Theme of the year (January 2013)

Namaste,
 
Last year, when we picked Hinduism as the topic of the year, we had set some modest goals for the group kids – and ourselves. We expected the kids to be able to understand and relate to Hinduism. By the end of the year, they would be able to
•           understand the basic tenets of Hinduism
•           identify & appreciate the core beliefs and teachings in various aspects of life
•           answer the basic but key questions and concept of Hinduism in their own language, like, who is a Hindu? What are the attributes of Hinduism? What are various names and forms of Gods?
I feel humbled to say that far more than meeting these goals, the hawan kids built a solid understanding of the core tenets of Hinduism. Not only can they now talk about their religion, they understand some of the difficult abstract concepts like Trinity (God, Soul, Matter), Rebirth, Law-of-Action. They can relate these topics to their day-to-day experiences.
Building on the momentum, this year, we will go in the next level of details, and there is no better source for it than our scriptures. This year, we will cover major Hindu scriptures.
The topic for this month is Bhagwad Gita. It captures the discourses Yogeshwar Sri Krishna gave to Arjuna on the Mahabharata battlefield. Gita is one of the greatest spiritual books that world has ever known. It has been translated into almost every language.
This month, kids will share their understanding of Bhagwad Gita in their own words. We encourage parents-kids interaction while preparing for the assignment. Please use the preparation for the monthly assignments as an opportunity to have healthy discussions and reinforce your beliefs and values.
Best regards,
Harsh Mendiratta