Lesson

The Hunt for Terrorists - Are There Legal and Ethical Limits?

Racial profiling causes tension between civil liberties and national security concerns.  What does Judaism have to say on the subject? Students will use a graphic organizer to sort out their thoughts ans the result of their text studies. $0.00$0.00Immediately after 9-11, President Bush gave law-enforcement agencies powerful new tools to hunt suspected terrorists, arrest them, and hold them in jail. Critics are crying foul. They argue that Bush's anti-terrorist tactics threaten civil rights. The American Civil Liberties Union warns that government policies "should not be based on the myth that liberties must be curtailed to protect the public." HOW DO WE FIND TERRORISTS? Lesson Summary:  Students will complete a visual organizer to help sort out the various sides of the profiling debate and the relevant Jewish ideas. Printable Lesson:  2301lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Visual Organizer Template

Meeting the Other Side

The article about the Likrat program tells about one program in Israelthat addresses the rift between observant and secular Jews. This lessonuses a problem-solving game and discussion to help students understandhow treating others with respect and dignity is  so important. $0.00$0.00One wears pants to school, the other only long skirts. One has an earring in his ear, the other has tzitzit peeking out from under his shirt. Are they like oil and water? Cats and dogs? Not necessarily. These kids are part of Likrat (Toward), an experimental program in Israel that connects religiously observant and non-observant teens in cyberspace. Since the founding of the state, observant Jews (datiyim) and secular, or non-observant Jews(hilonim) have disagreed. "The religious want more places closed on Shabbat, and the secular want more open. "When one sees a crowd of people, one is to say, 'Blessed is the Master of mysteries.' Just as their faces are not alike, so are their thoughts not alike." Talmud, Berakhot 58a Lesson Summary:  Students complete a problem-solving game and participate in a discussion about understanding how treating others with respect is the foundation for ahavat yisrael. Printable Lesson:  2308lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Tangram puzzle

A Sign of Respect

See how television star Marlee Matlin never lets her deafness get in the way. Use her experiences to help students consider their own strengths and weaknesses, and to understand how our differences and similarities can strengthen and help build our communities. $0.00$0.00Her hands slice through the air, swiftly forming different shapes- almost like an orchestra conductor telling the flutist when to pipe in, or a baseball coach urging a player to steal third base. But for deaf actress Marlee Matlin, a star in TV's hit show "The West Wing," sign language isn't reserved for a concert or a baseball game. It's how she communicates with the world every day. "You shall not curse the deaf and you shall not place a stumbling block before the blind. You shall fear your God." Vayikra 19:14 Lesson Summary:  Students will explore their own positive and “negative” attributes and recognize the strength in differences between people. Printable Lesson:  2304lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Additional Source Sheet with Discussion Questions Additional Resources:  Strategies for Synagogue Accessibility http://www.uscj.org/accessibility More on Marlee Matlin http://www.marleematlinsite.com

The Reunion

Read this story with your students about a reunion between two girls who have grown in seemingly different directions. In the accompanying lesson,your students will explore their personal responses to the short story and recognize the interrelationship between individual thought, acceptance, friendship and respect. $0.00$0.00The walk was familiar. And the way her hair frizzed out at the sides. We used to spend hours fixing each other's hair. I walked a little faster, telling myself I was being ridiculous. After all, Dina had moved away nearly two years ago. I had tried to keep up by email, and I wrote several letters that she never answered. I even phoned once or twice, and each time Dina seemed too busy-too involved in her new life to care about me. I hurried, telling myself this was silly. Just then she turned. For a moment both of us stopped in our tracks. Lesson Summary:  Students will explore their reactions to the story and discuss the relationship between individual thought, acceptance, friendship and respect. Printable Lesson:  2309lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Friendship Questionnaire

Sonia Levitin Has the Write Stuff

BabagaNewz sits down with award-winning author Sonia Levitin In this lesson, students will explore their personal responses to the short story “The Reunion,” and recognize the interrelationship between individual thought, acceptance, friendship, and respect.  $0.00$0.00This award-winning author-who wrote"The Reunion" (p.14)-talks about her craft. BABA: When did you realize that you wanted to be a writer? Lesson Summary:  Students will explore their reactions to the story and discuss the relationship between individual thought, acceptance, friendship and respect Printable Lesson:  2309lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Friendship Questionnaire

Giving It His Best Shot: Hoopster Tamir Goodman Goes Pro in Israel

Read this article about Tamir Goodman  who chased his dream of playing professional basketball while observing Shabbat. . $0.00$0.00He's been called the Jewish Jordan. With a blue kippah clipped tightly to his bright red hair, 6-foot, 3-inch Tamir Goodman races across the basketball court, amazing the crowd with his ball-handling skills as he heads for the hoop. With a sudden head fake, he loses his helpless defender and leaps high into the air. The ball rolls delicately off into his fingertips...nothing but net! "More than Israel has preserved the Shabbat, the Shabbat has preserved Israel." Ahad Ha'am Lesson Summary:  Students will evaluate how the concept of kavod applies to time by examining classical texts and analyzing Tamir’s choices Printable Lesson:  2307lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet

Bionics

Bionics, one of the most promising new technologies, could one day cure paralysis. Read on to see what else bionics can do. In the lesson, students will consider the Jewish responsibility to help all humans live better lives using the world's many resources. $0.00$0.00The Science of Cyborgs A bionic eye restores sight to a man who uses a tiny digital video camera attached to his glasses. The camera records images and sends them to an electrode implanted in the man's brain. A computer chip implanted in the brain allows some paralysis victims to move a cursor across a computer screen using only their thoughts. "The Lord restores sight to the blind; the Lord makes those who are bent stand straight..." Psalms 146:8 Lesson Summary:  Students will consider the Jewish responsibility to help all humans live better lives using the world's many resources. Printable Lesson:  2306lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Bereishit Worksheet

Do You Treat People With Dignity?

This personality quiz will help your students to reflect about how they treat people  In the lesson, students will use the as a springboard for discussion about how to treat others respectfully. $0.00$0.001. Your elderly great-aunt loves to tell you stories. She often repeats the same story, again and again. When she visits, you: a. Excuse yourself and go out with a friend. b. Spend time with her and show interest in what she says. c. Stay for a while and then find something else to do. 2. When you're with your friends and you see the school janitor, what do you do? a. Say hello and continue talking to your friends. b. Pass by without saying hello because your friends take all your attention. c. Stop to ask how he is and encourage your friends to do the same. 3. Lesson Summary:  Students will use the Dignity Quiz as a springboard for discussion about how to treat others with dignity. Printable Lesson:  2305lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet The House That Love Built Lesson Plan

Jerusalem, Forever Ours

The article about Jerusalem, the City of Peace, recounts the reunification of Jerusalem in 1967. In this lesson, students will study both a liturgical text and a popular song to discover the centrality of Jerusalem to Judaism and to help them explore their own relationship to the city. $0.00$0.00In 1948, the State of Israel declared her independence and, against all odds, defeated the Arab countries that had hoped to destroy the new Jewish state. Israel may have won the war, but she lost an important part of her soul for the sake of peace. Jerusalem-Israel's capital and the spiritual center of the Jewish world-was divided. Jordan occupied the Old City and forbade Jews from visiting the holy sites of the Temple Mount and the Kotel. "'Jersuaelem which is bound firmly together' [Psalms 122:3] binds the Jews one to the other." Talmud Yerushalmi, Hagigah 21a Lesson Summary:  Students will study both a liturgical text (from the weekday Amidah) and a popular song, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, to discover the centrality of Jerusalem to Judaism and to help them explore their own relationship to the city. Printable Lesson:  1308lesson.pdf Additional Resources:  Lyrics to Yerushalayim Shel Zahav in English and Hebrew "Tourists" by Yehuda Amichai http://www.csuohio.edu/tagar/tourists.htm Background information about Naomi Shemer's song, Yerushalayim Shel Zahav http://www.jerusalemofgold.co.il Real-time webcam of the Kotel http://www.aish.com/wallcam

Democracy Israeli Style

This article gives concise background info on the structure of the Israeli government. In the lesson, students will work as part of a mock political committee to gain a deeper understanding of the political ideologies of the parties. $0.00$0.00Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East. National security issues such as the existence of a Palestinian state, the status of the settlements in Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), and the final status of Jerusalem are hotly debated in the Knesset (Israel's parliament). To understand Israeli policy, it helps to be aware of the political landscape that influences the government's decisions. THE ABC'S OF POLITICS IN ISRAEL Lesson Summary:  Students will work as part of a political committee to gain a deeper understanding of the political ideologies of these parties. Printable Lesson:  1301lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Government Comparison Chart without Answers Government Comparison Chart with Answers Additional Resources:  Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (general information on how the Israeli government works) http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/AboutTheMinistry/Pages/default.aspx Knesset (includes platform information from each of the parties that participated in the last election) http://www.knesset.gov.il/elections/eindex.html [Note: This link was listed incorrectly in the print version of the Teachers’ Guide.] Library of Congress, Federal Research Division (brief overview of political parties in Israel) http://rs6.loc.gov/frd/cs/israel/il_appnb.html

Mariel in the Middle

The Kid Power article introduces Mariel Sable, a student who uses her school’s Sukkat Shalom to help mediate between friends in conflict. In this lesson, students will learn how to mediate effectively through roleplay and class discussion. $0.00$0.00It happens every day on playgrounds and in classrooms all across the country. Tempers flare, feelings get hurt, and before you know it, an argument is raging. At times like these, a cool head is needed. Meet Mariel Sable, a cool head if ever there was one. When arguments flare up at The Rashi School in Newton, Massachusetts, 11-year-old Mariel is often in the middle trying to make peace. "Who is the strongest of the strong?...One who turns an enemy into a friend." Avot Derabi Natan 23 Lesson Summary:  Students will use role-play and class discussion to learn how to act as mediators. Printable Lesson:  1302lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  15 Steps to Effective Mediation (printable) Background Information for Teachers on Mediation (printable) Additional Resources:  Kids Guide to Criminal Justice http://www.cctvcamerapros.com/Kids-Guide-Criminal-Justice-s/390.htm National Crime Prevention Council http://www.ncpc.org/2schvio2.htm A Child's Security and Crime Prevention Center

The House That Love Built

Volunteers from Habitat for Humanity who helped Annette built her house in Bridgeport felt they were "putting God's words into action." Others who helped repair a community center in Washington called their project "Sukkot in April." What is the connection between Sukkot and providing shelter for others? $0.00$0.00Annette Quintero's home in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is made of something stronger than dry wall and nails; it's made of love. How do you build a house out of love? Habitat for Humanity- an international organization that builds affordable housing for families in need- has years of experience doing just that. Here's the Habitat blueprint: First, you find volunteers who are willing to provide the muscle power necessary to build a house. Then, you combine the volunteers' energy with the sweat and determination of a future home owner. "All the charity and deeds of kindness which the children of Israel perform in this world promot peace and good understanding between them and God." Talmud, Bava Batra 10a Lesson Summary:  Students will explore the significance of sukkot, the shelters that we build to remind us of God's providence during the 40 years in the desert. This concept, combined with that of Imitatio Dei (imitating God), will help us understand why it is important for members of the Jewish community to help provide shelter for others. Printable Lesson:  1309lesson.pdf

Getting in Sync with the Hamsa Boys

The Hamsa Boys highlight the importance of harmonizing for the success of a music group. In this lesson, students will use writing to expand their understanding of shalom by comparing shalom and harmony. $0.00$0.00At first glance, you might think you're at an 'NSYNC concert. The five guys on stage are crooning tunes in a rich, penetrating harmony. Their bodies move in unison to melodies that echo in your head long after the concert ends. Each quick arm movement is precisely choreographed; each pair of legs is perfectly in step with the others. But then you notice something different- each performer is wearing a kippah! And as you listen closer, you realize that some of their lyrics are in Hebrew. Meet the Hamsa Boys-a Jewish boy band that sings pop songs on Jewish themes. "Sing to God a new song: sing to God-everyone on earth." Pslms 96:1 Lesson Summary:  Students will expand their understanding of shalom by comparing shalom with harmony. Printable Lesson:  1307lesson.pdf

Mutualism

The lion and the lamb? Not quite yet, but read on to learn about other unlikely pairings of animals and how they need each other to survive. In the lesson students will consider the question of whether the animal world can provide us with models of ethical behavior.  $0.00$0.00The Most Unlikely Friends The fierce African crocodile opens its mouth. A little bird hops inside, cleans the crocodile's gums and between its teeth, and hops back out again! A group of ants works together to aggressively protect tiny plant lice from predators. A shrimp inspects the mouth of the tomato grouper and gently removes small bits of food from between the grouper's tiny teeth. You Scratch My Back, I'll Scratch Yours These animals are not acting selflessly. They each get something in return. "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow." Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Lesson Summary:  Students will consider the question of whether the animal world can provide us with models of ethical behavior. They will examine rabbinic texts about human relationships. Printable Lesson:  1306lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Mutualism Case Studies

Torah Page 551

 Study the words of Isaiah that remind us that peace is a special gift.  This lesson can connect with a larger unit on peace. $0.00$0.00PEACE BY PIECE... The word "peace" is everywhere these days: in the news, in songs and prayers, and in slogans on bumper stickers. Although it seems as if everyone wants peace, there is still a lot of fighting. We're often left wondering, "Where is the path to peace?" The prophet Isaiah teaches us about one path to peace: putting peace on our lips. Be the first to greet your friend with the word "shalom," and extend a greeting of peace even to those you don't know. Lesson Summary:  Students will examine two verses from the Bible: 1. “I will create a new expression of the lips: ‘Peace, peace both for far and near,’ says the Lord, and I will heal him.” (Isaiah 57:19), and 2. “All its paths are peace.” (Proverbs 3:17) Printable Lesson:  1303lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Torah Page Worksheet

Jamie-Lynn Sigler: Lesson Learned

Jamie-Lynn Sigler speaks out about her eating disorder to send a message to other young adults.  In the accompanying lesson, study Jewish texts with your students to examine eating disorders from a Jewish perspective. $0.00$0.00Actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler would wake up at 4 a.m., head to her basement, and work out for almost three hours every day when she was 16. The demanding routine - combined with a strict diet - continued for months until the 5-foot-6-inch Jamie-Lynn had whittled herself down to a bony 90 pounds. It was clear that she had an eating disorder. "For in the image of God, did God make humankind." Bereishit 9:6 Printable Lesson:  9202lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet

Peter Himmelman: Jamming with a Jewish Soul

This interview with guitarist Peter Himmelman focuses on his love for writing music and the role Judaism plays in his career as well as in his daily life. In the accompanaying lesson, students will explore the relationship between inner peace and Shabbat through the use of various creative media. $0.00$0.00His hands fly over the strings of the acoustic guitar. His right leg pounds out the rhythm of the beat pouring from his soul. Peter Himmelman is onstage where he belongs, rockin' with his audience. The crowd can't resist his energy: They're noisy, energetic, and loving every minute of it. Though he's written hundreds of songs, including theme songs for hit TV shows like "Judging Amy" and "Bug Juice," Peter's fans love it when he improvises. We talked to Peter at his studio in Los Angeles, and what he said struck a chord with us. "Sing praise to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and melodious song. With trumpets and the blast of the horn..." Psalms 98:5-6 Lesson Summary:  Students will explore the relationship between inner peace and Shabbat through the use of various creative media. Printable Lesson:  1304lesson.pdf Additional Resources:  Peter Himmelman web site http://www.peterhimmelman.com

Michael Andron: Tora Dojo Dynamo

Read this interview with Michael Andron, who is both a karate blackbelt and a mohel. In the lesson, students explore the concept of balance, a major component of martial arts and a necessary ingredient in practicing shmirat haguf (taking care of one's body). $0.00$0.00Michael Andron takes a deep breath and focuses on the 8-inch thick pile of concrete slabs before him. In the blink of an eye, his bare hand shatters the concrete in two. The feat is as much mental as it is physical, says Michael, a seventh-degree black belt in karate and a martial arts teacher. When he's not teaching karate, he works as a mohel, performing the Jewish ritual of circumcising newborn baby boys - a mitzvah that also requires total concentration! Meet Michael Andron - a karate grandmaster who knows that body and mind go hand in stone-splitting hand. "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your might." Devarim 6:5 Printable Lesson:  9204lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Additional Resources:  Michael Andron’s web site: http://www.kodesh.org

U.S. Jews Rally for Israel

Stimulate class discussion about the values associated with standing in solidarity with the Jewish state. Read this article about demonstrations in the United States of both physical support and moral understanding and gear up to work actively with your students on behalf of Israel.  The article is about the Rally in Solidarity with Israel that took place on April 15, 2002. The content of the lesson extends beyond that specific event. In the lesson you will find texts and ideas to inspire you and your students to social action, political action, and religious action on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people. $0.00$0.00In a show of support for Israel, more than 100,000 Jews rallied in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington DC on Monday, April 15. Busloads from Jewish schools traveled to Washington to demonstrate their solidarity with Israel. In organizing the rally, Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said that the citizens of Israel "have to realize they are not alone." Printable Lesson:  9201lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet Additional Lesson Plan 20 Facts About Israel Feinstein Speech Transcript

Searching for Mount Sinai

Adventureres have been searching for Mount Sinai--and the treasure they think is buried there. Teach your students about kedushat makom -- the holiness of a place--but ask them to think about whether knowing the exact site makes the Torah any more real or sacred. $0.00$0.00One false move along the narrow ledge, and Larry Williams and his friend Bob Cornuke would plunge to their deaths. Minutes before, Williams- a self-made millionaire- and Cornuke- an ex-cop- had stood triumphantly atop Jebel al Lawz, a rugged peak that rises 8,465 feet above the Saudi Arabian desert. But the sound of soldiers' voices had sent the two trespassers scurrying down the mountain in a frantic search for a hiding place. "Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, for the Lord had come down upon it in fire...and the whole mountain trembled violently." Shemot 19:18 Printable Lesson:  9208lesson.pdf Additional PDFs:  Source Sheet (printable) Additional Resources:  Cornuke, Bob and David Halbrook. In Search of the Mountain of God: The Discovery of the Real Mt. Sinai. Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2002. Feiler, Bruce. Walking the Bible. Morrow, William, and Co, 2001. Pritchard, James B. Harper Collins Concise Atlas of the Bible. Harper Collins Publishers, 1997. Wansbrough, Henry. Children's Atlas of the Bible. Harper Collins Publishers, 2000. Video: The Search for the Real Mt. Sinai and the Mystery of the Ark of the Covenant by Monument Pictures http://www.monumentpictures.com

Teach Israel

 Experience Modern Israel

New from Behrman House. Fly to Israel without a plane ticket.

Discover Israel

 Let's Discover Israel

Offer younger children an exciting and age-appropriate introduction to the Jewish homeland