Story Summary:

The Singer family goes on a family roots trip to Prague. Lizzy and Eric ask their father if there's an amusement park in Prague and whether there will be enough to keep them occupied. Dad tells them about the Golem – the mythical Jewish monster of Prague. He also shows them a family heirloom – a violin once played in a band to welcome the Shabbat in front of  Prague's famous Altneushul – the Old-New Synagogue. The family decides that during the trip they will reenact this special Shabbat tradition. However, when Lizzy and Eric realize that the spirit of the Golem is alive and well in Prague and that its original home was the Altneushul, they begin to get cold feet.

Lesson Plans

- Story Discussion unit begins with listening to Le Chah Dodi. The class then talks about the location, the importance of heirlooms, how Shabbat customs can serve as the glue for keeping a family together and for continuing Jewish traditions from one generation to the next. Comes with link to a Youtube Klezmer festival in Tsfat, Israel.

- Family Heirlooms Exhibit gets students and their parents/grandparents actively involved in researching the origins of family Shabbat heirlooms. Comes with instructions on how to create a unique Family Heirlooms Exhibit.

- Mapping Activity shows where the Czech Republic is located on the map, the countries around it and where Jews lived prior to WWII, as well as landmarks important to Jewish life in the Czech Republic.

- Superheroes Unit highlights the Golem, a superhero created 400 years ago by Prague's Rabbi Loew (the Maharal),  Superman –  another superhero created by another Jew, and a student activity of creating original superheroes. Comes with links to video clips.

- Bonus Activity: Create Your Own Animated Story, comes with link to video clip plus instructions on how to create a flip book.

- Bonus Activity: Folktales introduces tales written for children that are part of the Jewish culture. Comes with activity and link to video clip.