Prayers and poetry

This is an illumination of a Jewish candelabrum, which is called a Menorah. It dates from 1714. An eight-branched Menorah is traditionally used during the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. This Menorah has seven branches and so probably relates to the candelabras that were used for general prayers in the Temple and at home rather than the special prayers of Hanukkah.

The other image is from a Haggadah, which is a Jewish prayer book. This is an Ashenanzi Passover Haggadah and contains prayers inside the bird's body.

Activity

Show these images to the children and discuss why shapes have been chosen to display prayers. Discuss what sort of things Jewish communities may pray for and to whom they would pray.

The prayers are short. Why do they think they are short? Discuss the use of oral tradition and remembering prayers.

Ask the students to either write a poem or a prayer. They could begin by brainstorming their ideas then putting these into a list. This list can be changed and improved to have a regular pattern or rhyme.

The children then choose a favourite object, if they are writing prayers a religious object that relates to their own personal faith would be appropriate. They then write their poem or prayer in its shape, just like the illustration of the bird.

Once they have illustrated and decorated it with colours and designs that are appropriate to the content, collect all the pages together and make a class book. Title it "Our Special Book of Prayers/Poems" and put the illustration of the Menorah on the front. See Theme One to gain ideas on how to make a book.

If you are short of time click on the buttons below to download some templates that the children can fill in instead of drawing their own.