This exercise gives students a chance to grapple with issues that, for them, pose important moral questions. It also allows them to connect meaningfully with the rest of the congregation. I offer some ideas that I have used in conducting children's services on Yom Kippur Day. Often this leads to a discussion of how we can make God more present in our lives. Another idea is to have everyone chant a phrase involving the name of God over and over, with a simple movement that they can do while standing at their seats.
Children love the rhythm of the chanting and the opportunity to move their bodies.
Often I introduce this exercise after having told an Hasidic story with a theme about how everyone is able to communicate with God in very basic ways. After each presentation the class raises imaginary shofarot and has a mini shofar-blowing ceremony. This allows children to feel empowered and positive about the process of change in their lives. The above teaching ideas can easily be adapted to family programs and home use. From the Autumn 1993 issue of the JRF Quarterly Reconstructionism Today .