Facilitate a discussion with teens on how they feel about any topic. For example, you can discuss their connection with Hashem and how they'd like to see it develop.
Use pictures to spark creative thoughts and to help concretize their feelings.
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Goal:
Facilitate a discussion with teens on how they feel about any topic. For example, you can discuss their connection with Hashem and how they'd like to see it develop.
Set Up:
- Print out a variety of pictures (download a sample set here), and cut out each one.
- Place all the pictures on the floor (or table), in the center of the room.
Activity:
- Ask your teens: "Which picture best describes your current connection with Hashem? Take 2-3 minutes to silently look at each of these pictures and choose one that can help describe your connection with Hashem."
- Go around the circle and ask everyone to share their thoughts: Which picture did they choose? Why did they choose it?
- Ask the teens: "Which picture describes your ideal connection with Hashem? Which one demonstrates what you want your connection with Hashem to be like?" Again, go around and discuss.
- Lastly, ask everyone: "What do you think is the difference between the picture you chose first and the one you chose last? If the latter picture represents your ideal, how do you think you can reach that ideal? What concrete steps could you take toward achieving your goal?"
Suggested Topics to Discuss:
- Relationship with Hashem
- Relationship with friends
- Relationship with other Jews
- Relationship with Israel
- Feelings about tznius (modesty)
- Life in General
- Learning Torah
- Connection to Torah
- How you define yourself
- How you feel about a specific holiday (Pesach, Purim, Chanukah, etc.)
- Other people's expectations of them
- Belief in God
- Forgiveness
- God's expectations of them
- Keeping kosher
- Prayer
- Responsibility