Garage Band, iMovie, Photoshop and Kindle..Meet Israel

Transcription

Garage Band, iMovie,
Photoshop and Kindle…
…Meet Israel
These materials were developed for the National Ramah Commission as
part of “RILI” (Ramah Israel Leadership Initiative) with generous support
from the Legacy Heritage Fund
Spring, 2010
Garage Band, iMovie, Photoshop and Kindle…Meet Israel
‫מחנות רמה‬
Rabbi Mitchell Cohen, National Director
Email: Mcohen@jtsa.edu
To: ‫צוות מחנות רמה‬
From: Rabbi Mitch Cohen
Date: June, 2010
Re: “Ramah Israel Leadership Initiative” (RILI) Resource Materials
It is my pleasure to present the latest installment of Israel education resources which have
been specially designed for ‫ מחנות רמה‬with generous support from the Legacy Heritage
Fund. One of the most important goals of the National Ramah Commission is to provide
resources for sustaining the high level of educational and religious programming at every
Camp Ramah, and to help each camp maintain the high standard that is associated with
the name Ramah.
Working under the leadership of Ami Hersh, JTS students and Ramah staff members
(including many of our Shapiro Fellows and Rashei Chinuch) have volunteered many
hours this year to help produce these materials. Two seasoned educators, who both bring
a great deal of camping experience, have spent the past year writing the three new units
of material for this summer. A big ‫ תודה רבה‬to Ilan Bloch and Charlie Schwartz! Also,
‫ תודה רבה‬to Donna Elyashar, a long time Ramah Wisconsin staff member, who is
responsible for much of the translation work in these units.
Our initial goal was to develop twelve new units of Israel education resources, over the
course of three years, in order to enhance the resources available in each of the camps. I
am pleased that we are well on our way to reaching this goal. While success in this
endeavor will look different for each camp, as long as the materials are utilized, the RILI
shlichim are involved and engaged in its implementation, and new Israel resources are
shared amongst the camps, our goals and those of the grant will have been met.
I look forward to seeing you at camp this summer and learning more about ‫ארץ ישראל‬
together!
-2-
‫‪Garage Band, iMovie, Photoshop and Kindle…Meet Israel‬‬
‫מחנות רמה‬
‫‪Rabbi Mitchell Cohen, National Director‬‬
‫‪Email: Mcohen@jtsa.edu‬‬
‫אל‪ :‬צוות מחנות רמה‬
‫מאת‪ :‬הרב מיטץ' כהן‬
‫תאריך‪ :‬יוני ‪2010‬‬
‫הנדון‪ :‬חומרי עבודה לתכנית יוזמת מנהיגות‬
‫‪“Ramah Israel Leadership Initiative” (RILI) Resource Materials‬‬
‫יש לי העונג להציג את התוספת האחרונה‪ ,‬למאגר פעולות חינוך ישראל‪ ,‬אשר תוכנן במיוחד‬
‫למחנות רמה‪ ,‬בעזרתם הנדיבה של הקרן לגסי‪ .‬אחת המטרות החשובות של וועדת רמה‬
‫הארצית‪ ,‬היא מתן מקורות מידע אשר ישמרו על רמה גבוהה של מערכי לימוד חינוך ודת‪ ,‬בכל‬
‫מחנה רמה ולעזור לכל מחנה לשמור על רמה גבוהה המזוהה עם השם "רמה"‪.‬‬
‫בעבודתם תחת הנחיית עמי הירש‪ ,‬סטודנטים מג'יי טי אס‪ ,‬חברי צוות רמה רבים )כולל רבים‬
‫מחבורת שפירו וראשי החינוך( נידבו השנה‪ ,‬שעות עבודה רבות‪ ,‬על מנת ליצור את החומרים‬
‫הללו‪ .‬שני מחנכים וותיקים‪ ,‬אשר מביאים איתם ניסיון רב במחנות‪ ,‬בילו השנה האחרונה‬
‫ביצירת שלושה מערכים חדשים לקיץ הקרוב‪.‬‬
‫תודה גדולה לאילן בלוך וצ'ארלי שווארץ! כמו כן‪ ,‬תודה רבה לדנה אלישר‪ ,‬חברת צוות‬
‫וותיקה מאוד ברמה וויסקונסין‪ ,‬האחראית על מרבית עבודת התרגום של יחידות אילו‪.‬‬
‫מטרתנו הסופית היא לפתח שתים עשרה יחידות לימוד‪ ,‬בתחום חינוך ישראל‪ ,‬במהלך תקופה‬
‫של שלוש שנים‪ ,‬על מנת לחזק ולהעשיר את המקורות הזמינים בכל מחנה‪ .‬אני שמח לומר כי‬
‫אנו בתהליך המקרב אותנו מאוד להשגת מטרה זו‪ .‬הצלחת יוזמה זו‪ ,‬תהיה שונה ממחנה‬
‫למחנה‪ ,‬אך תימדד בשימוש בחומרים אילו‪,‬בהטמעת השליחים מ ) ‪“Ramah Israel‬‬
‫‪ Leadership Initiative” (RILI‬המעורבים ‪ ,‬את החומרים והמערכים‪ ,‬ושיתוף חומרים‬
‫ומקורות נוספים בין המחנות‪ .‬אז מטרותינו תושגנה במלואן‪.‬‬
‫אני מצפה לראותכם במחנה השנה‪ ,‬וללמוד על ארץ ישראל יחד!‬
‫‪-3-‬‬
Unit Topic: Contemporary Israeli Society
Unit Author: Ilan Bloch
Age: 9th and 10th graders
Summary:
These six 45-minute sessions will serve as an introduction to Israel through the
lens of contemporary artists. As with all units of study, this unit should be taught
in as experiential, interactive, and informal a way as possible, in order to facilitate
dialogue between chanichim, and critical thought on the part of chanichim in
relation to their values and attitudes vis-à-vis the Land, State, and People of
Israel.
These materials are not prescriptive; you are more than welcome to utilize the
resources that “speak to you,” and discard those that do not. In fact, it should be
noted clearly that ideally this packet is meant to serve as an inspiration and a
chinuch resource for educators in camp to plan their own sessions/peulot/divrei
Torah, which are designed specifically for their chanichim and the context of their
camps. If needed, however, the resources in this packet can, of course, be used,
“as is.”
Methodology note:
• All sessions involve “reading the text” together with the chanichim, and then
facilitating a discussion with them based on the text.
• It should be kept in mind that these activities will serve well as excellent Yom
Geshem peulot.
Aims (general):
Knowledge
 The chanichim will be exposed to a range of works of contemporary Israeli
artists from across multiple artistic disciplines.
 The chanichim will be exposed to some of the key issues affecting Israeli
society, e.g. religion and state, Israel: vision and reality, Jewish/Israeli identity,
the Israel Defense Forces, sacrifice, heroism and memory.
Skills
 The chanichim will develop and consolidate their Hebrew, textual analysis and
discussion skills.
Values and attitudes
 The chanichim will develop a relationship to the texts and may or may not
come to view them as part of world Jewish culture (as opposed to only Israeli
culture).
Aims (specific):
 Sessions 1 and 2: To introduce the chanichim to well-known Israeli songs that
will allow them to explore themes related to Israeli society, for example, Aviv
-4-
Geffen’s “Achshav Meonan,” dealing with the nature of Generation X/Y in
Israel, Matti Caspi’s “Hi Chazrah Bitshuvah,” dealing with Israeli secularreligious relations, and Ehud Manor’s “Rak BeYisrael” and Hadag Nahash’s
“Rak Po,” both dealing with the theme of “Israel: Vision and Reality.”
 Session 3: To introduce the chanichim to some of the work of Alex Levac,
using it to gain insight into various aspects of Israeli society and culture, for
example, “Israel – Western/Eastern,” “Israel – Ancient/Modern,” Haredim,
tzabarim, the IDF, Jerusalem – Ir HaKodesh, respect for elderly, idealism, and
pluralism within Israel.
 Session 4: To introduce the chanichim to some of the work of Ma’ale Film
School students, using it to gain insight into various aspects of Israeli society
and culture, for example, the IDF and militarism in Israel and religious identity.
 Session 5: To introduce the chanichim to some of the work of Etgar Keret,
using it to gain insight into various aspects of Israeli society and culture, for
example, “Memory in Israeli society.”
 Session 6: To enable the chanichim to draw links between the previous
sessions, and explore the role that Hebrew language plays (or does not play)
in building and consolidating Israeli society and culture.
This unit consists of the following components:
1. Six core sessions (pgs. 8-35)
2. Mekorot for Divrei Tfillah (pgs. 36-38)
3. Vocabulary/Word Bank (pg. 39)
4. Extension Activities (pg. 40)
Madrichim are encouraged to develop other programs and activities that will help
chanichim engage with the materials in the framework of Peulat Erev, Peulat Tzrif
and/or Yom Meyuchad.
-5-
‫נושא היחידה‪ :‬החברה הישראלית העכשווית‪.‬‬
‫כותב היחידה‪ :‬אילן בלוך‬
‫גיל‪ :‬כיתות ט' י' )‪(9th-10th graders‬‬
‫תקציר‪:‬‬
‫שישה מפגשים בני ‪ 45‬דקות אילו‪ ,‬נועדו לשמש הקדמה לישראל‪ ,‬דרך עדשתם של אמנים‬
‫עכשוויים‪ .‬כמו כל יחידות הלימוד האחרות‪ ,‬יחידה זו צריכה להיות מועברת בצורה מהנה‪ ,‬לא‬
‫פורמלית ואינטראקטיבית‪ ,‬על מנת להכיל דיאלוג בין החניכים ושיקוף מחשבתם ביחס‬
‫לערכיהם וגישותיהם לארץ ישראל‪ ,‬מדינת ישראל והאנשים בישראל‪.‬‬
‫החומרים המוגשים הנם כלליים והמדריכים לבחור את החומרים "שמדברים אליהם" ולא‬
‫להשתמש בחומרים אשר מתאימים להם פחות‪ .‬יתרה מזאת‪ ,‬יש חשיבות להדגיש כי חבילה זו‬
‫נועדה להוות מקור לחינוך והשראה‪ ,‬למדריכים והמחנכים במחנה‪ ,‬וכעזר לתכנון פעולות‬
‫\מפגשים\דברי תורה‪ ,‬המתאימים במיוחד לחניכים שלהם‪ ,‬בהקשר למחנה שלהם‪.‬‬
‫עם זאת‪ ,‬במידת הצורך‪ ,‬ניתן להשתמש בחבילה המוצעת כאן כפי שהיא‪.‬‬
‫הערה למתודולוגיה‪:‬‬
‫• כל המפגשים כוללים קריאת קטעים יחד עם החניכים ולאחר מכן קיום דיון יחד איתם‪,‬‬
‫המבוסס על הקטעים אשר נקראו‪.‬‬
‫• חשוב לציין כי פעולות אילו ישמשו מפגשים מצויינים לפעולה ביום גשום‪.‬‬
‫מטרות )כלליות(‪:‬‬
‫ידע‬
‫‪ ‬החניכים ייחשפו למגוון עבודותיהם של מספר אמנים ישראליים עכשוויים‪,‬‬
‫ממגוון תחומי יצירה‪.‬‬
‫‪ ‬החניכים ייחשפו למספר נושאי מפתח המשפיעים על החברה בישראל‪ ,‬כגון‪ :‬דת ומדינה‪,‬‬
‫ישראל‪ :‬חזון מול מציאות‪ ,‬זהות יהודית\ישראלית‪ ,‬צה"ל‪ ,‬הקרבה‪ ,‬גבורה וזיכרון‪.‬‬
‫יכולת‬
‫‪ ‬החניכים יפתחו את יכולת קריאת העברית שלהם‪ ,‬ניתוח קטעי טקסט ויכולת דיון‪.‬‬
‫ערכים וגישות‬
‫‪ ‬החניכים יפתחו יחס לטקסטים ויראו בהם‪ ,‬כן או לא‪ ,‬חלק מעולם התרבות היהודי ולא רק‬
‫חלק מעולם התרבות הישראלי‪.‬‬
‫מטרות )ממוקדות(‪:‬‬
‫‪ ‬מפגש ‪+ 1‬מפגש ‪ :2‬יציגו לחניכים שירים ישראליים ידועים‪ ,‬אשר יעזרו לחניכים לחקור‬
‫נושאים חברתיים‪ .‬לדוגמא‪ :‬אביב גפן‪ ,‬בשיר "עכשיו מעונן"‪ ,‬העוסק בטבעו של דור ה‬
‫איקס‪ .‬מתי כספי‪ ,‬בשיר "היא חזרה בתשובה" העוסק בחברה החילונית דתית‪ .‬אהוד מנור‪,‬‬
‫בשיר "רק בישראל" והדג נחש‪ ,‬בשיר "רק פה"‪ ,‬העוסקים בנושא ישראל‪ :‬חזון ומציאות‪.‬‬
‫‪-6-‬‬
‫‪ ‬מפגש ‪ :3‬יציג לחניכים חלק מיצירותיו של אלכס לאבק‪ ,‬על מנת ליצור נקודת מבט‬
‫לנושאים חברתיים ותרבותיים בישראל‪ ,‬לדוגמא‪" :‬ישראל מזרח\מערב"‪" ,‬ישראל‬
‫עתיק\חדש"‪" ,‬חרדים‪ ,‬צברים‪ ,‬צה"ל‪" ,‬ירושלים עיר הקודש"‪ ,‬כבוד למבוגרים‪ ,‬אידאליזם‬
‫ופלורליזם בישראל‪.‬‬
‫‪ ‬מפגש ‪ :4‬יציג לחניכים חלק מיצירות הסטודנטים לקולנוע של בית הספר לקולנוע‬
‫"מעלה"‪ ,‬על מנת לאפשר להם מבט אל תחומי חברה ותרבות בישראל‪ ,‬לדוגמא‪ :‬צה"ל‬
‫וצבאיות בישראל‪ ,‬וזהות דתית‪.‬‬
‫‪ ‬מפגש ‪ :5‬יציג לחניכים מספר יצירות של הסופר הישראלי‪ ,‬אתגר קרת‪ ,‬על מנת לאפשר‬
‫מבט לנושאי חברה ותרבות ישראליים‪ ,‬לדוגמא‪" :‬זיכרון בחברה הישראלית"‪.‬‬
‫‪ ‬מפגש ‪ :6‬יאפשר לחניכים לקשור בין המפגשים הקודמים‪ ,‬ולחקור את תפקידה של השפה‬
‫העברית )או אי תפקודה( בבניית וגיבוש התרבות והחברה בישראל‪.‬‬
‫יחידה זו כוללת את המרכיבים הבאים‪:‬‬
‫‪ .1‬שישה נושאי ליבה )עמודים ‪(8-35‬‬
‫‪ .2‬מקורות לדברי תפילה )עמודים ‪(36-38‬‬
‫‪ .3‬אוצר \ בנק מילים )עמוד ‪(39‬‬
‫‪ .4‬מקורות נוספים )עמוד ‪(40‬‬
‫המדריכים מוזמנים ומעודדים לפתח תכניות ופעולות נוספות אשר יעזרו לחניכים לפעול עם‬
‫חומרי המסגרת‪ ,‬בפעולות ערב‪ ,‬פעולות צריף ויום מיוחד‪.‬‬
‫‪-7-‬‬
Session 1 – Israeli Music (45 minutes)
Tziyud Needed:
1. One copy/chevruta of the two songs. (Appendices I and II).
2. Musical recording of the two songs and speakers to play the songs.
3. Pen and Paper.
Note:
You may want to present this session consecutively with Session 2, and have
them form a mini-unit within the framework of the overall unit. Alternatively, you
may like to split them, and present them at different times during camp.
Procedure:
Part A
 The session should begin with the madrich/a asking the chanichim to share
some of their thoughts about the role music plays in our lives. This does not
need to be an extensive conversation, simply a way to engage the chanichim.
Some suggested questions might be:
• Which type of music/which specific songs speak to you today? Why?
• Is your choice in music reflective of who you are? What does your choice
of music say about you?
• How does this type of music/how do these songs affect you?
• Do you think that music has the potential to change/shape society or
individuals? Why/why not?
• Is North American music today society-changing? Why/why not?
• Do you think North American music was society-changing during other
time periods (e.g. the 1960’s)?
• Has North American society changed over the previous several decades
and is this reflected in the different music that is produced there today?
Why/why not?
• Is music a reflection of the society and time in which the musician is living?
 Next, the madrich/a should quickly ask chanichim what they know about
Israeli/Jewish music. The goal here is not to solicit a laundry list of band
names and songs, but ideas about the role music plays/doesn’t play in
Israeli/Jewish society. This list should be recorded and saved for the end of
the session.
 Next, divide the group into chevrutot (2 chanichim per chevruta) and give
each group the ‫ עכשיו מעונן‬song found in Appendix I.
 Ask the chevrutot to read the song out-loud (in Hebrew or English) and
answer the questions listed together at the bottom of Appendix I.
 The madrich/a should briefly bring the group back together and should be
encouraged to briefly discuss and share their thoughts about the song.
 The madrich/a should remind the chanichim of all the challenges the current
generation (i.e. the Third Generation) has experienced: mass terrorism (19932004/5), the failure of the Oslo process (2000), Second Intifadah (20002004/5), Second Lebanon War (2006), the continuing Israeli military
-8-
control/occupation of Judea and Samaria/”the West Bank” and Operation
Cast Lead (2008/9). Ask the chanichim if they think this has played a major
influence in the lives of Israelis and their music.
 If Israel was meant to be different then the other countries of the world, that is,
we were meant to be an ohr lagoyim (a light unto the nations), does being “a
screwed up generation” represent a most severe problem for Israeli society?
 Or, was the aim of Zionism to “normalize” us, and thereby make us like every
other nation in the world? (If so, perhaps being “a screwed up generation” is
not such a serious problem, because it is one that is shared by peoples
throughout the world.)
Part B
 Next, divide the group again into chevrutot (2 different chanichim per
chevruta) and give each group the ‫ היא חזרה בתשובה‬song found in Appendix
II.
 Ask the chevrutot to read the song out-loud (in Hebrew or English) and
answer the questions listed together at the bottom of Appendix II.
 The madrich/a should bring the whole group back together and ask each
chevruta to share some of the topics they discussed together.
 The madrich/a should remind the chanichim that in Israel, secular/religious
Jews learn in different schools, attend different youth groups, (sometimes) go
to different army units, (often) live in different neighborhoods, and because
the Israeli weekend only consists of Shabbat, very often do not even mix
socially. From this, perhaps we can more fully understand the authentic and
genuine pain of the protagonist (main character) of this song.
 It is important to also make clear that on the other hand that religious
observance in Israel is not black and white, and there are many, many shades
of gray. (Even the “painfully secular” protagonist in the song still uses the term
“oneg Shabbat” for his sexual rendezvous with his ex-girlfriend.)
Part C
 The madrich/a should play the two songs that the chanichim have been
learning (available on the “RILI CD” or from the National Ramah Program
Bank). Once the songs have been played, ask the chanichim if hearing the
music has changed any of their views about the songs. Does the song have
more power because of the music, or are the lyrics strong enough to speak
for themselves?
-9-
Appendix I
It’s Cloudy Now
Music and lyrics: Aviv Geffen
‫עכשיו מעונן‬
:‫אביב גפן מילים ולחן‬
In a dangerous place called home
Lives a confused man – that's me
And even though there is sun, there are many gray
(down) people
In a pretty ugly place called home
Lives a confused man – that's me
And even though there is money, there are many
poor people
‫במקום מסוכן שנקרא לו הבית‬
‫גר אדם מבולבל שנקרא לו אני‬
‫ולמרות שיש שמש יש הרבה אנשים אפורים‬
‫במקום די מגעיל שנקרא לו הבית‬
‫מבולבל שנקרא לו אניגר אדם‬
‫כי למרות שיש כסף יש הרבה אנשים עניים‬
It’s cloudy now…
...‫עכשיו מעונן‬
In a pretty great place called home
Parents break up, so things will be better
But my home is situated between two different
streets
‫במקום די מדהים שנקרא לו הבית‬
‫ההורים נפרדים שיהיה יותר טוב‬
‫אבל הבית שלי הוא נמצא בין רחוב לרחוב‬
In a pretty scary place called home
A man drinks bottle after bottle
That man is my father
‫במקום די מפחיד שנקרא לו הבית‬
‫בן אדם שם שותה בקבוק אחרי בקבוק‬
‫הבן אדם הזה הוא האבא שלי בדיוק‬
Maybe it’s cloudy now…
...‫אולי עכשיו מעונן‬
We are a screwed up generation
It’s cloudy now
We are a screwed up generation
It’s cloudy now
We want to get out of here
It’s cloudy now
We’re a screwed up generation
It’s cloudy now
‫אנחנו דור מזוין‬
‫רוצים ללכת מכאן‬
Discussion Questions:
•
•
•
What are your impressions of/thoughts regarding this song? What do you think
Aviv Geffen means by “‫דור מזוין‬/a screwed up generation?” What would he point to
in Israeli society to support his argument?
Do you think it is a realistic portrayal of the current generation of the Israeli state?
Do you think that “we are a screwed up generation” (in part/completely)?
Why/why not?
Do you think that Aviv Geffen has a serious wider ideological point he is trying to
make, or that he is simply producing rock music? Do you support/oppose such an
ideological point? Why?
-10-
Appendix II
She Became Religious
Yankele Rotblit/Matti Caspi
‫היא חזרה בתשובה‬
‫מתי כספי‬/‫יעקוב רוטבלים‬
I fell hard, a wail in my throat.
They said that she too had become religious
(chozeret bitshuvah):
Righteous men are teaching her the laws of fear
She will not return again to the fields of sinners.
Completely concealed, without even a crack,
The white of her breasts covered with modest
clothing.
Her tender ankle covered with a long stocking,
Her hip is wrapped gently.
Her long flowing, fallen hair
Is gathered and humiliated, and is now
imprisoned in a head covering and wants to
break free,
But the Rabbi says that her hair must be cut.
‫ בגר‬,‫וני יבבהאז נפלתי שדוד‬
:‫הם אמרו שגם היא חזרה בתשובה‬
‫צדיקים מלמדים לה דיני יראים‬
.‫לא תשוב עוד לפקוד את שדותי החוטאים‬
‫ מבלי סדק פעוט‬,‫עטופה כל כולה‬
.‫צחור שדיה כיסתה במלבוש של צניעות‬
‫קרסולה העדין בפוזמק הארוך‬
.‫ מתחתל הוא ברוך‬,‫על חלקת ירכה‬
‫ הגולש ויורד‬,‫שערה הארוך‬
‫נאסף והושפל וכלאוהו כעת‬
‫במטפחת שביס נאנק מתפרץ‬
.‫והרבי אומר שצריך לקצץ‬
Her gaze has a different look, without spark or
lightning,
Her tongue which knew delights has become
mute,
Her tender lips move with prayer.
I feel like crying for me, for her.
.‫ לא עוד גיץ וברקים‬,‫מבטה אור אחר‬
‫נאלמה לשונה שידעה תפנוקים‬
.‫ושפתיה רכות ונעות בתפילה‬
.‫ בשבילה‬,‫מתחשק לי לבכות בשבילי‬
The little book which is held in her hand is happy,
Her very speedy fingers move the pages, and flip
through them.
God is surely sitting erect.
‫מאושר הספרון שאוחזת ידה‬
‫בזריזות אצבעות אשר אין לה מידה‬
‫ עמודיו ת‬,‫בדפיו תעלעל‬.‫דפדף‬
.‫היושב במרומים בודאי מזדקף‬
They took her out to the shuk (marketplace) for a
shidduch (a match),
And I have been stolen from, cheated, and
oppressed.
I am painfully secular but love her just like them.
But they left me out of the bidding process.
‫הוציאוה לשוק וכעת לשידוך‬
‫ואני הנגזל מרומה ועשוק‬
‫חילוני עד כאב ואוהב כמאז‬
.‫הותירו אותי מחוץ למכרז‬
And she won’t come again; she won’t sneak in
quietly between my sheets, for an Oneg Shabbat.
And miserable me, what more can I say?
If I had the answer, I too would become religious.
‫ מתגנבת בלאט‬,‫והיא שוב לא תבוא‬
‫ לעונג שבת‬,‫בין סדיני הרכים‬
‫ מה אוסיף לדבר‬,‫ואני האומלל‬
.‫ אז הייתי חוזר‬,‫לו הייתה לי תשובה‬
-11-
Discussion Questions:
• For those who have been to Israel before: Do you have Israeli relatives
and friends whom you have visited? If so, what was their religious
philosophy and level of religious observance? What was similar/different to
your/your family’s religious philosophy and level of religious observance?
What seemed unique/strange/contradictory? On a general level, how does
“Israeli Jewishness” (as defined anecdotally by your experiences) differ
from “American Jewishness” (as defined anecdotally by your
experiences)? What are some possible explanations for this?
• If you are shomer Shabbat/kashrut, have you ever had a non-shomer
Shabbat/kashrut friend? If you are non-shomer, have you ever had a
shomer friend? How did this difference affect your friendship?
o Note: If the chanichim bring up the issue of shomer/non-shomer
dating, this can also be incorporated into the sicha, but the sicha
should not slip into the area of inter-dating.
-12-
Session 2 – Israeli Music continued (45 minutes)
Tziyud Needed:
1. One copy/chevruta of the two songs. (Appendices III and IV).
2. Musical recording of the two songs.
3. If you would like to screen the video of “Rak Po” you will need a television
and DVD player or a computer with reliable Internet access.
4. Pen and Paper for each of the chanichim.
Note:
You may want to present this session consecutively with Session 1, and have
them form a mini-unit within the framework of the overall unit. Alternatively, you
may like to split them, and present them at different times during camp.
Procedure:
 The madrich/a should begin by asking if the chanichim have thought about
the songs they recently learned (or had the songs stuck in their head!) since
the last session. Do they have any new insight or thoughts that they would
like to share? Sometimes the meaning or sound of a certain song can take a
long time to sink in to our minds.
 The madrich/a should explain that today the chanichim are going to look at
two songs that speak about Israel quite differently. The songs were written
decades apart, but both were received well by the Israeli public when they
were released. In addition to learning about the songs, the chanichim are
going to have the opportunity to be musical lyric writers/performers!
 Distribute the song sheets and read them over together in the group.
Compare and contrast the two songs. The songs should also be played at
this time (available on the “RILI CD” or from the National Ramah Program
Bank). If possible, you can also screen “Rak Po” (also available on the
“RILI CD” or from the National Ramah Program Bank).
 Ask the chanichim to share their first thoughts about the songs (very briefly).
 The chanichim should be given paper and a pen and asked to write another
verse to either “Rak BeYisrael” or “Rak Po.” This can be done in either
Hebrew or English.
 After giving the chanichim between 5-10 minutes of writing time, the
madrich/a should as several chanichim to present their verses and explain
them. Discuss why the chanichim wrote what they did, and why they decided
to add to “Rak BeYisrael”, as opposed to “Rak Po,” or vice versa.
 The madrich/a should engage the chanichim in a discussion about the two
songs. Suggested sicha questions:
1. Is it simply a matter that times have changed (“Rak BeYisrael” was written
decades before “Rak Po”) and people relate to Israel differently, or is there
a bigger significance to the difference between the two songs?
2. What are the pros and cons of using only “Rak BeYisrael” to teach about
Israel? What are the pros and cons of using only “Rak Po” to teach about
Israel?
-13-
3. Is there anything in “Rak BeYisrael” which rings true for you? (Is there a
difference in the responses of chanichim who have been to Israel before
and those who have not?)
4. Is there anything in “Rak Po” which does not ring true for you, or which
seems like an exaggeration? (Is there a difference in the responses of
chanichim who have been to Israel before and those who have not?)
5. Do you think that HaDag Nahash has a serious wider ideological point
they are trying to make, or that they are simply producing hip-hop music?
Do you support/oppose such an ideological point? Why?
 After studying all four of the songs on the music section of this unit, what are
the chanichim thinking about Israeli music?
 The madrich/a should refer to the list the group created at the beginning of
session 1, read it to the chanichim, and see if there is a need to
update/modify the list. This new list should be kept again until the end of the
unit of study.
-14-
Appendix III
Only in Israel
Lyrics: Ehud Manor
Music: Nurit Hirsch
‫רק בישראל‬
:‫אהוד מנור מילים‬
:‫נורית הירש לחן‬
‫כל העם במילואים‬
‫מתנדבים עושים חיים‬
‫הכרמל יורד לים‬
‫דיסקוטק נסגר מוקדם‬
All the nation does army reserve duty
Only in Israel
Volunteers have the time of their life
Only in Israel
Mount Carmel descends to the sea
The disco closes early
Only in Israel
The Kibbutz and the Moshav
Only in Israel
Yerushalayim shel Zahav
Only in Israel
Children in kindergarten
Everybody wants a favor
Only in Israel
‫הקיבוץ והמושב‬
‫ירושלים של זהב‬
‫ילדים בגן חובה‬
‫כל אחד רוצה טובה‬
The sweetest orange
Only in Israel
The Yarkon is always green
Only in Israel
A birthday for tress [Tu Bishvat]
And the Kinneret below the Golan
Only in Israel
‫התפוז הכי מתוק‬
‫הירקון תמיד ירוק‬
‫יום הולדת לאילן‬
‫וכינרת מול גולן‬
Every person is a mentsh
Only in Israel
You’ll get advice for free
Only in Israel
What a great level of morale
Everybody is a[n army] general
Only in Israel
‫כל אדם הוא בנאדם‬
‫תקבל עצות חינם‬
‫איזה יופי של מורל‬
‫כל אחד הוא ג'נרל‬
Paratroopers are paratroopers
Only in Israel
Pilots are pilots
Only in Israel
We won’t rest nor sleep
Volunteer for the navy!
Only in Israel
‫צנחנים הם צנחנים‬
‫טייסים הם טייסים‬
‫לא ננום ולא נישן‬
‫התנדב לחיל הים‬
-15-
Appendix IV
Only Here
HaDag Nahash
Music and Lyrics: Shaanan Streett and HaDag Nahash
I see Japanese people buying in the kiosk across from me
How much fun for people that here is abroad for them
On the face of things Israel is A-OK
In New York there are millions of people who don’t have what to
eat.
But I’ve got an itch to get away from this place
To disengage, to clean my head, to space out
At least for a bit, to hang out
And to finally put all the dilemmas of my country behind me
Because it’s only here that there is no meaning to “it’s not nice.”
It’s only here that political control is less important than the spoils
of power.
It’s only here that there are three prime ministers under
investigation, and not cooperating [with the investigators].
It’s only here that I feel I belong even though I am angry about the
corruption.
“And if you’re abroad and you hear about a terrorist attack?”
Then I suddenly start to miss this place.
Here I’m only left with local stuff to smoke up
But the coffee shop in Amsterdam is international
I look with satisfaction at the fade of my jeans
And wonder about a Blues bar in New Orleans
I think about the Riviera when I pass by Achziv [on the
Mediterranean coast]
I sail in South Tel Aviv like in Venice in the winter
Because it’s only here that you get paid “within 90 days.”
It’s only here that everybody wants to be sharks
It’s only here that when you walk past a place of business that you
relax when you see some hulk with a gun.
It’s only here that I feel I belong…
‫ רק פה‬-- ‫הדג נחש‬
:‫משה אסרףמילים‬, ‫שאנן סטריט‬, ‫שלומי אלון‬, ‫גיא מר‬, ‫יר בן עמיאמ‬, ‫יאיא‬
‫ודודוש קלמס‬
:‫ יאיא לחן‬,‫דודוש קלמס‬, ‫משה אסרף‬, ‫שלומי אלון‬, ‫ אמיר בן עמי‬,‫גיא מר‬
‫ושאנן סטריט‬
‫רואה יפנים קונים בקיוסק ממול‬
‫איזה כיף לאנשים שבשבילם פה זה חו"ל‬
‫על פניו ישראל בסדר בגדול‬
.‫בניו יורק יש מיליונים שאין להם מה לאכול‬
‫אבל מדגדג לי להתרחק‬
‫מהמקום הזה להתנתק להתנתקות להתעופף‬
‫לפחות לתקופה להתחפף‬
‫ולשים סופית מאחורי‬
.‫את הלבטים הנוגעים לארץ מגורי‬
.‫כי רק פה אין משמעות ללא נעים‬
.‫רק פה שלטון פחות חשוב ממנעמים‬
‫רק פה שלושה ראשי ממשלה נחקרים‬
.‫ולא משתפים פעולה‬
‫רק פה אני מרגיש שייכות‬
‫למרות שאני כועס על השחיתות‬
"?‫"ואם אתה בחו"ל נמצא ועל פיצוץ שומע‬
‫אז רק לפה פתאום אני‬
.‫מתגעגע‬
‫נשאר לי לעשן רק חומר מקומי‬
‫הקופי שופ באמסטרדם זה בינלאומי‬
‫מסתכל מבסוט על השפשוף שבג'ינס‬
‫מהרהר בבלוז בבר בניו אורלינס‬
‫חושב על הריוויירה כשאני עובר ליד אכזיב‬
‫מפליג כמו בוונציה בחורף‬
‫בדרום תל אביב‬
90 +‫כי רק פה יש שוטף‬
‫רק פה כולם רוצים להיות כרישים‬
‫רק פה כשאתה עובר ליד בית עסק‬
.‫אתה נרגע אם אתה רואה איזה רולה עם נשק‬
...‫רק פה אני מרגיש שייכות‬
Everything by me is a matter of habit.
Overall, it’s cool to hang in Israel.
Everything is a matter of what I feel like
To be part of the village or part of the world
Because it’s only here that everybody speaks Hebrew
And curses in Russian, English and Arabic.
It’s only here that people get into fistfights on line.
It’s only here that everybody is in the army, yet wants an
exemption.
‫הכל אצלי עניין של הרגל‬
.‫סך הכול סבבה להתגלגל בישראל‬
‫הכל אצלי עניין של מה בא לי‬
.‫חלק מהכפר או חלק מהגלובלי‬
‫כי רק פה כולם מדברים בעברית‬
.‫ אנגלית וערבית‬,‫ומקללים ברוסית‬
.‫רק פה אנשים הולכים מכות בתור‬
.‫רק פה כולם בצבא ורוצים פטור‬
...‫רק פה אני מרגיש שייכות‬
It’s only here that I feel I belong …
It’s only here that the good goes with the bad
It’s only here that everything seems familiar and feels like mine
It’s only here that I’m comfortable – that’s the bottom line.
So why should I run away to every place in the universe?
It’s only here that I feel I belong Even though I am angry about the
corruption.
“And if you’re abroad and you hear about a terrorist attack?”
It clicks where I come from and I go into shock.
-16-
.‫רק פה בחויבי ובשלילי‬
.‫רק פה הכל מוכר מרגיש שלי‬
‫רק פה לי נוח זה הסיכום‬
?‫אז למה לי לברוח לכל מקום ביקום‬
‫רק פה אני מרגיש שייכות‬
‫למרות שאני כועס על השחיתות‬
"?‫"ואם אתה בחו"ל נמצא ועל פיצוץ שומע‬
‫אני קולט מאיפה באתי‬
.‫ומזדעזע‬
Session 3 - Israeli photography-Alex Levac (45 minutes)
Tziyud Needed:
1. Alex Levac’s photographs (included in this unit and available at
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFA+Publications/Photo+exhibits/Our%20Cou
ntry%20-%20Photographs%20by%20Alex%20Levac
You should ensure that there is at least one photograph for each
chanich/a.
2. If you would like to do the sikkum activity, you will need large pieces of
paper (one for each chanich/a, plus a few spares) and many colored
pencils/markers, etc.
3. Many slips of paper (one per chanich/a per photograph) and one envelope
per photograph OR many Post-It notes (one per chanich/a per
photograph), as well as one pen per chanich/a, and sticky tape or Blu-Tac.
Procedure:
 The madrich/a should explain that the group will now be transitioning from
Israeli music to Israeli photography. As part of this unit, one prominent Israeli
photographer, Alex Levac, will be discussed. The following background
information will be helpful and give the chanichim a context for the rest of the
session:
Alex Levac is a native Israeli who was born 1944. He is a graduate of the Tel
Aviv University with a degree in psychology and philosophy. He also received
a degree in photography from the London College of Printing in 1971. Levac
has been involved in photographic projects in Brazil and London, as well as in
still photography for the film industry in Los Angeles. He became a staff
photographer for the daily newspaper Hadashot, and his pictures of the
Intifada evoked tremendous public interest. In 1993 he joined the staff of the
daily newspaper Ha'aretz. Levac has participated in a number of exhibitions,
among them "Amazon Indians,” held at the Anthropology Department of
University of California, Berkeley, the Ein Harod Israeli Biennale of
Photography; and at the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. In 1993 he received the
Rita Poretzky Award of Photography from the Tel Aviv Museum of Art.
(Source: www.bh.org.il)
 The photographs should be laid out in the center of the circle of chanichim.
Alternatively, the photographs could be hung on the wall of the room, with
large envelopes stuck next to each of them. Chanichim should walk around
the room and write comments on small pieces of paper, which should then be
placed inside the relevant envelopes (or on Post-It notes, which should then
be stuck on the wall, around the relevant photographs).
 Each chanich/a should select a photograph that s/he will present to the other
chanichim, by speaking about why the chosen photograph is meaningful to
him/her, and what s/he think it portrays, in a deep/serious way about Israeli
society and culture.
-17-
 The madrich/a should feel free to add/ask questions, after each chanich/a
presents his/her photograph. Suggested sicha questions have been included
below. Please note that each cluster of questions relates to (a) specific
photograph/s. For example, the photograph of the couple getting married on
the beach relates to the ninth cluster of questions. It is essential that the
madrich/a review both the photographs and the clusters of questions before
facilitating this session. Suggested sicha question (as they relate to specific
photographs) might include:
1. In which ways is Israel a Western country, and in which ways is Israel an
Eastern country? Which of these is the dominant identity of Israeli society
and culture? Why?
2. Does Israeli society combine the old and the new, the traditional and the
modern, in a functioning/non-functioning way? Why do you think this is?
Give some examples of this combination.
3. In 1948, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion granted 400 haredim deferral
from military service, so that they could learn in yeshivah full-time and
rebuild the Torah-learning world of Europe, which was nearly destroyed in
the Shoah. The number of such students currently receiving army service
deferrals has mushroomed to more than 55,000. In 1998, the High Court
of Justice ruled that this system of mass deferrals was illegal.
o Is military duty the only way to serve Israel, or does Torah learning
contribute to the protection of the State as well?
4. It has been said that the native Israeli is like a tzabar (prickly pear) –
prickly on the outside, and sweet on the inside. What is Israeli identity? Is
nationality something that is written in one’s passport, or is it something
more abstract? Can olim chadashim (new immigrants to Israel) embrace
two national identities at the same time? What are the positive and
negative aspects of “Israeliness,” of its society and culture? What are the
essential aspects of “Israeliness?” When does one become an Israeli?
Can one be an Israeli without serving in the army?
5. For those who have been to Israel before: Did the large number of guns
carried in public relax you/make you tense/sadden you/make you proud,
etc.? Why? How has the role of the Israel Defense Forces in the history of
the State of Israel affected Israeli society and culture? Is this a good or
bad thing? Why?
6. Is Jerusalem intrinsically “kadosh?” What does “kedushah” mean? How is
kedushah (and lack of kedushah) expressed in the streets of Jerusalem?
Is Jerusalem essentially different to every other city in Israel? Can one be
“just a resident” of Jerusalem? Can one “just live” there? Is Jerusalem just
as holy to Jews, and Christians and Moslems? Should/does one religious
grouping hold more rights in the city? Why (is this so)?
7. For those who have been to Israel before: Do you think Israeli youth have
more/less respect for the elderly than American youth? Why do you think
this?
8. Are Israeli youth today ideological members of society (in regard to
strongly held beliefs, volunteerism and engagement with wider society), or
-18-
are they part of the “me generation?” Who do you think is more ideological
– American Jewish youth or Israeli Jewish youth? Why?
9. Jews cannot marry in a Conservative (or Reform or Reconstructionist)
wedding ceremony conducted by a Conservative (or Reform or
Reconstructionist) rabbi in Israel, which will be recognized by the
(Orthodox) Chief Rabbinate of Israel. (Notwithstanding this, Conservative
and Reform and Reconstructionist weddings can, and do, take place in
Israel.) There is also no civil marriage in Israel. Do you think this is a good
or bad thing? Why? If you think this is a bad thing, what can you do to help
change the current situation?
NOTE: It is not intended for the madrich/a to deal in depth with all the issues
suggested above, nor is it intended that the madrich/a will even deal with all the
questions relating to a particular theme. The clusters of questions are intended to
serve as triggers for thought – both for the madrich/a, as well as, in part, for the
chanichim. The notion of “tafasta merubeh loh tafasta,” should be stressed – do not
overload the chanichim with too much information, nor too many issues.
 As a sikkum (summary) activity, you may like to have the chanichim draw
their own pictures of Israeli society and culture based on what they have seen
in these pictures and learned through the discussion.
-19-
Session 4 – Israeli Film (45 Minutes)
Tziyud Needed:
1. Copies of the three video clips (available on the “RILI CD” or from the
National Ramah Program Bank).
2. TV/Projector/Computer in order to screen the video clips.
Procedure:
Israeli photography to Israeli film. As part of this unit, three short films will be
screened and discussed. All film clips are taken from the Ma’ale Film School
website. Ma’ale is a religious film school, which was founded in 1989 and is
located next to downtown Jerusalem.
Film 1 - Amod Noach (Stand at Ease), by Ben Katz (15 minutes)
 After screening the film clip, the madrich/a should engage the chanichim in a
discussion about the film clip. It is advisable to elicit responses from tzevet
members – Americans who volunteered to serve in the IDF, Israelis who
refused to serve in the IDF, Israelis who served in Sherut Leumi, etc. The
following sicha questions can serve as a guide:
• Do you think the main character Percussion was right/wrong in
trying to get out of his mandatory Israel Defense Forces service?
Why?
• How should Israelis balance their commitment to the State of Israel
with their commitment to their own ambitions?
• Does being an Israeli Jewish young adult demand more sacrifice
than being an American Jewish young adult? Why/why not?
• Have you ever been torn between commitment to yourself and
commitment to others/your community? When? How did you
resolve the conflict? Were you happy with the resolution? Why/why
not?
• Do you think that haredim (ultra-Orthodox Jews) should be
exempted from serving in the army? Why/why not?
• How have conscription and the security situation in Israel affected
Israeli society? Has this effect been positive, negative or neutral?
• Is the brother of the main character Percussion right when he says,
“Don’t you think you look better like this? A man?” What does it
mean to be “a man” in Israeli society? Does serving in a combat
unit make one more of “a man?” Why/why not?
Film 2 - Newspapers and Flowers, by Micha Ben Shachar (15 minutes)
 After screening the film, the madrich/a should engage the chanichim in a
discussion about the film. The following suggested sicha questions can serve
as a guide:
• Why does the main female character Carmel pretend to be
secular/irreligious? Have you hidden your religious observance
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•
•
level/philosophies from other Jews before? When? Why did you do so?
Was it a wise/unwise decision? Why? (Have you ever hidden your Jewish
background from non-Jews? When? Why did you do so? Was it a
wise/unwise decision? Why?)
Have you ever judged somebody by what they were wearing/which
neighborhood/community they came from/which school/camp/synagogue
they attended? Why? What was good/bad about doing this?
This cluster of questions should only be included in a sicha with more
advanced chanichim: It is easy to point to the black and white of Judaism,
but what is the gray of Judaism that you see in your lives? What are the
advantages/disadvantages of a black and white Judaism? What are the
advantages/disadvantages of a gray Judaism? Which do you prefer?
Why? Which do you aspire to in the future? Why?
Film 3 - Eicha, by Eliezer (Layzie) Shapira (15 minutes)
 After screening the film, the madrich/a should engage the chanichim in a
discussion about the film. The following suggested sicha questions can serve
as a guide:
• The main character in the film is called Eicha. Her brother Sinai is
opposed to singing for her birthday on Erev Tisha B’Av (before the fast
commences). In response, Eicha calls him a “fanatic.” Have you ever had
to deal with a relative who is much more/less religiously observant than
you? What challenges did it present? How did you deal with these
challenges?
• What is Eicha’s problem with her name? Is she justified in wanting to
change it? Why/why not?
• Have you ever felt/do you feel pressure to continue to do the same
religious observance practices and hold to the same religious (or political)
philosophy as your parents/teachers/Rabbis/camp? How did you/do you
deal with this pressure? Is/Was this pressure implicit/explicit? Is/was it
justified? Why/why not?
• In the last part of the clip, Eicha goes to Misrad HaPenim (The Ministry of
the Interior) in order to change her name. Where should Eicha draw the
line between respect for her parents (kibbud av va’em) and respect for
herself? Should she change her name? Where do you draw the line
between respect for your parents and respect for yourself?
• You may like to acquire the full film and screen it as part of your Tisha
B’Av programming. Please speak to your Rosh Chinuch about this
possibility.
Sikkum
 Ask the chanichim to split off into pairs to discuss the three movies. Ask them
answer the following questions in writing:
1. Is there anything that makes these movies inherently Israeli?
2. Do you think that you respond differently to them because you are
Jewish?
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 Collect the answers to these questions, and let the chanichim know that these
will be discussed at the end of the unit of study.
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Session 5 – Israeli Literature (45 minutes)
Tziyud Needed:
1. Appendix V (background information for the madrich/a).
2. Packet of the two stories, double-sided, for each chanich/a (Appendix
VI).
3. If you would like to screen the Yom Hashoah siren video clip you will
need a television and DVD player or a computer (available on the
“RILI CD” or from the National Ramah Program Bank).
4. If you would like to do the sikkum activity, you will need pieces of paper
(several for each chanich/a) and pens/pencils (one for each chanich/a,
plus a few spares).
Procedure:
Israeli film to Israeli literature. As part of this unit, two short stories by Etgar
Keret will be read and discussed. It should be made clear that the aim of this
session is to be exposed to Israeli literature and not to analyze the stories in
great depth. So too, these stories might not, on the surface, teach us a great
deal about Israeli society, but nonetheless are indeed part of the canon of
modern Israeli literature.
 Etgar Keret is a young Israeli writer of short stories, graphic novels and
children’s books. Some of his works have also been made into films. For
more information it is recommended that you read a recent interview with
Keret, included in Appendix V. Pay particular attention to the following part of
the interview: “Keret says his own writing is not overtly political. His aim is to
confuse people, make them less certain about everyday life and bring them to
a more moral state of mind… ‘We live in a society where so many people are
so sure of what they are doing, that it's my moral duty to introduce confusion,
to put people off balance.’”
 “Siren” and “The Story About a Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God” are
attached in Appendix VI. Both come from Keret, E., The Bus Driver Who
Wanted to Be God & Other Stories, The Toby Press, London, 2004.
Text I – Siren
 You may like to start the sicha by screening a video clip of the Yom HaShoah
siren in Israel (available on the “RILI CD” or from the National Ramah
Program Bank). The chanichim should be broken up into small groups (3 or
4 chanichim per group) and read the first story, “Siren,” out-loud together.
 After reading the story, the madrich/a should engage the chanichim in a
discussion about the story. The following suggested sicha questions can
serve as a guide:
• What can we learn about Israeli youth’s experience of Yom HaShoah
and Yom HaZikaron from this story? Do you think Israelis relate
differently to these two days? How so? Is there a difference between
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•
•
•
•
•
how an American Jew and how an Israeli Jew relate to each of these
days? What is it? What accounts for this difference?
[Optional question: How do Israeli youth relate to the Shoah? Is it
different/similar to how American Jewish youth relate to the Shoah?
What is the difference? What accounts for this difference?]
At the end of the story, Mikey and Ron are about to attack Eli, but the
siren sounds, allowing Eli to escape. Do you think Eli did the right
thing, when almost everybody else in the country (except many Arabs
and Haredim) stands during the siren? Why/why not?
What is the point of the siren on Yom HaShoah and Yom HaZikaron?
Is it a useful and meaningful ritual? Why/why not? (Is there a danger
that it will take on a meaning of its own, divorced from the events that it
is actually trying to help us remember?)
Do we stand to attention (whether for the siren in Israel, or for a
moment’s silence in the Diaspora) because we choose to do so, or
because society expects this from us? If the latter is true, does this
present a problem? Why/why not?
Is there a point to the story? What is the main point of the story? Do
you agree with it? Why/why not?
Text II – The Story About a Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God
 The chanichim should be broken up into small groups (3 or 4 chanichim per
group) and read out-loud together.
 After reading the story, the madrich/a should engage the chanichim in a
discussion about the story. The following suggested sicha questions can
serve as a guide:
• (Trying to distance yourself from partaking in lashon hara…) Do you
know anybody in your life that has such a seemingly pointless ideology
as the bus driver? Who? What is his/her ideology? How do you relate
to him/her? Why?
• Except that when it came to choosing between smiles and thanks, on
the one hand, and the good of society, on the other, this driver knew
what it had to be. Have you ever been in a similar position to the bus
driver? Which did you choose – smiles and thanks or the good of
society? Why?
• What is the essential difference between Eddie and the bus driver?
Which character acts more absurdly? Why do you think this? With
which character do you identify more? Why?
• What would you be willing to do for the pursuit of happiness (according
to your own definition of “happiness”)? (Which lines would you be
willing to cross? What would you be willing to risk? What sort of
limitations would you be willing to overcome?)
• How do Eddie and the bus driver change over the course of the story?
Which change is more significant? Why do you think this?
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•
•
If you were God what would you do in the world? Does God do this
now? Why/why not? What is the essence of “Godliness”? Is there
“Godliness” in this world? Where?
Is there a point to the story? What is the main point of the story? Do
you agree with it? Why/why not?
Sikkum:
 As a sikkum activity, you may like to have the chanichim write their own short
stories/poems about Israeli society and culture. You could publish the best
pickings in the camp iton.
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Appendix V
“Writer plots pathways into puzzle of Israeli life”
By Jason Koutsoukis
Sydney Morning Herald
September 15, 2009 - 12:23AM
ETGAR KERET, the Israeli writer and filmmaker, tells a story to illustrate his sense of the paradox
in his country's heart. "It's about my dentist," Keret begins, over breakfast at a cafe on Dizengoff
Street, a leafy avenue in central Tel Aviv.
"For 340 days of the year he is a tofu-eating vegetarian who drives a hybrid car and takes care of
people's teeth. The other 25 days of the year, he kills people.” Keret's dentist is a sniper in the
Israeli army, and, like most Israeli men, he is called up once a year for active reserve duty. "He has
six confirmed kills to his name," says Keret. "He hates it, but this is such an Israeli thing. To be
caught between the perfect left-wing, secular lifestyle on one side, and our very aggressive,
militaristic culture on the other."
Keret points to the patrons sitting around us. "It's not so peculiar here that people know someone
who has been killed violently, or who have killed someone themselves. Yet we have one of the best
operas in the world and 30 per cent of Israelis are art-loving theatre goers. This is a schizophrenic
country."
Israel, Keret claims, has the same logic as a reality show, with people from different backgrounds
and nationalities jammed together in a tiny slice of territory in a situation of extreme danger with
everything to gain and everything to lose. "It's a difficult place to live," admits Keret, smiling broadly,
"but such a great place to write about."
Amos Oz has over the years become Israel's literary eminence grise; Keret, 42, is its bete noir and
its top short-story writer. High-school students read his latest works voluntarily, and chat about
them behind the teachers' back.
The author of The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God and Other Stories, The Nimrod Flipout and
The Girl on the Fridge, Keret's books have been published in 26 languages. His short story
Kneller's Happy Chanich/as, set in an afterlife way-station reserved for people who have committed
suicide, was turned into the 2006 film Wristcutters: A Love Story, starring Tom Waits. Keret made
his directorial debut in 2007 with the film Jellyfish, co-directed with his wife, Shira Geffen, who
wrote the screenplay. Last year they won the Cannes Film Festival's prestigious Camera d'Or for
best first feature film. His latest on-screen project is $9.99, a claymation feature film made in
Australia and set in Tel Aviv. Starring the voices of Geoffrey Rush, Anthony LaPaglia and Claudia
Karvan, $9.99 is based on several of Keret's Kafkaesque, magic realist parables. The film is set to
open in cinemas this week.
Keret says his own writing is not overtly political. His aim is to confuse people, make them less
certain about everyday life and bring them to a more moral state of mind. His fiction, he says, has a
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Socratic voice, a jabbing hyperrealism. "We live in a society where so many people are so sure of
what they are doing, that it's my moral duty to introduce confusion, to put people off balance."
Keret says his nationality makes for some interesting experiences when he travels abroad.
When Keret presented Jellyfish at Yale University, six Jews in the audience walked out halfway
through the screening, screaming that he was an anti-Zionist, self-hating Israeli. Their gripe was a
scene in the film that showed a couple that kept having to change from one sleazy Tel Aviv hotel to
another. "They thought I was presenting Israel as a shitty country with shitty hotels so no tourists
would come here and yelled out that it was no wonder I got French financing for the film because
the French hate Jews."
The reverse was true in Italy, where the film was strongly criticized for being anti-Palestinian
because it portrayed a Palestinian director who did a bad job of directing a Shakespeare play.
"This happens everywhere that people meet Israelis. They introduce simplistic political baggage
and all they want to know is whose side you are on, what colors you are wearing. They don't want
to know who you are."
Still, being Israeli has its advantages. Were he Belgian, Swiss, or Australian, says Keret, people
might not be so interested in his writing. Keret is the youngest of three children born to Polish
Holocaust survivors. Good at mathematics and physics, he was selected for the Israel Defense
Forces' elite academic reserve and was on track to study engineering at the University of Haifa. "It
would have meant that I became an officer, and I decided that I didn't want that."
Describing himself as a very poor soldier, Keret was kicked around among units before ending up
in the basement of an atomic shelter making sure the computers didn't malfunction. Working 48hour shifts, Keret discovered Kafka, and started to write to keep himself sane.
Keret's big break came in 1992 when one of his professors became an editor at a large Israeli
publishing house and published his first collection of short stories. His second volume of stories,
published several years later, became an Israeli bestseller. Translated first into French, then Italian,
Keret soon gained a following in Europe.
Published in Australia by Pan Macmillan, Keret says his appearance at the 2003 Adelaide Writers'
Festival helped him make real inroads to the English-speaking world. "Chatto & Windus found me
there and they took me to the UK, and published me there. Then Farrar Strauss published me in
the United States and I found real success. So basically, it's all thanks to Australia that I am a
success in the English-speaking world."
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Appendix VI
Siren
By: Etgar Keret
Source: Toby Press
Translator: Anthony Berris
On Holocaust Remembrance Day there was an assembly in the auditorium. A makeshift stage had
been put up, and on the wall behind it they had stuck up sheets of black cartridge paper with the
names of concentration camps and pictures of barbed-wire fences. As people filed in, Shelley
asked me to keep her a seat, so I grabbed two. She sat down next to me and it was a little
crowded on the bench. I put my elbow on my knee and the back of my hand brushed against her
jeans. They were thin and nice to touch, and I felt as if I’d touched her body.
“Where’s Mikey?” I asked. “I haven’t seen him today.” My voice was a little shaky.
“He’s doing the naval commando tests,” Shelley replied proudly. “He’s already passed
almost all the stages, he just has one more interview to do.”
At the other side of the hall I saw Ron coming towards us down the aisle. Shelley went on.
“Did you hear that he’s going to get the Outstanding Student Award at the graduation party? The
principal has already announced it.”
“Shelley,” called Ron, who came up to us, “what are you doing here? These benches aren’t
comfortable. Come on, I saved you a seat at the back.”
“OK,” Shelley said, give me an apologetic smile and getting up. “It’s really crowded here.”
She went to sit with Ron at the back. Ron was Mikey’s best friend, they played together on
the school basketball team. I looked at the stage and took a deep breath. My hand was still
sweating. Some of the ninth graders got up on to the stage and ceremony began.
When all of the students had finished rattling off the usual texts, an old-looking man in a
maroon sweater came onto the stage and told us about Auschwitz. He was the father of one of the
kids. He didn’t speak long, just fifteen minutes or so. Afterwards we went back to class. As we
went out I saw Sholem, our janitor, sitting on the step by the nurse’s room, crying.
“Hey, Sholem, what’s wrong?” I asked.
“That man in the hall,” he said, “I know him, I was in the Sonderkommando too.”
“You were in the commandos? When?” I asked. I couldn’t picture our skinny old Sholem
in any kind of commando unit, but you never know.
Sholem wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and stood up. “Never mind,” he said.
“Go, go back to class. It doesn’t matter.”
I went down to the shopping center in the afternoon. At the falafel stall I met Benny and
Josh. “Guess what,” Josh said, with his mouth full of falafel, “Mikey passed the interview today,
then he’ll have one little orientation course and he’s in the naval commandos. You know what it
means? They handpicked…”
Benny began swearing. His pita split open and all the tahina and the juices from the salad
were dripping over his hands. “We just saw him on the basketball court. Ron and him were
celebrating, with beer and everything.”
Josh giggled and choked, and bits of tomato and pita went flying out of his mouth. “You
should have seen them joyriding on Sholem’s bike, like little kids. Mikey was so stoked at passing
the interview. My brother said the interview is where they eliminate most candidates.”
I walked over to the school but there was no one there. Sholem’s bike, which was always
chained to the railing by the nurse’s office, was gone. On the steps there was a chain and a
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padlock. When I got to school the next morning the bike still wasn’t there. I waited for everyone to
go into class and then I went to tell the principal. He told me I’d done the right thing and that no
one would know about our talk, and he asked the secretary to give me a late pass. Nothing
happened that day or the day after, but on Thursday the principal came into our classroom with a
cop in uniform and asked Mikey and Ron to step outside.
The police didn’t do anything to them, just cautioned them. They couldn’t give back the
bike because they’d dumped it somewhere, but Mikey’s father came to school specially and
brought Sholem a new mountain bike. At first, Sholem didn’t want to accept it. “Walking is
healthier,” he said to Mikey’s dad. But Mikey’s dad insisted, and in the end Sholem took the bike.
It was funny seeing Sholem riding a mountain bike, and I knew the principal was right and I’d done
the right thing. No one suspected that I’d told on them, at least that’s what I thought at the time.
The next two days went by as usual, but when I came to school on Monday, Shelley was waiting
for me in the yard. “Listen, Eli,” she said, “Mikey found out you were the one that snitched about
the bike; you’ve got to get out of here before him and Rom get hold of you.”
I tried to hide my fear; I didn’t want Shelley to see I was scared.
“Quick, beat it,” she said.
I started to walk away.
“No, not through there,” she said, pulling my arm. The touch her hand was cool and
pleasant. “They’ll be coming through the gate, so you’d better go through the hole in the fence
behind the sheds.”
Even more than I was scared, I was glad that Shelley was that worried for me.
Mikey was waiting for me behind the sheds. “Don’t even think about it,” he said, “you
haven’t got a chance.”
I turned around. Ron was standing behind me.
“I always knew you were a worm,” said Mikey, “but I never thought you were a rat.”
“Why did you squeal on us, you piece of shit?” Ron said, and gave me a strong shove. I
stumbled into Mikey and he pushed me away.
“I’ll tell you why he squealed,” Mikey said. “Because our Eli is as jealous as hell. He looks
at me and sees I’m a better student than him, a better athlete, and I’ve got a girlfriend who’s the
prettiest girl in the school, while he’s still a poor virgin, and it eats him up.”
Mikey took off his leather jacket and handed it to Ron. “OK, Eli, you did it, you screwed
me,” he said, unfastening the strap of his diver’s watch and putting it in his pocket. “My dad thinks
I’m a thief, the police almost charged me. I won’t get the Outstanding Student Award. Are you
happy now?”
I wanted to tell him it wasn’t that, it was because of Sholem who was also in a commando
unit, because he cried like a baby on Holocaust Day. Instead I said, “You shouldn’t have stolen his
bike, it didn’t make sense. You have no honor.” My voice shook as I spoke.
“You hear that, Ron, this whining rat is telling us about honor. Honor is not snitching on
your friends, you shit,” he said, balling his fist. “Now Ron and me are going to teach you all about
honor, the hard way.”
I wanted to get away from there, to run, to raise my hands and protect my face, but the fear
paralyzed me. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, there came the wail of the memorial siren. I’d
completely forgotten that it was Remembrance Day for the fallen soldiers. Mikey and Ron came to
attention. I looked at them standing there like shop-window mannequins and suddenly I wasn’t
afraid anymore. Ron, standing rigidly to attention, eyes closed, holding Mikey’s jacket, looked like
an oversized coat hanger. And Mikey, with his murderous look and clenched fists, suddenly looked
like a little boy imitating a pose he’d seen in an action movie. I walked to the hole in the fence and
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passed through it, slowly and quietly, while behind me I heard Mikey hiss, “We’re still going to fuck
you,” but he didn’t budget. I walked on home through the streets with all the frozen people looking
like wax dummies. The sound of the siren protected me with an invisible shield.
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The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God
By: Etgar Keret
Source: Toby Press
Translated by Miriam Schlesinger
This is the story about a bus driver who would never open the door of the bus for people who were
late. Not for anyone. Not for repressed high-school kids who’d run alongside the bus and stare at it
longingly, and certainly not for high-strung people in windbreakers who’d bang on the door as if
they were actually on time and it was the driver who was out of line, and not even for little old ladies
with brown paper bags full of groceries who struggled to flag him down with trembling hands. And it
wasn’t because he was mean that he didn’t open the door, because this driver didn’t have a mean
bone in his body; it was a matter of ideology. The driver’s ideology said that if, say, the delay that
was caused by opening the door for someone who came late was just under thirty seconds, and if
not opening the door meant that this person would wind up losing fifteen minutes of his life, it would
still be more fair to society to not open the door, because the thirty seconds would be lost by every
single passenger on the bus. And if there were, say, sixty people on the bus who hadn’t done
anything wrong, and had all arrived at the bus stop on time, then together they’d be losing half an
hour, which is double fifteen minutes. This was the only reason why he’d never open the door. He
knew that the passengers hadn’t the slightest idea what his reason was, and that the people
running after the bus and signaling him to stop had no idea either. He also knew that most of them
thought he was just an SOB, and that personally it would have been much much easier for him to
let them on, and receive their smiles and thanks. Except that when it came to choosing between
smiles and thanks, on the one hand, and the good of society on the other, this driver knew what it
had to be.
The person who should have suffered the most from the driver’s ideology was named Eddie, but
unlike the other people in this story, he wouldn’t even try to run for the bus; that’s how lazy and
wasted he was. Now, Eddie was assistant cook at a restaurant called the Steakaway, which was
the best pun that the stupid owner of the place could come up with. The food there was nothing to
write home about, but Eddie himself was a really nice guy—so nice that sometimes, when
something he made didn’t come out too great, he’d serve it to the table himself and apologize. It
was during one of these apologies that he met Happiness, or at least a shot at Happiness, in the
form of a girl who was so sweet that she tried to finish the entire portion of roast beef that he
brought her, just so he wouldn’t feel bad. And this girl didn’t want to tell him her name or give him
her phone number, but she was sweet enough to agree to meet him the next day at five at a spot
they decided on together—at the Dolphinarium, to be exact.
Now Eddie had this condition—one that had already caused him to miss out on all sorts of things in
life. It wasn’t one of those conditions where your adenoids get all swollen or anything like that, but
still, it had already caused him a lot of damage. This sickness always made him oversleep by ten
minutes, and no alarm clock did any good. That was why he was invariably late for work at the
Steakaway—that and our bus driver, the one who always chose the good of society over positive
reinforcements on the individual level. Except that this time, since Happiness was at stake, Eddie
decided to beat the condition, and instead of taking an afternoon nap he stayed awake and
watched television. Just to be on the safe side, he even lined up not one but three alarm clocks and
ordered a wake-up call to boot. But this sickness was incurable, and Eddie fell asleep like a baby,
watching the kiddie channel. He woke up in a sweat to the screeching of a trillion million alarm
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clocks—ten minutes too late —rushed out of the house without stopping to change, and ran toward
the bus stop. He barely remembered how to run anymore, and his feet fumbled a bit every time
they left the sidewalk. The last time he ran was before he discovered that he could cut gym class,
which was about in the sixth grade, except that unlike in those gym classes, this time he ran like
crazy, because now he had something to lose, and all the pains in his chest and his Lucky Strike
wheezing weren’t going to get in the way of his pursuit of Happiness. Nothing was going to get in
his way except our bus driver, who had just closed the door and was beginning to pull away. The
driver saw Eddie in the rear-view mirror, but as we’ve already explained, he had an ideology—a
well-reasoned ideology that, more than anything, relied on a love of justice and on simple
arithmetic. Except that Eddie didn’t care about the driver’s arithmetic. For the first time in his life, he
really wanted to get somewhere on time. And that’s why he went right on chasing the bus, even
though he didn’t have a chance.
Suddenly, Eddie’s luck turned, but only halfway: one hundred yards past the bus stop there was a
traffic light. And, just a second before the bus reached it, the traffic light turned red. Eddie managed
to catch up with the bus and drag himself all the way to the driver’s door. He didn’t even bang on
the glass, he was so weak. He just looked at the driver with moist eyes and fell to his knees,
panting and wheezing. And this reminded the driver of something—something from out of the past,
from a time even before he wanted to become a bus driver, when he still wanted to become God. It
was kind of a sad memory because the driver didn’t become God in the end, but it was a happy
one too, because he became a bus driver, which was his second choice. And suddenly the driver
remembered how he’d once promised himself that if he became God in the end, He’d be merciful
and kind and would listen to all His creatures. So when he saw Eddie from way up in his driver’s
seat, kneeling on the asphalt, he simply couldn’t go through with it, and in spite of all his ideology
and his simple arithmetic he opened the door, and Eddie got on—and didn’t even say thank you,
he was so out of breath.
The best thing would be to stop reading here, because even though Eddie did get to the
Dolphinarium on time, Happiness couldn’t come, because Happiness already had a boyfriend. It’s
just that she was so sweet that she couldn’t bring herself to tell Eddie, so she preferred to stand
him up. Eddie waited for her, on the bench they’d agreed on, for almost two hours. While he sat
there he kept thinking all sorts of depressing thoughts about life, and while he was at it he watched
the sunset, which was a pretty good one, and thought about how charley-horsed he was going to
be later on. On his way back, when he was really desperate to get home, he saw his bus in the
distance, pulling in at the bus stop and letting off passengers, and he knew that even if he’d had
the strength to run, he’d never catch up with it anyway. So he just kept on walking slowly, feeling
about a million tired muscles with every step, and when he finally reached the bus stop, he saw
that the bus was still there, waiting for him. And even though the passengers were shouting and
grumbling to get a move on, the driver waited for Eddie, and he didn’t touch the accelerator till
Eddie was seated. And when they started moving, he looked in the rearview mirror and gave Eddie
a sad wink, which somehow made the whole thing almost bearable.
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Session 6– Sikkum (45 minutes)
Tziyud Needed:
1. One copy/chanich/a of the fake newspaper article (Appendix VII)
Note:
The main point of this sikkum session is to examine the place of Hebrew in Israeli
culture.
Procedure:
 The madrich/a should distribute the fake article (Appendix VII) to the
chanichim, and read it together with them. Please note: the purpose of this
fictional article is simply to elicit discussion with the chanichim. In order to
make the discussion more authentic, do not tell the chanichim that this is a
fictional news piece until towards the end of the session.
 The madrich/a should elicit general responses from the chanichim, and then
move on to a more formal sicha.
 Suggested sicha questions might include:
• Would you support passage of the bill? Why/why not?
• How does language shape society and culture?
• How would America be different if English was not its (quasi-) official
language? (Important Note: German was allowed to be used in many
Pennsylvanian schools as the primary language of instruction until 1950.)
(How) Would this affect what it meant to be an American there at that
time? Why/why not?
• Is it essential that Israeli culture be created in Hebrew? Can olim
chadashim (new immigrants to Israel), or even tzabarim (Israeli-born
Israelis), create Israeli culture in their native language/not in Hebrew (e.g.
Russian, Amharic, English, etc.)? Why/why not?
o Several songs of Israeli radio station Galgalatz’s 5769 “Mitzad
HaShanah” (Top 40) were not in Hebrew.
• Was it essential to the building of the State of Israel that Hebrew “be
revived” and become the national language of Israel? Why/why not? Could
the new State of Israel have used a different language (e.g. German,
French or English) as the national language? Why/why not?
• Arabic is also an official language of the State of Israel. Are the cultural
works created by an Israeli Arab (Muslim or Christian) part of Israeli
culture? Why/why not?
• To those who read the song lyrics in English and read the movie subtitles,
and to all of us who read the short stories in English, did you/we miss out
on something? If so, what? Is it just a matter of it always being better to
read a text in its original language, or is something more (mystical?)
missed when we read Hebrew texts in translation? Is there a difference
between reading modern Hebrew texts in translation and classical Jewish
texts in translation? If so, what?
-33-
•
To those who read the song lyrics in Hebrew and did not make use of the
movie subtitles, do you think you gained something that the other
chanichim did not? If so, what did you gain?
-34-
Appendix VII
By Micah David Hersh
Sacramento Morning Herald
June 15, 2009
SACRAMENTO -- California State Senator Daren Goldberg (D-Sacramento) proposed yesterday
new legislation that would establish Spanish as the second official language of California. This
comes on the heels of heated national debate on immigration reform, at a time when the country is
struggling both to protect the civil rights of minorities, as well as its national borders. The bill
triggered intense opposition from Republican circles, many of whose representatives claim that
passage of the bill would damage the essence of American culture and society.
-35-
Ideas for Dvar Torah on Israeli Culture
1)
Mishna Megilla 2:1
‫א‬:‫משנה מגילה ב‬
One who reads the megilla out of order does
not fulfill his obligation.
‫מתני' הקורא את המגילה למפרע לא יצא‬
If he reads it from memory or translates it
simultaneously to another language, he also
does not fulfill his obligation.
‫קראה על פה קראה תרגום בכל לשון לא‬
‫יצא‬
But, the megilla can be read to non-Hebrew
speakers in their own language [as long as it
is written on a klaf/parchment in that
language, like a “regular” megilla]. A nonHebrew speaker who heard the megilla in
Ashurit [Hebrew] has fulfilled his obligation.
‫אבל קורין אותה ללועזות בלעז והלועז‬
‫ששמע אשורית יצא‬
 Sicha questions might include:
• How can it be that one fulfils the mitzvah of hearing the megilla in Hebrew,
even if he does not understand it?
• Does Hebrew have some mystical quality that no other language does?
• Does it make a difference whether the Hebrew is being used for secular
(i.e. irreligious) or religious ritual purposes?
2) Please note that the English translation of the mishnayot below includes
explanatory notes about each mitzvah. However, it is not essential to explain
all of these to the chanichim (and in fact doing so may simply confuse them).
The main message of the mishnayot is that those mitzvot which relate to the
individual can be recited in any language, and those that relate to the entire
nation must be recited in Hebrew.
-36-
Mishna Sotah 7:1-2
‫א ב‬:‫משנה סוטה פרק ז‬
The following can be said in any language: the
passage of the accused wife, the declaration of
tithing, the recitation of the Shema, the Amidah
and Birkat HaMazon, swearing an oath before
giving court testimony, and swearing an oath
when determining ownership over a disputed
item.
And the following must be said in the Holy
Tongue [Hebrew]: the declaration that is said
when bringing the first fruits of one’s produce to
the Temple, Chalitzah, the blessings and
curses, the Priestly Blessing, the blessing of
the High Priest, the Hakhel ceremony, the
Eglah Arufah passage, and the “Appointed War
Officer” during the time when he speaks to the
nation
Mishna Sotah 7:1-2
(with explanatory notes)
The following can be said in any language: the
passage of the accused wife [accused of
committing adultery], the declaration of tithing
[agricultural produce], the recitation of the Shema,
the Amidah, and Birkat HaMazon, swearing an
oath before giving court testimony, and swearing
an oath when determining ownership over a
disputed item.
And the following must be said in the Holy Tongue
[Hebrew]: the declaration that is said when
bringing the first fruits of one’s produce to the
Temple, Chalitzah [a ceremony during which the
brother of a childless deceased man, releases
himself (and/or his brother’s widow) from the
mitzvah of yibbum, which calls on him to marry
her, in order to perpetuate his name amongst the
Israelite nation], the blessings and curses [which
will befall the Israelite nation if they obey/break
God’s laws, which were read immediately prior to
the Israelites’ entry into the Land of Israel], the
Priestly Blessing, the blessing of the High Priest,
the Hakhel ceremony [during which the king reads
Biblical passages to the people during Chag
Sukkot, during the year following a Sabbatical year
– Shnat Shemitah, a year during which the Land of
Israel is left uncultivated], the Eglah Arufah
passage [which the elders of the community would
declare when seeing a dead body on the outskirts
of their city], and the “Appointed War Officer,”
during the time when he speaks to the nation
[about those who are exempted from going to
war].
-37-
‫ ודוי‬,‫ פרשת סוטה‬,‫אלו נאמרין בכל לשון‬
‫ וברכת‬,‫ ותפלה‬,‫ קריאת שמע‬,‫מעשר‬
:‫ ושבועת הפקדון‬, ‫ ושבועת העדות‬,‫המזון‬
‫ מקרא‬,‫ואלו נאמרין בלשון הקדש‬
‫ ברכת‬, ‫ ברכות וקללות‬,‫ וחליצה‬,‫בכורים‬
,‫ ופרשת המלך‬,‫ וברכת כהן גדול‬,‫כהנים‬
‫ ומשוח מלחמה‬,‫ופרשת עגלה ערופה‬
: ‫בשעה שהוא מדבר אל העם‬
‫א ב‬:‫משנה סוטה פרק ז‬
‫ ודוי‬,‫ פרשת סוטה‬,‫אלו נאמרין בכל לשון‬
‫ וברכת‬,‫ ותפלה‬,‫ קריאת שמע‬,‫מעשר‬
‫ ושבועת‬, ‫ ושבועת העדות‬,‫המזון‬
:‫הפקדון‬
‫ מקרא‬,‫ואלו נאמרין בלשון הקדש‬
‫ ברכת‬, ‫ ברכות וקללות‬,‫ וחליצה‬,‫בכורים‬
,‫ ופרשת המלך‬,‫ וברכת כהן גדול‬,‫כהנים‬
‫ ומשוח מלחמה‬,‫ופרשת עגלה ערופה‬
: ‫בשעה שהוא מדבר אל העם‬
•
How do these mishnayot relate to our earlier questions?
•
Stress again that the main message of the mishnayot is that those
mitzvot that relate to the individual can be recited in any language,
and those that relate to the entire nation must be recited in Hebrew.
•
According to the mishnayot the individualistic arena of our lives
(symbolized here by the mitzvot outlined in the first mishnah) can function
and thrive in any language.
•
On the other hand, the communalistic arena of our lives (symbolized here
by the mitzvot outlined in the second mishnah) can and must function and
thrive only in Hebrew.
•
In other words, one language (in this case, Hebrew) is essential for
building and maintaining a kehilah/society/nation/religious collective. Do
you agree with the mishnayot? Why/why not?
•
Those of you who have been to Israel before would have noticed that one
can get by (especially in Jerusalem) using English. Is this a good/bad
thing? Why? Does it harm the Israeli collective, or does it enhance it by
allowing for a greater level of individuality to thrive, which is something
which most of us might take for granted living in liberal democratic states?
‫אוצר מילים‬
-38-
Hebrew Vocabulary List
Song
Singer
Lyrics
Music (of a song)
Arrangement
Poetry
Film/Movie
Director
Actor
Producer
Character
Protagonist (Hero)
Picture/Photo
Photographer
Literature
Book
Author
Play (script)
Play (performance)
Performance
Culture and society
‫שיר‬
‫זמר‬
‫מילים‬
‫לחן‬
‫ביצוע‬
‫שירה‬
‫סרט‬
‫במאי‬
‫שחקן‬
‫מפיק‬
‫דמות‬
‫גיבור‬
‫צלם‬
‫תמונה‬
‫ספרות‬
‫סיפור‬
‫סופר‬
‫הצגה‬
‫הופעה‬
‫מופע‬
‫תרבות וחברה‬
-39-
Extension Activities
While not all of these will be possible in each camp setting, these are suggested
extension activities based upon the learning that took place in this unit.
1. It would be worthwhile to hold an Israeli music festival (in addition to the
Zimriyah), which could include engaging a visiting Israeli band or a local band,
that
2. can sing Israeli songs. Musician-chanich/as can be invited to play as the
support (warm-up) acts.
3. If possible, it would be worthwhile to organize a photography exhibition of
Israeli photos (in addition to those shown during the session).
• The opening night could be a “mocktail” (non-alcoholic cocktail)
party for the older chanichim, together with staff.
• If the sikkum activity at the end of the photography session was
conducted, some of the better pictures of the chanichim can be
displayed. You may even like to award prizes to the best pictures.
4. It would be worthwhile to hold an Israeli film night, during which an entire
feature-length film would be screened. For details of new Israeli films, access
http://israelifilms.co.il/ or http://www.filmfund.org.il/page.aspx?section=647.
The night could include issuing tickets in Hebrew (with assigned seating),
madrichim serving as ushers, a candy bar (with Israeli products) and an
intermission, all to make the evening feel like an authentic Israeli cinema
experience.
5. If an Israeli author happens to be visiting a camp’s region during the summer,
s/he could be invited to talk/do a writing workshop with older chanichim, as
well as madrichim.
-40-

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