Alternative Winter Break 2016 Post Teach the Children – Rachel Davenport

Since the beginning of this school year, I’ve been working with pre-schoolers and Kindergartners at my synagogue. Since working with these kids I have discovered a passion for working with young children. Today I had the amazing opportunity to volunteer at the JCC in Los Angeles and work with young children. We read a book about mitzvot, sang songs about Hanukkah, and made decorated menorahs. All of these activities that we had done with the younger kids today, I had done with the kids I work with at my synagogue.  When we read them Hanukkah Cookies with Sprinkles, we were teaching them that giving to those who are less fortunate and sharing is a mitzvah and a good deed and something that they should do. After we read the story filled with mitzvot, we sang about dreidels. One of the kids said that the dreidel should be made out of Hanukkah and should be shared with her school friend, Monica. Since we had read about how sharing was a good deed, these children now know that sharing is a good thing and that they should share. I’m so glad that I had this amazing opportunity to make an impact in these children’s life and teach them things that will help them grow later on in their lives.

~ Rachel Davenport is a 10th grader from Tucson, Arizona