Photos and Fun

"Being Jewish is important to me."

"I'm excited to become bar/bat mitzvah."

"I know at least a little about Israel."

"Chocolate is the best ice cream flavor."

These are just a few statements 7th graders in my new Israel & Art class had to agree or disagree with this week in a game I like call... "Agree or Disagree!" (I can only be so creative...) The game helped us get to know each other a little more and got us thinking a little about how Israel relates to our Jewish identities.

Then we examined a few photos from different places in Israel- from the beach to the desert to the city and everything in between! The 7th graders chose the photos that they liked the most and the photos that seemed to represent Israel the most. Hearing their reasoning was so interesting!

Bystanders and Upstanders

Today in class we read the book "Terrible Things; An Allegory of the Holocaust".  The story talks about the different creatures in the forest who live together in harmony.  One day, the "terrible things" appear and take one group of creatures away.  And so it goes.  The animals live in peace and harmony until the "terrible things" appear again and again until there are no animals left in the forest, except for one small rabbit who decides to find other groups of animals and tell them about the "terrible things". 
We talked about the role of the bystander.  Why did the animals sit and watch other groups of animals being taken away and not do anything about it?  Students' responses were thoughtful and meaningful.  They realized that just one voice can make someone sit up and listen.  They understood that if just one person becomes an "upstander" and makes other people see injustices happening then their voice can potentially change the outcome. 

Social Justice in Israel mini-course class assignment

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Hi Families!

Here is the information I gave the students in my Israel mini-course regarding their projects.  Feel free to contact me with any questions!

It has been a pleasure working with this new group of students, in addition to my other classes!

Samantha

Social Justice and Israel Mini-Course

Samantha’s Class

Final Project Guidelines

1.     With your group, choose an “issue” that is facing Israel today, from the list you created.  It should be a social justice issue.  Some examples are:

a.     Poverty

b.     Racism

c.      Anti-Semitism

d.     Israel and Palestinian issues

e.     Lone soldiers (Israeli army soldiers from other countries who have no family in Israel)

f.      Israel’s security

g.     Education

h.     Choose your own

2.     Research your subject on the Good People Fund website (and other websites approved by Samantha).  I will provide laptops for each group to use.

3.     Create a list of project ideas that your group can complete by the end of the mini-session.  Think about the things your group is good at (art, technology, video, music), and think about your audience (the rest of the 6^th and 7^th grade Gesher l’Noar students, TBS Temple community.)

a.     Tell Samantha what your project will be.  Here are some examples:

                                               i.     Posters

                                              ii.     Powerpoint presentations

                                            iii.     Recording music, a song or a rap

                                            iv.     Skit

                                              v.     Making a video

                                            vi.     Cartoon/comic strip

                                           vii.     Create your own project

4.     Design and make the project.  Check in with Samantha for help with planning, materials you might need (computer, recorder, posterboard, markers, etc.)

Project due date is in class Tuesday, January 29!

Important Note!

I would like to share your projects with Lauren, and the rest of the 6^th/7^th grade Gesher l’Noar students, and the TBS Temple community!  Please take your time with them and make them great!  Your work is important and it would be GREAT to be able to share all of the groups’ projects with the rest of our TBS community!  I will also be emailing this sheet to Lauren and your families, so they know what we are working on.

Teen Summer Programs Guide!

Samantha's Holocaust and Human Behavior Learns through Games

Learning through games and seeing how things feel

Dear Families,

We had a wonderful lesson in my Holocaust and Human Behavior class yesterday.  We started off with a discussion about inclusion and exclusion, to frame the games we were about to play to demonstrate these ideas.  The students have obviously learned a lot in other classes in school and at TBS about bullying, exclusion, and inclusion, yet in our H and HB class we wanted to show them what it actually felt like to be in these different situations.

We played 3 games, all of which some people were excluded and left out of the circle.  They didn't know the secret, or who was in charge, or who the leaders were who were running the games.

We then had two small group discussions about how it felt in each game to be a part of the circle, or to be the one who was excluded.

Ask your students these questions:
1.  What did it feel like to be a part of the circle?
2.  What did it feel like to be excluded during the games?
3.  Is being a part of the circle the same thing as being "in" the circle?  What are the similarities and differences.
4.  What does it feel like to be included or excluded in real life, in school or with friends?

I was very impressed by this group's answers, and look forward to more classes!  

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving, and see you all when we return to Gesher L'Noar!

Samantha

Holocaust and Human Behavior: The (Double) Lunch Date!

On Tuesday at Gesher L'Noar, we watched the short film "The Lunch Date" (you can watch it again on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epuTZigxUY8). Some members of our class had a double viewing of "The Lunch Date," having just watched it in school the same day! Nonetheless, the whole class enjoyed viewing the film and discussing it. The film deals with themes of human nature, identity, perceptions, and prejudice.

Identity & 7th Grade

Last week, 7th graders talked about the concept of identity. Together, we brainstormed labels that we ascribe to each other, put them on actual labels, and created a human poster.

Then we created identity charts and found similarities among the group. Lots of us have siblings, like the same sports, and listed "Jewish" as an important defining characteristic!

These activities will help prepare us for further study of identity, community, and peer pressure.

Come to Canobie Lake Park

More Opening Day Fun for Gesher L'Noar (6th and 7th Grade)

We may be part of the TBS Teen Learning community, but we still love to play!

Gesher L'Noar (6th and 7th Grade) Opening Day

Shana Tova (Sweet New Year) Fruit Salad
Ingredients:
A colorful mix of traits and skills we want to improve upon in the coming year. Suggestions incuded:

• time management
• athleticism
• being nicer to my siblings
• making new friends
• organization
• compassion
• and having fun!

Add a variety of fruits to represent each attribute--we used:

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Blueberries 
• Pineapple

Mix together and serve!

Seventh Grade Art

For the last two weeks, seventh graders have been making some very cool art projects. Last week, we learned about the land of Israel and created our very own tourist postcards.

This week, we learned about Israel's ancient mosaics. Inspired by the Lod, Tzipori, and Shilo mosaics, students made their own paper mosaics. We had a great variety of designs, including shapes, animals, and lettering.

TELEM kids learning how to budget

Today in the TELEM class students read a case history about a family having a challenging time making ends meet in this economy. After reading the case history, students were given a budget which included the family's expenses both fixed and variable. Students were then divided into smaller groups and had to find creative ways to make the budget work. It was an incredibly challenge for students! After considering the amount allotted for rent, food and transportation, there weren't a lot of funds left for the other fixed expenses. So, it's back to the drawing board! This activity will continue for the next couple of classes that we are not at First Parish.

This week, 7th graders made beautiful holiday cards!

This beautiful card was given to the Temple Beth Shalom staff!

And this will hang in my office!

Happy Chanukah!!

Sculpey Hamsas!

Last week, 7th graders in the Israel & Art class learned about the Israeli city of Tzvat, one of the four holiest cities in Judaism. They learned about the history of the city and why it is an important place for Jewish mysticism and Kabbalah. Then they created their very own clay hamsas from Sculpey. These hamsas can hang in their homes for protection and good luck!

Some hamsas, ready to be baked!

JR BESTY Hibachi & Havdallah 11.19

A Saturday night out with our Jr BESTY besties. We were joined by the BESTY board. While there, we discovered that:
Ice sizzles when you toss it on to a hot hibachi grill
No amount of Fried Rice is TOO much
And only half of us eat our veggies--more for me!

7th Graders working at First Parish Soup Kitchen

What is TELEM?

Mission Statement:

TELEM works to build the next generation of Jewish leaders, civic activists and advocates for change by forging a compelling connection between community-based social action and Judaism. TELEM integrates volunteer service with classroom learning and reflection, enabling students to build meaningful relationships with their Jewish peer group as well as the broader community.

TELEM is an acronym in Hebrew for tenuah l'tzi'rim mitnadvim, Movement for Youth Volunteers! Join with a group of your friends and see what a difference you can make!

Making a Difference:

TELEM is about making a difference. It's an innovative program for Boston area Jewish teens that integrates community service, learning, and reflection—and provides opportunities to effect real change. In addition to helping others, teens learn about values that have guided Jews for thousands of years—and gain understanding of how you can work for change.

TELEM is about building relationships: people helping people. To teens who want to explore the city beyond your own community and have an impact in greater Boston, here is your chance.

TELEM is about changing lives—yours and others.

In the Hunger and Homelessness track, TELEM our students have the opportunity to learn about the issue of poverty. Students in this track participate in classroom-based learning and direct service activities with people who are struggling with issues related to poverty and homelessness. Our students are also given the opportunity to reflect upon and share their experiences with their peers and supervisors to round out a meaningful personal and learning experience. Our students learn the many issues and dimensions related to poverty, hunger and homelessness to develop insight and strategies to help fight poverty.

Chagall Windows

Last week, 7th graders learned about the famous Jewish artist, Marc Chagall! Did you know his birth name was Moishe Shagal? To the right, Chagall's 1914 painting the Praying Jew:










We were especially inspired by Chagall's stained glass windows at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem (left). So we made our own "stained glass" using tissue paper, Mod Podge, and plastic sleeves. These beautiful creations can hang in the window so light will shine through!

Mosaics!

The 7th grade Israel & Art class has been busy! Remember our first project? During our second week together, we made paper mosaics inspired by ancient Israeli mosaics, like the Lod mosaic (now on view at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York).

These mosaics are made by gluing small pieces of different colored paper (torn or cut) to create shapes, patterns, letters, etc. Mosaics trick the eye into seeing one complete picture that's actually made of lots of little separate pieces!

Aren't they beautiful?