As One Man With One Heart

Goal: the Chanichim should understand the importance of being united as a Bnei-Akiva group and of course as a nation.

Materials: puzzle (the bigger/simpler the puzzle the better), something soft (just in case)

Instructions:

# Give each Chanich a puzzle part (if you have too few Chanichim give two parts and if you have too many give every two one part, but it is important to give out all the parts). Tell them to do the mission on the other side of the puzzle piece (they have to find out something about one of their friends)-make sure that all the Chanichim are being asked and not that everyone asks the most popular ones. After they’re all done ask each one of them to tell one thing that he found out about his friend, and then tell them to put the puzzle together.

# Ask the Chanichim what will happen to the puzzle if one of them wouldn’t put his piece? The answer is that the puzzle won’t be completed. Explain them that our group is like the puzzle. we need everyone for being a real group, we are all part of something and that gives us responsibility for the group.

# Now when we understand that lets see if you can handle this responsibility in a game (Madrich: make sure there is something soft on the floor). Split the Chanichim into groups of three. Two kids have to hold hands together and the third one has to stand with his back to them, when you count until three all the kids who are standing with their backs have to lye back, and the two other kids have to catch the third one.

# As you can see as a group we have responsibility for each other (like the kids who have to catch the third one) but we can also be sure that there is always someone to lye on.

Did you know that if you take a small and short branch from a tree and put it in a glass of water for a few weeks it can grow routs and become a tree?! Isn’t it cool?

#Show your Chanichim the different parts of the tree (added) and ask them what they could grow into. Share with them your incredible knowledge about the way trees work and explain why: because in every small part of the tree there is the same core (to explain the D.N.A is kind of complicated, let go of it..) and all the parts grow from the same seed.

#Explain that THE SAME GOES FOR US! All of am Yisrael have the same pure part of G-d inside us and we are all alike in a certain way. We must find the similar part and unite!  

# In Parashat BeHa'alotcha the first subject is the Menora, who knows what the Menora was made of? Gold of course, but it was made in a very special way. Moshe didn’t succeed to make the Menora so Hashem told him to put one big piece of gold in the fire and when Moshe took it and Betzalel curved it a bit, it was made by itself. The Menora is made from one big piece and not from a lot of little pieces. What do you think it teaches us? The answer is that Am-Yisrael is one big piece united together, of course that each individual has is own personality like in the Menora, each part is unique but it is all from the same source.

# We have to remember this lesson from the Parasha in every part of our life. As a family, as a class, as a Shevet and of course as Am-Yisrael. We have lots of problems now- as a nation and we should all be united and ask Hashem for Yeshua and for help to all the injured people even if we don’t know them personally because they are all part of us.

Suitable for Shabbat (although you may have to check about the puzzle section)