Children – and their parents – are being encouraged to choose their words carefully in an initiative which aims to counter the “negative rhetoric pervading our society”.
The Clean Speech Project, spearheaded by Seed and GIFT, is working with over 1,300 people in 70 communal organisations and schools, raising awareness of the Jewish laws of loshon hora, which literally means “negative speech”, sometimes interpreted as “gossip”.
The Clean Speech Project is running in 70 schools and organisations (Photo: Seed/GIFT)
Rabbi Daniel Fine, director of education at Seed, said: “In a time where negative rhetoric pervades our society, promoting unity and positivity within our community is more crucial than ever.
“By choosing our words thoughtfully and embracing achdus (unity), we can cultivate a culture of respect and harmony.”
Spanning 30 days, the programme promotes the use of positive language through educational sessions and resources, including daily Clean Speech videos from leading communal educators.
Rabbi Avrohom Zeidman, senior educator at GIFT, said: "It is imperative that we work together to improve the way we communicate with others, not just through positive speech but practically through school syllabuses, community events, programmes and workshops."
Clean Speech Project is running parent-child sessions in schools (Photo: Seed/GIFT)
Thirty-five schools and cheders took part in Clean Speech Focus Week, which included 20 child-parent learning sessions, and Hampstead Garden Suburb Synagogue organised a shiur (study session) in collaboration with United Synagogue rebbetzins. Additionally, Aish launched an online Maven course focusing on clean speech.
Parents and children learn together as part of The Clean Speech Project (Photo: Seed/GIFT)
Rabbi Zeidman said: “Being a Giver is more than just action; it’s also about the way we speak and the kindness we express to others.”
Sponsored by the Wohl Legacy, The Clean Speech Project will run until March 12.
