Resources » Shabbat

Shabbat

• Prayers with Visual Supports

• File Folder Activities

• Books and Social Stories

Prayers with Visual Supports
Prayers with visual supports were created to help make prayers simple, accessible, and understandable for students with a variety of disabilities. In these files, each Hebrew phrase is illustrated by a simple symbol (we use Mayer-Johnson picture symbols). Students with disabilities can follow along with each prayer and learn to understand its meaning using symbol prayers. Assemble these prayers into a Siddur, or use them to create file folder activities.

Shabbat Candle Blessing

Kiddush

Motzi

 

 

 

 

File Folder Activities
File folder activities can help children review ideas and familiarize them with Jewish objects. Since they are inexpensive and relatively easy to make, you can accumulate a large stack of file folder activities in no time! The visual nature of file folder activities takes advantage of the visual strengths of children with autism and many other developmental disabilities.

• Click here for the Gateways Guide to Making File Folder Activities.

Shabbat File Folder Guide for Parents
This guide gives parents four tips about how they can use Shabbat file folder activities at home to help their children participate in welcoming Shabbat.

File Folder Guide for Teachers
This guide gives teachers specific tips for using file folder activities in the classroom. It also gives special instructions for helping students to make their own file folder activities, and tips for storing and organizing your classroom file folder activity library.

Color Match Blessing Shabbat Candles
Match the ladies blessing Shabbat candles by the colors of their dresses. This activity familiarizes students with the idea that we light candles on Shabbat and that we cover our eyes while we say blessings over the Shabbat candles.

Download kit to make your own Color Match Blessing Shabbat Candles activity.

Color Match Challah Covers
Match the challahs based on the colors of their challah covers. This activity will familiarize students with challah and the idea that challahs are covered with a cloth on Friday night.

Download kit to make your own Color Match Challah Covers activity.

Color Match Challah Covers 2
Match the challahs based on the colors of their challah covers. This activity will familiarize students with challah and the idea that challahs are covered with a cloth on Friday night.

Color Match Shabbat Candles
There is one candlestick missing from each pair! Students can find each candlestick's mate by matching the color. This activity helps reinforce the idea that we light two candles on Shabbat.

Download kit to make your own Color Match Shabbat Candles activity.

Match Associated Shabbat Objects
What Shabbat objects go together? Wine and a kiddush cup, a Torah and a yad. In this activity, students match Shabbat objects that are associated with each other. Each pair of objects has the same background color, which provides students with an additional visual cue about which objects go together. This cue also will help students to correct themselves if they make an error.

Download kit to make your own Match Associated Shabbat Objects activity.

Match Large Shabbat Objects
This file folder activity involves matching large photographs of Shabbat objects. Prior to recognizing line drawings of objects, some children are better able to understand photographic representations. In addition to trying this file folder, we recommend taking photographs of the actual objects you use in your home which would lend familiarity to this task for your child. For a child with fine motor challenges, consider mounting the photographs on chunky blocks of foam, or built up cardboard.

Download kit to make your own Match Large Shabbat Objects activity.

Photo Match Kiddush Cups
The kiddush cup you use at home is not the only example of a kiddush cup. Students with disabilities may have difficulty understanding that kiddush cups can be different colors or shapes and still all be kiddush cups. By using photographs of a wide variety of kiddush cups, this activity will help students to generalize the idea of a kiddush cup.

Download kit to make your own Photo Match Kiddush Cups activity.

Photo Match Shabbat Objects
This activity features photographs of the objects we use in welcoming Shabbat on Friday nights. It will help to familiarize students with these objects. Additionally, students who are able to read can review the name of each object.

Download kit to make your own Photo Match Shabbat Objects activity.

Symbol Match Candle Blessing
Students gain familiarity with the blessing over the Shabbat candles and its meaning as they match the symbols representing the blessing.

Download kit to make your own Symbol Match Candle Blessing activity.

Text Match Kiddush
For students who are able to read, this activity involves matching the words of the kiddush. Each word is written in a different color, helping students to zoom in on correct matches. Once this file folder activity is mastered, try making a new one with black text only for more difficulty. To increase difficulty you may also choose not to glue the paper text onto the file folder, leaving it blank. This requires students to sequence the prayer from memory without the aid of making matches.

Text Match Motzi
For students who are able to read, this activity involves matching the words of the motzi. Each word is written in a different color, helping students to zoom in on correct matches. Once this file folder activity is mastered, try making a new one with black text only for more difficulty. To increase difficulty you may also choose not to glue the paper text onto the file folder, leaving it blank. This requires students to sequence the prayer from memory without the aid of making matches.

Sequence Making Challah
How is challah made? In this activity students match pictures of the process of making challah, such as mixing, kneading, braiding, and baking. It may be fun to use this activity if you bake your own challahs at home.

Download kit to make your own Sequence Making Challah activity.

Sequence Making Challah 2
For students who are able to read. In this activity students match text descriptions of steps in the process of making challah with the correct pictures.

Download kit to make your own Sequence Making Challah activity.

Sequence Candle Blessing
This file folder activity is for students who are already familiar with the blessing over the Shabbat candles. This activity lets students place the blessing symbols in the correct order. Colored targets on the file folder and a colored frame around each symbol provide students with a visual cue to help them find the correct answer. This visual cue will also help students to correct themselves in case they make an error. Once this activity is mastered, try removing the colored frames and targets for a more difficult task. Another next step would be to make one of our text-matching file folder activities.

Download kit to make your own Sequence Candle Blessing.

Sequence Shabbat
This activity helps students to sequence the order of events on Friday night: candles, wine, challah, dinner. This activity may also double as a Friday night schedule to help students anticipate what will come next.

Download kit to make your own Sequence Shabbat activity.

Group Shabbat Objects
Mickey, Minnie, and their Disney friends each need to have candles, a kiddush cup, and a challah before Shabbat starts! Different-shaped pieces help cue students to give the correct items to each character. The shapes also help students correct themselves independently if they make an error.

Download kit to make your own Group Shabbat Objects activity.

Group Shabbat Objects 2
This activity helps students to group Shabbat candles, a kiddush cup, and challah together by using color as a visual cue. This activity familiarizes students with the concept that we use these three objects on Shabbat.

Download kit to make your own Group Shabbat Objects 2 activity.

Shabbat Grid
This file folder activity is a slightly more difficult puzzle. Students must place the pieces in the correct spot on the grid based on the picture and background color.

Download kit to make your own Shabbat Grid activity.

Shabbat Puzzle
This activity is for students who love puzzles! This 13-piece puzzle reveals a scene of a Shabbat table.

Download kit to make your own Shabbat Puzzle activity.

 

Books and Social Stories
Children with disabilities can feel anxious about unfamiliar situations and events. Books and social stories can set them up for success by showing children what to expect.

Jake's Shabbat Book
Celebrate Shabbat with Jake! One of our Gateways students demonstrates how he celebrates Shabbat on Friday night with the help of his teen volunteer. This book can help familiarize your children with Shabbat rituals. It also includes symbol prayers to help your children follow along as you recite each blessing.

Zoe's Shabbat Book
Celebrate Shabbat with Zoe! One of our Gateways students demonstrates how she celebrates Shabbat on Friday night with the help of her teen volunteer. This book can help familiarize your children with Shabbat rituals. It also includes symbol prayers to help your children follow along as you recite each blessing.

Shabbat Book Template
Make your child the star of his or her very own Shabbat book! Take photos of your child as you celebrate Shabbat and insert them into this Shabbat book template. The template includes the text of the Shabbat book as well as the prayers. Children just love looking at pictures of themselves as they go through the steps of welcoming Shabbat.

The Temple Book
Let's go to temple! This story helps prepare children for a trip to temple by telling them what events to expect, naming the people and items they will see, and explaining what behavior is expected of them. When children know what will happen in temple they will be less anxious and more likely to have a successful day.