Worldwide Purim Album

In the aftermath of Purim take a look at the new Worldwide Purim Album from Beit Hatfutsot .

Here are some ideas for using the album to connect your students to Jews across time and space. These ideas would work well with younger children and teens.

1. Have your students bring pictures of themselves in Purim costumes and upload them to the site. Even better; have them bring pictures of their parents or family members from years in the past.
2. Look through the album. Have each student choose a picture that they find most interesting or feel connected to. Share their reasons and thoughts about the pictures.
3. Ask your students to reflect on the following questions:
   1. Why do they dress up for Purim? How do they choose their own costume? How do they decide between dressing up as a Jewish figure or idea, or a non-Jewish character (from a movie etc.,) or universal idea?
   2. How do they feel when they see all these pictures of other Purim costumes, from different times and places?
   3. What impressions do they have, or what do they learn about the Jewish People from these photos?
   4. If the students have relationships with Jews in other cities or countries (through a twinning program or something similar), ask those students to also send photos of their Purim costumes. Create a conversation with the other students about their Purim experiences. What is different and what is similar?

For more ideas about how to use social media to spread the conversation and questions on this topic, see the Peoplehood Education Toolkit.