B'Tzelem Elohim

As we explore Midot, values and Jewish Virtues, 7 graders explored what does it mean to be "B'Tzelem Elohim"? Acting and being in God's image.
What relationships does it effect and how can we best access it?

 Our seven grade thinkers went around the room, writing, commenting and brainstorming different ways we can all act in God's image.
And.... as you can tell from these pictures, had some fun in the process:)

Yom Sha'arim!

(Click to enlarge)

What a day! Yesterday, 7th graders got a taste of our Sha'arim (Gateways) high school program. From Rosh Hodesh (for girls) and Mensches (for boys), to music, art, wilderness and cooking, we got to try it all! For more information about Sha'arim for next year, click here.

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.

Finish This Picture!

For our last class together before we rotate to the next Israel specialty, seventh graders in my art class used their imaginations to fill in the blanks! Given half a photo of a place in Israel (including Tel Aviv, the Western Wall, Eilat, the Negev and the Caesarea ruins), students were instructed to use their knowledge of Israel to finish the picture. The results were really cool! Here are a few in progress..

Eye of the Storm

Seventh graders spent yesterday's Holocaust and Human Behavior class watching "Eye of the Storm," a fascinating documentary about one teacher's classroom experiment. After the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. one elementary school teacher decided to teach her students about discrimination by separating them based on their eye color and giving preferential treatment first to "the brown eyes" and later to "the blue eyes." These children showed how influential discrimination can be, especially when it comes from authorities and peers. After the movie, we discussed the experiment's relevance to our own lives. We'll continue learning more about discrimination as we study the Holocaust.

Telem!

Tonight at First Parish, Telem students were eager to get to work!  From serving meals, to handing out milk cartons, washing tables and folding linens, the Telem crew worked hard.  Tonight, students sat down and joined the guests while they ate their desserts.  They met different people and heard their stories.  Many are homeless because they were laid off and had been living paycheck to paycheck.  Some of them have places to live, but, they can't afford food.  All of them are so appreciative of our kids and what they do.
What was so cool about today was that in our Holocaust and Human Behavior Class, we talked about pre-judging.  During the evening at First Parish some students tied in the concept of pre-judging to the guests who come to First Parish.  They talked about not judging people because of the way they look or because they may not have a place to live.  They said "they're just like the rest of us."  It was wonderful to see how they applied what they learned in one class, to a real-life experience.  They do us proud!!!

 Circle time.  Talking about their experiences of the evening.

 Washing, drying and folding the table linens!

 Counting the guests who come in. Oh yeah, and being SO cool about it, too!!

Milk, anyone?

On the Outside

Seventh Graders spent yesterday's class learning through games. We played Follow the Leader, Find the Ring, and a funny game I like to call Round Red Rover! Through this series of games, the seventh graders started to understand what it's like to form a group where some people are "in the know" and others are left out.

Afterwards, we discussed what it felt like to be both on the inside and the outside of the group. Students noted that when they were a part of the group, they felt powerful, like they were a part of something, like they had a secret. They also recognized that it was funny, in this situation, when someone was left out.

But when we started to connect these games to what happened to the Jews during the Holocaust, we realized it isn't so funny to leave people out. The seventh graders had some great questions, like how come the Jews didn't leave Germany when they began to be treated differently? Why didn't anyone stand up for their Jewish neighbors? Throughout the rest of the year, we'll be discussing these issues in greater depth.

Ask your child what it felt like to be on the inside!

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

Hello Families!

Our "Social Justice in Israel" 7th grade mini-course has been working on our group projects.  During the past few weeks, we have defined social justice, what it means and looks like, and how it is uniquely tied to Israel.  

Last week, our groups picked their subjects and the type of projects they will do.  The subjects range from poverty to Israel's image in the world, as a Jewish state.  Students' projects will include powerpoints and Prezis, skits, and posters.  I can't wait to see what the students will create with their creative minds and energy!

We will invite families and friends of the class, in addition to the 6th and 7th grade Gesher l'Noar students to see the projects when they are finished!  Be sure to ask your 7th grader what their idea was, and what they are looking forward to.  Dates to view the project will be posted soon!

See you on Tuesday,

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.