Jewish Girl Scouting

I am nominally coleader for Shira's troop this year.  The new coleader has stepped up and done an amazing amount.  The year is looking to be spectacular.  We have our calendar all planned out through the winter break.

This is the second year with the troop.  We will meet again this year right after Religious School.  We have always been a "Jewish Troop" and not done any activities on Shabbat and only allowed kosher snacks.  But that has been the extent to which the Girl Scouts and Judiasm intersected.

This year, the "Jewishness" of the troop will be much more in evidence.  At our first meeting, we will be teaching the girls the Girl Scout Promise in Hebrew.  We are making scrapbooks that will keep all the things the learn (songs/poems/etc) for the year.  The first two entries will go in at the first meeting.  They will be the Girl Scout Promise and Law in both Hebrew and English on page 1.  Page 2 will be Hatikvah.


בכבדי  אנסה  לשרת  את  אלוהי   וארצי
לעזור לזולת תמיד 
ולחיות בהתאם לכללי  הצופות

We will have both an Israeli Flag and an American Flag for our opening.  After reciting the Promise in both Hebrew and English, we will sing Hatikvah and then begin the business of the week.
We are also decorating a troop Tzedakah box.  Instead of bringing dues each week, the girls will bring Tzedakah instead and put it in our troop box.  As part of our Pesach prep, the troop will use the money will purchase food for the food bank to go along with the Pesach them "let all who are hungry come eat."
Our first fieldtrip is going to be a Sukkah decorating party on Erev Sukkot at the coleaders house.  All year long we will be working on our Jewish Girl Scout Award, Lehavah.

I am so thrilled to see this joyous mixture of influences coming together.  I like that our troop is special in this manner.




Comments

  1. Wow - that is so cool! I loved Brownies & Girl Guides (the Canadian equivalent). "I promise, on my honour, to do my best, to do my duty, to God, the Queen and my country. To help other people at all times and remember the Guide Law." They have changed it since then - I think they took out God. Natch. :-(((
    I wish we had enough interest here... but no go, I'm afraid. I don't even know any Jewish kids here who do guiding/scouting. :-(
    Enjoy it!!! (what a fabulous way to integrate every aspect of a child's life, interest, social life, etc...)

    ReplyDelete

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