5-6

Getting to know key figures in history via the tradition of placing notes in the Western Wall. Identifying the challenges of each character.

When one visits the Western Wall it is easy to discern the hundreds of notes between the stones of the Wall. Where do those notes come from? Who places them there? And why? In this lesson, the students will learn about the tradition of placing notes in the Western Wall, via key figures in Jewish history. The students will learn the characters' stories, will identify the challenge that the character struggled with, and will write a note on behalf of the character. The students will understand the significance behind the writing of the notes and will write a personal note of their own that will be sent to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Learning about the tradition of placing notes in the Kotel and its meaning
Getting to know central figures in Jewish history
Identifying a challenge from the text on the character and putting it into words
Personal writing about a personal challenge

Introduction – Description of the tradition of placing notes in the Kotel and presentation of the lesson subject.
Group work - getting to know the character, identifying a challenge and writing a note
Presenting the findings- Each group will present the note that it wrote and the challenge they identified
Story via pictures – Learning about the roots of the tradition of placing a note in the Western Wall
Hands-on – Writing a note for the Western Wall

The teacher will start the lesson by describing the tradition of placing notes in the Western Wall in Jerusalem: In this lesson we are going to learn about a special tradition that has been around for over 400 years at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. People from all over the world, and people who visit the Western Wall themselves, place notes in the Wall. The teacher should ask: Who knows what is written on the note? Why are the notes placed in the cracks of the Western Wall? The teacher will summarize: People write requests, dreams and things that they dearly wish for on the notes. When we write such a note, we concentrate hard and choose to write what is most important to us.

The teacher will split the class into groups. Each group will receive a card with a picture of a character and a short paragraph about the character. Each group will also receive an empty piece of paper. The teacher will ask each group to read about their character and to answer the following questions:
Who am I?
What is my challenge/difficulty?
What could help me?
After that, each group will be asked to write a note on behalf of the character for the Western Wall after being prompted with:
What do you think this character would have written on a note for the Western Wall?

The teacher will teach about bringing notes to Jerusalem through pictures: Many years ago, in small, far-away towns in Europe, the people living there wanted to send their prayers to Jerusalem. They couldn't make the journey to Jerusalem; instead, they prayed "Next Year in Jerusalem." One day, one of the city elders had an idea. The people living in the city chose a young man, bought him a ticket to Israel, and publicized that anyone who wanted his prayers to reach Jerusalem could bring their written prayers on a small note. The notes were gathered into a big sack and given to the young man. The young man travelled by wagon to the train station. He then took a train to the port and boarded a ship heading to Israel. When he arrived in Israel, tried but full of excitement, he travelled by wagon to Jerusalem. After a long, tiring journey, the young man reached the city of Jerusalem. He got down from the wagon and started searching for the way to the Western Wall. Eventually, he found his way to the Western Wall. He approached the wall with shaking hands, bent down on his knees, and took out his sack that was full of prayers. The young man took every, single note, from the men, women, and children of his community, and placed them in the cracks between the stones of the wall. Lastly, he reached his own note. He closed his eyes, and prayed from the depths of his heart for his family, good health, success, thanked G-d for helping him make it to Jerusalem, and requested that He help him return in peace to his family.
The teacher should summarize: The Western Wall is the designated place for requests and prayer because it is the closest place to where the Temple stood two-thousand years ago. People who could not make it to the Western Wall to pray would send notes to the wall instead. This special tradition exists until today and people write notes and place them in the cracks of the Western Wall.

The teacher will give out pieces of paper to the children and will suggest that they write or draw something they are struggling with or something they want with all their heart, something that will help them overcome their struggle or realize a dream. The notes will be gathered and sent to Jerusalem.
*Another option: The teacher will print the file "Kotel Drawing A3" on A3 paper and will hang it on the board. The student will hand their notes (visible to folded) on the drawing.

3-4

Getting to know key figures in history via the tradition of placing notes in the Western Wall. Identifying the challenges of each character.

When one visits the Western Wall it is easy to discern the hundreds of notes between the stones of the Wall. Where do those notes come from? Who places them there? And why? In this lesson, the students will learn about the tradition of placing notes in the Western Wall, via key figures in Jewish history. The students will learn the characters' stories, will identify the challenge that the character struggled with, and will write a note on behalf of the character. The students will understand the significance behind the writing of the notes and will write a personal note of their own that will be sent to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Learning about the tradition of placing notes in the Kotel and its meaning
Getting to know central figures in Jewish history
Identifying a challenge from the text on the character and putting it into words
Personal writing about a personal challenge

Introduction – Description of the tradition of placing notes in the Kotel and presentation of the lesson subject.
Group work - getting to know the character, identifying a challenge and writing a note
Presenting the findings- Each group will present the note that it wrote and the challenge they identified
Story via pictures – Learning about the roots of the tradition of placing a note in the Western Wall
Hands-on – Writing a note for the Western Wall

The teacher will start the lesson by describing the tradition of placing notes in the Western Wall in Jerusalem: In this lesson we are going to learn about a special tradition that has been around for over 400 years at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. People from all over the world, and people who visit the Western Wall themselves, place notes in the Wall. The teacher should ask: Who knows what is written on the note? Why are the notes placed in the cracks of the Western Wall? The teacher will summarize: People write requests, dreams and things that they dearly wish for on the notes. When we write such a note, we concentrate hard and choose to write what is most important to us.

The teacher will split the class into groups. Each group will receive a card with a picture of a character and a short paragraph about the character. Each group will also receive an empty piece of paper. The teacher will ask each group to read about their character and to answer the following questions:
Who am I?
What is my challenge/difficulty?
What could help me?
After that, each group will be asked to write a note on behalf of the character for the Western Wall after being prompted with:
What do you think this character would have written on a note for the Western Wall?

The teacher will teach about bringing notes to Jerusalem through pictures: Many years ago, in small, far-away towns in Europe, the people living there wanted to send their prayers to Jerusalem. They couldn't make the journey to Jerusalem; instead, they prayed "Next Year in Jerusalem." One day, one of the city elders had an idea. The people living in the city chose a young man, bought him a ticket to Israel, and publicized that anyone who wanted his prayers to reach Jerusalem could bring their written prayers on a small note. The notes were gathered into a big sack and given to the young man. The young man travelled by wagon to the train station. He then took a train to the port and boarded a ship heading to Israel. When he arrived in Israel, tried but full of excitement, he travelled by wagon to Jerusalem. After a long, tiring journey, the young man reached the city of Jerusalem. He got down from the wagon and started searching for the way to the Western Wall. Eventually, he found his way to the Western Wall. He approached the wall with shaking hands, bent down on his knees, and took out his sack that was full of prayers. The young man took every, single note, from the men, women, and children of his community, and placed them in the cracks between the stones of the wall. Lastly, he reached his own note. He closed his eyes, and prayed from the depths of his heart for his family, good health, success, thanked G-d for helping him make it to Jerusalem, and requested that He help him return in peace to his family.
The teacher should summarize: The Western Wall is the designated place for requests and prayer because it is the closest place to where the Temple stood two-thousand years ago. People who could not make it to the Western Wall to pray would send notes to the wall instead. This special tradition exists until today and people write notes and place them in the cracks of the Western Wall.

The teacher will give out pieces of paper to the children and will suggest that they write or draw something they are struggling with or something they want with all their heart, something that will help them overcome their struggle or realize a dream. The notes will be gathered and sent to Jerusalem.
*Another option: The teacher will print the file "Kotel Drawing A3" on A3 paper and will hang it on the board. The student will hand their notes (visible to folded) on the drawing.

1-2

Getting to know key figures in history via the tradition of placing notes in the Western Wall. Identifying the challenges of each character.

When one visits the Western Wall it is easy to discern the hundreds of notes between the stones of the Wall. Where do those notes come from? Who places them there? And why? In this lesson, the students will learn about the tradition of placing notes in the Western Wall, via key figures in Jewish history. The students will learn the characters' stories, will identify the challenge that the character struggled with, and will write a note on behalf of the character. The students will understand the significance behind the writing of the notes and will write a personal note of their own that will be sent to the Western Wall in Jerusalem.

Learning about the tradition of placing notes in the Kotel and its meaning
Getting to know central figures in Jewish history
Identifying a challenge from the text on the character and putting it into words
Personal writing about a personal challenge

Introduction – Description of the tradition of placing notes in the Kotel and presentation of the lesson subject
Presenting the characters to the class – getting to know the character, identifying a challenge and writing a note
Story via pictures – Learning about the roots of the tradition of placing  a note in the Western Wall
Hands-on – Writing a note for the Western Wall

The teacher will start the lesson by describing the tradition of placing notes in the Western Wall in Jerusalem: In this lesson we are going to learn about a special tradition that has been around for over 400 years at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. People from all over the world, and people who visit the Western Wall themselves, place notes in the Wall. The teacher should ask: Who knows what is written on the note? Why are the notes placed in the cracks of the Western Wall? The teacher will summarize: People write requests, dreams and things that they dearly wish for on the notes. When we write such a note, we concentrate hard and choose to write what is most important to us.

The teacher will choose a few characters and present each one: showing their picture to the class and telling them in short about them. After each character the teacher will ask what was difficult for that person and what that person did about that difficulty. The teacher will give the students the time to write or draw a note for each character.

The teacher will teach about bringing notes to Jerusalem through pictures: Many years ago, in small, far-away towns in Europe, the people living there wanted to send their prayers to Jerusalem. They couldn't make the journey to Jerusalem; instead, they prayed "Next Year in Jerusalem." One day, one of the city elders had an idea. The people living in the city chose a young man, bought him a ticket to Israel, and publicized that anyone who wanted his prayers to reach Jerusalem could bring their written prayers on a small note. The notes were gathered into a big sack and given to the young man. The young man travelled by wagon to the train station. He then took a train to the port and boarded a ship heading to Israel. When he arrived in Israel, tried but full of excitement, he travelled by wagon to Jerusalem. After a long, tiring journey, the young man reached the city of Jerusalem. He got down from the wagon and started searching for the way to the Western Wall. Eventually, he found his way to the Western Wall. He approached the wall with shaking hands, bent down on his knees, and took out his sack that was full of prayers. The young man took every, single note, from the men, women, and children of his community, and placed them in the cracks between the stones of the wall. Lastly, he reached his own note. He closed his eyes, and prayed from the depths of his heart for his family, good health, success, thanked G-d for helping him make it to Jerusalem, and requested that He help him return in peace to his family.
The teacher should summarize: The Western Wall is the designated place for requests and prayer because it is the closest place to where the Temple stood two-thousand years ago. People who could not make it to the Western Wall to pray would send notes to the wall instead. This special tradition exists until today and people write notes and place them in the cracks of the Western Wall.

The teacher will give out pieces of paper to the children and will suggest that they write or draw something they are struggling with or something they want with all their heart, something that will help them overcome their struggle or realize a dream. The notes will be gathered and sent to Jerusalem.
*Another option: The teacher will print out the the file "Kotel Drawing A3" on A3 paper and hand it of the board. The students will hand their notes (visible or folded) on the board.