The Goodman Initiative - Small Room (capacity less than 100)

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

Stories in Motion: Returning to the Western Wall

Dalia Davis — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 00:40:18 +0000

Stories in Motion engages participants with epic pieces of Israel’s history through creative movement and physical expression. As participants bring to life the story of the return to the Western Wall through movement, the eye-witness testimonies leave the page and find resonance in the hearts and minds of the participants.

Curriculum Themes:

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

90 minutes

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

In 1967, Israeli soldiers were the first Jews who succeeded in reaching the Western Wall in decades

The renewed access to the Western Wall for Jews was of huge religious and political significance

Many Jews, including the president of Israel, greatly value the ability to access the Western Wall

Explanation:

1. Background information about the Western Wall

Share the following information with the group:

When Rome destroyed the Second Temple in 70 C.E., only one outer wall remained standing. The Romans probably would have destroyed that wall as well, but it must have seemed too insignificant to them; it was not even part of the Temple itself, just an outer wall surrounding the Temple Mount. For the Jews, however, this remnant of what was the most sacred building in the Jewish world quickly became the holiest spot in Jewish life. Throughout the centuries, Jews from throughout the world made the difficult pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and immediately headed for the Kotel ha-Ma'aravi (the Western Wall) to thank God. The prayers offered at the Kotel were so heartfelt that gentiles began calling the site the “Wailing Wall.” This name never won a wide following among traditional Jews; the term “Wailing Wall” is not used in Hebrew.

The Western Wall was subjected to far worse than semantic indignities. During the more than one thousand years Jerusalem was under Muslim rule, the Arabs often used the Wall as a garbage dump, so as to humiliate the Jews who visited it.

For nineteen years, from 1948 to 1967, the Kotel was under Jordanian rule. Although the Jordanians had signed an armistice agreement in 1949 guaranteeing Jews the right to visit the Wall, not one Israeli Jew was ever permitted to do so.

(www.JewishVirtualLibrary.org)

Tell the group that they will now have the opportunity to learn more about the operation that restored Jewish access to the Western Wall.

2. Studying the Text:

Partner Study/Chavruta:
Divide participants into pairs and have them read the text “Reclaiming the Western Wall (1967).” Each pair receives three different colored highlighters and uses different markers to highlight characters, actions, and emotions respectively.

Group Discussion: Participants analyze and reflect upon the story as a group.

Guiding Questions:
*What do you think it was like for the soldiers who participated in this mission?
*What do you think it was like for Israelis at that time to hear the news?
*What do you think of the decision of the president and the commanders to risk their lives to reach the Western Wall? Do you think a religious site is something worth risking one’s life for?

3. Dancing the Text

Role Assignment: Facilitator leads the group in creating a list of the characters in the story, along with their actions and emotions (a sample list is provided in the supporting documents). Characters can be human as well as inanimate objects. Participants choose characters from the story such that each participant has at least one role. They are asked to begin creating movements that express their character’s actions and emotions.

Costuming: Participants create costumes for themselves from white bed sheets or other material scraps. Facilitator provides markers, scissors, and safety pins along with the material.

Dance Creation: After creating movements for their particular role and getting into costume, participants dance their movements as a group while the facilitator reads the text. This is repeated two or three times in order to help the movements coalesce into a cohesive dance. Then the narration ceases and the dance is put to music with the story being told without words.

Dance Performance: Have the participants dance their piece one final time, but this time instead of setting it to music, play the attached youtube video as they are dancing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l17p0fTNvf0.
They may need to repeat the dance a few times in order to fill the time of the entire video (their movements do not need to match up with what is happening in the video, but they may do so if they like).
[The video is in Hebrew, but one does not need to understand the words to discern what is happening.]

Variations:

Larger groups: In order to accommodate larger groups, multiple people can dance each role and choreograph their movements together.

Younger Participants: Facilitator may want to allow participants an opportunity to share an experience they had visiting the Western Wall. Facilitator should also be prepared to share, if s/he has been there.

Older participants: With a group of older participants, facilitator may want to discuss the decisions that came to pass after the return to the Western Wall.

Some questions for discussion:

• Who should decide how the Western Wall should function today?

• Should the Western Wall be structured such that there is a separation between men and women? Why or why not?

• Should decisions about how the Western Wall is run be based on the goal of including as many people as possible? If not, what should be the most important goal?

• What vision of the Western Wall in the future do you think the soldiers had in the moment when they saw it for the first time?

Background Cards:

Supporting Materials:

Reclaiming the Western Wall (1967).pdf

Returning to the Western Wall Character Chart.pdf

Attribution:

Dalia Davis

Soldiers Eat S’mores Too!

Carl Schrag — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 17:02:32 +0000

This activity provides opportunities for high-school-aged campers to delve into the reality of the military challenges facing Israel. Starting with a late-night sneak-out, progressing to a campfire and a military mission, the program culminates with the Goodman Educator and shlichim sharing stories from Israel's wars.

Curriculum Themes:

A People’s Hope

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

90 minutes

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

A Division/Age Group (30 – 50 campers)

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

Key milestones in Israel's fight for survival: the War of Independence, the Six Day War, and the Yom Kippur War

Grapple with the reality of war as experienced by Israeli staff (and, where applicable, campers)

Explanation:

Step 1: The Surprise

As campers are getting ready for bed, staff rushes into the cabins and announces that they have 15 minutes to prepare for a very special late-night activity. Instruct them to wear sturdy shoes, bring flashlights, and be in the appointed place in exactly 15 minutes.

Step 2: Gadna Training

The facilitator greets everyone and announces that the campers will undergo a brief military training exercise, a mini-Gadna activity. The shlichim lead them through an obstacle course and a late-night run around camp. During this activity, shlichim bark orders at campers and exert enough pressure so that the participants feel they are being challenged, but not so much as to intimidate or overwhelm them. (The GE should plan this with shlichim in advance, and keep careful tabs on how it is being implemented in real time). This entire exercise should last about 15 minutes. When everyone returns to the assembly point, campers gather around a campfire for another comfortable setting that is conducive to storytelling, refreshments are served.

Step 3: War Stories

After everyone has enjoyed their snacks, the facilitator (ideally one of the shlichim) tells the group:
- "Tonight you are going to learn about the wars Israel has fought since its creation. But first, we wanted to make sure you understand a bit about what it means to be a soldier. Being a soldier means you follow orders from your commanders. It means you are prepared to work hard all the time. It means your life is on the line for a cause that means everything to you. That's what we tried to show you as we were running around camp just now, and that's what we are going to show you by sharing our stories with you now."
At this point, another shaliach (or two) step up and address the group to share very brief reflections on what it means to serve in the IDF. They stress the idea of defending their homes and their families, and they also speak about the camaraderie among soldiers in a unit.
Now, a series of presenters (ideally shlichim, but American staff can also participate) shares with the group a personal story about each of 4 Israeli wars (War of Independence, Six Day War, Yom Kippur War, and Operation Cast Lead). The GE should have worked with each of these presenters in advance to craft a story that can be told in first person about the war. (If the presenter has a personal connection to the war, such as a grandparent, parent, or family friend who fought in the war, then this should be the basis for the story. Otherwise, it can be a fictionalized account, but should be told in first person nonetheless). Each story should take 2-4 minutes to tell, and the presenter can engage campers in Q&A before handing the floor to the next presenter.

Step 4: Wrap-up

After all 4 presenters have shared their "personal" war stories and campers have had ample opportunities to ask questions, the facilitator tells the group:
- All of you have spent the past hour hearing stories about the people who have fought in Israel's wars. Here in America, we tend to think of war as something for history class, the movies, or video games. But in Israel, war is a very real part of every person’s reality. Not because there’s a war going on every day in every part of the country, but because the possibility of war is always very real, and it touches the lives of every Israeli. You've heard how it’s touched the lives of some of our friends, our shlichim, and you've heard stories from the past 70+ years that sum up highlights of some of the most important wars that Israel has fought.
Time permitting, the facilitator can invite shlichim to share more of their own personal reflections and ecnourage campers to ask more personal questions.
To wrap up the activity, the facilitator stresses that the IDF is a people's army supported by near-universal conscription and asks the campers to think about a couple of questions that few Israelis ever think twice about:
- What is worth fighting for?
- What, if anything, is worth dying for?
At the conclusion, staff bring campers back to their cabins and to bed. Campers sleep in late tomorrow.

Variations:

There is a lot of material in this activity, and it my be too much to do in the middle of the night.

Options include:

Break the activity into two separate parts that can be started at night and completed the following day.
Do the entire activity as an evening program.
Forgo the campfire discussions focused on past wars, and instead ask the shlichim to discuss their personal experiences in the army.

Background Cards:

Supporting Materials:

War Stories Background.docx

Curricular Subjects:

My Israel Meme

Natalie Blitt — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:00:16 +0000

During this activity, staff or older campers will delve into their own relationship with Israel, creating memes on "How I see Israel" in relation to their parents, friends, classmates, teachers, and the media.

Curriculum Themes:

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

1 hour

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

"My Israel," my relationship to and view of Israel, may be very different than other people's perspectives

For staff, it is important to understand one's own relationship to Israel before teaching others about Israel

Sharing stories and experiences related to Israel helps others understand "My Israel"

People's views of Israel change over time and are influenced by their knowledge, their experience with Israelis, whether they have traveled there, and what they believe

Explanation:

We are now going to create memes that reflect our personal vision of Israel and other people's ideas of Israel.
Each participant should receive one large piece of paper with six spots for photographs. If computers are available, they can do this exercise with a google image search. Otherwise, print out the photographs provided. For a low tech version, participants can write or draw their visions.
Participants are encouraged to choose their own labels for each box. They can even choose specific people in their lives if they have distinct views of Israel (i.e. a certain member of their family or friend, a group of students at school, etc.). Below are examples:

What my parents think it's like.
What my friends think it's like.
What the media thinks it's like.
What my grandparents think it's like.
What my rabbi thinks it's like.
What my teacher thinks it's like.

Included in each meme should be "What I think it's like" and "What it's really like."
Allow them to choose the photographs that work with each heading.

Variations:

This activity is great for staff week as a way of reminding the staff that when we say Israel, we "see" many different things and receive many different contradictory messages. As educators, our job is to know and be able to tell our own story, in contrast to other people's stories.
Campers can create memes after participating in other activities that focus on specific Israeli cities or figures.

Supporting Images:

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

Poster Tales: Yearning for Peace

Natalie Blitt — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:53:10 +0000

Every year on Yom Ha'atzmaut (Independence Day), the State of Israel commissions a poster to commemorate the year. While the posters touch on many important themes, the theme of peace is often present. Using the series of posters, campers will explore Israel's quest for peace, within its own borders, with the Palestinians, and with its Arab neighbors. In the end, they will have the opportunity to create their own pieces of artwork.

Curriculum Themes:

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

1 hour

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

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

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visited Israel in 1977 as a part of the historic peace negotiations between Egypt and Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995 following intense peace negotiations. He was killed by an Israeli Jew who didn't approve of the concessions Rabin was willing to make to the Palestinians.

In 2002, the U.S., the European Union, the United Nations, and Russia outlined the principles of a "road map" for peace, including an independent Palestinian state.

On Yom Ha'atzmaut (Independence Day), the State of Israel commissions a poster in commemoration of Israel's Independence and each poster tells a story about the events that occurred during the year of its creation.

Explanation:

Stage 1: Art Bingo

Arrange all the laminated posters in chronological order around the room.
Explain to the campers that every year on Yom Ha'atzmaut (Independence Day), the State of Israel commissions a poster in commemoration of Israel's Independence. The collection of these posters provides a lens into seeing what was going on during the year that the poster was created.
Hand out the human bingo sheets and pens to the campers and give them 10 minutes to explore the gallery and fill in their sheets
Gallery walk debrief (in smaller groups):
- What stood out to you as you were looking through Israel’s Independence Day posters?
- Did you notice any repetition in symbols throughout the posters? What surprised you about this particular symbol repeated?
- Were there any symbols missing for you from among the posters? Why do you feel they were missing and why do you think they were left out?
- If we were to make a poster for America’s Independence Day, what symbols would you include in that poster?

Stage 2: Yearning for Peace

Explain that the idea of peace is a recurring theme throughout Israel's history and it is often times reflected in Israel's Independence Day posters.
Ask the group:
- What symbols or images do you think of when you think of peace?
- Why do you think of these images?
- Did you notice any of these images when you were walking around during the bingo game?
Allow them to walk around the posters, looking for symbols of peace and bring those posters back to the group.
Ask the group:
- Why did you choose these posters as representative of our theme?
- What do you see that makes you say that?
- Can you point to specific elements or symbols in the poster that make you see that theme?
- Are there any symbols that you would have expected to see as representative of our theme that are missing? Why do you think they were not included? What about these symbols makes you want to include them?

Stage 3: 1978, 1995-6, and 2002

Pull out the posters from 1978, 1995, 1996, and 2002 and explain to campers that you want to specifically look at these posters and at what was going on at the time these posters were created. Ask the same two questions listed below.
Hand out to each participant the timeline of Israel’s history.

The 1978 Poster:
- Ask your campers these questions (or variations on them):
  - Why do you think this year in particular was chosen to represent the theme of "yearning for peace"? According to the timeline, what happened right before this poster was created? What happened right after? Why do you think they chose to focus on peace in this year's poster? How is what's going on during the time reflected in this poster?
  - Based off of what was going on right before and right after this poster was created, how do you think Israelis felt before and after?
- Explain: This poster occurred right after Egyptian President Anwar Sadat visited Israel in 1977 as part of the historic peace negotiations between Egypt and Israel. In 1977, Sadat arrived in Jerusalem for a 3-day visit that launched the first peace process between Israel and an Arab state. After Sadat's visit, in 1978, Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin met at Camp David which led to the 1979 Israel-Egypt peace treaty. Since then, peace has prevailed on this mutual border.

The 1995 and 1996 Posters:
- Ask the same questions as above.
- Explain: The 1995 poster reflects a time in Israel when peace with the Palestinians was on the horizon. This poster was created while Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was in the mist of working towards peace with the signing of peace agreements with the Palestinians and with Jordan. This peace process began to take shape in 1991, when Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and the Palestinians met in Madrid for the first face-to-face talks. These meetings led to the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between the Palestinians and Israel. These talks resulted in an agreement where Gaza and Jericho were turned over to the Palestinian Authority and the IDF would redeploy in the West Bank and evacuate large Palestinian towns.
- Ask:
  - Given what you now know about the peace process, how you think Israelis felt during this time? How is that reflected in the poster?
- Explain: The Oslo Agreements sparked controversy within Israel where some people supported the Government's policy while others saw it as an act of surrender. The dispute reached its climax at the end of a peace rally when an extremist Israeli Jew assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin. After the assassination, the peace process slowed.
- Then, look at the 1996 poster, after Rabin is assassinated.
  - Ask campers: how are the images in the 1996 poster different than the images in the 1995 poster? Why are the images different?
  - Explain that the 1996 poster was focused on industry and education. What do you think it says that Israel chose to commemorate the year that Rabin was assassinated with a poster about technology?

The 2002 Poster:
- Explain that in July 2002, the U.S., the European Union, the United Nations, and Russia outlined the principles of a "road map" for peace, including an independent Palestinian state. The road map was released in 2003 and called for independent actions by Israel and the Palestinian Authority, with disputed issues that were put off.

Conclude by asking: Looking at the timeline, are there other years where you are surprised the theme "yearning for peace" did not appear? If campers show posters that they think reflect "yearning for peace" look at the timeline and ask similar questions to the original questions. Ask about how what was going on during the time is reflected in the poster.

Stage 4: Art Activity

Hand out poster boards or sheets of white paper to each participant and ask them to create their own poster for Israel this year that fits the theme of the peace group. Encourage them to use the same elements that the Independence Day posters used: symbols, words, pictures, etc. and to make it reflect their own personal connections to Israel.

Stage 5: Wrap-Up

You can choose to conclude this program with another discussion:
- If you were to create a poster for the U.S. using the theme of peace, what elements, symbols, drawings, etc., would you include in this poster?
- Are there differences in how you would depict this theme for America versus Israel?
- Are there differences in how you would relate to a poster for America versus a poster for Israel?

Variations:

Variations in Content:

There are many different themes that can be highlighted in this poster collection. This activity could also be done looking at the posters dealing with different types of Israelis and aliyah, as well as visions of Jerusalem or other Israeli cities.
Your faculty mentor can help you find other activities/themes for this collection.

Variations in Format:

The art exercise can be replaced with other types of activities, such as:
- Collage making
- Discussion
- Photography

Background Cards:

Supporting Images:

Supporting Materials:

PosterTaleBingo.docx

HISTORICAL TIMELINE OF ISRAEL.docx

PosterTaleסBingo.docx

Curricular Subjects:

Attribution:

Israel Education Initiative and Jewish Learning Works

Battleship: 1948

Carl Schrag — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:00:08 +0000

Campers use boats to re-enact the "illegal" immigration of Jews to pre-State Israel in the 1930s and 1940s. As they try to evade "British officers" (staff) and reach the Promised Land, they will gain understanding of the obstacles faced by early pioneers who wanted nothing more than to settle Palestine and help create the Jewish state.

Curriculum Themes:

A People’s Hope

Materials Required:

Program Duration:

Physical Space:

Number of Campers:

A Division/Age Group (30 – 50 campers)

Age of Campers:

Core Learnings:

People were willing to take great risks to get to Israel

Before the State of Israel was established, Jews had no safe haven in times of need

Explanation:

If the activity begins at the Low Ropes Course, the Ropes staff, along with the GE, engages the group in team-building activities, while explaining the importance of collaboration in tough situations. Concepts of leaving no one behind and working for the greater good are stressed. These activities can last 15-30 minutes.

After the Ropes activity (or as the start of the activity, if you are not using a Ropes Course), campers hear a very brief introduction to Aliyah Bet, or "illegal" Jewish immigration to Palestine, in which would-be pioneers tried to evade the British blockade of Palestine. The GE provides a brief introduction to prepare the campers for the video clip they are about to watch.

Staff then screen a brief excerpt from Exodus, in which the Jews have escaped from detention and boarded boats, but they are stopped by the British under the command of Captain Sutherland. A brief discussion ensues, with opportunities for campers to gain understanding of why the British banned immigration, and why the Jews were determined to circumvent the ban.

Questions can include:

What other choices did Holocaust survivors have?
How do you think the games you played at the Ropes Course relate to the challenge that faced Holocaust survivors who wanted to get to Palestine?
Do you think the survivors acted heroically, rashly, or...?

Campers then head to the lakefront, where each individual is given a small bag of snacks and a printed instruction sheet. In addition to mapping out the route they are to take, the instruction sheet tells them that when they reach the shore, they will be greeted by Jews who already live in Palestine.

Campers are told they are Holocaust survivors and they are about to try to break the British blockade. Staff divides campers into groups and assigns them to rowboats and kayaks. Their instruction sheet gives them a route and a mission that they must complete before returning to shore. Along the route, staff in boats can taunt the campers but not capture or detain them. When campers approach the shore on their return, they are ambushed by staff members who direct them to a "detention center." They may attack the Zionists with water balloons, use a bullhorn, or other props.

On shore, campers are divided into small groups, each led by one British officer/staff member. The British officers then "interrogate" each camper individually, asking them to state why they should be allowed to enter Israel. The GE may offer a prize for the best/most creative/most compelling responses. After all campers have been interrogated, the British officers announce who will be allowed into Israel. Then everyone moves to a shady spot for a debriefing of the activity.

Variations:

Beginning at the Low Ropes course makes this activity take 90 minutes. It can be closer to 60 minutes if it begins with a brief introduction to the video clip.

The video clip from Exodus can be replaced with other video resources, including from Toldot Yisrael, or with a dramatic presentation by staff members who role play characters trying to get to Palestine and British soldiers trying to block them.

While the activity will be similar whether the campers are 13 or 16, the discussions can go deeper with older campers.

Younger campers will focus more on the emotional impact of the activity
Older campers can be encouraged to delve into the then-and-now comparisons between 1947 and today.

Background Cards:

Curricular Subjects:

Illegal Immigration (pre-state)