This Wednesday, we kicked off a new program in KES boys!
The name of the program is SHINE and it will take place over the next two months.
SHINE is all about bein adam lachaveiro – teaching the boys about interacting with each other.
Every letter in SHINE stands for something else that we will be working on, and every message is taught in tandem with a Possuk or Chazal that goes with it.
The S is “Stand Up to Put Downs”. The Torah tells us לא תעמוד על דם רעך. If you see anyone being insulted or embarrassed, you help them. We will discuss the power of the bystander and the role he can play.
“…the power of the bystander and the role he can play.”
The H is “Help Anyone in Need”. We will learn about עולם חסד יבנה and how fundamental Chessed is to Jewish life.
The letter I is to remind us to Include All. The concept of כל ישראל ערבים זה לזה teaches us how we can’t be exclusive and we do for others whether they are part of our group or not.
The N is to Notice the Positive. So many people immediately point out fault and jump on negativity. We need to change our perspective to look for the positive. טוֹב־עַיִן הוּא יְבֹרָךְ.
Finally, E is for Empathize with Others. All of our interactions with others should be seen with the lense of נושא בעול עם חבירו. We need to feel what our friends are going through and do our best to help.
“…feel what our friends are going through”
The program is going to be discussed and taught with skits, worksheets, activities, and other assorted methods.
Rabbi Ephraim Eliyahu Shapiro, Mora D’asra of Sha’aray Tefilla spoke at a schoolwide assembly to kick off the program.
It is our sincere hope that as time goes on, this will be more than a program. We hope these concepts will become embedded into our school culture and into the lives of our students.