Jewish Educational Resources

Below are some specific lesson plans and articles linking Jewish texts and affordable housing. Be sure to also check the Jewish resources for General Social Justice, many of which lend themselves to the study of affordable housing issues, as do educational materials for homelessness and community economic development. To borrow the following materials from our collection, or for more information on placing orders, contact JCRC at tzedekresources@jcrcboston.org.

Lesson Plans

The Housing and Community Sabbath Resource Guide is designed for youth learners. It includes Jewish sources, activities, background information, discussion questions and follow-up projects related to homelessness. This curriculum is a product of the Fifth Avenue Committee, a non-profit focused on community organizing and affordable housing. For a copy please contact the Fifth Avenue Committee at 718-857-2990.
JCRC Sukkot Study Guide is a guided text study about sukkot that highlights the links between the holiday and to issues around affordable housing. For a copy, please contact JCRC at tzedekresources@jcrcboston.org or 617-457-8600.
Nehemiah the Leader is a 5-page interfaith text study on the prophet Nehemiah produced by the Greater Boston Interfaith organization. It focuses on how the biblical story relates to concepts of power relationships, leadership, self-interest and action. This discussion guide assumes a basic understanding of affordable housing and community partnership issues, and best for a group of mature teens or adults. For a copy, please contact JCRC at tzedekresources@jcrcboston.org or 617-457-8600.

Articles

From Sukkah to Ma’akeh; the Halachah of Housing is an article published in Tikkun Magazine that discusses biblical texts related to Sukkot and their implications for modern affordable housing problems. The article can be found on the Tikkun Magazine website, at http://www.tikkun.org/