Back to Online Premiums

Features of the Animal Divrei Torah

GTP animal divrei Torah are a congregational development tool for rabbis, leaders, teachers, and congregants--designed for presentation to children, young people, and families--to build attendance and participation at Shabbat and Holiday services, religious school classes, and chavurah activities.

The series includes two types of divrei Torah:
• 37 Chayat Hashavua (Animal of the Week) divrei Torah that deal with specific animals, from ants to wolves, including many species mentioned in Tanakh; and
• 16 Mamlechet Hachai (Animal Kingdom) divrei Torah that deal more generally with animal-related themes, such as returning lost animals, treatment and care of domestic animals, feeding of wild animals, etc.

There is a sample of each type of devar Torah available on this page in Adobe Acrobat pdf format.* Each devar Torah is approximately 500 words and in outline form for ease of use. Both types of divrei Torah include a variety of factual and open-ended questions to encourage participation.

Contents of Chayat Hashavua Divrei Torah

Each Chayat Hashavua devar Torah includes:
• The animal's Hebrew name(s) and shoresh (root) meaning(s) of the name(s);
• Information about the animal from Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), Talmud, or Midrash, or from the history of Eretz Yisrael (the land of Israel) or Am Yisrael (the Jewish people);
• A "quiz" to invite participation, based on several questions that test modern knowledge of the animal’s physical characteristics, temperament, or biology; and
• An epigram, proverb, or story from the Jewish wisdom tradition and one or two follow-up discussion questions designed for children and young people.

Donation and Delivery Information

• The complete series of 53 divrei Torah is available as a premium for a $25 donation to Gather the People.
• The Chayat Hashavua combined series of 37 is available as a premium for a $18 donation.
• The Mamlechet Hachai combined series of 16 is available as a premium for a $8 donation.

Gather the People will send the requested order as an e-mail attachment in either Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat file format upon PayPal verification of a donation. Lost or damaged files wll be replaced by GTP without charge.

There is an additional donation of $10 to cover postage and handling charges for either of the combined series or the complete series as hardcopy in a three-ring, loose-leaf binder.

For questions or additional information about an order, click here for customer support.

Click on the mailbox and tell us what you think!