|
|
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is An Ethical Start®?What is Pirkei Avot? What is the Mishna? What are “the commentaries?" Who are the Sages? Who is Peer K. Explorer®? Who is Dafna®? Glossary What does is mean to “explore the Jewish text?" Who are the “others" in the “What Others Have Said" section? How can I participate as a parent in An Ethical Start®? How can I bring An Ethical Start®to my JCC? What is An Ethical Start®?An Ethical Start® is an ethics curriculum for children, parents, and teachers based on the ancient Jewish text Pirkei Avot.What is Pirkei Avot?Pirkei Avot is a book of the Mishna, literally translated as “Chapters of the Fathers.” The title also means essential “principles,” ethics to guide us in our daily lives. It has been studied for centuries and has been translated into many languages.The book consists of five chapters and a sixth as an addendum. The first four chapters concern proper ethical and social conduct and the importance of Torah study. The fifth chapter consists mostly of anonymous sayings structured around numerical lists, several of which have no direct connection with ethics. The last four paragraphs return to the format of moral adages attributed to specific rabbis. In most printed editions of Avot, a sixth chapter, Kinyan Torah ("Acquisition of Torah") is added. During the long summer Shabbat afternoons, between Passover and Rosh Hashanah, the six chapters of Pirkei Avot are read in all synagogues, and rabbis lecture on its teachings; the book is therefore included in many prayer books following the Sabbath afternoon prayers. What is the Mishna?The Mishna (Hebrew) is the major source of rabbinic Judaism's religious text and the first written recording of the Oral Law. There are multiple authors of this work, codified by the redactor, Rabbi Judah HaNasi (200 CE). There are six orders of the Mishna. Pirkei Avot is categorized in the section of Nezikin, "Damages," which deals with property damages, injuries, legal disputes between individuals, and the Jewish court process. One reason the rabbis classified Pirkei Avot in this section is that Damages has to do with relationships between individuals, and ethics shape the Jewish law. A mishna is a short passage within the overall Mishna.What are “the commentaries?"Pirkei Avot has been studied for centuries by generations of Jewish scholars and lay people. Many of those scholars recorded their questions, thoughts, and comments on Pirkei Avot, sometimes in response to the works of earlier generations. This web of literature woven around the text of Pirkei Avot is known as “commentary.” New commentaries on Pirkei Avot continue to be written to this day.Who are the Sages?“The Sages” is a term used to refer to the rabbinic authors of the Mishna (from which Pirkei Avot is taken), the Talmud, and other classical Jewish texts.Who is Peer K. Explorer®?Peer K. Explorer is the children's guide through the world of Pirkei Avot. He helps us ask and answer questions about the ideas and teachings of the curriculum. Peer K. Explorer may appear in your children’s classroom in the guise of a doll and is a character in the children’s books.Who is Dafna®?Dafna is Peer K.’s friend and companion. She appears in the story books and will be making her entrance in doll form in classrooms soon.Glossaryben (Hebrew) means “son of (As in Yehoshua ben Perachya, ben Zoma, etc.) “Ben” means “son of.” In ancient Israel, before the advent of surnames, people were commonly identified as “X” ben “Y." k’ney lecha chaver (Hebrew) means “acquire for yourself a friend.” Midrash Shmuel (Hebrew) is the title of a 16th century commentary on Pirkei Avot authored by Rabbi Samuel d’Ouzida of Venice. mishna (Hebrew) means "repetition" or "teaching." A mishna is a short passage within the overall corpus known as the Mishna. Mishna (Hebrew) means “teaching.” It is used to refer to (a) the Mishna—a vast compendium of Jewish law and ethical teachings from which Pirkei Avot is taken, and (b) the individual teachings found in the Mishna. Oral Torah (Oral Law) refers to the oral traditions and legal interpretations associated with the Five Books of Moses (Pentateuch). Pirkei Avot (Hebrew) means “Chapters of the Fathers.” It is an ancient Jewish text which teaches ethics, morals, and wisdom. An Ethical Start® curriculum is based on Pirkei Avot. Rabbenu Yona (Hebrew) means “our rabbi Yona,” the name of a 13th century Spanish rabbi and author of an important commentary on Pirkei Avot and other works of Jewish scholarship. Rabbi Meir is one of the Sages cited in Pirkei Avot. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch was a 19th century German rabbi and the author of a commentary on Pirkei Avot and many other works of modern Jewish scholarship. Sages is a term used to refer to rabbis of the Mishnaic and Talmudic period. Siddur (Hebrew) means “prayer book.” Talmud (Hebrew) refers to the monumental work of scholarship written to elucidate the Mishna. Torah (Hebrew) refers to the Pentateuch (Five Books of Moses). Yehoshua ben Perachya (Hebrew) is the name of one of the Sages cited in Pirkei Avot. What does is mean to “explore the Jewish text?"Exploring the Jewish text means thinking, reading, and talking about the values and concepts expressed in the teachings of Pirkei Avot.Who are the “others" in the “What Others Have Said" section?The selections in this section are taken from the writings of scholars and commentators on Pirkei Avot. They represent a wide range of views from different periods and places in Jewish history.How can I participate as a parent in An Ethical Start®?We invite you to join your child in the journey of ethical exploration with An Ethical Start®. This website is just one portal into this exciting curriculum. Ask your child’s teacher how you can take an active role in your child’s learning process.How can I bring An Ethical Start®to my JCC?I'd like to bring An Ethical Start® to my JCC. What should I do?Talk to your executive director and the director of your early childhood program. They may already be thinking about bringing An Ethical Start® to your JCC. They will need your help to line up funding to support the program. Please let us help you. Contact us at peerk@jcca.org or call us at 212-786-5106. How much does it cost? The cost for bringing An Ethical Start® to your JCC depends on the number of teachers and families involved. You may want to begin with just a few classrooms and then expand in future years. We recommend you plan for three years of funding to get the program established. We can provide you with a worksheet to help you determine the cost for your JCC. Contact us at peerk@jcca.org or call us at 212-786-5106. Where can we get the money to pay for An Ethical Start®? When you invest in An Ethical Start® you are investing in the quality of your early childhood program. You'll find that An Ethical Start® is an attractive program to donors with a variety of interests, including interest in young children, professional development, family education, Jewish living, and most of all — interest supporting a program with a track record of success. Contact us at peerk@jcca.org or call us at 212-786-5106. |
