CRUSY ‘GAME OF LIFE’/LIFECYCLE FALL KINNUS 2012 Program Summary and Notes: A note from the Facilitator: All the questions for the life sized game board were on colored paper, and laminated so that USYers could step on them. I purchased giant sized dice through Oriental Trading. The USYers were divided into mishpachot on Friday, and during the sicha each mishpacha decided on their family values. On Saturday, as they walked the giant game board, each mishpacha received mitzvah points when they answered questions correctly. We made up what looked like fake money but because we gave it to them on Shabbat it said “mitzvah point”. The squares included in this document are only a few examples of the more than 100 squares that we used. Session 1: We are Mishpacha Staff instructions for Friday, November 16, 2012 USYers have been divided in to family units of about ten people. Tonight you are working with the Silverstein family. 1. Go around the circle to have each person introduce themselves. 5 minutes 2. Tell them to discuss and decide who the members of their household are. They need to discuss the familial roles (mother, father, son, daughter, grandparent, aunt/uncle etc.) to each person in the group. The family must live together and can be composed in anyway (i.e. single parent, same-sex couples, grandparents/other extended family members who live in the same house). All families need to have at least one parent and two children. The USYers representing the kids in the family should decide how old they are. 10 minutes Sample Family: Mom, Dad, oldest son, middle daughter, middle son, youngest son, infant daughter, paternal grandmother, and Mom’s sister all living in the same house together. (it sounds big and crazy but it will work out!!) 3. Your family must select what Jewish traditions, Mitzvot, and Minhagim they will observe. Have them select two texts which they will use to help guide them make their decisions tonight and tomorrow. 10-15 minutes 4. Using the 2 texts they selected, complete the worksheet using the stickers to indicate their decisions. 15-20 minutes 5. Collect the family worksheet-put it in the envelope provided. Turn it in to Rabbi Josh Foster or Arlyne. Tell your family that tomorrow they working together as a mishpacha to earn mitzvah points playing the Game of Chai. We are the Solomon family Place a sticker next to the answer that best fits your family’s decisions. 1. Observance Kosher or not? Family will keep a kosher home Will keep kosher outside of the house Will not keep kosher Some of us will keep kosher, other family members will not Discuss your decisions. (i.e. Our family will keep a strictly kosher home and only eat dairy outside of the house, etc.) Shul attendance? Family will attend shul every Shabbat. Family will rarely attend shul. Family will only attend is there is a family or friend’s simcha. Discuss your decisions. Will your whole family attend? Just the kids? Just the adults? Shabbat and Holiday Observances? Family is going to be Shomer Shabbat. Family is not going to be Shomer Shabbat Discuss your decisions. If not, to what extent are you going to observe Shabbat? Will your kids miss school on holidays to go to shul? 2. Pick the neighborhood your family will live in. Suburbs: Pro: Good neighborhood, houses are cheaper, good schools. Con: Far from shul so you would have to drive, far from the Jewish day school which is located in the city and not as strong of a Jewish neighborhood. City: Pro: Close to shul, close to the Jewish day school, and a strong Jewish community with a lot of kosher restaurants and groceries. Con: More expensive housing and the public schools aren’t as good. Discuss your decisions and place a sticker on where you will live. 3. The adults in your household must chose a Job. This job will provide you with mitzvah points during the Game of Chai. Unemployed/Homemaker/Retired Pro: This adult will get to spend more time raising their children. Con: This adult will make no money Teacher at a Jewish Day School Pro: This adult will teach the future leaders of our religion and his children will receive free tuition to that school (for all grades), he/she will have summers, weekends, and Jewish holidays off. Con: This adult will not make that much money. Doctor Pro: This adult will make a lot of money for his/her family. Con: The hours of this job will be very long and taxing which won’t allow for much family time. Furthermore, this adult may have to work on Shabbat and Jewish holidays. Lawyer Pro: This adult will make a lot of money for his/her family. Con: The physical toll of the job will be grueling and the parent will have very little time with his/her family. He/she will have more flexible hours than the doctor, so observing Shabbat and Jewish holidays would be more feasible. Rabbi Pro: This adult will make a very livable wage, be able to celebrate Shabbat and all Jewish holidays. Con: The family of this adult will always be in the public light of the congregation they are working for. Professor at a College Pro: Adult will make plenty of money and have a lot of time to spend with family due to flexible scheduling. He/She will always be able to celebrate Shabbat with their family because college classes are not held on Saturdays. Con: Jewish holidays will be tricky to celebrate. Government Job: Pro: This job doesn’t require as much education as the others and pays a livable wage. It also offers a good pension program after retirement. Con: Hours are very inflexible which would prevent this adult from celebrating Shabbat and Jewish Holidays. Stand Up Comedian Pro: Chance for a big break, work is really inconsistent though Con: Inconsistent pay and may have to work Friday nights and Saturday nights Public school teacher Pro: Good steady job with summers and weekends off. Con: This member of the family will have to work on chagim that take place during the week. Director of Jewish Non-Profit Organization Pro: This family member will get days off for Jewish holidays and Shabbat. Con: Hours are demanding and the job environment is stressful. Kosher Caterer Pro: Will have good hours during the week and will be able to spend time with the family. Con: Will be busy on Shabbat and Holidays when he/she is catering events. However, this member will still be able to observe Shabbat to its fullest. Artist Pro: Will be able to work from home sometimes and choose his/her, own hours. Con: Will not have the consistent paycheck of a doctor, teacher, etc. Discuss your decisions and place stickers next to the professions the adults in the family decided upon. 4. Your family must choose where its kid’s will go to school. You may receive bonuses throughout the game depending on what school your children attend. Please choose your school based on the values you picked at the beginning of this activity. K-12 Jewish day school K-12 Non-Jewish private school K-12 public school Discuss your decisions and place stickers next to the school your family decided upon. Session 2: Questions and Challenges for Game of Life Questions, Dilemmas, Challenges and Points 1. Your oldest child is about to begin elementary school. Will you send them to Jewish day school? Why or why not? (Mitzvah points distributed at the discretion of the judge at that square. Points for sending them or having a good reason not to AND having an alternative Jewish education plan) 2. You got a $1,000 bonus, and have decided to allot it to tzedakah. How will you spend it in a way that lines up with your values? (Mitzvah points distributed at the judge’s discretion.) 3. Your friend asks to copy your homework because he was busy taking care of his little sister who had the flu. What do you say? (+100 mitzvah points for a creative solution: ex. asking the teacher for an extension, offering to help him but not give away the answers, etc. 0 points for letting him cheat or for being heartless upon saying no.) 4. Name the five books of the Torah in Hebrew and English. (+10 points for each: Bereishit- Genesis, Shemot- Exodus, Vayikra- Leviticus, Bamidbar- Numbers, Devarim- Deuteronomy) 5. Sing Baruch HaGever as a round, with all three parts (+200 points if they actually do it with the badadas, the oooos, and the words.) 6. What is the name of the Israeli equivalent of Conservative Judaism called? (Masorti, +50 points) 7. Sing the CRUSY cheer, with an interpretive dance. (+50 for doing it, +100 for creativity) 8. Name the 10 plagues, in Hebrew or English. (+10 for each: dam-blood, tzfardea-frogs, kinim-lice, arov-wild beasts, dever-plague, sh’chin-boils, barad-hail, arbeh-locusts, chosech-darkness, makat bechorot-death of the firstborn) 9. You were driving out of the school parking lot, and scraped someone else’s car. You caused no real damage, but you definitely left a scratch on their passenger door. What do you do? (Mitzvah points awarded at the judge’s discretion, but apologizing gets points and offering monetary compensation gets more points.) 10. You got out of a boring work dinner because it’s on Shabbat, and your boss was totally understanding about it. (+50 mitzvah points) 11. You gave up your golf outing this Friday so that you could invite guests for Shabbat and have time to prepare and cook. (+75 mitzvah points) 12. Name the 7 species of the Land of Israel. (+10 points for each: wheat, barley, date, fig, pomegranate, olive, grape) 13. Without talking, get in alphabetical order by the first letter of your Hebrew name. (+100 points) 14. You organized a blood drive at your school in order to help save lives at a time when blood banks are struggling. (+100 points) 15. UH- OH! You talked with your friends about how one of the other kids in your class is really annoying because she asks too many questions Give up 15 mitzvah points 16. What are the 4 special Shabbatot leading up to Passover? Bonus if you can name the fifth. (+20 points each for Shabbat Shekalim, Shabbat Parah, Shabbat Zachor, and Shabbat HaChodesh, +25 points for Shabbat HaGadol.) 17. Name an acrostic in t’fillot. (+50, for Ashrei, Anim Z’mirot, Tikanta Shabbat (in the Shabbat musaf amidah), Yedid Nefesh, Eishet Chayil) 18. Name as many overnight Ramah Camps as you can. (+10 each for Palmer, Berkshires, Canada, Wisconsin, Outdoor Adventure/Rockies, Darom, California, Poconos) 19. You rocked the haftarah at your bar mitzvah, and asked for donations to the local food pantry instead of presents. (+200 mitzvah points) 20. Because you know it’s good for the environment, you bought reusable lunch bags for all of your kids and pack their lunches in reusable containers with real silverware- even though it means more dishes for you to wash at the end of the day. (+100 mitzvah points) 21. Your entire family spent your Sunday volunteering at the local soup kitchen because you think everyone deserves a warm meal, and because you want to give back because you’re thankful to have enough to eat. (+300 mitzvah points) Moral Dilemmas: NEW SQUARES: You see a 10-year old boy steal an apple at the grocery store. If you report him, go right, if you don’t say anything, go left. You walk by an open grassy area every day and today you see that it’s covered in litter. What do you do? If you walk by like you do every day, go right, if you stop to pick up some garbage, go left. You see two teenagers picking a fight with one another. You look at them and see you’re about the same size. If you intervene to try and stop it, go right. If you call the police, go straight, if you avoid it because it’s not your problem, go left. Everyone in the community has decided give money toward a new playground at the big park in town. You have a nice playground in your backyard and don’t see a need for this communal playground. If you give money to the project anyway, go left, if you refuse to give any money, go right. Life Squares: It is time to go to college!! Your oldest child is faced with a tough decision. He/She just got into his/her dream school. However, it does not have a very good Jewish life. His/Her second choice has one of the best Hillel’s in the country and is very good academically as well. What should he/she do? (Road splits here.) You are about to give away your last tzedaka donation of the year before it is time to file taxes. You have $50.00 left in your budget. Who will you donate your money too, the Hurricane Sandy relief fund or your synagogue’s scholarship fund? (this fund can be for Religious school, USY conventions, Jewish summer/day camp, etc.) (Board splits) Imagine you were the only Shomer Shabbat person in your family. One Saturday afternoon after shul, your mother suggests that you go out to lunch as a family. What do you do? Do you break Shabbat to go out with your family? Or do you stay at home alone? (Board spilts) Eat at a kosher restaurant instead of an un-kosher one. 5 Mitzvah Points Go to a USY convention. 5 Mitzvah Points Have Shabbat dinner with your family. Collect 5 mitzvah points Enroll in a Hebrew High after school program. Collect 10 Mitzvah Points Run for office on your USY board. Collect 10 Mitzvah Points Lead Tefillot. Collect 10 Mitzvah Points Learn a new prayer. Collect 10 Mitzvah Points Give money to SA/TO. Collect 10 Mitzvah Points Volunteer. Collect 10 Mitzvah Points Teach someone something new. Collect 15 Mitzvah Points Go to shul on a chag instead of school. Collect 15 Mitzvah Points Eat a cheeseburger: -5 Mitzvah Points Go out with friends on Friday night: -5 Mitzvah Points Date a non-Jew: -10 Mitzvah Points Miss shul for a soccer game: -10 Mitzvah Points Spend your SA/TO money on something else: -15 Mitzvah points Got caught bullying someone: -20 mitzvah points Had an argument with your sister and your apology wasn’t sincere- lose 10 mitzvah points You are the network administrator for a rather large company. You have a young family and need your job to support them. As part of your responsibility as a network administrator is to monitor the emails for the organization. Usually this just means occasionally allow through emails for staff members that have been accidentally blocked by the spam filters. One day you get a helpdesk request from a staff member asking for an email to get released. Normally it’s standard procedure except this time the request has come from the wife of a very good friend of yours. You recognize the name on the helpdesk request so quickly attend to the problem. As part of the procedure you need to manually open up the email to ensure that it isn’t spam, so you do and you discover that it certainly isn’t spam. You find that it’s actually an email to your friend's wife from her lover. You scan the rest of the contents of the email and there is no doubt that she has been having an affair for some time now. You release the email, but you can’t decide what to do. You’re initial reaction is to call your friend up and tell him about the email, however you quickly realize that company policy is very strict about revealing the contents of confidential emails of staff members regardless of the contents and unless someone’s life is in immediate danger, under no circumstances are you permitted to reveal the information. In any case you know that revealing this information presents great risk, because even if you don’t do it directly, there is a good chance that the dots will be joined somewhere along the line and you will be found out. However you feel that by not telling you friend that you are aiding his wife get away with adultery and this troubles you greatly. What do you do? 2) The mood at Baileyville High School is tense with anticipation. For the first time in many, many years, the varsity basketball team has made it to the state semifinals. The community is excited too, and everyone is making plans to attend the big event next Saturday night. You, the varsity coach, have been waiting for years to field such a team. Speed, teamwork, balance: they've got it all. Only one more week to practice, you tell the team, and not a rule can be broken. Everyone must be at practice each night at the regularly scheduled time: No Exceptions. Brad and Mike are two of the team's starters. From their perspective, they're indispensable to the team, the guys who will bring victory to Baileyville. They decide—why, no one will ever know—to show up an hour late to the next day's practice. You are furious. They have deliberately disobeyed your orders. The rule says they should be suspended for one full week. If you follow the rule, Brad and Mike will not play in the semifinals. But the whole team is depending on them. What should you do? You are a data analyst for a major casino, working after normal business hours to finish an important project. You realizes that you are missing data that had been sent to your coworker Robert. You inadvertently observed Robert typing his password several days ago and decide to log into Robert’s computer and resend the data to yourself. Upon doing so, you see an open email regarding gambling bets Robert placed over the last several days with a local sports book. All employees of the casino are forbidden to engage in gambling activities to avoid any hint of conflict of interest. You know you should report this but would have to admit to violating the company’s information technology regulations by logging into Robert’s computer. If you warn Robert to stop his betting, you would also have to reveal the source of your information. What do you in this situation? 4) You work in the claims department of a major hospital. Paperwork on a recent admission shows that one patient needed an adjustment in the medication she is prescribed to control anxiety and mood swings. You notice the patient’s name and see that she is one of your daughter’s school teachers. Your daughter seems very happy in her school and you cannot violate patient confidentiality by informing the school of a teacher’s mental illness but you are not comfortable with a potentially unstable person in a position of influence and supervision over your eight year old daughter. What do you do? You are at a party at a friend’s house, whose parents are out of town. Many teens have brought a little beer, wine, or liquor that they have sneaked out of their parent’s liquor cabinet. With all of the alcohol together, it really starts to add up. The party is fun at first, until one boy drinks too much alcohol. He is hyperventilating and throwing up profusely. He can’t stop. All of the other kids can tell he is really sick, not just someone who throws up after a bit of drinking. No one is in the condition to drive him to the hospital. What do you do? Do you call 911, and risk getting in trouble with the police in order to save your friend, or do you risk driving him to the emergency room, even though you’ve been drinking, if it means you might not get in trouble? Do you leave him at the emergency room and go away, as to not get into trouble? Does someone call their parents and risk getting in trouble with parents instead of the police? 6) You are terrible at taking tests, and you have an important math test coming up. You understand the material but the stress of taking the test is too much for you. You are stuck on a question worth a lot of points, and you notice that the girl in front of you, who you’ve worked with as a study partner, has answered the question. The teacher watching over the test turns away, and you consider cheating. After all, you understand the content and you worked on the material with the person you would be copying from, you just aren’t good at taking tests. If you fail, you might not get into your chosen university. The teacher is still turned away; completely oblivious to what is going on. What would you do? 7) You and Samantha are best friends. Both of you have recently started high school. You are so close that you share every problem with each other and always take care of each other. After few days, a new boy, Jack, joined your high school. Jack is very cute and Samantha has a crush on him. Samantha became friends with Jack quickly, but the other day you noticed that Jack was flirting with other girls. You want to tell this to Samantha but what if she doesn’t believe you. Samantha is so involved in Jack that she is in no mood to listen to anything against him. You think if you say anything negative about Jack, you would lose her friendship but if you keep quiet, it wouldn't be any good for Samantha’s future. Challenges: 1) Place these CRUSY cities in order based on Jewish Population: Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dayton, Louisville, Cincinnati a. 1st try – 20 points b. 2nd try – 200 c. 3rd try – 100 2) Write and perform short rap about a Jewish life-cycle event (bris, baby-naming, b’nai mitzvah, wedding, etc.) 3) Decide on and sing a Jewish wedding song together as a group 4) Create a human pyramid with your family 5) Write and present a speech in honor of your son’s Bar Mitzvah (son in your family) 6) Your daughter is getting married!! Propose a toast to her on this great occasion! Trivia - Earn 100 Bucks for each: 1) 2) 3) 4) What is the name of the ceremony where one redeems their first-born son? On what side of the door and in what direction do you place a Mezuzah? Yizkor, the memorial prayer, is recited four times each year. On which days is it recited? At Jewish weddings, there is a tradition to break glass under the chuppah (wedding canopy). Why do the bride and groom break the glass? 5) At a boy’s Brit Milah, for whom is a chair set aside? 6) When sitting Shiva, why do we cover the mirrors? Statements: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) Your apology on Yom Kippur was insincere, lose 100 Mitzvah Bucks , earn 100 Mitzvah Bucks You ate your bread rather than throwing it into the river at Tashlich, lose 100 Mitzvah Bucks You led an engaging Passover Seder, earn 200 Mitzvah Bucks Your family argued for 3 hours without accomplishing anything, lose 100 Mitzvah Bucks Your family volunteered at the local soup kitchen, earn 200 Mitzvah Bucks Your family donated coats and gloves to a local shelter to help those in need, earn 200 Mitzvah Bucks Pay Day Sqaures: Your kid is home sick and an adult needs to stay home with him/her. If you are unemployed, retired, or a homemaker please collect 20 mitzvah points. Your shul needed last minute volunteers. If you are unemployed, retired, or a homemaker please collect 20 mitzvah points Your family saves money by not needing to hire a Bar Mitzvah tutor. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a teacher at a Jewish day school. You get free tuition to your local Jewish day school. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a teacher at a Jewish day school. Someone passes out while doing an aliyah at shul. You were able to revive him. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a Doctor. You were able to donate your time at a free medical clinic for the homeless. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a doctor. You help your shul receive a non-profit organization certificate. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are the lawyer. You successfully defend your family friend who got fired for missing work on Shabbat. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are the lawyer. You deliver an amazing sermon. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a rabbi. You teach a Torah study class. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are the rabbi/ You teach a Jewish studies call at your University. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a professor. You sponsor an event at your University’s hillel. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a professor. You convince the Parking authority of your city to allow street parking on Shabbat on holidays. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a government employee. You help your shul get authorization for its construction plans. collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a government employee. You perform at a shul fundraiser. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are an entertainer. Teach a performance related elective at your Jewish Day School. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are an entertainer. You raise $10,000. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a director of a non-profit jewish organization. You start a scholarship program through your organization. 20 mitzvah points if you are a director of a non-profit jewish organization. You cater for a USY convention. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a caterer. You found a new kosher recipe. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are a caterer. You make an art display for you shul. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are an artist. You sell handmade kippot. Collect 20 mitzvah points if you are an artist. Traditionally, pomegranates are reputed to contain 613 seeds representing the 613 mitzvot, which is why it has become customary to eat pomegranate as one of the symbolic foods of Rosh Hashana and pray, “That our merits shall increase like a pomegranate.” (Before you ask, pomegranates do not have a set number of seeds!) Board Game Squares for Game of Life UH-OH! YOU ATE YOUR BREAD RATHER THAN THROWING IT INTO THE RIVER AT TASHLICH. GIVE UP 15 MITZVAH POINTS STOP HERE AND RAP WITH JOE NAME THE FIVE BOOKS OF THE TORAH IN HEBREW AND ENGLISH EARN 15 MITZVAH POINTS NAME THE 7 SPECIES OF THE LAND OF ISRAEL EARN 10 MITZVAH POINTS NAME AND SING AN ACROSTIC IN T’FILLOT EARN 15 MITZVAH POINTS WITHOUT TALKING, GET IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER OF YOUR HEBREW NAME EARN 15 MITZVAH POINTS SING BARUCH Ha GEVER AS A ROUND, WITH ALL THREE PARTS EARN 10 MITZVAH POINTS WHAT ARE THE 4 SPECIAL SHABBATOT LEADING UP TO PASSOVER? EARN 10 MITZVAH POINTS BONUS OF ANOTHER 5 MITZVAH POINTS IF YOU CAN NAME THE FIFTH WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE ISRAELI EQUIVALENT OF CONSERVATIVE JUDAISM CALLED? EARN 10 MITZVAH POINTS SING THE crusy CHEER WITH AN INTERPRETIVE DANCE EARN 10 MITZVAH POINTS NAME THE 10 PLAGUES IN ENGLISH OR HEBREW EARN 10 MITZVAH POINTS STOP HERE FOR A QUESTION FROM CANTOR SHIFMAN NAME AS MANY OVERNIGHT RAMAH CAMPS AS YOU CAN YOU ARE IN CONFIRMATION CLASS AT YOUR SHUL EARN 10 MITZVAH POINTS WHERE WAS JUDAISM FOUNDED? A) Israel B) Mesopotamia C) Palestine EARN 5 MITZVAH POINTS HEBREW WAS REVIVED AFTER NOT BEING SPOKEN FOR 16 CENTURIES AS A SPOKEN LANGUAGE. CHOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE A) ELIEZER ben YEHUDA B) SHIMEON ben SHETACH C) JUDAH ben TABBAI EARN 5 MITZVAH POINTS WHAT JEWISH HOLIDAY IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE TANACH? A) SHAVUOT B) CHANUKAH C) YOUM KIPPUR EARN 5 MITZVAH POINTS JUDITH RESNICK WAS THE FIRST JEWISH AMERICAN IN SPACE AND THE FIRST JEWISH WOMAN IN SPACE WHO DIED IN THE IN THE CHALLANGER DISATER, JANUARY 28,1986. a. CANTON, OHIO b. ARKON, OHIO c. CLEVELAND, OHIO EARN 5 MITZVAH POINTS WHAT HOLIDAY IS 50 DAYS FROM THE LAST DAY OF PASSOVER? a. SHAVUOT b. LAG B’OMER c. THERE ISN’T ONE EARN 5 MITZVAH POINTS IN WHAT CITIES WERE THE MATRIACHS BURIED? a. HAIFA b. JERUSALEM c. HEBRON EARN 5 MITZVAH POINTS This city in Israel holds an international jazz festival ever year. Which one? 1. Tel Aviv 2. Tzfat 3. Eilat Earn 5 Mitzvah Points