Musical plays on Tanach are helping students connect to their learning in a fun and creative way, while giving them a positive outlet to showcase their talents.
Pittsburgh, Arizona, New Haven, and Florida are just a few of the locations where Jewish students were able to perform the powerful stories from Chumash, Navi, and Jewish history.
Rabbi Hillel Mandel, educational consultant for Torah Umesorah and Jewish day schools says, “This project is a teacher’s paradise; ready-made plays with beautiful songs on Torah topics that add a new dimension to both child’s and teacher’s education. This is truly an educational tool that enhances the world of Chinuch.”
“I listened to a number of selections from the musical CDs and was impressed with both the professionalism of the productions and the contents,” says Rabbi Nochem Kaplan, Director of the Merkos Chinuch Office.
Teachers, parents, and students have all given incredible feedback on the impact of these plays.
Esty Shapiro, teacher at Yeshivah Schools in Pittsburgh, shares, “As a 5th grade teacher, I have done the Rus Musical together with my students five times. Each year that we present it, it is the highlight of the year for my students. The songs are well-written and full of information that the girls quickly learned and did not forget. Many have graduated high school and are still singing the songs! Presenting this musical also gave so many girls a chance to shine in ways that were not available to them in a regular classroom setting. The script was easy to use and took minimal preparation from me. I highly recommend this to anyone teaching the story of Rus.”
Riki Hecht of SCHA in Connecticut adds, “This year my 5th and 6th grade students performed the Dovid Hamelech musical. Everyone who watched the performance was amazed. This was such a great chance for them to learn in a fun and exciting way and left them feeling very proud of themselves!
Raizy Matusof of Arizona, teacher at Cheder Lubavitch of Arizona, highlights some of the benefits of the musicals, “The tunes are catchy, the lyrics are easy to understand, and the music is really nice. Overall, this has been the best addition to my teaching this year!” A mother of one of Matusof’s students notes, “I usually don’t enjoy kids’ plays other than seeing kids enjoying themselves, but this was genuinely delightful to watch and listen to!”
The plays have also been a huge success for students in junior high, such as in Coral Springs, Florida. Nechama Dina Hendel, whose 7th grade students at Hebrew Academy in Florida performed the David Hamelech and Rashi musicals, marvels, “The girls came alive through these performances. Some used their artistic talents to prepare the beautiful scenery, others shone through acting and singing, and others were able to use their organizational and leadership abilities in helping to plan the show.”
Younger students are benefitting, as well. Batyah Rosenblum, 1st grade teacher at Yeshiva Schools in Pittsburgh, enthuses, “My first-graders performed the Rashi musical and learned how to work together. The play fosters a sense of camaraderie amongst students, and there was a building of confidence as they got up to do their individual parts. This is a wonderful resource that I would highly recommend to others. It is full of toichen, fun, and talent.”
One first grader at Yeshiva Schools in Pittsburgh confided, “The day that we performed our Rashi musical was one of the best days in my whole life.”
Baruch Hashem, an educator’s dream come true!
For more information, please contact Hindy Kalmenson at [email protected].
As a teacher whose students performed two of these musicals, I can’t recommend it enough! It was one of the most memorable learning experiences for all involved.
Wow, this is an incredible resource I will be utilising! Thank you Mrs. Kalmenson for your innovative approach to chinuch and for creating such a wonderful medium to engage our youth in Yiddishkeit and stories of Tanach in such a creative and interactive way!
We did one of these plays and it was very successful. The students and parents were thrilled 🙂
My school has been doing such things for years it adds so much!