Teens will learn how to implement a Torah approach to growing from adversity.
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Introduction
- Share a brief story about a challenge you went through - with or without the results.
- Then, ask for a raise of hands for those who experience adversity in their life on a regular basis.
- Then, share the following: “Over the course of this session, you will learn a Torah approach to dealing with and growing from adversity.”
- Hand out copies of the magazine that contains Torah sources about growing from adversity.
Discussion
A) An Approach
- Ask the NCSYers to go around and share a category of adversity that people experience. Validate their answers.
- Ask them about Torah characters who have had struggles.
- Then, have the NCSYers vote to pick one of the 3 characters in the magazine and have the NCSYers read it. Split up the reading among the NCSYers.
- Ask them if they know people today who are as strong as the character they chose.
- Ask them if they can figure out the skills employed to accomplish what they accomplished. Use the page of Quotable Quotes, page 11, for some inspiration.
- When done with the dialogue, turn to page 12 and go through each of the steps. Show them that there is a dotted line by the margin to cut this page out for them to hold on to!
B) Why do we have challenges?
- Ask NCSYers if they have asked that question to themselves. Then, see Ramban on page 13.
- Then, show them that even though the Ramban writes that it is all about choices. Failure is normal. Last source on page 13.
- And in fact, the reward of greatness is not in the destination, but in the struggle. See Pachad Yitzchak on page 14.
Conclusion
- Find a story of struggle and success to close. (For example: Michael Jordan didn’t make his basketball team in high school, or Abraham Lincoln had many, many failed contests before becoming president.)
- Reiterate the goal above.