10a+Jeff+Shalom+Aleichem

=**Avishai Cohen’s Shalom Aleichem**= [] media type="youtube" key="OQvgVi1JbCs?rel=0" height="349" width="425" BTW, the video link on MediaMidrash is dead; but I found another copy:

//Rabbi Yossi the son of Rabbi Yehuda said: Two ministering angels accompany a person// //home on Friday night from the synagogue. One is an angel of good and one is an angel// //of evil.// //When the person arrives home to find that Shabbat candles lit, the table set, and the beds// //made, the angel of good says, **"May it be Your will that the next Shabbat should be the**// **//same."//** //And against his will, the angel of evil answers, **"Amen."**// //If not, then the angel of evil says, **"May it be Your will that the next Shabbat should be**// **//the same."//** //And against his will, the angel of good answers, **"Amen."**// -Babylonian Talmud Tractate Shabbat 119b The lesson also includes criteria for assessment and reflection at the end.
 * Synopsis of video**: Jazz bass player Avishai Cohen sings a Middle-Eastern flavored version of Shalom Aleichem. In the video, Cohen appears as a mysterious guardian angel figure who trips a boy and thus saves him from being hit by a car. The boy in turn stops a girl on a bicycle from being hit by a motorcyclist. The girl goes on to hail a cab that she does not need, which is grabbed by a frantic woman in labor. Similar events take place, all overseen from the rooftops by Cohen. The entire video appears to have been shot in Tel Aviv, and is a fascinating juxtaposition of the very secular surroundings and the holy theme of the music.
 * The Lesson**: The lesson reflects on the concept of hashgacha pratit – Divine intervention, and reflects on the idea of guardian angels. What do we mean by God sending His ministering angels to bless us? Must we view them as supernatural beings? Does God have other ways protecting and blessing us? Can we not be guardian angels for each other?
 * Format:** The lesson is very well laid-out. Using a UBD format, it enumerates the Big Ideas and objectives (SWBAT). It is designed for a 45-minute period, and the allotted time for each of the 8 steps is spelled out to the minute.
 * Materials:** The lesson provides the prayer Sholom Aleichem in Hebrew and English translation, as well as the famous story in the Talmud:

I particularly appreciated the connection of the lesson to the video – when we ask God for help, must it come in the form of an overt miracle? Or is a caring hand from a friend or stranger also the hand of God?
 * Impressions:** I was very impressed by how well this lesson was put together. The authors have thought of many clever angles to promote reflection and discussion by the students. The lesson is thought-out from beginning to end, and allows the teacher to be a facilitator and not a lecturer.And it forces the students to think about something they may take for granted (God's protection) in a whole new light (God works through many agents, even human ones).