Israeli Society

Marisa Gobuty: A Slam Dunk for Israel

In this article, Marisa Gobuty talks about how she works hard to change people’s opinions about herself and her adopted country, Israel. Marisa’s experiences playing basketball in Israel and in the United States give her an opportunity to teach many people how to judge fairly and favorably. In the accompanying lesson, students will learn how easy it is to see people and situations in vastly different ways and how important it is to judge carefully. $0.00$0.00  "Do not look merely at the wine flask, but examine what is in it." Pirkei Avot 4:27 Lesson Summary:  In this lesson, students will learn how easy it is to see people and situations in vastly different ways and how important it is to judge carefully. Printable Lesson:  1701lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Frozen Poses Cards Additional Resources:  Melissa Gobuty's Web Site http://www.marisagobuty.com

Standing Up For Understanding

"Despite the stereotypes, we're all one big family." That is the message Rabbi Benji Levene is trying to get across in his play that uses humor to reveal the stereotypes religious and secular Israelis hold of one another. Students will realize they hold stereotypes, too, as they try to describe the people in a collection of photographs. After considering the Jewish opinions on the matter and the implications for themselves and their communities, they will write monlogues that can give new perspectives on the characters.  $0.00$0.00Bringing home the bacon in Israel is easier than it used to be. In a recent ruling, Israel's Supreme Court permitted butchers in Beit Shemesh to sell pork, and declared that each neighborhood could determine the legality of selling non-kosher meat based on the majority preference. Prior to the case, the Beit Shemesh city council-backed by religious residents-banned the sale of pig meat and demanded that non-kosher shops move to an industrial zone. Lesson Summary:  In this lesson, students will identify common stereotypes and write monologues that aim to debunk those stereotypes. Printable Lesson:  1708lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Stereotypical Pictures Additional Resources:  Four Faces of Israel http://www.gesher.co.il/English/page.asp?id=14 Rabbi Benjamin (Benji) Levene http://www.gesher.co.il/English/page.asp?id=101

One Big Family

Read about American Jewish teens who traveled to Israel to lend a hand in the aftermath of the disengagment from Gaza. In the accompanying lesson students will play a game and study Jewish texts to understand why it is important to express unity with Jews in Israel—and other countries—and help them when they are in need.  $0.00$0.00An 8-year-old boy in a red shirt focuses intently on his watercolor painting. He's drawing a house--a large structure with beige walls, a welcoming green door, and clear, wide windows. In front, children play with bikes, toy trucks, and a dog. "I used to live in a house," he explains. "But now we live here." "Do not forsake your own friend." Proverbs 27:10 Lesson Summary:  In this lessons, students will play a game and study Jewish texts to help them understand why it is important to express unity with Jews in Israel—and other countries—and to help them when they are in times of need. Printable Lesson:  8607lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet

Israel in Fashion

Read about Get Sababa with your students. $0.00$0.00  Traci Szymanski shopped all afternoon in Jerusalem, searching in vain for the perfect T-shirt to help her remember her first trip to Israel. She wanted a souvenir that would always remind her just how cool Israel was. "Going to Israel changed my life, my whole world," she says. "After being in Israel and realizing the history of the Jewish people," buying an ordinary memento didn't seem adequate. So Traci decided to try on her own idea for size--she founded Get Sababa, a clothing line designed to inspire pride in Israel.

The Song that Moves a Nation

Introduce your students to The Medic's Ballad, a song that powerfully stirs emotions every year on Yom Hazikaron (Israel's Memorial Day). Students will explore the unique power of songs to evoke memories and rouse emotions by analyzing the lyrics of the song and planning for ways to memorialize Israel's fallen soldiers within your own class or school.         $0.00$0.00Across the river, papyrus rustles, a land mine explodes, and a wounded soldier cries out in pain. Within seconds, a medic rushes to his side, dodging a barrage of bullets. "Leave me here," gasps the soldier. "Save yourself!" "I am staying with you," the medic replies. Fierce enemy fire strafes the field, wounding the brave medic. At last, friendly troops arrive. "We're saved," exults the soldier. But only a deathly silence greets his glee. "My brother!" he cries. "My brother!" "May God remember the souls of the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces who gave their lives for the sanctification of God's Name, the people, and the Land..." From Yizkor Lesson Summary:  In this lesson, students will explore the unique power of songs to evoke memories and rouse emotions by analyzing the lyrics to "Ballada Lahovesh," and planning for ways to memorialize Israel's fallen soldiers within their own class or school. Printable Lesson:  7609lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Lyrics to "Ballada Lahovesh" Information about Yizkor Service Hebrew Article Additional Resources:  Information about Yom Hazikaron: http://www.ou.org/yerushalayim/yomhazikaron/default.htm Personal letter from Israeli soldier, Gadi Ezra, about his impending death: http://www.girlfriendsidf.org.il/eng/my_dear_galiti.htm Hebrew Profile of Gadi Ezra: http://www.izkor.mod.gov.il/izkor86.asp?t=0&dir=0&i=0&pab=88862&nab=516249&pdt=516183&ndt=516191 Hebrew Memorial Site from Israel's Ministry of Defense: http://www.izkor.mod.gov.il/izkor11b.htm Poetry for Yom Hazikaron: http://www.girlfriendsidf.org.il/eng/poems.htm Jewish Virtual Library Biography of Natan Alterman: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/alterman.html

Profiles in Courage

There are many different types of courage.  For an Israeli and a Palestinian to be friends requires courage, although they don't feel they have done anything remarkable.  A blind man who regularly wins golf tournaments displays the courage to overcome his obstacles.  No one would quesiton the courage of an air force colonel and astronaut.  $0.00$0.00  Laila Najjar and Adi Frish: The Courage to Be Friends You wouldn't guess that most would expect Adi and Laila, close as sisters, to be mortal enemies. Nor would you think that their friendship was unusual unless you listened to their conversation: They speak Hebrew part of the time, but gossip in Arabic. "Courage is a special kind of knowledge: the knowledge of how to fear what ought to be feared and how not to fear what ought not to be feared." David Ben-Gurion

A Nobel for Israel

Learn about Israeli Nobel-Prize-winner Robert Aumann and his work in Game Theory, as used by script-writers for the TV cartoon, "The Simpsons."  $0.00$0.00Robert Aumann, a professor at Hebrew University in Israel, is a genius; like eight Israelis before him, he has won a Nobel Prize. Professor Aumann received the 2005 Nobel Prize in Economics for his pioneering work in Game Theory, a complicated science of strategy that attempts to determine what actions players should take to secure the best outcome for themselves. Game Theory can be applied to a variety of competitive arenas, including political negotiations, criminal interrogations, and marketing decisions--for example, helping executives at Apple Computer, Inc.

The Wealthy Kids of Kibbutz Bet Yisrael

Share this article about Kibbutz Bet Yisrael with your students. The children of this urban kibbutz reflect on the ways that their lives are enriched by living in a communal structure and participating in both kibbutz life and the surrounding community. In the accompanying lesson, students will play a game in which they learn the value of working as a community. $0.00$0.00Like every kid in the world, Mendy Applebaum, age 10, desperately wanted to see the new Harry Potter movie the day it opened, but there was no guarantee he'd be able to go. The Applebaums are members of Kibbutz Bet Yisrael, an urban kibbutz which shares everything, including cars. If someone else needed a car for something more important, Mendy and his friends would be forced to see the film another day. "When you eat the labor of your hands, happy will you be and all will be well with you." Psalms 128:2 Lesson Summary:  Students will play a game in which they learn the value of working as a community. Printable Lesson:  3610lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Additional Resources:  Israel Idealism in Action http://www.aish.com/jewishissues/israeldiary/Israeli_Idealism_in_Action.asp Information on the new kibbutz movement: http://www.zionism-israel.com/city_communes_kibbutz.htm About Kibbutz Bet Yisrael: http://www.reut.org.il

Feeding the Hungry in Style

Learn about a  soup kitchen in Jerusalem provides meals for the hungry with dignity and style. $0.00$0.00  Carmei Ha'ir looks like a high-class restaurant: Its tables are set with dishes, silverware, and warm pita bread. The wait staff is polite and well-dressed, and the food is delicious. Yet you'll find no cash register at Carmei Ha'ir. Instead, a lockbox rests in its place, with a sign suggesting that you pay whatever you can afford.

Rina Kellerman: Lessons from the Heart

Read how Rina helps immigrant children get  accustomed  to life in Israel.   Your students will learn about some of the challenges in coming to a new society, as well as how people already settled in that society can help newcomers and make them feel welcome and comfortable. $0.00$0.00  The Hebrew letters resembled an enormous tangle of incomprehensible vowels and foreign symbols--or so it seemed to David (not his real name), a second-grader in Kiryat Motzkin, Israel. How could he possibly decipher this mysterious language, which, he thought incredulously, was read from right to left? Sadly, he realized that homework was the least of his problems. A recent immigrant from the former Soviet Union, David thought about his Israeli classmates whom he could never understand. Would he ever make any friends? "The One Who scattered the People of Israel shall gather them in and guard them as a shepherd guards his flock." Jeremiah 31:9 Lesson Summary:  Students will learn about some of the challenges in coming to a new society, as well as how people already settled in that society can help newcomers and make them feel welcome and comfortable. Printable Lesson:  9502lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet

Israel's Messengers to the World

Read about the work of  Shlih.im, Israel’s cultural ambassadors, who enliven Jewish summer camps and bring a taste of Israel to thousands of Jewish campers in the Diaspora. In this lesson, students will recognize the importance of strong ties with Israel, even though they do not live there; graph their connection to Israel; and discuss how feeling close to Israel can be an expression of ingathering of the exiles. $0.00$0.00  "Everywhere I go, I journey toward the Land of Israel." Rabbi Nahman of Bratzlav Lesson Summary:  Students will recognize the importance of strong ties with Israel, even though they do not live there; graph their connection to Israel; and discuss how feeling close to Israel can be an expression of kibbutz galuyot. Printable Lesson:  9507lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Sample Survey Sheet Hearts Template

Up Close with President Katsav

On the eve of the 57th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel, Moshe Katzav speaks about his journey to Israel and his job as president, in particular about unifying Israelis and the Diaspora.In a game that involves standing on chairs, students will learn how important it is to work together to achieve a goal, and how important the gathering of exiles is to the goal of building a strong and just society in Israel. $0.00$0.00Published in Iyar 5765/June 2005 As a young boy growing up in an Arab country, Moshe Katsav never imagined that someday he would be president of the Jewish State of Israel. Longing to help build the budding Jewish country, his family made aliyah from Iran in 1951, when he was only five. "When God will return the exiles of Zion, we will be like dreams." Psalms 126:1 Lesson Summary:  Students will solve a problem together and analyze Jewish texts about kibbutz galuyot to explore how this concept is integral both to Judaism and the State of Israel. Printable Lesson:  9504lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Presidents Chart

They've Got Game!

Introduce the Israeli game Hamesh Avanim to your students with these instructions. Playing this game serves as the introduction to a lesson which examines the needs of new immigrants and explores how games can aid integration into a new society. $0.00$0.00In one swift movement, Dani Weiss tosses five metal cubes in the air, quickly slaps the ground with his palm, and reaches his palm upward, deftly catching the cubes before they crash to the floor. The 12-year-old, of Passaic, New Jersey, is a master at Hamesh Avanim (Five Stones), a popular game imported from Israel. Whether they're sabras or olim, Israeli kids unite to play this game, also referred to as Israeli Jacks. Here's how to play: Materials: Lesson Summary:  Students will examine the needs of new immigrants and how games and music can aid integration into a new society. Printable Lesson:  9505lesson.pdf

Live Strong for Israel

A bar mitzvah project lends a helping hand to Israeli charities. $0.00$0.00  You've seen the yellow rubber Lance Armstrong bracelets, the red blood donor bracelets,and the pink cancer research bracelets. Now there's a royal blue bracelet, and it supports Israel. The "Yad Chazaka" bracelets, Hebrew for "strong hand," are being sold by Lauren Wilkowski, 11, and Gilad Katz, 12, of North Woodmere, New York. Noticing how teens collected the colorful wristbands, their fathers suggested that Gilad and Lauren create one for Israel as a bar and bat mitzvah project.

Israel Increases Ethiopian Immigration

This article examines the controversy behind the Israeli government’s plan to bring the remaining Falash Mura community from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Israel. In this lesson, students will identify the competing Jewish values, articulate their own positions, and create public service announcements.   $0.00$0.00  Lesson Summary:  Students will identify the competing Jewish values on the two sides of the debate; articulate their own positions; and create public service announcements to promote their viewpoints on the issue. Printable Lesson:  7501lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Debate Worksheet Additional Resources:  The North American Conference on Ethiopian Jewry http://www.nacoej.org/falas.htm

The Heart of the Rescue

After reading about how Israel's search and rescue team recued 2 girls after a 1999 earthquake in Turkey, students will develop an understanding of Birkat hagomel. They will put themselves inthe shoes of both the rescuers and the rescued to see that Jewish ritual provides a means of recognizing every aspect of human experience. $0.00$0.00  When the Indian Ocean tsunami struck, Israel responded immediately, sending medical teams and 80 tons of supplies to the countries reeling from the disaster. Although the full story of Israel's contributions has yet to emerge, here's another story that demonstrates Israel's heroic rescue work. "Three signs identify this people - they are merciful; they are bashful; and they perform deeds of kindness." Yevamot 79a Lesson Summary:  Students will explore the concept of hatzalah from the perspective of those rescued. They will study Birkat Hagomel and discover how Jewish ritual provides a means of recognizing every aspect of human experience. In addition, students will create responses appropriate for the rescuers to mark their work. Printable Lesson:  7506lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet

Healing Kids' Hearts

Read about an Israeli organization  which offers free medical treatment to children from developing countries. $0.00$0.00When Bayan Jassem was born in Iraq in November 2003, an American doctor working with the U.S. Army recognized that she had a heart defect and needed to undergo surgery immediately. Less than a week later, Bayan received the lifesaving heart operation--and it took place in Israel.

Desert Oasis

This article about the formation of a kibbutz in the Negev highlights its communal nature and explores how such a community was instrumental in resettling the land of Israel. In this lesson, students will discuss the ideals behind kibbutz life, and compare maps of various communities, including a kibbutz, to discover how the physical layout of a community can express its values. $0.00$0.00  In 1943, a group of courageous pioneers transformed the dry Israeli desert into a flourishing community. "Whoever joins our camp is our brother." Ahad Ha'am Lesson Summary:  Students will discuss the ideals behind kibbutz life, and compare maps of various communities, including a kibbutz, to discover how the physical layout of a community can be an expression of its values. Printable Lesson:  6508lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Community Map 1 Community Map 2 Kibbutz Life Summary Additional Resources:  Kibbutzim Site: http://www.kibbutz.org.il/eng/welcome.htm Sexual Equality on the Israeli Kibbutz - Ideology, Reality, and the Future

Sharing the Sky

One Israeli works to keep planes and birds safe in Israel's airspace.  A map exercise demonstrates why Israel has so many migrating birds and other environmental challenges, and how environmental concerns can clash with security and government issues. $0.00$0.00  In August 1995, Israeli Air Force (IAF) pilots Ronen Lev and Yaron Vivante were streaking through the sky at 600 miles per hour in their F-15 Falcon jetfighter when disaster struck. Two white storks collided with the jet, while a third bird was sucked into the plane's powerful engine. Unable to survive the collision, the jet exploded into flames and crashed in the Negev. "Like the birds that fly, even so will the God of Hosts shield Jerusalem, shielding and saving, protecting and rescuing." Isaiah 31:5 Lesson Summary:  In this lesson, students will study Israel ’s geographic location to understand why this tracking is necessary; analyze environmental challenges facing Israel because of bird migration; and consider ways in which citizens can galvanize government to address such issues. Printable Lesson:  5507lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Satellite Map of the Middle East Bird Scenarios Challenge Cards Additional Resources:  Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migrating Birds Know No Boundaries: http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFA%20Publications/Photo%20Exhibits/Migrating%20Birds%20Know%20No%20Boundaries International Center for the Study of Bird Migration - Migrating Birds Know No Boundaries: http://www.birds.org.il/show_item.asp?levelid=457 International Center for the Study of Bird Migration Wings Across the Ocean http://www.birds.org.il/show_item.asp?levelId=642  Audubon http://www.audubon.org A.S.P.N.I. American Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel http://aspni.org

Palestinian Politics After Arafat

Use this 2005 article to learn about current Palestinian politics and Israel's perspective on the situation. $0.00$0.00  When Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat died last November, presidential elections to replace him were scheduled for January 9, 2005. As BABAGANEWZ went to press, the elections were still days away, and yet, it seemed highly likely that Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen) would become the president of the Palestinian Authority (PA). This student guide provides information to help you understand the Palestinian political landscape and how it will affect the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians.

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