During the first week of Erez (third grade), we studied the traditional t’fillat haderech (prayer for travel). Then we changed the words to make it a prayer for our journey through third grade. Here is the prayer the class wrote:

תפילת הדרך – T’fillat Haderech (A Prayer for Travel) Through Third Grade

Written by Erez 5781 – כיתת ארז תשפ”א

יהי רָצוֹן מִלּפָנֶיךָ ה’ אֱלֹקנוּ וֵאֱלֹקי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ

May it be your will, Lord our God and God of our ancestors, that you guide us with joy through third grade, the coronavirus, and hard times, to fourth grade in peace, love, and harmony. Bring us love, friends, kindness, protection, health, nature, good times, and fun all the way to fourth grade. Protect us from bad thoughts and feelings, bee stings, anyone who tries to hurt or stop us, bullying, illness, the coronavirus, and danger. Bless us with perseverance, hope, fun, laughter, luck, and challenges that help us grow. We hope that when you look at us you see nice, kind, caring but not perfect people, communicating with and showing kindness to each other, with smiles behind their masks.

.בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלָּה

Blessed are You, God, who hears our prayer.

Meg Lederman is a third grade teacher at JCDS.

The School Sparks blog appears periodically by various writers among the JCDS educational team. Learn more about JCDS, Boston’s Jewish Community Day School.

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