Ma Koreh
Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Life Primary
Year 5 reflects on four questions
‘Who is wise?’
‘Who is brave?’
‘Who is rich?’
‘Who is honoured?’
These questions were asked by the teacher, Ben Zoma, and form part of the ethical teachings found in the Mishnah called Pirke Avot (4.1).
Students developed their own responses to these four questions, before hearing Ben Zoma’s answers to his own questions.
Through this thinking activity, we modelled some of the unique aspects of Jewish learning, including:
- Engaging with Jewish texts
- The role of asking questions to spark curiosity and critical thinking
- The power of learning with others (called chevrutah)
- The importance of listening to, and respecting, different opinions and ideas.
You may like to try asking these questions around your Shabbat dinner table to see what ideas your family comes up with.
Below is a collation of the thoughtful responses from the students in 5 Degania:
