Six Ways to Uplift This Upcoming Back to School Season

Six Ways to Uplift This Upcoming Back to School Season

Building Jewish habits around our homes is a wonderful way to bring a faithful foundation into daily life, and this new upcoming school year offers us a chance to approach “Back to School” with a Jewish lens especially ahead of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashana.

Below are six practical but small ways to begin:

1. Start the day reciting the morning prayer of Modeh Ani.

Before the morning rush, school prep, and backpack filling, let us remind ourselves to pause and thank the Creator for giving us life and the opportunity to begin a new day. Reciting the prayer of Modeh Ani allows us to recognize Gd’s presence and begin the day with purpose.

2. Bless our pancakes.

This suggestion may seem like satire, but it is far from it. Bringing awareness to Gd even in mealtimes is the ultimate way to instill a Jewish education in our children. A ten second blessing on our food can turn an ordinary practice into a Jewish one.

3. Give a penny, even two, to someone that may have less than you.

The mitzvah of Tzeddaka, charity, encourages us and our children to prioritize generosity, and making it a habit of adding a few coins daily into a familial Tzeddaka box habitualizes goodwill, even at a young age. A child who learns that every day can include an act of giving to those in need carries a Jewish value that lives on for life.

4. Kiss your Mezuzah on the way out the door.

We’re rushing, we’re gathering the children and we’re making sure everyone has what they need for the day. But in the midst of the morning chaos, let us habitualize the mitzvah of Mezuzah. Allowing ourselves to pause and keep Gd in our presence with a quick kiss to the Mezuzah on our way out of the house to start our busy days shifts the focus from us to that of the Creator. Just like the Mezuzah placed on our doorposts acts as a Divine protection, let us use the act of kissing the Mezuzah as a way to protect our own personal sanctity in our awareness of Gd’s presence.

5. Shabbat Shalom, hey!

The school week can be busy, especially after summer vacation, but Friday at sundown is a Divine opportunity to reset. It is the ultimate Pause button. The candles are lit, the table is set and the glasses of wine are filled. This familiar Jewish ritual of Shabbat is a gift that allows us to put ordinary life aside and focus on what truly matters at the end of the day.

6. End the day with Shema.

If the morning begins with the prayer of Modeh Ani, let the day end with the blessing of Shema, allowing us to end a busy day with words of faith. The prayer of Shema reminds us that we are never alone. It is a moment we’re given at the end of the day to place our stresses and worries into Gd’s hands, putting our ultimate and full trust in Him.

A Modeh Ani in the morning. A blessing over breakfast. A coin in the Tzeddakah box. A kiss to the Mezuzah at the door. A familiar and familial reset on Friday night. And Shema before bed.

These small moments, repeated daily, can help children, and adults, experience Judaism as something that is lived, every day, everywhere, and throughout the entire school year.

        Wishing you a successful Back to School season from Judaica.com!