JEWISHAZ.COM JEWISH NEWS DECEMBER 6, 2013 5

Performing a mitzvah or exemplifying the Jewish ethics of tzedakah (charitable giving) or tikkun olam (social action) can certainly be fulfilling for any person, but is also an especially important learning opportunity for children.

For some Jewish families, the old Christmas to-do cliché might be seeing a movie or enjoying Chinese food. For other families (or those looking to do something different), the Dec. 25 holiday presents an opportunity to do something a bit more meaningful. If your family doesn’t already have plans for Christmas day, consider volunteering.

Treating Dec. 25 as a family mitzvah day or community service opportunity is a good way to feel good together as a group and, as Kveller.com blogger and actress Mayim Bialik puts it, “find joy in the holiday season.”

For Bialik, community service makes sense as an alternative to Christmas. “The answer, of course, is thousands of years old,” she writes in her Kveller.com blog post, “Help Others This Holiday Season.” “It’s super simple,” Bialik writes. “It doesn’t cost anything. And it’s a Jewish concept: Help others.”

FAMILY FUN PAGE ®in partnership with:

Learn how to be a mitzvah hero Mitzvah ideas for Dec. 25The varied and creative ways to perform a mitzvah or serve the community are limitless. In her blog post, Mayim Bialik offers just a handful of possible service opportunities: • Deliver flowers to a senior citizens’ home. • Make holiday cards for children and women in battered women’s shelters. • Serve up Christmas dinner at your local mission. • Donate toys to toy drives for homeless children.

Books that teach about mitzvot ‘Bim and Bom: A Shabbat Tale’ By Daniel J. Swartz

Bim, a house builder, and her brother Bom, a baker, work hard all week, and then spend every Friday doing mitzvot: Bim constructs a house for a family in need and Bom bakes challah to distribute to the poor. At sundown, they joyfully meet to celebrate Shabbat together.

‘Sammy Spider’s New Friend’ By Sylvia A. Rouss

When an Israeli family moves in next door, little Josh Shapiro and Sammy Spider learn about the mitzvah of welcoming guests. Through kind acts, they each make a new friend and learn some Hebrew words.

Forming a child’s identity A parent’s role in forming a child’s identity and developing mensch-like qualities begins at birth. The choice you make and the things you choose to fill your child’s life with have long-lasting impact.

This week, The Learning Shuk is sharing this cute video on “Why I Like Being Jewish”: tinyurl.com/likebeingjewish

Watch it with your children and invite them to share their own thoughts. It is also a great opportunity to help your children observe the similarities and differences that exist between them and their friends.

Giving you something to Smile about

northvalleysmiles.com

480.419.2222Tatum & Loop 101

Call today for your complimentary consultation and ask us if Invisalign teen is right for you! We welcome all PPO indemnity insurance plans

nor thva l leyO R T H O D O N T I C S