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 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 a commitment their shul will make to help bring the building of the Beit Hamikdash. They created logos for their shuls, designed a parochet for their Aron Kodesh using the new Glowforge laser printer in the middle school STEAM Lab and made video commercials encouraging people to attend their shuls.

Students displayed their completed group projects for their grades, peers and teachers. Before the presentation, students were joined by a panel of community rabbis from Livingston and West Orange, Rabbi Zwickler, Rabbi Klibanoff and Rabbi Sharbat, who responded to students’ questions about different aspects of shuls and communities that they considered during the course of the project. This immersive project will encourage students to find meaning in their personal shul experiences and to take leadership roles in impacting the shuls of the future.