The Social Action Manual ― Six Steps to Repairing the World

Through passion and hard work, teenagers can make a difference intikun olam--"repairing the world." The six workshops in this handbook expand teens' understanding of why doing social action is important and show how to successfully plan, execute, and evaluate a social action project or initiative. Along the way, teens learn Hebrew terms within social action, study Jewish texts that highlight social action, and read success stories of teenagers who created powerful social action initiatives, such as Shifra, the soup kitchen seamstress, Shelby, the jeweler for women in Darfur, and Matthew, tree planter extraordinaire.

CONTENTS: 
1. What Is Social Action?
2. Getting to the Issue
3. Looking for Needs to Choose a Project
4. Putting Your Project into Action
5. Doing and Assessing Your Project
6. Living a Life of Social Action

FEATURES:

• Real-life case studies¬†demonstrate to teens how powerful their peers' initiatives can be.
• "Focus on Text"¬†gives social action a context in our sacred texts.
• "Social Action Notebook"¬†invites teens to plan their own initiative step-by-step.
• Dozens of suggestions¬†for projects help teens choose their own initiative.

 

For suggestions of ways to use the Social Action Manual, click here.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rabbi Noah Farkas serves as a rabbi at Valley Beth Shalom in Encino, California. He co-founded Netiya: the LA Jewish Coalition on Food, Environment, and Social Justice, and has presented at many national conferences about Judaism, the environment, and social justice.