Rivkah’s Jewelry

This past Sunday at Sunday School we learned about how Eliezer found Rivkah, a wife for Isaac, at a well and gave her jewelry when he realized she would be the perfect wife for his master’s son. This story has many possible craft opportunities, but the one I chose this session was making a bracelet and necklace to represent Rivkah’s new jewelry.

I use the wonderful Torah Alive! book for my torah story curriculum and absolutely love it. Lorraine Posner Arcus includes the text to skits for each torah story. My students love getting to act out the story and it’s such a wonderful way to engage them in learning about torah.

The bracelet idea is also from Torah Alive!–Lorraine has so many great ideas for engaging children while learning torah! I made a sample of the bracelet and necklace to use during the skit. The children were so excited once they realized they would each get to make their own examples of Rivkah’s jewelry!

And my own children saw the jewelry samples and of course wanted to make their own too! We currently have lots of Rivkah’s jewelry floating around our house 🙂

This jewelry craft is made from some recyclable materials, is super easy, and the kids had a lot of fun making (and wearing!) them! It’s also a fun way to connect a craft to a torah story.

Who Is Rivkah?

We first meet Rivkah (Rebecca) in the Torah when Avraham (Abraham) is very old. Sarah, his wife and Yitzchak’s (Isaac) mother, has already died. Avraham wants to find a suitable wife for his son, Yitzchak. He sends his servant Eliezer to Haran, the village where Avraham used to live, to bring back a bride for Yitzchak.

Eliezer travels and stops at the well in the village. He says to himself:

O Lord, God of my master Abraham, grant me good fortune this day, and deal graciously with my master Abraham: Here I stand by the spring as the daughters of the townsmen come out to draw water; let the maiden to whom I say, ‘Please, lower your jar that I may drink,’ and who replies, ‘Drink, and I will also water your camels’–let her be the one whom You have decreed for Your servant Isaac. Thereby shall I know that You have dealt graciously with my master.

Genesis 24:12–14

Rivkah then came to the well to fill up her jug. She offered Eliezer water to drink, as well as gave water to his camels. This kindness to both humans and animals shows Eliezer that she is the right bride for Yitzchak. Eliezer gives Rivkah jewelry before meeting with her family and making arrangements for her to travel back to Canaan with him to marry Yitzchak.

Making a simple necklace and bracelet is a fun and easy way to connect a craft with the torah story of Eliezer finding a wife for Yitzchak.

What You’ll Need

• Empty toilet paper roll
• Scissors
• Cardboard
• Hole punch
• Yarn
• Foil
• Jewels
• Markers (permanent markers would work best, but know your students!)
• Glue

Putting It Together

1.To make the bracelet, cut the toilet paper roll in half horizontally. That will give you two rings. Then cut those rings open by vertically cutting one time down the center. This will make a curved piece of cardboard that can easily be worn by different sized children.

2. Prepare a piece of foil that’s about an inch larger that the bracelet all around. You can lay the bracelet on the foil and gently press down to spread it out a bit.

3. Fold the foil over the sides of the bracelet. As a grown up, I found this step very easy to do. However, some of my kindergartners and first graders found it very challenging. It helps to show them how to fold the foil over the bracelet sides and carefully smooth it out. But I also told them that if the foil crinkles that’s just fine too.

4. Once the foil is over the bracelet, you can decorate the bracelet however you want. We used jewels and glue in the classroom. I had brought out colored sharpies so that the children could draw on their jewelry as well, but I could tell by the energy level in the classroom that day that any kind of permanent markers would be asking for trouble!

5. Let the glue dry then enjoy wearing Rivkah’s bracelet!

6. To make the necklace, cut a circle out of cardboard. I used a water glass and traced that for the size of the circle I wanted. The cardboard I used was an old Cheerio box (perfect thickness!) and a USPS priority package box. Yay for reusing these materials!

7. Punch a hole at the top of your cardboard circle.

8. Tie yarn in a loop that’s large enough to go over your students’ heads.

9. The students can then wrap foil around their cardboard circle like they did for the bracelets.

10. And like with the bracelets, they can decorate it with jewels, markers, and even stickers!

11. Once dry, enjoy wearing your Rivkah’s necklace!

Finished and Loving It!

Both my students and my own children really enjoyed making this craft. They thought it was so funny the bracelet was made out of a toilet paper roll and they absolutely loved getting the chance to use the jewels. The foil was a little tricky for some to manipulate but they all liked what it looked like–shiny is fun!

This craft is super easy and fun to make and can easily be accomplished in 15 minutes for a meaningful, but not too long activity (always a winner for my classroom activities!).

Do you use crafts when you teach your students or children about the Torah and common torah stories? I would love to hear about your experiences in the comments!

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