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 our shuls are a מקדש מעט 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 commercials encouraging people to attend their shuls. Students displayed their completed group projects in the atrium for their peers to see.

Rebbeim from area shuls—Rabbi Eliezer Zwickler of AABJ&D in West Orange, Rabbi Chaim Marcus of Congregation Israel in Springfield, Rabbi Elie Mischel of Suburban Torah in Livingston and Rabbi Yosef Sharbat of the Sephardic minyan at AABJ&D in West Orange—came for a panel discussion about different aspects of a shul and community. Questions for the panel were submitted by the students while they worked on their projects.