At the “Beit Tzindlicht” children’s educational center—a leading preschool institution of the Jewish Community of Dnipro—the main theme of the week leading up to the 9th of Av was the study of the Beis HaMikdash. The students learned about the history of the building of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, discovering the First and Second Temples, their destruction, and the significance of these events in Jewish tradition.
To make the introduction to the theme both understandable and engaging for the children, the educators prepared a rich program of interactive activities. During the sessions, the children learned a great deal about the First and Second Temples, their structure, history, and the reasons for their destruction, as well as why the memory of the Beis HaMikdash holds such a central place in the life of the Jewish people. A special highlight of the thematic week was a vibrant soft-block show, which turned into an exciting and educational game.
The centerpiece of the program was the symbolic building of the Beis HaMikdash. Overcoming small obstacles, the children carried soft blocks and assembled them into a model of the Temple. Each participant named a good deed they could perform, as every such “brick” symbolized another mitzvah or good deed, which—according to the teaching of the Lubavitcher Rebbe—brings closer the coming of Moshiach and the building of the Third Temple. Through this interactive format, the students not only absorbed the new material more effectively but also came to understand that even the smallest good deeds carry great significance.
“When a child does not merely listen to a story but becomes an active participant in what is happening, they absorb the meaning of what they are learning on a much deeper level,” said preschool teacher Naomi Chaya Yavorskaya. “In teaching the children about the Beis HaMikdash, we aim to show that every good deed, every mitzvah, and even every kind word makes our world better and brings the time of Geulah closer. This instills in each child an understanding of their responsibility as a future member of the united and cohesive Jewish Community of Dnipro under the leadership of Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminezki.”
