Starting tomorrow, my family is going to take part in Screen-Free Week, a yearly celebration presented by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood that encourages children, families, schools and communities to turn off the screens and “turn on life.” For the kids, that will mean no screens at all, and for the adults it will mean no screens for entertainment. We'll actually have to talk to each other!
The concept seems to fit in well with living Jewishly, so I gave my friend Rabbi Leah Doberne-Schor a call to see what she thought. Of course, she loves the idea.
“With our eyes away from the screen, we have an opportunity to shift our focus and perspective,” she said. “This is a chance to not only to find ways to occupy ourselves and our kids without screen time but, and perhaps more importantly, make that time meaningful.”
Keeping the kids (and, let’s face it, the grownups) amused without technology sounded pretty daunting, but I discovered that the CCFC's website has plenty of great ideas on how to enjoy our screen-free time together (as well as how to keep a toddler amused and out of trouble while you take a shower.)
In addition, Leah and I thought up an idea for each day of the week based on traditional middot (Jewish virtues) and mitzvot (good deeds, commandments) that focus on connecting with one another and with the world around us—ideas that help us pay attention to what's right in front of us and what matters most. I can’t wait to get started!
1. Bikkur cholim, visiting the sick. With the TV off, it’s the perfect time for families to make cards together or even cook a meal or some treats to bring someone who is ill, in the hospital or who has just had a baby. Don't know anyone like that? Find out if your local nursing home would like visitors, or if the local hospital could use donations of books, kids’ artwork or some homemade cards.
2. Feeding the hungry. Find out if a local food pantry could use your help organizing or getting donations. If your kids are little, getting a shopping list from a pantry and then shopping together for those items is a great way to teach kids about tzedakah.
3. Enjoying nature. The beauty that God created is all around us. In the story of creation, God repeatedly calls things in nature “good” for a reason! To get started, take a walk in the park, look for shapes in the clouds or pick up a field guide at the library and look around to discover what kinds of plants and animals live in your area.
4. Living with simcha, joy! Look for and find moments of joy by appreciating the simple things— a dish of ice cream, a game of cards or a shared story. Create simcha by putting on some music to dance, painting a picture or blowing bubbles. The idea is to show gratitude for the blessings we enjoy by living with joy.
5. Hachnasat orchim, welcoming guests. It’s a mitzvah to be hospitable, especially to someone who is new to town. Look around—is there a new kid at school, or a new family at your synagogue? Invite them for dinner or ask if they’d like to meet for a play date. You’ll not only do them a favor by making them feel welcome—you could end up with some great new friends.
6. Getting ready for Shabbat. Getting ready for the Sabbath is a mitzvah in itself. There are lots of ways kids can get involved. For example, you can teach them to make challah, set the table together, make paper flowers to decorate the house and even dress up in nice clothes to make Shabbat dinner extra-special.
7. Resting on, and enjoying, the Sabbath. It’s the original screen-free day, and one that many non-Orthodox Jews are reclaiming to put down their iPhones, log off Facebook and step away from the TV. It’s a great time to go to synagogue (yours or any, for that matter) and meet other Jews in your community. Then take this day specifically to relax and do something enjoyable as a family.
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