8B+-+Jewish+Education+Video+Games

Post and comment on the value of at least three Jewish education video games. Put your name next to your post. @http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/354787/jewish/Games.htm
 * Chaim-** The first game was The Mitzvah Moon Walk. I don't know if there was any educational value in this game. It was an antiquated version of a 1980's Atari Game. I don't think children would actually learn Mitzvot from this game.

The second game reminded me of a Disney game. You had to prepare a table for Shabbat. I actually enjoyed the game. They explained each thing that you did and let you know if you were doing it wrong. I think there was some value in this game. I actually enjoyed messing up on purpose to get the candle sticks mad at me.  @http://jewishinteractive.net/site/Preparing-for-Shabbat--Shabbat-Interactive/main.html //DN: Although this was created for younger students, the team (from South Africa I believe) did a nice job.//

The third game could have been made from my students, 10 years ago. It was a basic Q and A about Israel geography. There was value in the knowledge and the questions were sophisticated. As far as a game, it was lacking in every aspect of the word game. the only cool part was a light would shine in the geographical area of the answer to your question.  @http://www.my-jewish-games.com/geographygame/index.php  //DN: Everything you observe is true - Jewish education lags far behind in game design and production.// --


 * Moshe** -
 * The Great Aleph Bet Race ([]) – In this game, the child sees an **** ב-א chart. The letters appear fast and the child has to click on the right letter from the chart. Could be really fun for kindergarten or first grade children who are learning the letter. **


 * Grab the Matzah ([]) – really fun games for young children. Matzah and bread are falling from the sky and the player has to aim the basket to grab the Matzah. As you get better, it gets a little harder. I can see how you may get tired of this game really fast. This will lead you to play other games on the site. **

//DN: Sounds like all of the above were disappointing. Poor production values and lacking in interest for children.//
 * Israel geography game ([]) - This game is made for alder kids. Can be really challenging. The questions are hard. The interface is not so welcoming. The images are too small. **

[] //DN: It reminds me of the preschool puzzles my granddaughter plays. Move the letter to the correct space.//
 * Amy -- **
 * I am a big fan of the apps created by Russell Neiss. Although they are not all games, they are all good! One app that I like is a game for Hebrew aleph-bet letter recognition. I like that it is for the very young, supports learning, doesn't try to do too much, and is mobile. I can see a parent and child interacting with this game at a time when a child is antsy, but has to wait for something. It doesn't have long-term playing potential like games for older children, but I can see if filling the need for something enriching to do while filling some time. **

http://www.g-dcast.com/lets-get-ready-passover/
 * There is also a Bedikat Chametz game that I also like. Also for the very young and also nice because it is short and doesn't try to do too much.**

http://www.g-dcast.com/q/
 * There are also several others from G-dcast that I like. One, which is pretty new is for teens (and adults) and has the purpose of un-packing Ecclesiastes.**

http://www.g-dcast.com/leviticus/ http://www.g-dcast.com/exodus/
 * Another is a Leviticus game that is more like what we think of, when we think of video games. Timed, points, etc.It is also for teens, but not more game and a lot less thinking than Ecclesiastes. There is also an Exodus game that skews quite a bit younger.**

http://www.g-dcast.com/radical-rabbis/
 * In some ways the best game from them is Radical Rabbis: The Adventures of Hillel & Shammai. This is for middle school up. It has the look and feel of a classic video game. I found it quite engaging and smart.**


 * While none of these games capture some of the cooperative learning that can happen with other educational video games, and I don't think I would say they are Constructivist or Brain-Based, I think that they were developed to be engaging for all, particularly for those who learn best when they can interact with material on their own, outside of a classroom setting, in order to extend learning.**

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0srNaoxDLCg
 * If I could sing the praises of Russell Neiss for one more moment, he is also the genius behind the iJedRvolution Twitter Bot, which I recommend to all in Jewish Education, and also the developer of an app for learning trope that is very good, another app called Torah Trope, which I have used from time to time with students, as well as the charming eScapegoat and the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance Megillat Esther app. Finally, he did this thought provoking mash-up of promotional pieces for B.F. Skinner's "teaching machine" and Blended Learning. I don't think his point is that any one technology is bad or good, it's always about goals and objectives and what the best tool and means are to get where we want to go, but that the discussion of technology as a learning and teaching tool is not a new one, and that we need to cast a critical eye when considering the educational technology we adopt. Enjoy!**

//DN: Amy - thank you for your thoughtful and extensive contributions to this page. I know that your colleagues (and I) will wish to examine these gems in greater depth.//

Dina-

After playing a number of Jewish video games, and having a sense of what is out there for secular education, it is clear to me that Jewish education is several generations behind when it comes to creating educational games. Even the games that one pays for are not anywhere near as sophisticated as what our students play every day. I really believe that this is an area where we need to make some serious strides, That said, here is my review of three free Jewish educational video games.

//DN: I agree 100% with your assessment of most of the games that one can find on the Web and some that are sold as part of Hebrew language curricula.// Hebrew Hangman: [] This is a very cute, animated version of the traditional hangman game. The object is for the player to help a mouse steal cheese from a sleeping cat within 7 moves by spelling out a basic Hebrew word. If the player is successful, a band strikes up “Hail to the Chief” as the mouse grabs a chunk of cheese. However, the longer it takes to guess the word, the more the cat begins to awaken, and if the player is not successful, the cat reaches out a paw and grabs the mouse by the tail as it turns to retreat. Fortunately, that is where a losing game ends! There are 50 categories of words from which to choose, including the Jewish calendar, Shabbat, holidays, Israel, Torah and so on. I think that this would be a great game for students in day school who are able to read Hebrew without vowels. It could be used in supplementary setting only if students have studied specific topics (such as the calendar) and are dealing with a finite number of words that they know so that reading without the vowels will not be a burden. This digital version of a classic paper and pencil game does not foster group participation or collaboration, although the animation and sound effects make the game fun to play. Multilingual Word Search: [] This game builds simple or more challenging word searches in Hebrew or English on specifically Judaic topics such as Shabbat, the Jewish calendar, holidays, Israel, famous Rabbis, as well as general topics, like the human body, fruit, sports and the weather. The Hebrew version of this game could be used in day school Hebrew classes where the general topics could be used for reviewing Hebrew vocabulary. The English version of the Jewish topics could be used in Jewish Studies classes in supplementary schools. The Hebrew version of the Jewish topics might also be useable in Hebrew clanotsses within a supplementary school. Even though the words in the puzzle do not have vowels, the list of words to found is provided in Hebrew, so students could play the game even if they have difficulty reading the words. If they know the words, they should be able to use the game as a vocabulary review. Like the hangman game, this is simple a digital version of a standard paper and pencil game. It does not foster group participation or foster collaboration, and it suffers from not providing animations, although the player is rewarded for a successful completion of the game with a round of applause. Alef-Bet Go: [] This game fosters learning alphabetical order in Hebrew which can be used to review script as well as print letters. The object of the game is to slide the letters into one of four rows. A maximum of ten letters can be placed in a single row, the letters must be placed in Alef=Bet order, and once a letter is placed it cannot be moved. Letters can be dropped away for later use. The game requires both knowing the order of Hebrew Alef-Bet and ability to strategize quickly, so that you can drop letters from the end of the Alef-Bet away to use at the end of the game. As with the other games cited, it does not foster collaboration and is strictly a single player game. But it is fun to play and presented enough of a challenge that I played it over and over, trying to beat my best score!

Aura http://www.chabad.org/kids/article_cdo/aid/486039/jewish/I-Shpy.htm A variation of I SPY with a Passover theme. I (and my kids) enjoy I SPY, so I decided to try it out. Unfortunately, it is not interactive online, rather it is meant to be printed out. It also, does not have instructions on how to complete an I SPY page. http://www.my-jewish-games.com/geographygame/index.php Geography of Israel with historical information. A bit challenging for those who have not studied or visited often. Not very interactive and a bit boring. You are given a graded score when complete. https://secure2.convio.net/jnf/site/SPageServer/?pagename=edu_havdalah_rebus A rebus about Havdallah http://www.my-jewish-games.com/hangman/index.php Jewish version of hangman Most of my search led to me to games for younger children. Adapted versions of traditional games, that can be played digitally, but not much more technological than that.

//DN: You highlighted an important point - interactivity is key! Also, a game needs to be fun, otherwise what is the point.//

Babette-I decided to do a general search & see what came up for me. There were definitely some interesting discoveries:

[] This is from Temple Kol Ami in Arizona; they have an online Hebrew sound matching game; it is fun & challenging because the bubbles move quickly. This game taps into learners that are auditory, visual & kinesthetic! here is a screen shot when you complete one of the 5 levels:

Check out [] There is a demo of this fun multi-module game to learn all the elements of celebrating Shabbat. Here is the description from jewishinteractive.net: ** Shabbat Interactive **is: The program contains 9 digital modules designed for interactive white boards and PCs, accompanied by 9 lesson plans for teachers, formulated by top curriculum developers. The first 3 modules explore the history of Shabbat whilst the last 6 modules explore the customs and traditions of Shabbat every week.
 * A multimedia learning environment that explores Shabbat for children from ages 6 to 11
 * An engaging tool that utilizes cutting-edge technology
 * A groundbreaking educator resource
 * A dynamic educational experience for children and their families

If you look at the demo, which has the student cleaning up & setting a beautiful Shabbat table, you can see that this plays into the constructivist theory of education. As the student goes through the steps in the game they are building on their experiences with celebrating Shabbat.

Also from jewishinteractive.net is JI Studio, an app available for the iPad/iPhone, Android, or for a Mac or Windows computer. []

This program looks amazing! Students can create & present projects on different Jewish topics using beautiful graphics; the program accesses Jewish texts to support their endeavors. JI Studio also builds on the constructivist theory of education, as the student develops their project based on their previous experiences. Here's the description from the site:
 * JI Studio **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> is a revolutionary Judaic digital content creation tool. Ground-breaking features encourage children to let their imaginations run wild, use higher-order thinking skills and create projects with mind-blowing tools combined with full access to the Tanach and selected Tefilot. **<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; vertical-align: baseline;">JI Studio **<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> visually dazzles with rich collections of Jewish-themed stickers, story backgrounds, Hebrew letters, vowels and words, characters, dress-ups, photographs, coloring pages and songs relating to special themes. With a few taps, you can do in seconds what you could never do before.

//DN: as mentioned earlier, JI Studio has nice productions.//

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Michael --

Well, that was depressing. With the caveat that I certainly didn’t do an exhaustive search, the results after an hour or so or browsing and playing are uninspiring at best.

I downloaded three of the [|www.g-dcast.com] apps to my iPad: “Leviticus!,” “Radical Rabbis,” and “ArkEscape.” I also did a google search for “Jewish educational online games” and clicked on a dozen links or so.

Leviticus! is modeled on the highly successful app “Fruit Ninja.” The goal was to, as a kohen, only slice the animals that were kosher to sacrifice. There was educational content only in that one had to learn what was acceptable for sacrifice in order to understand the goal of the game, but in terms of game play it was straight recognition plus hand-eye coordination.

Radical Rabbis is three mini-games in one. Each game was simple and not fun – not for me, nor for my eight-year-old son. The three mini-games were a pong style “keep the ball in play” game, a “click and drag” game, and the third “game” was voting in a poll. Each mini-game ended with a brief lesson about Hillel and Shammai. (The same lesson each time, meaning there was no point in repeated gameplay.)

Ark Escape is a memory card game based on Parshat Noach. There was nothing educational about playing the game; however, the students at Adas Israel Congregation in Washington, DC, who created the game must have learned a fair amount, and worked cooperatively as they drew the art and created the concept for the game.

Online, I found simple quiz, jeopardy, hangman, style word games, very simple puzzles, and little that would hold most kids’ interest for more than a few passing seconds, if that.

Generally speaking, the games I found were outdated, boring, and aimed for a very young audience. (They also skewed highly frum – at least some Orthodox communities seem to be making an effort to use 21st century media to teach, even if they are way behind in execution.) The tasks were simple, easy, graphically unsophisticated, and didn’t demand any sort of complex thought or real challenge. (This isn’t altogether surprising, given that Professor Nagler’s article mentioned that the average cost to develop a video game may range from $18-28 million, and these games couldn’t have cost one percent of that.) None of these games were strong enough that I could really discuss what educational value they had, short of perhaps appealing to the “video-game” intelligence most kids seem to possess.

The one place (my son and I – he joined my quest) we found awesome Jewish educational gaming content was Minecraft. Check out this image of a dedicated (and talented) Minecrafter’s mishkan:



Yoni and I watched a handful of youtube videos of different versions (yes) of the mishkan that people had built, and talked about why each was impressive, fun, and possibly faithful to what he had learned from studying Torah.

If gaming is going to a viable option for Jewish education in the future, then the games must be “worthy” of our students’ time. For all the games we looked at, the best Jewish educational game, and the one Yoni would absolutely want to play, was the game that isn’t “Jewish” at all. Minecraft is Yoni’s favorite game at the moment, more so even than any of the sports games for our Xbox One. If any Jewish educational game could possibly compete with FIFA15, the Lego Movie game, etc., for my son’s and daughters’ attention, then some brave funder is going to stake a developer with the several million dollars they need to create a game that could be content rich, graphically sophisticated, based in educational theory, and have mass appeal such that the investment can be recouped.

//DN: Amen!//

Roni - I especially like the interactive colorful games when I'm teaching the Hebrew language to kids or Hebrew beginners. I'd like to recommend the following interactive web sites:

Jewish Trivia games: [] - This web site is great to check your knowledge of Judaism in Israel. This interactive game will allow you not just to guess your best answer but also will correct you if you are wrong. Hebrew knowledge is a must since this web site is in Hebrew.

[] - This web site will teach students to match the picture with its vocab. Word. Students can hear the pronunciation of the words and connect it with pictures. It’s a great way to teach Hebrew vocabulary to students who like to match visual objects with listening comprehension.

[] - For Hebrew beginners I’d like to recommend this web site for listening comprehension skills. This web site presents animated stories, but children also need to follow the assignments after understanding the story and select their correct answer/ or complete related activities on-line.

//DN: Thank you for adding some Israeli resources to the mix.//