As part of the JKHA seventh and eighth grade study of the building of the Beit Hamikdash in Sefer Melachim students participated in a Project-Based Learning unit where they learned about how shuls are a mikdash me’at patterned in many ways after the Beit Hamikdash.

Students were asked to consider what makes a place special and then asked to think about what makes the Beit Hamikdash and a shul special. They were then tasked to work in groups and create their own shuls with a name, mission statement, guidelines and an action plan to specifically implement one of those rules. They created trifolds with blueprints of their shuls and video commercials encouraging people to attend their shuls. Students displayed their completed group projects for their grades this week for their peers and teachers to see.

Before the presentation, the classes were joined via Zoom by Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler of AABJ&D in West Orange who responded to students’ questions about different aspects of a shul and community that they considered during the course of the project. This project is sure to encourage students to find meaning in their personal shul experiences and to take leadership roles in impacting the shuls of the future.