The Goodman Initiative - Current Events

CASINO NIGHT: Content Card Blackjack

JAR — Wed, 03 Dec 2014 16:10:48 +0000

Just like blackjack in the casino, but you learn about Israel at the same time!

Curriculum Themes:

A Land & Its People

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

30 minutes

Physical Space:

Indoor Space

Number of Campers:

A Bunk/Cabin/Chug (10-20 campers)

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

About the places, people, and innovations of Israel

Israeli money -- the shekel denominations and what they look like (who's on them? what's on them?)

Explanation:

Up to six players and one dealer. The dealer gives each player one card face up and the dealer then gets one card down. The players each then get another card face up, and then the dealer does also (this time face up for the dealer). There is a round where the players try to hit/stay to get as close to 36 as possible without going over. Then the dealer tries to do the same (dealer must hit on 27). ALSO each #11 card (Sharansky, Haifa, Drip Irrigation, Entebbe) can be a 1 or an 11. The betting is accomplished using shekels that are distributed at the beginning of the game and it is a minimum of 10 shekels for each hand/bet.

Variations:

You could limit the cards in the deck so you could play just with the 14 lowest cards in each suit, giving you a true 21 blackjack game.

Supporting Materials:

Curricular Subjects:

Current Events

Jews in the #Social News

Carl Schrag — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 23:35:48 +0000

Campers will gain perspective on how Israel is seen by young people around the world, develop an appreciation for the power and volatility of social media in today’s society, and learn about topical current events. They will use a selection of social media postings from around the world to gain insight into how different cultures and societies express themselves online.

Curriculum Themes:

The Pioneering Spirit

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

1 hour

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

Learn how different countries and cultures view news from and about Israel

Develop critical thinking skills related to how ideas are expressed via social media

Explanation:

To prepare, label 5 large poster boards with names of countries: U.S., Britain, Israel, Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia, and hang them around the room. Place the first set of social media postings (cultural themes, see below for suggestions) face-down on a table with masking tape on the back of each post. Place the second set of social media postings (news-related, more controversial themes, see below for suggestions) face-down on a different table with masking tape on the back of each post. Note: There should be two identical sets of each of the groups of posts, assembled in separate rows.

1) Ask each camper to come up with a twitter handle (@____) that includes their name and something about Israel

2) Divide campers into two groups (you can count off, or use a creative method to create two groups; without talking, get in line by the number of times you’ve been to Israel. Then count off one, two, one, two.)

3) Ask each group to make a circle and share their unique twitter handles quickly, offering an explanation of why they chose it.

4) Give the groups another minute to come up with an Israel themed “hashtag” that will be their team name

5) Without explaining too much about the activity, tell the campers they will have three minutes to figure out where every posting is from, and tag it to the corresponding poster. Whichever team has the most correct after the three minutes wins the first round. Teams can only flip over one posting at a time, and must all work together to determine where they go.

6) After the three minute round, go through all of the postings, and share the correct answers. Tally up the scores for both groups. Then, bring the group back together and discuss.

Possible discussion questions:

Did you notice a theme among these postings?
Were there any postings that you knew immediately which country they were from? Why?
Were there any postings whose origins you were surprised by? Why?
Some postings could have been from more than one country. Why do you think that is?
How has social media affected globalization and the spread of culture?
How has social media affected cultural values around the world?
Why does social media affect young people particularly?

7) Ask campers to return to their groups, and tell them that the next set of postings are more serious than the last. This round they will have five minutes to determine where the postings belong (like any camp activity, times are subject to change depending on the attentiveness of the group, the flow of the activity, etc.).

8) After a five minute round, go through the postings and share the correct answers. Tally up the scores for both groups. Then, bring the group back together and discuss.

Possible discussion questions:

Did you notice a theme among these postings?
Were there any postings you knew immediately which country they were from? Why?
How were these posts different from (or similar to) the posts on your Facebook wall?
Were there any postings whose origins you were surprised by? Why?

Next, instruct the two groups to do the same exercise, this time using the second set of posts. These posts are more overtly political in nature and should reflect strong opinions on key issues related to Israel. Give the groups three minutes to review the posts, one at a time, and decide on which wall each belongs.

After the time has elapsed, check the posts and see which team got the most correct answers. Announce a winner. Then continue the conversation that you began after the first round of posts. You can revisit any of the earlier questions, and also use these for ideas:

What did you learn about the way Israel is portrayed around the world?
How does social media affect the way Israel is portrayed around the world?
Do you think young people have a different view on Israel than older people? Why?
Social media exists in a “virtual” reality, but has the ability to affect the real world greatly. Why is that? Can you think of any examples?
How is social media used as an agent of change by young people around the world?
Why is social media effective in this role?
How has social media changed the role of young people in the geopolitical world (i.e. Arab Spring)?
How has social media empowered traditionally marginalized groups?
How does social media affect the world’s views on/responses to specific countries’ internal issues?
Describe a way you could use social media to stimulate social change. What issue would you be focused on?
How has social media changed the way young people interact?
Do you notice that in your own life? Can you give an example?
Do you think it’s a good thing we don’t have phones or computers at camp? Why?
How has camp affected the way you interact with others?
When you’re at camp, do you miss social media? Why or why not?
Are relationships formed through social media “real” relationships? Why or why not?
Do you have any relationships that exist only through social media? How do those relationships differ from relationships you have in “real” life?
If you could go back twenty years and stop social media from even becoming an idea, would you do it? Why or why not? How would that affect the world today?
How do you think social media will affect the future of humanity and social interaction?

Variations:

You can use the sample posts included here, but the ideal way to run this activity is to gather real-time posts from Facebook and Twitter.

Time permitting, consider these variations and additional activities:

Have every camper take a few minutes to choose one post they would “favorite,” one they would “retweet” (share), and one they would “delete.” Go around in a circle and have each camper share their choices and explain why.
Have every camper write a post about Israel, a current event, or any issue that affects/interests them. After they’re done, have them move around the room and find another camper whose post is most similar to theirs. They can be similar for any reason, serious or whacky. After every camper has found a partner, have them share with the group both of their tweets, and why they’re similar. If they share an issue, ask them if they agree or disagree on the issue, and why. Finish the activity by having the campers tape their posts to a poster which can be displayed in a cabin or the dining room.

Resources:

*The social media postings below are made up, but effective. Feel free to substitute these postings with real postings found on the internet*

Cultural Postings:

“What an incredible concert #first #let #me #take #a #selfie #goingdown #timber”

“Hadag Nachash put on a great show!! #holymusic”

“What a match! Can’t believe they pulled through in extra time!”

“How am I supposed to drive my Lamborghini if a camel caravan is taking up the road? #crownprinceprobz #ugh”

“Need bagels. rn. Who’s driving??”

“Oh Fairouz, why must you be from Lebanon and not from here? You are so beautiful.”

“How come everytime I meet an American they ask if I’m in One Direction? We’re not all bloody boy toys”

“I like her so much but she is observing shomer nagiyah…#justonekiss #please”

“Kesha was going to perform but the government said she breaks religious law #NOTgoingdown #timber”

“I can’t believe tonight is prom...wasn’t I just a freshman?? #timeflies #wedemboyz”

Serious Postings:

“What kind of government trades dangerous prisoners for a deserter? This establishes a precedent for kidnapping and shows tremendous weakness #tcot”

“We must come together to show the world what is really happening in this country #BringBackOurBoys”

“Today is the day to #unveil your beauty and your life! Stand together as women and show the world who we are”

“Libya had its time, Egypt had its time, today we will meet in the square to protest the #occupation #givebackourland #spring”

“They say we cannot even leave the house without a man, but today we will drive. The time is now for change, who will lead the charge?”

“Rouhani is a wolf in a sheep’s clothing. America is closing their eyes to a terrible reality. Iran must not get nuclear weapons, or it is our lives and our country”

“Allowing immigrants already in the country to become citizens will help refill the social security the baby boomers are draining. It is in all of our interest”

“Another day of being late to work because of checkpoints. Another day I can’t see my family on the other side of the fence. This is #apartheid #teardownthiswall”

“Heard Israel killed more Palestinians today. What entitles them to kill? They’re just Jews, who do they think they are?”

“Meet outside Stratford dorm to promote #BDS. Israel can’t continue to oppress a whole people without punishment”

Curricular Subjects:

Attribution:

Camp Airy

My Facebook Kotel

JAR — Tue, 04 Nov 2014 17:09:13 +0000

Social Media provides a platform for personal expression and building community, and Israel can be a key component in both of these endeavors. This program offers fun ways to integrate Israel into campers' social media reality.

Curriculum Themes:

A Land & Its People

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

How to express your opinions appropriately about current events in Israel

Slang and lingo used by Israelis on social media

Israel's history of pioneering advances in technology has played a central role in the global explosion of social media

Explanation:

Our campers are natives to social media technology and it is an integral part of their lives at home. Israel, on the other hand, may seem foreign to them -- certainly as a content piece related to social media. This program aims to bridge that gap and help campers understand the power of social media in helping them keep informed, share their views, and engage in lively respectful discussion about difficult topics.

Opening Game: give each camper a piece of paper and ask them to write a list of words that describe what other people think of them when looking at their Facebook walls. Next, ask them to pick the one word from the list that makes them most uncomfortable, and write it on a label/sticker/nametag that they will affix to their forehead. Now, use a "cocktail party"-style activity in which the group must circulate and interact. Instruct campers to walk the way the word on their label would walk and interact based on the way the word on their label dictates. In essence, campers are asked to become their label for the duration of the exercise.

Debrief: Facilitate a conversation about this opening exercise seeking to encourage campers to begin to think about how their Facbook wall -- much like the labels they were wearing at the cocktail party -- define them and shape how people interact with them. Ask questions such as:

What was your experience?
In what ways does your Facebook wall define you?

After campers have reflected on the experience they just completed, introduce Israel into the conversation: tell the group that they are gong to create a Facebook wall for Israel. Unlike the notes they may have placed in the Western Wall, if they have visited Israel, the messages on this wall are going to be public, just like so many social media posts.

Formulate a list with the group: what are situations that might prompt you to post about Israel? Possible aswers might include:

I saw an Israeli movie
I visited Israel, or want to visit Israel
I heard about an Israeli invention
Something about Israel was on the news
It's an Israeli holiday, or the anniversary of something important in Israeli history

Create an actual Facebook wall for Israel using markers and butcher paper.

Give everyone a chance to think about their own relatinoship to Israel. Encourage them to come up with five ideas of things they might post -- and then to pursue the idea they think is least likely to be repeated by others. Campers can write their posts directly on the Facebook wall, or they can write on slips of paper and then tape them to the wall. As people post their own contributions to the wall, they should be encouraged to comment on other people's messages. You can create small "like" stickers and let campers affix them to any posts or comments that they particularly like.

Variations:

After the conclusion of the activity, hang the paper wall in a public place at camp -- perhaps in the dining hall -- and encourage everyone to add comments and "likes" of their own, This wall can become a physical replica of the virtual world in which campers so frequently express themselves during the year; at camp, it takes on a physical presence, and it focuses primarily on Israel and the camp community's relationship to Israel.

Background Cards:

Supporting Images:

Curricular Subjects:

Attribution:

BB Camp

Tag into the Flag: An Israel Icebreaker

JAR — Tue, 03 Dec 2013 15:35:54 +0000

The campers will participate in an icebreaker that simultaneously engages them in conversation about Israel and puts them surreptitiously into the shape of the Israeli flag!

Curriculum Themes:

A Land & Its People

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

15 Minutes

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

Icebreaker - getting to know other people

The sense that people have all different kinds of relationships with Israel

Explanation:

The faciliator will gather the campers/participants on a large field or in a large open indoor space. They will be instructed that this will be a game of tag, but not a traditional game of tag. The facilitator will ask everyone to follow the directions of each task.

The first task – please find someone from a different city or whom you don't know from home. Great! You should all be standing in pairs, holding hands. (If you are shomer n’giah, you may find an alternative to holding hands, of course.)

Next, please discuss and add up among the two of you how many years you have been at your camp. Now, find another pair that matches (or comes close to) your number. Great! You should now be standing in groups of four.

Next task is to talk amongst yourselves and determine how many times the members in your quartet have visited Israel combined. If you are playing this game with staff and have a shaliach in your foursome, consider yourselves lucky! You have a lifer! And add the number of the non-shlichim in your group and then add 10 to your number. Now find another quartet that matches (or comes close to) your number. Great! You should now be in standing in groups of eight.

Now this gets fun! Please now circle up, huddle, and go over who everyone is in your group and what they love most about Israel (even if they haven't been).

Your next task now is to find another group of eight that has at least one person in that group who has been to Israel! Great! You should now be standing in groups of sixteen.

Our next to last task is to get into 3 groups of 32. In order to do that, please circle up and huddle with your group of 16. A staff member will now bring to your group a slip of paper. Please read the slip of paper and accomplish your task!

SLIPS OF PAPER

(4 groups get this slip) Your task is to stand in a line, shoulder to shoulder with your backs right up against the long end of the open space, facing the space. There will be another group with this same assignment. Please include them in your line. There are three other groups getting this slip of paper. You can only partner with one other group and your two groups must be standing opposite and facing the other two groups.

(2 groups get this slip) Your task is to create a standing equilateral triangle in the very center of the field using all 16 people in your group. There will be another group with this same assignment. Please ensure that their triangle and your triangle overlap to make a Magen David.

The faciliator should be in a place where a picture from above can be taken and the ideal way to end this program is to play Hatikvah on a loud speaker and get everyone to sing along while showing them an Israeli flag so they recognize the shape they're standing in.

Variations:

You can always do this with smaller/less groups.

Curricular Subjects:

Current Events

Whose Line is it Anyway: Israel Edition

JAR — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 22:41:32 +0000

Whose Line is it Anyway: Israel Edition uses the format of the famous and funny TV show "Whose Line is it Anyway?" but replaces the scenarios with those involving characters and storylines from modern Israeli history and culture. The program allows many different participants for each 'game' and is always a lot of fun!

Curriculum Themes:

Materials Required:

see template

Program Duration:

1 hour

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

Campers will learn about a series of Israeli innovations, events, foods, and personalities, as determined by each camp.

Explanation:

Each game should take about 15 minutes, but could go longer or shorter depending on the group.

Game 1: News Team

The leader will ask for four volunteers to come stand up in front of the group. Each of these volunteers will be members of the news team, at the foot of Har Hertzl in front of a huge celebration honoring Israel’s 65th birthday. The leader should identify two anchors (who will stand in the middle), one weather person (who will stand to one side of the anchors), and one sports reporter (who will stand on the other side). The leader should inform the ‘audience’ that each of these news team members has a flaw. The leader should go one by one to establish (through suggestions from the audience) what those flaws are. (Examples: this person is allergic to what? This person thinks he/she is which inanimate object? This person thinks this is not a news show, but what kind of TV show?, etc.) Once each news team member has been given a flaw, they should also receive a note card with one fact. These cards should be prepared ahead of time using the facts provided below (or your own Israel facts!). The news team members have to incorporate the info on their cards along with showcasing their flaws.

News fact: Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees.

News fact: Voice mail technology was developed in Israel.

Sports fact: Israel's Maccabi basketball team won the European championships in 2001.

Weather fact: In March of 2012 it snowed in Jerusalem for the first time in four years!

The leader should explain out loud that the anchors will begin and end the broadcast and at certain points pass the broadcast over to the weather and sports person, respectively, before signing off for the end of the broadcast. The leader should then say “3, 2, 1, Action!” and let the news team go!

Game 2: Party Quirks

Sticking with the ‘65th anniversary party’ theme, the leader will ask for 1 really brave volunteer. The leader will send that volunteer, who will be called the ‘host of the party’ with another staff member into the ‘sound proof booth’ (far enough away or in another room so that the volunteer can’t hear what’s going on in the space where the game is being played). The leader will then ask for 6 volunteers to come stand up front. Each of these volunteers will be guests at the party that the ‘host’ is throwing. The catch? Each volunteer has to be a famous person or inanimate object in Israel’s history. Get ideas from the audience. (Examples: David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir, Ilan Ramon, a bolt of lightning (as operation thunderbolt), etc.) Once everyone has their identities picked out, the host can come back in and mock ‘set-up’ his/her party. The leader will say ‘ding dong’ as each new guest enters. And the leader should not let the party get too crowded... space out the arrivals so the ‘host’ has some time to guess the identity of the guest based on the guest’s behavior.

*two tips for this game: either the ‘host’ should be an adult or staff member who knows enough to guess the guests when they come in OR this game should be played at the end of a period of time where the group has learned about different people in modern Israeli history.

Game 3: Quote Bubbles

The leader should ask for four volunteers. Two will stand in the the middle facing each other and be engaged in a conversation in nonsense language, making it up. Behind each person will be standing the ‘translator’ for that person. Every time ‘person A’ speaks, everyone will pause while the translator translates what ‘person A’ was really saying. Then the same for ‘person B.’ The leader will, after assigning roles, ask the audience for suggested scenarios by first asking for a location in Israel, then asking for a scene/conversation that could be happening in that location. A fun thing to do is to have the people switch positions and do a new round with new scenarios/locations from the audience but the same volunteers, just in opposite roles.

Game 4: Press Conference

The leader picks one volunteer to come stand up in front of the group. The volunteer will be speaking behind a podium (if you have a podium, awesome -- if not, no need). The volunteer is at a press conference and must deduce his/her own identity and the event being discussed from the questions posed by the audience/reporters. The volunteer must try to answer the questions appropriately and accurately. The subject of the press conference is a known figure making an announcement about a big event in modern Israeli history. (Options include: 1978 Peace Treaty with Egypt, Omri Casspi becoming first Israeli to join NBA team, Israel winning its first Olympic gold medal, Ilan Ramon enters space as Israel's first astronaut, or any other subject you might choose from the background cards). The questions should be pre-written on note cards.

SAMPLE SCENARIO:

Cornell University partners with Israel’s world famous Technion University to create new Science University on New York City’s Roosevelt Island making it the first U.S. campus for an Israeli University!

SPEAKER: NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg

SAMPLE QUESTIONS TO BE WRITTEN ON NOTE CARDS (YOU CAN HAVE MANY MORE):

1. Mr. Mayor, what is so special about Israeli science and technology?
2. Mr. Mayor, does your city really need another university?
3. Mr. Mayor, will you have to build a new bridge from Manhattan for the students to access Roosevelt Island?
4. Mr. Mayor, Cornell has a great reputation. Why would it need to partner with a science & technology university from another country?

The Leader should have the volunteer guess as he/she goes along answering the questions.

Game 5: Israeli Themed Restaurant

The leader asks for 3 volunteers. Two will be seated at a table, one will be the waiter standing next to the table. The waiter will not have menus, but instead will have to recite the menu to the people sitting down who will have to decide on what to eat. The waiter will then go and come back with the food (leaving a little time for the diners to exchange small talk), and then the diners will have to describe the food they’re mock-eating in great detail. The food on the menu must all be Israeli food (cous cous, hummus, Israeli salad, falafel, rugelach, etc.)

Variations:

You can always switch out different topics as mentioned above, or different games as well. The order doesn't matter. Though I find starting with 'news team' is always a sure first game.

Curricular Subjects:

Current Events

Attribution:

"Whose Line is it Anyway" - the British and US TV shows

Israeli Street Party

JAR — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 21:42:15 +0000

Campers will get to meet the diverse group of people that make up Israeli society while walking in the shoes of an Israeli citizen in a party atmosphere. This session will include mingling, movement, and fun!

Curriculum Themes:

The Pioneering Spirit

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

1 hour

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

Israel is a small but diverse country, with people from very different cultures, countries, and religious affiliations.

Explanation:

The leader should ask everyone to sit in a circle. The leader should then ask everyone in the circle to brainstorm a list of people who live in Israel (secular teenager, soldier, Christian Arab, Palestinian, Orthodox Haredi Jew, etc.). The leader should have slips of paper, blank and pre-cut. The leader should be writing down the archetypes the group comes up with on slips of paper. When the group has come up with enough identities, the leader should shuffle the slips and distribute one slip to each participant. The participants should be instructed to look at their slips, fold them, and put them in their pocket. They are not ‘secret identities’ but not for sharing just yet. (8 minutes)

The leader should then ask the campers to go around the circle and say one word that comes to mind when their ‘character’ hears the word: Israel. The campers should remember their word. (3 minutes)

The leader should then ask the campers to stand up and create a gesture for their character. The leader should demonstrate what a gesture is (a simple, repeatable movement that begins and ends in a neutral standing position). The campers should be given two minutes to devise their gestures. The leader should then ask everyone to, in order around the circle, show their gestures (without saying the identity of their character). (5 minutes)

The campers should then be asked to walk in the space as their characters. No talking. Just walk in the space, making eye contact with other people, but AS your character. The leader should, every now and again, say ‘freeze’. The leader should then explain that when he or she says the word ‘gesture’ the campers should do their gesture. When the leader says ‘word,’ the camper should say the word. The leader will unfreeze the campers and again encourage them to walk through the space, every now and then saying ‘word’ and ‘gesture’. The campers should be now asked to think about their character as they walk. What’s their story? What’s their name? How do they feel about the other people around them? About Israel? The leader should continue to pepper the walking by calling out ‘word’ and ‘gesture’. (5 minutes)

The leader should then ask every camper to find a partner. They should introduce themselves to each other and find out who the other person is, what kind of Israeli. The leader should announce to switch and find another partner every minute or so. It’s a cocktail party, mingling, if you will. (10 minutes)

The leader should, after about ten minutes, stop the group and do a quick interview. The question should be “Who were you talking to?” The question should NOT be “Who are you?” - the point is to get campers to talk not about the character they created, but the characters they MET. (5 minutes)

After the public interviewing/sharing, the campers should be asked to find a spot to themselves with paper and a pen/pencil. The campers should write a few senteces that describe how their character feels about Israel. It is important to encourage the campers to dig beyond the 'stereotype' of what they might know about the character. The goal is for the camper to find a more honest and deep connection to the intention and humanity of the character they are inhabiting. The campers should also be asked to use their ‘word’ in their writing. (4 minutes)

The leader, after a few minutes, should ask the campers to finish their writings. Once everyone is done, the campers should come sit back in a circle. The leader should jump right in with the instructions for the next part of the activity. The campers, in a moment, will be asked to stand up and walk around the space again as their characters, making eye contact with the other people in the space as they walk. The leader will be calling out ‘word’ and ‘gesture’ as the group walks around, and the leader will also be walking around the space. The leader will also explain before the spacewalk begins that if the leader taps your shoulder, you stand still and read your monologue until it’s over, then rejoin the group. The leader should begin the activity.

The leader will then ask everyone to stand up and begin walking through the space as their characters. The leader should ask leading questions as they begin to walk. “How does your character walk? What does your character feel about the other people in this space?” The leader should remember to pepper in ‘gesture’ and ‘word’ every now and then and continue to tap people on the shoulder at regular intervals. Do NOT wait for one person to finish their monologue before tapping another’s shoulder to begin. The overlap is GOOD! In fact, three or more at the same time is great. It should be a cacophony of gestures, words, and monologues. At a certain point tell the campers that you will no longer be calling out ‘word’ or ‘gesture’ but that they are on their own for deciding when they want to say or do their word or gesture as they walk the space. At a certain point the leader will drop out of tapping people on the shoulder as well and inform them that they are free to do their monologues whenever it strikes them. When this free phase has gone on for a couple of minutes, the facilitator should invite campers, on their time, whenever they feel ready, to come and sit back down in the circle without talking whenever they feel ready. (10 minutes)

*FACILITATOR NOTE: if you play music during the last part of the program - which is encouraged, it should be music that is Israeli but that is NOT familiar to the group. We want Israeli music that will serve the experience without distracting campers into singing along to their favorite Israeli songs. Please avoid that, even at the cost of not playing any music at all.*

Once everyone is seated back in the circle, the facilitator should turn off the music and begin the discussion (see below)

Variations:

The session, as-is, is for all ages but the very young (4th grade and down) who will not have enough social information about how even people in their own community engage with each other for this to be a palatable program for them.

Curricular Subjects:

Israel Lens: Current Events in Israel

Natalie Blitt — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:14:32 +0000

The Israel Lens is a unique method of looking at photographs as entry points into understanding Israeli history and collection. This session primarily uses photographs of current events in Israeli politics.

Curriculum Themes:

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

1 hour

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

On August 15, 2005, tens of thousands of unarmed soldiers dismantled settlements in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, was captured by Hamas militants in 2006. Five years later, on October 18, 2011, Israelis celebrated his safe arrival home.

Woodley Elysee is a young Haitian boy who was born with multiple fatal heart defects. He was brought to Israel by the aid mission and Israeli humanitarian organization Save A Child's Heart for life-saving open heart surgery.

Explanation:

Step 1: Introducing the Technique

Start by engaging your campers in the topic of the importance of photography in their lives. You can ask them questions like:
- Do they like taking pictures?
- Do they find that photographs properly "tell" the story of what happened?
- Have they had the experience of someone seeing one of their pictures and seeing things in the photograph that they as the photographer hadn't seen?

Step 2: Honorable Discharge

Split campers in small groups of 10-12. Show them the photograph Honorable Discharge.
Ask the campers to take a few minutes to write down 10 observations about the photograph: 5 objective observations and 5 subjective observations.
Explain that an objective observation is something that doesn't change from person to person – it is something you can all agree on. For example, there are two men in the photograph, the photograph is in black and white, etc.
Explain that a subjective observation is an opinion, a feeling, or an interpretation based on what you see. Such as, “it reminds me of the time I did x”, or, “I think that man might feel sad,” or “I think he looks poor.”
Ask for the campers to share their observations -- be sure to point out when someone makes a subjective observation instead of an objective one.
Next, have the campers share their subjective observations. Ask the campers:
- What do you think the photographer was trying to capture with this photograph? Why?
- What do you think this picture is actually of – what historic event is it actually documenting?
Explain that the photograph was taken by an Israeli photographer named Zion Ozeri and share with the campers the title and story of the photograph:

Honorable Discharge, Ben-Gurion Airport, Israel, 1992

Look at the expression on this man's face. How would you describe it -- fear, sadness, confusion, joy? He has just arrived in Israel from the former Soviet Union. Under communism, Soviet Jews were not allowed to practice their religion openly and were often denied the right to immigrate to the U.S. or Israel. But after Gorbachev (the Soviet president) opened the doors to emigration in 1989, hundreds of thousands of Jews from the former Soviet Union flocked to Israel, with the help of Jews around the world.

These immigrants often arrived with very little and faced many challenges in their new homes. But the man in this picture had brought something very precious with him: the military medals he wears with pride. They serve as a reminder of his previous life, of the risks he took fighting for his country. They might not mean much in his new life in Israel, but these medals clearly have a very personal significance to him.

The photographer, Zion Ozeri, explains: "I call it honorable discharge. He was obviously discharged from the Russian army. And many Jews, by the way, either sacrificed their lives or fought heroically during World War II... I always look for the image that would define the moment. I sort of saw it in his face... You see the flag, you see EL-AL, and that look."

Ask the campers:
- Have you ever heard of the phrase, “A picture’s worth a thousand words?” When someone uses that phrase, what do you think they mean?
- Do you see how Zion Ozeri constructed this photograph to tell a powerful story?
Note: The idea that we are trying to reveal is that photographs or other primary sources are less important as objective fact pieces, and more important as vehicles for stories and connection. Every photograph is created with a certain degree of intention: the photographer picked the angles, set-up, subjects, and finally, to release the photograph. As a viewer, we see the photographs through the lens of our own experiences with the elements in the photograph.

Step 3: Photographs from Moments in Recent History

Split the campers into small groups and ask them to choose from one of the pictures that we provided (printed on cardstock). All of the photos are depicting events from within the last twenty years.
Once the groups have selected their cardstock photo, hand them a packet that includes all the photos with contextual information about each. Groups should also take an envelope consisting of different possible captions for the photo.
Instruct the groups to spend 5-10 minutes looking at the cardstock photo, reading the contextual information about it, and picking a caption to go with the photo.
Come back together and share.
During the sharing, have each group describe why they chose their picture, what they saw in the photograph and why the chose the caption they chose.

Step 4: Wrap-Up

Explain to the campers: photographs or other primary sources are less important as objective fact pieces, and more important as vehicles for stories and connection.
Reinforce the idea that in storytelling, especially Israel storytelling, there is no such thing as objectivity; and, in fact, there is power in embracing and owning your own personal, subjective story.
Every photograph is created with a certain degree of intention: the photographer picked the angles, set-up, subjects, and finally, to release the photograph.
As a viewer, we see the photographs through the lens of our own experiences with the elements in the photograph.

Variations:

Variations in Content:

The entire second part of this activity (after looking at the Honorable Discharge photograph) can also be done with other collections of photographs. Ask your Israelis on staff, or Americans, if they have photographs that particularly speak to them about events in recent Israeli history. Keep in mind the type of story that the photograph is telling and make sure it is appropriate!
You can also do this activity with photographs from other periods in Israeli history.

Variations in Format:

If your campers are really into storytelling, let them construct stories for the people in the photographs, imagine lives for them out of the flat black-and-white images. When they imagine these stories, they are engaging more fully in the photograph and analyzing it more closely. They are also putting themselves into the story of Israeli history: how would they have felt in that moment, in that time?
If your campers have already done the subjective/objective exercise, you can try another introduction to the photographs, or just refer to that program before starting with the new pictures.
If you are doing this activity through a photography class at camp, there are many follow-up activities that you can create, including having campers:
- Take self portraits
- Take pictures of Israeli symbols or elements of camp and bring them back to discuss

Background Cards:

Supporting Images:

Supporting Materials:

Israel Lens Booklet.pdf

captions-for-israel-lens.pdf

Curricular Subjects:

Attribution:

Zion Ozeri

The Great Debate

Carl Schrag — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 14:46:25 +0000

Campers learn about some of the key challenges facing Israel today, begin to develop or sharpen their opinions, and engage in discussion and debate as they grapple with the realities of multiple perspectives on burning issues.

Curriculum Themes:

Materials Required:

Arts & Crafts Material

Program Duration:

90 minutes

Physical Space:

Indoor Space

Number of Campers:

A Division/Age Group (30 – 50 campers)

Age of Campers:

Oldest Campers (16+)

Explanation:

Stage 1: Introduction

You can introduce The Great Debate by peppering campers with a series of questions about Israel, or asking them to shout out what they think are the key issues facing Israel. After a brief discussion, the GE can shift gears and provide an overview of how the activity is run.
Alternately, you might want to work with a few Israeli and American staff members to prepare a short dramatic presentation designed to demonstrate the role these questions play in daily life in Israel. This skit might entail a few friends meeting in someone's living room on a Friday night to argue about politics, or some similar scenario, to encourage campers to engage in dialogue and debate, and to ask questions.
Questions that can help launch this activity:
- What should the borders of Israel look like in a final-status agreement with the Palestinians?
- Should Arab citizens of Israel enjoy full rights equal to those of Israeli Jews?
- Since Israel is a Jewish state, should the Orthodox Rabbinate keep its role in setting religious policy for all Israeli Jews?

Stage 2: Understanding the Debate

After the introduction of the program, the GE stands alongside a large placard with a variety of symbols and images representing the issues described below. (This can include bumper stickers, reprinted slogans, etc. Bumper sticker images can be selected from here: http://www.jr.co.il/pictures/israel/bstickers/index.html but choose them with care to ensure a mix that reflects the issues that are being discussed). S/He will refer to the images as s/he provides an overview of dilemmas and challenges faced by the State of Israel.
GE: You all have learned about the history of the State of Israel. I don’t want you to think you’ve learned all there is to learn, but I also don’t want you to think that the past is the only thing that matters. There are burning issues on the Israeli agenda, and you have enough knowledge and understanding to begin to wrestle with them.
You could think of daily life in Israel as one Great Debate. Today we’re going to talk about some of those debates that preoccupy Israelis. I’ve got my own opinions on them, but my opinions won’t be the focus right now. I don’t want to tell you what to think; I want you each to think for yourselves. I’ll give the overview, and then each of you will have to decide what’s right, or what you would do if it was up to you to set Israeli policy.
You may choose to introduce the approach by doing a “dry run” of a couple of issues that are hot topics in the U.S. – perhaps the voting age or the drinking age and a question about U.S. involvement in Afghanistan. Next, introduce the issues on the agenda for today (feel free to add, swap, or delete from the following list):
- The threat posed by Iran
- Territorial compromise
- Religion and state
- Who is a Jew
- Citizenship and rights
- Security/civil liberties
- Army and society
- Israel-Diaspora relations

This introduction will not delve into positions on each issue, but will simply set up the dilemmas or questions.

Stage 3: Staking Out the Positions

Staff members, led by the GE and one or more shlichim (with careful preparation, campers can also make some of these presentations), will then make a brief (2-3 minute) presentation presenting each issue in greater depth. At the conclusion of each presentation, the presenter will posit three statements, and ask campers to choose the one that they agree with most. Cards with the statements will be distributed.
Statements for each dilemma will have a different color and/or shape. By the end of the presentations, each camper will have eight cards representing the positions they chose for each of the dilemmas.
If it seems appropriate, you might ask the campers to share any reflections on the activity to this point. Questions could include:
- Were you surprised by your views on any of these issues?
- Which issue seems most important to you?
- How might you view these issues differently if you lived in Israel?

Stage 4: Finding Points of Agreement

The facilitator notes that everyone has staked out positions on a wide variety of issues, and each camper is unlikely to find many people who agree with them on every issue. This is a lot like Israeli politics, where different parties come together to form a coalition even if they do not agree on every issue.
Instruct the group to take 10 minutes to sort themselves into groups where there is the greatest common ground. Campers can achieve this by looking for similar arrays of cards and by querying each other. Once there are 6-8 groups, a staff person joins each group and leads a discussion about the issues. Since each group will include people with varying views on some of the issues, the staff person will moderate discussion and debate on the points of disagreement.
After 15 minutes, the entire group will reconvene, and the facilitator will solicit varying views on some or all of the dilemmas.
Additionally, if time permits, the culminating discussion can focus on the process of seeking common ground, compromising on multiple issues, etc.

Stage 5: Wrap-up

Questions the facilitator might pose to the entire group during the wrap-up discussion include:
- What surprised you most about the discussions you've just had?
- Did you find many people who agreed with you on every issue? How do you explain this?
- Which issues seem to be the most important?
- Do you see any comparison to the relative importance of issues in American society? Why do some issues matter more to us than others?
- Were you aware of all of these dilemmas? Which ones were new to you?
- Who wants to share a particularly interesting idea about how to tackle one of these issues?
- Ideally, campers will discuss the complexity of the issues, the insights they gained by thinking and discussing tough topics, and their own sense of connection to some of the "front-burner issues" that concern Israelis. You might probe a bit why Israeli issues matter to them in the first place, and a few campers might talk about their own connections to Israel.
Finally, consider asking an Israeli staff member to share his or her perspective on the issues. Caution: Prepare the Israeli staff to approach this from the perspective of an observer of Israeli society, rather than sharing their own views on the issues. (If an Israeli espouses a clear perspective on these issues, campers whose views differ may feel marginalized, and campers without strong views might be inclined to fall into step with "the expert").
Campers will leave this activity with deeper awareness, and nuanced views, of key dilemmas facing Israel. Hopefully they will have greater confidence in their own grasp of the issues and how they approach them, but at the same time it is important for them to understand there are many differing views on each of these issues. Dialogue and openness to different ideas - as well as a willingness to advocate for what you believe in - should be enhanced.

Supporting Materials:

Great Debate Briefing Materials.docx

Great Debate - Position Statements.docx