The Goodman Initiative - 1 hour

Linking Our Individual Moments Together

Aliza Goodman — Thu, 24 Sep 2015 19:40:36 +0000

This activity helps participants delve deeper into components that make up their Jewish identity and make connections with others on a deeper and more personal level. This could be a good evening program on a night that the group is indoors (they need markers, butcher paper, and a flat surface), early in the program to build relationships, or when you want them to explore issues of identity.

Curriculum Themes:

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

Physical Space:

Indoor Space

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

Each of us is connected in a multitude of ways to each other

Our Israel stories can be used to connect others to their own Israel stories

Explanation:

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.   Place on a table (or on the floor) a large piece of butcher paper.
2.   Give each participant a different colored marker and ask him or her to find a space on the butcher paper.
3.   Instruct them to each draw a circle and write their name in the middle of the circle. Then draw 4 circles around their name –- small enough that they don’t touch (each other or those of another person) but big enough that they can write a word or short phrase in the circle and people will be able to read it.

PROMPTS AND CONNECTIONS:
1.   Then tell them to listen carefully to the following prompts. With each prompt, they are instructed to come up with a word or short phrase that sums up the essence of the prompt and write that word or phrase in a circle.
a.   Who are you named after or what is the meaning of your name?
b.   What is your favorite place at home or what is your favorite place in Israel?
c.   What is a meaningful Jewish moment that you’ve had in your life?
d.   What is a value (or guiding principle or characteristic) that resonates with you (that you care about)?
e.   What connects you to Israel?
2.   Once participants are finished writing their words, ask them to “zoom out” and take a walk around the table to see what other people wrote. Instruct them to pay attention to the words that others have written and try to find connections between themselves (their words) and the words of others.
3.   When they find a connection -– they are to draw a line from their word to the word that connects it -– and along the line, write another word or phrase that describes the connection. Give them ample time for this part (20 minutes). Option: You can use post-it notes rather than writing on the lines.

DEBRIEF:
1.   Find someone who you have connected with and share a story from your circles.
2.   Find someone who you have not connected with and share a story from your circles.
3.   Come back into a circle and ask someone to share a connection that they found. Make sure to get to the Israel story.
4.   You can really take this debrief in a variety of ways.
a.   What surprised you about the connections you made through this activity?
b.   How can our own personal stories help us as educators?
c.   This exercise helps us find a trigger into making connections and finding meaningful stories. Stories are a great way to make connections with and for other people.

Speak Up, Speak Out: Responding to Hatred on Campus

Aliza Goodman — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 15:30:26 +0000

Deepen your understanding of Israel advocacy and discover how to stand up for Israel on your college campuses! In this workshop we will dissect pro-divestment video from Northwestern University as a way to hone compelling, authentic pro-Israel messages. Together we will create our own video that brings together and highlights our individual stories and connections with Israel.

Curriculum Themes:

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

1 hour

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Explanation:

To warm up your group, do three rounds of sharing. Be sure to take notes on a large post-it:

Share something you love about Israel
Share something meaningful that connects you to Israel
Share something you've heard/hear about Israel that makes you proud

Say to participants, we are talking about what we love about Israel -- but obviously there are a lot of people who don't share our views. Is there anyone who has dealt with anti-Israel stuff on campus? Can you share your experiences with us? How did it make you feel?

After participants have shared some experiences, say to them: "Now we are going to watch a video from Northwestern University, whose student senate passed a resolution calling on the university to divest from a list of companies that they suggest 'support the occupation.' This video was part of a campaign to build support for divestment. As you watch the video, pay attention to how the video makes you feel."

[Before playing the video, make sure everyone understands the basic premise of the BDS movement and why it is such a big issue right now on campuses. Be sure, though, to emphasize that much like all things related to Israel and conflict, it is a complicated issue and we are not going to teach you everything you need to know about BDS in this session. What we aim to do is give you a new perspective in to the complexities of such issues related to Israel.]

Play video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjcy5v_WzwA.

After the video finished, ask participants to share in one word how the video made them feel. Be sure to stop anyone who wants to talk about the specific arguments -- we want to get our feelings on the table in this part of the program, not go into the details of the "facts" and "arguments" being made in the video. Make sure participants feel comfortable and know that this is a safe space where all feelings are welcome and respected.

Now say to participants, "now that our feelings are out on the table, I want to put them aside for a few minutes. We are going to watch the video again, and this time, pay attention to the values that are being expressed through the statements in the video. Don't focus on the content (and whether you feel it is right or wrong) -- just focus on what values you think these students are expressing through their statements."

Play the video again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zjcy5v_WzwA.

Make a list of values that you heard being expressed through this video. Once that list is up, you can take the discussion in a variety of directions. Some questions include:

What do you notice about these values?
Do they resonate with you?
How does looking at the video and arguments through this lens help you make sense of what is going on, on campus?

If you want, you can ask participants to think of these values and come up with their own expressions of these values as they relate to Israel -- essentially, what are the statements they would make if we were creating our own video like this?

Challenge Course Israel

Aliza Goodman — Tue, 12 May 2015 22:08:56 +0000

In this session we will explore how to use group challenges, low ropes, and no ropes courses to look at challenging issues in Modern Israeli History.

Curriculum Themes:

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

1 hour

Number of Campers:

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

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

Ropes courses provide an active way to engage with the core of a challenging story in history

Transforming a story into a physical feat that needs to be accomplished is a powerful way to learn Israeli history and understand the values being reflected in the story

You can use minimal amount of supplies and just the Goodman resource cards to teach about Modern Israel History

The Jewish people have faced many challenges throughout history and have needed to find ways to overcome those challenges

Explanation:

Cave in Ein Gedi:

This is a reworking of the classic Spiderweb Challenge. Depending on the size of the group split the group into two or three teams. While many people might have done this activity or Cow Fence, this is slightly different.
The goal is to get someone in through the spider web without touching the web, once there that person needs to grab a piece of the cloth (a bandana), and then get back again.
For additional complexity they can be challenged to do this silently. If anyone touches the web, you get sent back. The group that does it faster wins.
After explaining the rules the facilitator explains that they are David and his posse who are confronting King Saul in the cave in Ein Gedi (1 Samuel 24).
At first the facilitator asks the participants about the challenge: Saul came to kill David, what it meant to do this activity in silence, confront your oppressor, and show restraint in not killing him in response.
After the challenge the entire group will reflect on the story of David and Saul. Then they will reflect on how it felt to confront a bully. Then we will look at the role of confronting the bully in Israeli history. When are we David and when are we Saul?

History of Aliyah (Lighthouse Activity):

Phase 1 – Blindfold one person and put him/her at one end of a room or outdoor area that has various obstacles in it (i.e. rocks, cones, chairs, trees, etc.). Select another group member to be the “lighthouse” and place them at some point in the obstacle course. Give the blindfolded person an object representing the Jewish people.
The job of the lighthouse is to guide the ship (blindfolded person) verbally through the rough waters (obstacle course) avoiding any of the obstacles safely to Israel. The catch is that the lighthouse is only allowed to give directions when the ship is facing the lighthouse. We start with Event Card #2 Pre-State Aliyah (1881-1939). The game grows in complexity as it moves through the History of Aliyah to Israel.
Phase 2 – Same game play but now there are two lighthouses. One that is trying to help the Jewish people to get to Israel and the other is the British trying to steer them away. Use Event #1 Balfour Declaration, Event #3 Aliyah Bet (1939-1948), and Place #10 Atlit Detention Camp.

Variations:

Variations could include a variety of obstacles and challenges and content might include:

Event #6 Aliyah From Arab Countries (1949-1952) -- Explore complication of having multiple ships on the water at the same time.
People #11 Natan Sharansky – How might the Masses Rally for One to Escape?
Event #14 Ethiopian Aliyah – Getting to a Place in Israeli Society
Event #16 Russian/Soviet Aliyah – The Jewish Questions
People #14 Hannah Senesh – Invert the narrative to having her leave Israel to go to Europe to Save Jews
Event #11 Operation Entebbe (July 4,1976)
People #2 Theodor Herzl – Use for Reflection on Exercise to explore the the idea of a Jewish Homeland
Society #4 Law of Return

Background Cards:

Say My Name, Say My Name

JAR — Fri, 05 Dec 2014 17:50:16 +0000

This is an experiential program that invites participants to learn about the geography of Israel through the names of its cities. As in Native American cultures, Hebrew names have meanings. The same is true of Israel's cities. Go on a journey through the identities and histories of Israel's cities. Just don't forget your passport!

Curriculum Themes:

A Land & Its People

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

1 hour

Physical Space:

Large Room (capacity 100+)

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

City names in Israel

Map of Israel

Explanation:

Program Steps:

Everyone gets a piece of paper and instructions for folding it into a passport.
You will need to fill in the form on the 2nd page of your passport with provided pens.
8 ‘Mayors’ will be preselected (counselors? Older campers? Same age campers?) – each of these people will be given an ‘identity’. That identity comes with a slip of paper. Each slip of paper will include the name of a place in Israel and the etymology of that place’s name (etymology = derivative history of the name). Every ‘Mayor’ gets a marker of a different color and a simple shape they will make as their stamp.
These 8 people will be scattered around the room. The participants will be told to take a tour around the room, to learn about the different places in Israel and to ask for a detailed description of where they are located. They must then draw the places on the map on their passport’s last page without asking others for help. The goal is to collect all 8 ‘stamps’ from the 8 people and to finish with a ‘full’ map.
At the end, there will be one large piece of butcher paper or poster board on the wall and the facilitator will have drawn on it a LARGE blank map of Israel. Each person, once they have achieved all 8 stamps, should take a pen and put where they think each of the places they visited are in Israel. Everyone will be told that they should transcribe their maps exactly, even if it looks different than what someone else (or many someone elses) has already put on the master map.
Once everyone has finished, a 2nd map will be revealed, filled in with the true location of all the places in Israel (or the facilitator will place the places with a marker on the master map for everyone to see at the end.)
Everyone will now sit for a debrief. The facilitator will ask the questions that are on the back page of the passport.

What has changed about how you feel about places in Israel now?
What does a name say about a place?
What does “Yisrael” mean and how does that meaning impact our feeling about the place?
Do you feel differently about YOUR name now? If so, how?
What is your camp's name and how does that name relfect the camp and its mission?

Supplies:

Passports

Pens for every participant

Scissors?

8 markers

1 large piece of butcher paper/poster board

SLIPS OF PAPER FOR ‘MAYORS’

Place Cards In Use:

Jerusalem

Tel Aviv

Yad Vashem

Dead Sea

Negev

Kineret

Haifa

Beer Sheva

JERUSALEM

A city called Rušalim in the Execration texts of the Middle Kingdom of Egypt (c. 19th century BCE) is widely, but not universally, identified as Jerusalem.[24][25] Jerusalem is called Urušalim in the Amarna letters of Abdi-Heba (1330s BCE).[26] The name "Jerusalem" is variously etymologized to mean "foundation (Sumerian yeru, 'settlement'/Semitic yry' 'to found, to lay a cornerstone') of the god Shalem",[27][28] the god Shalem was thus the original tutelary deity of the Bronze Age city.[29] The form Yerushalem or Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) first appears in the Bible, in the book of Joshua. According to a Midrash, the name is a combination of Yhwh Yir'eh ("God will see to it", the name given by Abraham to the place where he began to sacrifice his son) and the town "Shalem".[30] The earliest extra-biblical Hebrew writing of the word Jerusalem is dated to the sixth or seventh century BCE[31][32] and was discovered in Khirbet Beit Lei near Beit Guvrin in 1961. The inscription states: "I am Yahweh thy God, I will accept the cities of Judah and I will redeem Jerusalem",[33][34][35] or as other scholars suggest: "Yahweh is the God of the whole earth. The mountains of Judah belong to him, to the God of Jerusalem".[36][37]

TEL AVIV

Tel Aviv is the Hebrew title of Theodor Herzl's Altneuland ("Old New Land"), translated from German by Nahum Sokolow. Sokolow had adopted the name of a Mesopotamian site near the city of Babylon mentioned in Ezekiel: "Then I came to them of the captivity at Tel Abib, that lived by the river Chebar, and to where they lived; and I sat there overwhelmed among them seven days."[15] The name was chosen in 1910 from several suggestions, including "Herzliya". It was found fitting as it embraced the idea of a renaissance in the ancient Jewish homeland. Aviv is Hebrew for "spring", symbolizing renewal, and tel is a man-made mound accumulating layers of civilization built one over the other and symbolizing the ancient. Theories vary about the etymology of Jaffa or Yafo in Hebrew. Some believe that the name derives from yafah or yofi, Hebrew for "beautiful" or "beauty". Another tradition is that Japheth, son of Noah, founded the city and that it was named after him.[16]

BE’ER SHEVA

There are several etymologies for the origin of the name "Beersheba": The oath of Abraham and Abimelech (well of the oath) is the one stated in Gen. 21:31. Others include the seven wells dug by Isaac (seven wells), though only three or four have been identified; the oath of Isaac and Abimelech (well of the oath in Gen. 26:33); the seven ewes that sealed Abraham and Abimelech's oath (well of the seven). Be'er is the Hebrew word for well; sheva could mean "seven" or "oath" (from the Hebrew word shvu'a). In this case the meaning is probably "oath", as the ancient Hebrews believed seven to be a lucky number, and the Hebrew "shvu'a" (to take an oath) literally means " to seven oneself".

KINERET

The modern Hebrew name, Kinneret, comes from the Old Testament or Hebrew Tanakh "sea of Kinneret" in Numbers 34:11 andJoshua 13:27, and spelled (Hebrew) כנרות ("Kinnerot") in Joshua 11:2. This name was also found in the scripts of Ugarit, in the Aqhat Epic. Kinneret was listed among the "fenced cities" in Joshua 19:35. The name Kinneret may originate from the Hebrew word kinnor ("harp" or "lyre"), in view of the shape of the lake.[6] All Bible writers use the term "sea" (Hebrew יָם yam, Greek Θαλασσα) except the gospel of Luke, written to Theophilus of Macedonia, where it is called "the lake of Genneseret" in Luke 5:1, from the Greek λίμνη Γεννησαρέτ, (limnē Gennēsaret), the "Grecized form of Chinnereth" according to Easton, who says Genneseret means "a garden of riches".[8] The Babylonian Talmud, as well as Flavius Josephus mention the sea by the name "Sea of Ginosar" after the small fertile plain of Ginosar that lies on its western side.

NEGEV

The origin of the word negev is from the Hebrew root denoting 'dry'. In the Bible, the word Negev is also used for the direction 'south'; some English-language translations use the spelling "Negeb". In Arabic, the Negev is known as al-Naqab, though it was not thought of as a distinct region until the demarcation of the Egypt-Ottoman frontier in the 19th century and has no traditional Arabic name. During the British Mandate it was called Beersheba sub-district.[3]

YAM HAMELACH (DEAD SEA)

In Hebrew, the Dead Sea is Yām ha-Melaḥ (ים המלח), meaning "sea of salt" (Genesis 14:3). In the Bible, the Dead Sea is called the Salt Sea, the Sea of the Arabah, and the Eastern Sea. The designation "Dead Sea" never appears in the Bible. In prose sometimes the term Yām ha-Māvet (ים המוות, "sea of death") is used, due to the scarcity of aquatic life there.[8]

YAD VASHEM

The name "Yad Vashem" is taken from a verse in the Book of Isaiah: Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name (yad vashem) better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off" (Isaiah 56:5). Naming the Holocaust memorial "yad vashem" conveys the idea of establishing a national depository for the names of Jewish victims who have no one to carry their name after death.[1]

HAIFA

The ultimate origin of the name Haifa remains unclear. One theory holds it derives from the name of the high priest Caiaphas. Some Christians believe it was named for Saint Peter, whose Aramaic name was Keiphah.[17] Another theory holds it could be derived from the Hebrew verb root חפה (hafa), meaning to cover or shield, i.e. Mount Carmel covers Haifa;[17] others point to a possible origin in the Hebrew word חוֹף (hof), meaning shore, or חוֹף יָפֶה (hof yafe), meaning beautiful shore.[17][18]

Supporting Materials:

Say My Name Passport Document.doc

JAR_oragami final.docx

Human Bingo, Israel-Style

Natalie Blitt — Tue, 11 Nov 2014 20:53:46 +0000

Human bingo is all the rage as a way of getting to know the people in a group. But wouldn't it be more fun to meet and get to know famous people? Use the content cards to introduce your campers and staff to the people, places, and events in Israeli history in a fun and interactive way.

Curriculum Themes:

Dreams & Realities

Materials Required:

copies of content cards

Program Duration:

Physical Space:

Open Space

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

While it depends on the cards you choose, this is a content rich activity

Explanation:

Human bingo is a game designed to have participants learn things about the other people in the room. In this version, campers and/or staff will be given a card and take on that identity for this game. You can have them create nametags or a piece of costume first, if you have the time. There's no need to keep the identity secret.

In advance, you should prepare bingo cards with clues. Use the following website to generate randomized bingo cards, using your clues: http://www.print-bingo.com/.

Depending on the number of people who are playing, you can give more than one person the same card. You can use the list we provided that includes clues that refer to every content card, or you can choose to make ones that only refer to a certain section, like people or places. Feel free to add more people, places or event "cards" than what are available. You can do this by collecting a few facts and maybe a picture, and handing them out in lieu of an actual content card.

1. Give each camper/staff an Israeli bingo card
2. Have each camper approach other campers in the room and
• Introduce themselves (even if they are an event or place) and tell the other person one fact/tip about them.
• Ask if the camper they are talking to fits the description found on one of the squares of their BINGO card. If they do, get that person to sign their name in the square with their identity.
3. Continue talking to people and asking them if they fit the descriptions on their card.
4. When someone completes the full card they shout 'bingo' and are declared the winner.

Clues are provided in the word document attached. We've also generated sample bingo charts based on all the clues (excluding the easy ones), with 14 clues listed per column (in the bingo card generator).

Variations:

You can use clues that are specific to one card, or to make things easier/faster, you can use more generic clues. Suggestions for each are included.

You can use clues that are generic to people, events, and places. For instance, connected to 1948 could be a number of people and events and sites.

The important part to writing clues is to think of what you want your camper/staff to know about the information that is listed on the content card. Don't use random and obscure facts, but also don't make the clues too easy (unless you are playing this game with younger campers).

Feel free to have campers create a list of facts they've learned on the back of the bingo sheet.

Background Cards:

Supporting Materials:

print-bingo-com.pdf

Clues for Israeli Human Bingo.docx

Our Camp's Israel Garden: A Guide to Creating and Programming

JAR — Mon, 10 Nov 2014 18:52:20 +0000

Learn the skills of gardening and the history of Israeli innovation as we create an Israel garden in camp -- full of Israeli fruits, veggies, and herbs that we will harvest and eat together!

Curriculum Themes:

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

Physical Space:

Outdoor Space

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

How to garden

History of drip irrigation in Israel

What kinds of food grows in Israel

Explanation:

At the beginning of the summer, choose a plot of land to place your garden. The land should have direct sunlight for at least 6 hours each day, and it should be near a water source.

Once you've selected the land, campers can help create the garden. They will need to hoe the dirt, plant guard rails of wood around the garden (laying them down in troughs dug in the ground is an easy way to do this). The point of planting guard rails is to keep the garden dirt firm and in the garden, allowing the garden to be 'boxed in'.

You then need to dig troughs as lines for planting seeds. Determine which items will need to grow where, and how many seeds you want for each item you're planting.

Once planted and watered, there are many interesting ways to integrate Israel into the experience:

Learning about Israeli innovation.
- Start with drip irrigation, one of Israel's claims to fame. You can set up your own drip irrigation system (a long hose with holes in it) or have your campers brainstorm the problem that led to its creation.
- Once you're on the topic of Israeli innovation, learn more about creations that Israel is (and isn't) well known for. Like the cherry tomato strain Israel invented that ripens slowly and stays on the vine, allowing for it to be sold on cluster like grapes, and making shipping easier. (Other examples can be found here: http://www.israel21c.org/technology/israels-top-45-greatest-inventions-o...).
- Have campers look at areas that need innovation in their garden or around camp. How can they use the examples of Israeli innovation to fix their problems? For instance, if the garden is too small for many people to work in it at once, what could they do to maximize the efforts of the whole group? Or if the garden isn't ready to be tended and a group is coming, what could they do with the other campers to help them feel connected to the Israeli garden?
The garden is a great opportunity for campers to learn Hebrew vocabulary. Create Hebrew and English (and transliterated) signage for every kind of plant in the garden. You can even create a poster for a wall near the garden letting everyone see a 'map' of the garden and what is growing where (in Hebrew and English). Also, you can post an enlarged version of the Resource Cards related to Israeli agriculture (Kibbutz, Drip Irrigation) and while you're planting the garden, you can orient the campers to the important role of agriculture in Israel's history.
Talk about argiculture and the landscape of Israel. Part of Ben Gurion's dream was to see the desert bloom. Why did he care about using the desert? Why did Israel spend so much effort in making agriculture work even in the desert? (Hint: The Negev Desert is 60% of the land in Israel).
You can also bring in a lesson about the kibbutz here, discussing with campers the history of the kibbutz movements and its role in agriculture.
You can also learn about the remarkable work of desalination in Israel. Given that much of the water around the desert has high saline content (the Mediterranean Sea), Israel found ways to use the salted water for irrigation of certain crops.

The garden can become the foundation for a wide array of programming (some examples below):

a cabin activity to prune/plant/harvest
a full age group activity to create the garden
an activity to create signage
a cooking class using the harvested foods/herbs
an Israeli meal where campers describe each item using the Hebrew name

Background Cards:

Supporting Images:

Attribution:

Camp Avoda

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

CASINO NIGHT: Content Card POKER

JAR — Thu, 30 Jan 2014 17:06:54 +0000

Content Card Poker is played from a ‘playing’ pack of 52 Goodman Content cards. The cards are ranked (from high to low) Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace. (Ace can be high or low, but is usually high). There are four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs); however, no suit is higher than another. All poker hands contain five cards, the highest hand wins. So, how do you bet? In Content Card Poker, we use shekels! Not real shekels of course, but paper copies of shekels. This will help participants learn Israeli money. Please see attached shekel images which can be printed and copied.

Curriculum Themes:

A Land & Its People

Program Duration:

1 hour

Physical Space:

Indoor Space

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Explanation:

The Very Basics:

Hands are ranked as follows (from high to low):

Five of a Kind

Straight Flush

Four of a Kind

Full House

Flush

Straight

Three of a Kind

Two Pair

Pair

High Card

Descriptions of Hand Ranks:

Five of a Kind

A five of a kind (which is only possible when using wild cards) is the highest possible hand. If more than one hand has five of a kind, the higher card wins (Five Aces beats five kings, which beat five queens, and so on).

Straight Flush

A straight flush is the best natural hand. A straight flush is a straight (5 cards in order, such as 5-6-7-8-9) that are all of the same suit. As in a regular straight, you can have an ace either high (A-K-Q-J-T) or low (5-4-3-2-1). However, a straight may not 'wraparound'. (Such as K-A-2-3-4, which is not a straight). An Ace high straight-flush is called a Royal Flush and is the highest natural hand.

Four of a Kind

Four of a kind is simply four cards of the same rank. If there are two or more hands that qualify, the hand with the higher-rank four of a kind wins. If, in some bizarre game with many wild cards, there are two four of a kinds with the same rank, then the one with the high card outside the four of the kind wins. General Rule: When hands tie on the rank of a pair, three of a kind, etc, the cards outside break ties following the High Card rules.

Full House

A full house is a three of a kind and a pair, such as K-K-K-5-5. Ties are broken first by the three of a kind, then pair. So K-K-K-2-2 beats Q-Q-Q-A-A, which beats Q-Q-Q-J-J. (Obviously, the three of a kind can only be similiar if wild cards are used.)

Flush

A flush is a hand where all of the cards are the same suit, such as J-8-5-3-2, all of spades. When flushes ties, follow the rules for High Card.

Straight

A straight is 5 cards in order, such as 4-5-6-7-8. An ace may either be high (A-K-Q-J-T) or low (5-4-3-2-1). However, a straight may not 'wraparound'. (Such as Q-K-A-2-3, which is not a straight). When straights tie, the highest straight wins. (AKQJT beats KQJT9 down to 5432A). If two straights have the same value (AKQJT vs AKQJT) they split the pot.

Three of a Kind

Three cards of any rank, matched with two cards that are not a pair (otherwise it would be a Full House . Again, highest three of a kind wins. If both are the same rank, then the compare High Cards.

Two Pair

This is two distinct pairs of card and a 5th card. The highest pair wins ties. If both hands have the same high pair, the second pair wins. If both hands have the same pairs, the high card wins.

Pair

One pair with three distinct cards. High card breaks ties.

High Card

This is any hand which doesn't qualify as any one of the above hands. If nobody has a pair or better, then the highest card wins. If multiple people tie for the highest card, they look at the second highest, then the third highest etc. High card is also used to break ties when the high hands both have the same type of hand (pair, flush, straight, etc).

Supporting Images:

Supporting Materials:

Content Card Playing Deck Description.pdf

HOLYLAND SQUARES!

JAR — Sun, 08 Dec 2013 20:40:31 +0000

This is a game based on “Hollywood Squares” that serves as fun Israel trivia with low stakes and many opportunities for learning AND silliness.

Curriculum Themes:

A Land & Its People

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

Physical Space:

Indoor Space

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

This is broad - everything

Explanation:

The facilitator will select 9 people to sit in the “squares” like a tic-tac-toe box. The best way to achieve this is to have three sit on the floor, three sit behind them in chairs, and three sit behind them on a table (so it’s layered). In each square seat, the person will find a Content Card of a different Israeli personality through Modern Israeli History. While the people in the chairs familiarize themselves with their content card, the facilitator will jump into game-show host mode. The ‘host’ will ask for two volunteer contestants who want to play Holyland Squares. The two contestants will come up and stand to one side of the ‘celebrity panel’ (the squares). The host will ask each contestant their name and a little bit about themselves (have they ever been to Israel? What’s their favorite thing about Israel? etc.). The host will then interview each of the celebrities briefly to find out who they all are.

The way the game works is this:

Each celebrity will be given a piece of paper/poster with an X on one side and an O on the other.
A flip of a coin will decide which contestant goes first.
The first contestant will get to select a square and that celebrity will be asked a question about Israel by the host.
The celebrity can answer the question truthfully or falsely. The contestant has to decide if the answer is true or false. If the contestant is right about the celebrity’s answer, the contestant gets the square and the celebrity turns their paper/poster to the letter (x/o) of the contestant.
If the contestant is wrong about the answer of the celebrity, no X/O is held up and the next contestant gets a turn.
The winner must win the game of tic-tac-toe

Background Cards:

Supporting Materials:

Israel Questions for Holyland Squares.docx

True False Questions about Israel.docx