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Children Learning and Living with Geulah
- 5783 -
Yossi stands at the edge of the hill, gazing across the empty lot at the gaggle of boys talking and laughing, feeling the tingle in his legs as they try to urge him forward. But he stands rooted on the packed dirt, waiting, fingers fiddling with the secret in his pocket.
- 3803 -
Rivkah's heart sings as she reaches into the pouch hanging from her sash, her thumb caressing the ridges on her silver half-shekel coin. She can’t wait! The rest of her group are way up ahead, nearly crowning the tallest hill of Har Tzion, but the shiny kid soles of her new slippers struggle to find purchase on the smooth surface of the road. “I’ll get there,” she mutters.
- 2957 -
Brambles scratch his ankles as Gershom climbs, a small, rusted coin digging into the palm of his hand. He gazes longingly to the south as the sun slowly rises in the east and casts a rosy glow on the fallow hilltop. The dust suddenly kicks up, and he must bury his face in shoulder to withstand the gusts, but he stands his ground and waits…
- 2448 -
Huda can’t seem to catch his breath. His little brothers pull at his robe, their fingers leaving dusty tracks on the fine, freshly laundered folds of wool. But Huda’s complete attention is taken by the sheer size and awesomeness of the mountain before him. This time tomorrow—-his thoughts stall. Nothing in his imagination could live up to the real thing, he knows. He just has to wait.
Where are they all going?
In a story spanning more than 3000 years, we follow the trails of Huda, Gershom, Rivkah and Yossi — until we journey to the time where they finally all come together.
FAQs
Who is this for?
Last Act is catered primarily to children in grades 4 and up.
To provide children with quality Chassidus/Moshiach-friendly literature while helping them focus on a major mivtza of 5783.
Why a novel?
To understand what Hakhel is, we need to see what it is about from a historical perspective and, as the Rebbe says, visualize the event in a way that will affect our own Yiras Hashem. In addition, a fictional story engages and influences a child’s mind, emotions and spiritual feeling—which is what Hakhel is all about!
The goal?
Why is this story important to tell?
A group of children from the period of the third Beis Hamikdash take part in Hakhel. But the experience isn’t just a moment in time—their own recent past and events that are thousands of years in the making shed new perspectives on this historic happening. The imagery, backdrop, and daily-life experiences throughout will educate the reader about the time of Moshiach and how it can influence the here and now. With the use of flashbacks, the story develops slowly so the reader anticipates (and participates) in the drama and builds new insights on Hakhel and its underlying meaning and help readers live with geulah.
How can this novel be incorporated into the classroom?
The story will be produced in monthly installments throughout the year, each with four chapters and accompanied by a list of “Book Club” discussion questions to highlight the Hakhel or general educational lessons in each part of the story.