The Goodman Initiative - Indoor Space

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?

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

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

CASINO NIGHT: Content Card Bingo

JAR — Tue, 28 Jan 2014 20:53:09 +0000

Come play bingo using the cards of the Goodman deck. It's more than just regular bingo, it's also Israel trivia!

Curriculum Themes:

A Land & Its People

Materials Required:

Background Cards

Program Duration:

30 minutes

Physical Space:

Indoor Space

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Explanation:

The game starts when all the players receive bingo sheets. A bingo sheet is a card/page with a 5x10 grid. 5 columns on the card correspond to 5 letters of the name of Israel in Hebrew "י-ש-ר-א-ל".

24 numbers per each card are random. Each column comes from a different set of cards (save for columns 4 and 5 which both come from People). The center of the card is Star of David that completes a diagonal, horizontal, or vertical line.

When the game begins, the caller selects cards from the Goodman Deck at random and calls them out by biographical information, followed by the name. As soon as the caller describes the picked card, and the players identify which name goes with which number, all the players mark it on their tickets. The winner is determined when one or several of the players complete the winning bingo pattern. The pattern can vary, depending on how hard you want to make the game. It can be vertical, horizontal or diagonal, or a full house (when all the numbers are to be covered).

Variations:

You can make the game harder by not announcing the name of the card, only the biographical facts for the event, person, place, etc.

Supporting Materials:

Bingo Board Template (filled).docx

Bingo Board Template (empty).docx

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

The Hebrew Alphabet Paparazzi

Joy Langer — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 21:20:08 +0000

Discover you know Hebrew when you look through your camera lens, do yoga, and eat glida! Look for abstracted Hebrew letters around you and photograph beautiful meaningful art. Move your body and get a great yoga workout spelling Hebrew words with your peers. Celebrate what you’ve learned, Ben Yehudah, and have some glida! This Hebrew literacy through art program is great for visual and kinesthetic learners.

Curriculum Themes:

Materials Required:

see attached materials list

Program Duration:

Full-day program

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

To learn kinesthetic and visual ways to approach teaching Hebrew

To use digital cameras to think abstractly

To learn some basics in composing a successful photograph

To learn about Ben Yehudah and the Hebrew language

To learn Hebrew letters and words through photography as medium

To learn how to incorporate yoga and movement into Hebrew literacy

To celebrate our national language with an ice cream party! To use culinary art to teach literacy.

Explanation:

1. Begin with a basic yoga warm up. Start with breathing exercises, mountain pose, downward dog, stretching, etc. Have a large Aleph Bet chart up somewhere participants can see it.
2. The facilitator will ask participants to make the sound of the bet. They will then try to move their body in the shape of an aleph. There are many ways of approaching this. Participants can move their body however they think it makes a bet. Be sure they move in ways that feel comfortable to them as no one should feel any pain. Ask the participants to come up with a few words that start with the letter bet. Repeat with a few other letters. Hand out alphabet sheets.
3. Invite participants to pair up to create letters and then eventually words.
4. Ask a few participants to photograph the poses.
5. Share a few successful photographs from magazines or from famous photographers. Discuss why they are successful. Introduce the terms: composition, contrast, focal point, and depth of field.
6. Share the abstracted photographs of letters from google searches.
7. Participants should make view finders with index cards by cutting a rectangular opening in the center of the index card to look through to search for letters and frame them before shooting.
8. Send participants in groups of 2-4 with a digital camera to photograph. Ask them to find letters of the Hebrew Alphabet and photograph them. Ask them to find as many as possible in the given time. If possible try to find letters that might create a Hebrew word. Give participants a few Hebrew words to “look for” around camp – see handout.
9. After participants photograph 5-10 letters in their groups, facilitator will send them to be printed.

Variations:

1. For younger participants and or beginning Hebrew language learners, facilitator can focus on the letters and create Aleph Bet books. You can do this in various styles. Participants can create group dictionary or individual books. Participants can come up with vocabulary word lists that start with each letter.

2. For older participants facilitator can expand this project into more conceptual art and create poetry or sentences. Each photograph can be thoughtful and used as a visual interpretation of the meaning of the word or phrase they write – example teva – where each letter is found in nature…. or a poem or teffilah about nature where the letters are all found in nature.

3. Participants can create acrostic poems with the letters.

4. Have a photo exhibit for the entire community and invite participants. Have the artists act as guides and explain their work to the viewers.

5. Older or more advanced Hebrew learners can create a yoga dance and tell a story highlighting the main words of the story with Hebrew yoga words and yoga art. They can tell any story or a brief biography of Ben Yehudah.

6. Younger participants can have a Hebrew letter scavenger hunt. To transition campers from one place to another, counselors can ask them to look for letters and photograph on the way. They can do this for a few days until they collect many letters.

Background Cards:

Supporting Materials:

Aleph Bet Handout.doc

Hebrew Literacy through Abstract Art Materials list.doc

Attribution:

Joy Langer

Old vs. New, Which City is for You?

Rachel Levin — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 19:39:26 +0000

Based on the hit TV show 'Shark Tank,' this program allows campers to compete in front of a panel of judges for which city/place in Israel is deserving of the title: Coolest Place in Israel. Note that this is the same program format as "Follow the Leader" and "What Would Better Look Like."

Curriculum Themes:

A Land & Its People

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

1 hour

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

Campers will learn about important Israeli cities (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa, Eilat, Tsfat), regions (the Negev, the Golan Heights) and landmarks (The Dead Sea)

Israel is a small but very diverse country, as seen by the differences between each of the cities and locations campers will represent

Explanation:

Stage 1: Setting the Stage

Going around the circle, ask the campers to share where they are from and to name one thing that makes their city, town, or suburb unique.
Explain that in Israel, even though the country is so small, the character of each city is very different.
Ask if anyone has been to Israel and if they can share some of their own memories of each city.
Explain that today, they are going to get a chance to become more familiar with the cities of Israel and help camp determine the coolest city in Israel.

Stage 2: The Campaign

Introduce the TV show Shark Tank:
- Shark Tank is a hit ABC TV show that features a panel of five wealthy investors called "sharks" who consider offers from entrepreneurs seeking investors for their business. The entrepreneurs make pitches to the investors for their business or product to try to convince the wealthy investors to give them the funding they need to start their business idea.

Explain to the campers that they are going to play Shark Tank, but instead of fighting for investment in a business or product, they are fighting for their Israeli city. The campers are going to develop a presentation for why people should visit their city.
Split the campers into teams and then introduce the cities. Each team should choose a place. If there's a team that would like to do a place in Israel that is not on the list, you should definitely enourage them to do so.
Each team should create a visual sign describing what makes their city/place unique and cool, as well as a 1-2 minute pitch or skit. All campers on the team should be involved in the creation of one of the pitches.
Key things to consider:
- What makes your city most worthy of a large investment?
- What is your city most famous for?
- Why is your city the best in Israel?
- Why wouldn’t Israel be the same without this city?

Stage 3: The Competition

Each group presents their city to the larger group. Campers vote on the city they like the best (they can't vote for their own).
Alternatively, you could have a panel of celebrity judges.
The campaigns could also be presented to the larger camp, or a portion of the camp. Posters can decorate the eating hall and campaign skits/pitches can be made after a meal.

Variations:

Variations in format

Campers could interview other campers, counselors, or shlichim to help prepare their presentation.
Campers could create news programs or commercials about their city rather than short skits.

Variations in content

For a version of this program using Israeli heroes, see Follow the Leader.
For a version of this program using Israeli chairities, see What Would Better Look Like.
You could also do this program for famous Israeli inventions. See www.Israel21c.org for ideas on products the campers can campaign for.

Background Cards:

Supporting Materials:

Follow the Leader

Rachel Levin — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 21:27:08 +0000

Based on the hit TV show 'Shark Tank,' campers compete in front of a panel of judges on behalf of different Israeli personalities and heroes. Note that this is the same program format as "Old vs. New, Which City is for You?" and "What Would Better Look Like."

Curriculum Themes:

The Pioneering Spirit

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

1 hour

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

Campers will learn about Eliezer Ben-Yehuda, Theodor Herzl, Yitzhak Rabin and Golda Meir

Each of these Israeli figures played a very different role in Israel's history that continues to impact the country today

Many Israeli leaders have contributed to creating and strengthening the Jewish State and each of them have their own unique histories, talents, and personality traits

Explanation:

Stage 1: Setting the Stage -- The Trust Walk

Split the campers into pairs and ask one partner to close their eyes or put on a blindfold.
As a group, walk the pairs from one part of camp to another, bringing them over small obstacles to make it more challenging.
Tell the leaders that they will have to be very clear in their instructions to the follower to make sure they safely get from place to place.
After five minutes, ask the pairs to switch.
Follow-up Questions:
- What was this experience like?
- Was it harder being a follower or a leader?
- What qualities do you want in a leader?
- How does a leader gain your trust?
- How do you know they are leading you in the right direction?
- Ask the participants to name a few leaders who they really trust in their own community or even at camp, what are their greatest qualities?

Stage 2: The Campaign

Introduce the TV show Shark Tank:
- Shark Tank is a hit ABC TV show that features a panel of five wealthy investors called "sharks" who consider offers from entrepreneurs seeking investors for their business. The entrepreneurs make pitches to the investors for their business or product to try to convince the wealthy investors to give them the funding they need to start their business idea.
Explain to the campers that they are going to play Shark Tank, but instead of fighting for investment in a business or product, they are going to campaign for an Israeli leader whose accomplishments and path speaks to them.
Introduce four leaders to the group and split the campers into smaller groups based on which leader they want to campaign for:
- Eliezer Ben Yehuda
- Theodor Herzl
- Yitzhak Rabin
- Golda Meir
Each team should create a visual sign, as well as a 1-2 minute pitch or skit. All campers on the team should be involved in the creation of one of the pitches.
Key areas to consider:
- What was your leader most known for?
- What qualities makes this person a great leader?
- Why wouldn’t Israel (or the larger Jewish world) be the same without this leader?
- Why is it urgent to support this leader?

Stage 3: The Competition

Each group presents their leader to the larger group. Campers vote on the leader they like the best (they can't vote for their own).
Alternatively, you could have a panel of celebrity judges.
The campaigns could also be presented to the larger camp, or a portion of the camp. Posters can decorate the eating hall and campaign skits/pitches can be made after a meal.

Closing Discussion:

Go around the group and ask the campers to say one quality that they admire in one of the Israeli leaders that they learned about during this activity.
Ask: In what ways do you or can you exhibit this quality?

Variations:

Variations in format

Campers could interview other campers, counselors, or shlichim to help prepare their presentation.
Campers could create news programs or commercials about their leader rather than short skits.

Variations in content

Different People:
- Choose a completely different slate of people, and make it by theme:
  - Famous women in Israel (for instance: Golda Meir, Hannah Senesh, Rachel, Sara Aaronsohn, Naomi Shemer)
  - Famous Israeli musicians (for instance: Kobi Oz, Idan Raichel, David Broza, Naomi Shemer, Aviv Gefen)
  - Famous Israeli writers and poets (Rachel, Yehuda Amichai, Hayim Nahman Bialik, Etger Keret, Leah Goldberg)
  - Famous Israeli heroes (Yoni Netanyahu, Ilan Ramon, Eli Cohen, Hannah Senesh, Roi Klein)
  - Famous Israeli athletes (Tal Brody, Omri Casspi, Gal Friedman, Aulcie Perry)
- Or mix and match from the list above!

Link to Leadership Development at Camp:
- Begin with a different ice-breaker that enables the campers to think about leadership skills, particularly if the campers are involved in leadership activities at camp (CIT year, etc.)
- Focus the campaigns on the person that best exemplifies our camp or the ethic of our camp.
For a version of this program using Israeli places, see Old vs. New, Which City is for You?.
For a version of this program using Israeli chairities, see What Would Better Look Like?.
You could also do this program for famous Israeli inventions. See www.Israel21c.org for ideas on products the campers can campaign for.