuable liquid containing the oil can be extracted.

The presenter employs role-playing to explore situations when students might sense attitudes of intolerance and circumstances that make them feel squeezed or under pressure to conform. Students are prompted to suggest ways in which they can respond to these situations that bring out the best in them and others.

Once the precious liquid has been extracted, it is purified into oil via a hand- driven centrifuge.

Participants fashion their own wick out of cotton and the oil is tested to see if it will light. The oil is then placed in the Menorah with its multiple different branches symbolizing the human diversity that exists among us.

As the small wick bursts into flame, participants pause to reflect on how they can use difference as fuel for lighting up their own lives, as well as others’.

SAMPLE EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Customized according to age group

Particpants will:

UNDERSTAND that the Hanukkah story represents a victory for those who challenged a powerful ruler in order to stay true to who they were and protect their way of life.

RECOGNIZE what it means to be different or an outsider.

IDENTIFY areas in their own lives and environments where they have experienced the pressure to conform or even instances of outright prejudice.

BE FAMILIAR with the key stages of the olive oil making process and how pressure is used to bring out the best of what is contained in the olive.

PROPOSE actionable things they can do to be an upstander on behalf of themselves or others when responding to bias and the pressures of conformity.

SHARE ways Hanukkah is celebrated, such as lighting the Menorah, playing Dreidel, eating Latkes, receiving Gelt, and what these practices represent.

COMPARE Hanukkah celebrations with their own family’s celebrations during the winter holiday season.

GENERAL INFORMATION

AUDIENCE: Elementary School - Middle School.

DURATION: One hour.

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: This Olive Press is designed to accommodate up to forty students. This number may be exceeded based on the circumstances.

MAKE AND TAKE: Sample of freshly-made olive oil in mini test-tube.

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Step Into the Story. Shape the Dough. Watch It Come to Life!

The JCrafts Model Matzah Factory isn’t just a workshop, it’s an immersive adventure into the story of the Exodus!

From the moment participants walk in, the room transforms. Moshe confronts Pharaoh. The palace trembles. The Ten Plagues unfold before their eyes. With dramatic visuals and guided interaction, ancient Egypt doesn’t just get described — it comes alive!

Children don’t sit and watch, they experience it.

And then, it’s time to get to work!

Wheat stalks are placed in their hands. Kernels are examined up close. Through the ancient winnowing process, the grain is separated, and then the real transformation begins!

Students pour the kernels into a working mill and grind the wheat themselves, turning whole grain into fresh flour before their eyes. They watch it change. They hear the grinding. They feel the texture shift.

Step by step, students witness how something raw and simple becomes the foundation for matzah — because they made it happen!

Next comes the dough.

Water and flour are mixed. Sleeves are rolled up. The dough is kneaded, rolled, and perforated with focus and excitement.

And then comes the highlight…

The timed bake!

There’s energy in the air as everyone works together to prepare the matzah quickly and carefully. It’s fastand it’s thrilling!

Hands-On. Immersive. Unforgettable.

This experience blends powerful storytelling with full sensory engagement:

• Real wheat

• Real grinding

• Real dough

• Real baking

Participants don’t just learn how matzah is made, they make it themselves, from stalk to oven!

Structured, safe, developmentally engaging — and packed with excitement — the JCrafts Matzah Factory creates an experience your students will be talking about long after the matzah cools.

This isn’t just a program, it's an experience!

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The Shofar Factory is an immersive, hands-on experience that takes participants on a journey from raw horn to finished shofar. Students explore an impressive collection of horns, trumpets, bugles, and antique instruments from around the world, examining, touching, comparing, and even sounding many of them as they discover what makes the shofar unique.

HANDS-ON:

The traditional shofar comes to life in a breathtaking display of horns of all kinds and sizes.

• Students are encouraged to touch, examine, and compare a wide variety of horns and trumpets.
• Participants help identify which horns can be used to create a kosher shofar.
• Volunteers assist in transforming a raw horn into a finished instrument.
  

Following the presentation, the audience partakes in:

• Sawing
• Drilling
• Finishing
• Shellacking

Throughout the workshop, participants help determine where the horn should be cut, assist with drilling the mouthpiece, and observe the transformation of a raw horn into a playable shofar. Students also experiment with different horns and trumpets, learn techniques for producing shofar sounds, and discover the messages these sounds communicate.

WORKSHOP DETAILED OUTLINE

BIG IDEA:

The need to be understood and listened to is a basic human need.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
• How is hearing different from listening?
• How do cultural differences complicate communication?

OVERVIEW

The ‘Shofar’ is an enduring symbol of Jewish culture. During the first few centuries of the Common Era, the horn was displayed on ancient Israeli and Roman coins, amulets, and rings, and today the horn symbol can be found on modern Israel’s currency - the Shekel.

Other cultures, too, such as the Syrian and Egyptian cultures, placed great emphasis on the horn, often featuring it on their currency and ceremonial objects. These ancient societies understood a key message of the Ram's Horn Workshop: effective communication is an essential component of healthy relationships.
During the lesson, students actively participate in the various stages of creating a shofar while exploring the importance of listening and communication. Through touching, examining, comparing, and sounding different horns, participants discover that listening requires more than simply hearing. Being mindful and paying attention allows us to learn, grow, and better understand those around us.

Participants explore how listening can strengthen friendships, repair relationships, promote forgiveness, and help us appreciate opinions and perspectives that differ from our own.

SAMPLE EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Customized according to age group

BE FAMILIAR with the different customs associated with the Jewish New Year: blowing the shofar, eating apples dipped in honey and round challah, and asking forgiveness of others.

RECOGNIZE the different sounds of the Shofar.
SHARE the various steps required to create a Shofar from a raw ram's horn.
CREATE Shofar sounds that reflect their own understanding of the themes and messages of the High Holidays.
PRACTICE active listening and role-play ways to take responsibility for understanding as well as being understood.
APPRECIATE the role that listening can play in maintaining and improving friendships.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

• AUDIENCE: Elementary School - Middle School.

• DURATION: One hour.

• MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: This Shofar Factory is designed to accommodate up to forty students. This number may be exceeded based on the circumstances.

• MAKE AND TAKE: Rams' horn keychain or ram's horn Shofar.

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The Art of Writing demonstrates how the written word can go hand-in-hand with the recycling process. In a fast-paced, digital age where the handwritten note- turned keepsake has become increasingly rare, this workshop seeks to transform our throw-away attitudes into ones that value reuse, and appreciate authentic communication and the power of the written word.

​ HANDS-ON:

• Examining up close multiple hides fit for use hides

• The process of turning hide into parchment

• Covering many fun facts about the Torah

• Making ink from scratch using a mortar and pestle

• A crash course in writing with an authentic quill on parchment

WORKSHOP DETAILED OUTLINE

BIG IDEA:

The written word is one of humanity’s most transformative creations.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:

• How are the spoken word and the written word different?

• What does the written word make possible that spoken words can not?

• How has digitization impacted the power of our written words? How can words be written in ways that are environmentally friendly?

OVERVIEW

This presentation takes your students on a journey through history as they investigate the origins of the written word and how our ability to use symbols to communicate our thoughts has developed over time - from rocks to reeds and from parchment to paper. Participants will develop an early appreciation for the printing press and digitization, achievements that have transformed our ability to learn from one another in ways that our ancestors could never have imagined.

This captivating workshop will also help your students discover how writing can be done in a way that respects the environment. Recycling was exercised in many ancient civilizations and Jewish culture has long celebrated the concept of restoring and reusing. The Torah scroll is written on a material that might otherwise be discarded. By sanding down animal hides that are stretched out on a scribe’s stretching frame, children discover the process of turning a rough hide into soft, velvety parchment.

Participants will make ink from scratch, using an ancient scribe’s recipe and organic ingredients ground in a mortar and pestle. They will fashion their own quill, and use the ink and quill to write heartfelt notes on parchment. As your students learn to appreciate the significance of the Torah scroll in Jewish culture, they will also come to view the written word in an entirely new light.

SAMPLE EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES

Customized according to age group

KNOW what a Torah scroll is and why it is preserved as an important historical object in Jewish life.

UNDERSTAND that writing means creating a physical symbol for spoken words.

DISTINGUISH between the written word and other forms of storytelling that use images and symbols.

APPRECIATE how the invention of the printing press transformed culture by greatly increasing the amount of information people had access to, and how digitization has revolutionized this further.

COMPARE the environmental benefits of different forms of the written word.

DESCRIBE the materials used to write a Torah scroll and the method by which it is written.

HYPOTHESIZE as to why Torah scrolls are still written in the same way, with the identical text inside.

DESIGN enduring written messages that express personal thoughts and feelings, using sustainable materials.

GENERAL INFORMATION

AUDIENCE: Elementary School and Middle School.

DURATION: One hour.

MAXIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: The Art of Writing workshop is designed to accommodate up to forty students. This number may be exceeded based on the circumstances.

MAKE AND TAKE: Authentic parchment, inscribed by each student with their chosen message and mounted on a wooden plaque.