Bagels From Benny

The Game of Thanks

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The Game of Thanks: One player begins a sentence with the words, “I want to say thank you for…”, and tells about something good in his or her life. It may be something that has happened to them, or anything – small or big – that he or she has seen, heard, tasted or smelt. The next player completes the sentence as he or she wishes, and so on. The whole family can play this game at dinner or at bed-time.

Gratitude can be expressed through songs!

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Gratitude can be expressed through songs! Sing together songs of thanks that you know, for example: Toda (by Uzi Hitman), Elohim Natan Lecha Bematana (composed by Eitan Masori), Hallujah (preformed by Gali Atari.

Many people help us every day

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Many people help us every day: The guard at the entrance to the shopping mall, the cashier at the supermarket, housekeepers, etc. Closer to the children’s lives there are neighbors who play with us in the park, our relatives, kindergarten teachers, and more. Sometimes just saying “thank you” is enough, and sometimes people would enjoy receiving a letter or a drawing. Think of a person you would like to thank. Use the letter or a drawing to describe the good times you have had with this person, times when they helped you, or simply the happiness that they bring to your life.

How does one thank God?

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How does one thank God? This question bothers Benny. He chooses to thank God in the synagogue, because he believes it is there that most people talk with God. Like Benny, many young children ask big questions: Does God exist? Where does he live? Will he hear me if I speak to him? Discuss your beliefs with your child.

All’s well that ends well!

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All’s well that ends well! At the end of the story, Benny is disappointed to discover that it was the poor man, and not God, who ate the bagels. But Grandfather explains that thanks to Benny, “the world has become a better place… and what better thanks than that can God receive?” Discuss with your child the story’s surprising ending and Grandfather’s words. How can we understand the connection between Benny’s good deed and thanking God? Together with your child, try to remember a time when they did a good deed and helped someone. Link this incident to the story, and think about how your child’s good deed also contributed to making the world a better place.

Bagel-shaped Buns Recipe

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Bake “if only we had…” bagel buns together.
This is how you play: “Let’s make bagels! If only we had flour… we would have wonderful bagels”. The child brings the flour and you thank him or her happily, then continue by saying: “If only we had sugar…” and so on. Accept every ingredient (flour, sugar, oil, etc.) into your bowl with happiness and thanks. Bake the buns and give them to people you would like to thank or please.

Ingredients:

2 cups of flour                                                 2 spoons of sugar

1 teaspoon of quick-rising yeast                       1 teaspoon of salt

1 cup of water                                                1 ½ spoons of oil

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients together until a ball of soft dough is formed. If necessary, add a bit of flour. Set the dough aside and let it rise. Once the dough has doubled in volume, divide it into smaller portions, and form bagel-shaped buns. Brush the buns with an egg, and scatter sesame seeds on top. Let the buns rise again. Bake at 190°c degrees, until golden.

Bon Appétit!