- Movie 1: A SHABBOS MOTHER
- Movie 2: ADDES
- Clip 1: I AM JEWISH
- Clip 2: LOST ARK OF YIDDISH
- Clip 3: JEWISH LANGUAGES
- Clip 4: JEWISH FOOD
- Clip 5: WHY ATHEISM?
Movie: A Shabbos Mother (2005) – A Film by Inbar Namdar
Synopsis
Three sisters gather at their mother’s house for Shabbat. From their shared childhood they have all gone in different ways; Ella is still religious and is in her ninth month of pregnancy; Yael has left her traditional roots and is a radio broadcaster; and Racheli has become more devout and is struggling to become pregnant. The family gathers around the Shabbat table, which links them to their past and their memories. What will keep them together in the future and how will they connect to each other?
The movie is 32 minutes long.
Find and watch the movie
You can download and watch the movie from the Ma’aleh Film School website. Search for “A Shabbos Mother” in the film catalogue. There is a small fee to watch the movie.
http://www.maale.co.il/default.asp?PageID=73&ItemID=82&ItemName=A%20Shabbos%20Mother
Explanation of Movie
In this movie we see an example of the unifying power of Shabbat to bring together a diverse family. We see the efforts of the mother to prepare the Shabbat food, and the ways that the memories of food connect the sisters to each other and to their father. We see the different ways that the sisters choose to celebrate Shabbat, from resting, to studying Torah to going out with friends. We also see each sister struggling with her own issues, and giving strength to each other.
Questions
Watch the movie (32 minutes) and start with the following questions:
- What are the central dilemmas or conflicts in the movie?
- Do any of those dilemmas/conflicts resonate with you?
- Which characters do you find most interesting or do you have empathy with? Who is/are the hero/es?
Then move onto a discussion focused on one of the core themes:
Core Themes
The Centrality of the Sabbath (Shabbat)
In the famous quote attributed to Ahad Ha’am, this Zionist philosopher claims that “more than the Jews have kept Shabbat, Shabbat has kept the Jews”. In other words, the power of Shabbat to unite Jews, in their families and communities, has been even more significant than the myriad ways that Jews have developed the laws and customs of Shabbat. This is a Peoplehood approach to Shabbat, rather than a religious approach, and it fits with that of Mordechai Kaplan, who emphasized the power of Jewish customs and folkways for constituting Jewish civilization. For him, and Ahad Ha’am, Shabbat is a key component of Jewish culture, unifying Jews around the notion of rest and family. And as a result all Jews can find a way to appreciate and celebrate Shabbat, even if the religious aspects are not primary. For example, the contemporary Jewish environmental movement has championed Shabbat as the authentic Jewish way of giving rest to the earth, and taking a day to turn off all technology.
- What role does Shabbat play in the life of this family? Where do you see examples of how it brings them together, and divides them?
- What are your family memories of Shabbat or of ways in which your family came together over food and/or rest and recreation?
- What values and traditions of Shabbat resonate with you and how would you want to create your own Shabbat traditions?
- How would you like the family that you build to come together at the Shabbat table?
- In small groups, have learners write a script for their own version of a movie that takes place around a Shabbat table, where the family members relate to Shabbat in different ways.
Diversity in the Family
The family in the movie is typical of many contemporary Jewish families; the children have chosen varied paths for themselves, and have found meaning in places that the parents don’t always anticipate or even like. And even though it is sometimes difficult and tense, they all come together at different occasions, to celebrate, to remember, to support each other and in doing so they continue in the formation of their own family and the broader Jewish family.
- In the movie the mother disagrees with the life choices that Racheli has made. Do you think she has a point? To what extent does Racheli have the right to choose her own path and if you were her mother, what would you say to her?
- What are the advantages of diversity in the Jewish family and what are the challenges? How do families find ways to stay together, even when they differ and what tools does Jewish life give us to do that?
- Watch some of the short video clips from Avraham Infeld’s 5 Legged Table website (see the link in the Additional Resources below). What helps keep us unified, when we are not uniform?
- Do you feel connected to members of the Jewish family who have different customs from you? What are the places of connection and of disconnection?
Additional Resources
Ahad Ha’Am – http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history/Modern_History/1700-1914/Zionism/Ahad_Haam.shtml
Shabbat-related customs of Jews in Eastern Europe – http://www.yivoencyclopedia.org/article.aspx/Sabbath
Resources for the connections between Shabbat and the Jewish environmental movement – http://www.jewcology.com/resource/Teaching-5-Shabbat-and-Environmental-Awareness
For the Jews as a big family, see Avraham Infeld on family – http://www.5leggedtable.org/en/legpage/family
Movie: Addes (2004) – A film by Avital Livneh Levy
Synopsis
The famous Addes synagogue in the Nachlaot neighborhood of Jerusalem is celebrating its 100th anniversary. And the synagogue’s long-time gabbai (the volunteer beadle) wants to redecorate and update the synagogue to attract new worshippers. But his attempts to paint and renovate ignite deep divisions amongst the regulars and raise questions about tradition, memory, the old versus the new, and the nature of community.
The movie is 30 minutes long.
Find and watch the movie
You can download and watch the movie from the Ma’aleh Film School website. Search for “Addes” in the film catalogue. There is a small fee to watch the movie.
http://www.maale.co.il/default.asp?PageID=73&ItemID=75&ItemName=Addes
Explanation of Movie
In this movie we learn about the Addes synagogue in Nachlaot, established by Syrian immigrants from Aleppo, who moved to Jerusalem over a hundred years ago. As the centennial anniversary of the synagogue approaches, the filmmaker introduces us to Yehezkel, the synagogue’s gabbai (beadle) who is essentially the community’s manager. Yehezkel wants to remodel the synagogue, paint over the historic murals and bring it up to date. Opposing him is Tzion, a well-respected regular, whose opposition to change is based on his understanding of how important it is to connect to tradition and continuity.
The film documents the conflict between the regulars over what to do about renovating the synagogue, and raises core questions about the nature of community, and the balance between change and continuity. How will the community members adjust to change? What will they choose to keep and what will throw away? And how can a community organize itself so that everyone can continue to feel connected, while giving space for leaders to lead?
Questions
Watch the movie (32 minutes) and start with the following questions:
- What are the central dilemmas or conflicts in the movie?
- Do any of those dilemmas/conflicts resonate with you?
- Which characters do you find most interesting or do you have empathy with? Who is/are the hero/es?
Then move onto a discussion focused on one of the core themes:
Core Themes
The Synagogue as central community institution
As the movie shows us, the Addes synagogue is an important cornerstone of the neighborhood of Nachlaot. The synagogue is not just a place to pray, but is a place of gathering, of building relationships, even of community welfare. And, at least for the men of the community it functions as a central place that, certainly in the case of Yehezkel, is a core component of his life.
The synagogue has been a core component of Jewish community life for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Where does its centrality come from? And does it continue to have that power today? What other community institutions are also critical to forming and maintaining strong communities?
- In the movie, what functions does the synagogue fulfill? How is it seen by the regulars, and others, who live in the neighborhood?
- The movie also touches on other communal institutions – the cemetery and slaughterhouse. Compare these with the power of the synagogue.
- Which institutions form the backbone of your Jewish community? How do you relate to them? Investigate the synagogues and/or other community institutions in your city. Who founded them? What conflicts have they dealt with over the years? What are the current challenges they are facing?
- Look at the text study in this section, entitled “Building a Community” and watch this movie in the context of the text discussion and community mapping activity.
Change versus Continuity
“Addes” is all about the tension between change and continuity. Yehezkel recognizes that the synagogue is old and needs to be remodeled in order to attract more young people. And at the same time, the renovation would require that the historic wall murals will be painted over, and memorial plaques connected to the families of the regulars would have to be thrown away. What should be the balance between memory and history on one hand, and the need to change with the times on the other? This is an eternal question, played out in this movie in a very concrete example.
- Describe the various positions held by Yehezkel, Tzion and the others in the movie.
- What position would you take in this argument? Would you relate differently to this story if your parents had founded the synagogue? Is there room for a compromise?
- Where do you see similar arguments taking place in the Jewish community?
Owning the Community
One of the key themes of the movie is that of leadership and authority. Yehezkel is one of the community leaders; he runs the finances, makes all the day-to-day decisions and considers himself indispensable to the running of the synagogue. And he doesn’t feel the need to conduct a democratic process when it comes to renovating the synagogue. Tzion doesn’t have an official role, but he nevertheless carries a great deal of moral authority. Other community members also have significant leadership roles, and yet others are followers, prepared to lend a hand when necessary but not to initiate.
What are the sources of authority of the various community members? At one point during an argument someone says to Yehezkel “this isn’t your father’s synagogue”, meaning that it isn’t his private family synagogue, but rather it belongs to the whole community. But ownership here is a delicate notion – who owns the synagogue and on what basis? What rights (if any) come from having been part of the founding families, or from investing years in community service? Who owns Jewish community institutions? All of us equally or are some more equal than others?
- What are the various claims to ownership that the community members have? Where do claims of leadership come from? And how is leadership expressed in the movie? Do you see a difference between ownership and leadership?
- Who owns the Jewish community institutions that you are familiar with? What are the roots of ownership and how is ownership expressed? Do some people have more rights than others and why?
- What level of ownership, or belonging, or responsibility, do you feel to Jewish institutions in your city or elsewhere? If there is an argument over change or renovation do you get involved and what would it take for you to take a stand?
CLIP: I am Jewish (2011) – A spoken word piece by Andrew Lustig
Synopsis
“I am Jewish” was created by Andrew Lustig at the Brandeis Bardin Institute in California in 2011. It is a spoken word tribute to Jewish identity and the many forms that it takes. While he speaks in the singular, he also speaks in the name of every kind of Jew he knows.
Watch the Clip
Questions
- How did you feel after watching this piece? What inspired you? Did anything provoke you?
- Do you see yourself represented in his spoken word piece? What kinds of Jews were left out? Write a sentence about them. “I am the Jew who…”
For a more extended activity on the topic go to My Role in Shaping Jewish Civilization
CLIP: “Discovering and Delighting in the Lost Ark of Yiddish” by Dr. Miriam Udel
Synopsis
Jews are known as the People of the Book, in large part because of the centrality of Torah and Torah learning in Jewish tradition. Books, literature and learning have been at the foundation of Jewish civilization. In this presentation, “Discovering and Delighting in the Lost Ark of Yiddish”, Dr. Miriam Udel, who is the Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and German Studies at Emory University, invites us to explore the power and purpose of Yiddish literature in understanding contemporary Jewish life today. She starts by setting up the distinction between holy books and Yiddish ones.
Watch the Clip
Cue from 4:06 minutes through the end.
Questions
- Jewish educators speak about the “Jewish Bookshelf” or the books that make up the cannon, which forms the foundation of Jewish civilization. If you were to think about the “Jewish Bookshelf” what kinds of books would be on it? Why? Which Jewish books would you add? Would you make a distinction between “holy” books and “secular” ones the way that Dr. Udel does?
- If you were to write a book that added a new dimension to Jewish life, would its title be?
- Take time to read a Jewish book – it could be a classic, a piece of Israeli literature like a short story by Etgar Keret, or a Yiddish author like Sholom Aleichem. As you read, ask yourself the question, what does this have to do with my Jewish life? How does it help me feel more connected to Jewish life and civilization? For inspiration go to Makom Israel’s Book club guide.
For a more extended activity on the topic go to Jewish Books
CLIP: Jewish Languages
Synopsis
Jewish Language serves many purposes. Avraham Infeld, president emeritus of Hillel: the Foundation for Jewish Campus Life and a giant in the field informal Jewish education speaks to a group of students about how cultural values are embedded within Hebrew language in the clip “Falling in love, in Hebrew”. Dr. Sara Benor, a sociolinguist, in her JDOV talk, “Yiddish, Ladino and Jewish English: Do American Jews Speak a Jewish Language?” comments on the ways in which American Jews, like other Diaspora communities have developed their own Jewish language that both connects them to other Jews and sets them apart. In terms of creating a robust Jewish civilization, what roles does Jewish language play?
Watch the Clips
Questions
- What are the underlying “messages” of each of these clips?
- One of the messages of the Infeld clip is that Jewish language embeds Jewish and cultural values. And one of the messages of the Benor clip is that Jewish language connects us to one another and also sets us apart. Which message do you find compelling and why?
For a more extended activity on the topic go to Hebrew Language.
CLIP: JEWISH FOOD
Synopsis
It is well known that food is what remains long after a particular ethnic group has assimilated. How can Jewish food be a window into the mosaic of Jewish life and people? What are the stories that particular food traditions carry with them that can enhance our understanding of what it means to be a part of a wider civilization? The first two clips from Buzzfeed give us an outsider’s perspective, with Americans tasting Ashkenazi Jewish food in, “The Jewish Food Taste Test” and Israeli food in, “Americans Try Israeli Food for the First Time”. For more nuance into the differences between Sephardi and Ashkenazi cuisine, watch the third clip, Gefiltefest, a culinary competition between Sephardi and Ashkenazi chefs set in London’s Jewish Cultural Center.
Watch the Clips
Questions
- What is your favorite Jewish food and why?
- Share a story about a Jewish food that you enjoyed when you were growing up.
- How does Jewish food serve as a bridge to connect Jews from different backgrounds to one another?
- What can you learn about a culture based on the foods they eat?
For a more extended activity on the topic go to Jewish Food.
CLIP: WHY ATHEISM, IRA GLASS
Synopsis
Ira Glass, the popular host of the NPR series “This American Life” took part in a discussion with Jim Henderson, a pastor turned “spiritual anthropologist.” He recently developed a series entitled “Jim Henderson Presents” whose goal is to bring discussions about Christianity into the public sphere. Central to his approach is to give space to non-Christians to talk about what faith means to them. While Jim Henderson invites Glass onto the show, the self-described atheist Jew points out how being a Jewish atheist is not a contradiction in terms, much to Henderson’s surprise. While Christians might see Judaism as solely a religion, Ira Glass has a different idea.
Watch the Clips
Questions
- Ira Glass says,“I’m a Jew whether or not I believe in God.” Do you think being a Jewish atheist is an oxymoron?
- If you were representing what Judaism is to someone of a different faith, how would you describe it?
- What aspect of Jewish life do you find most compelling and why?
For a more extended activity on the topic go to God and Jewish Civilization.
Introduction
Welcome to the Jewish Peoplehood Education Toolkit, a project of the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education, with the support of the UJA Federation of New York.
The Jewish Peoplehood Education Toolkit is a comprehensive resource for Jewish educators and community leaders who are interested in engaging their students and constituents with questions of Jewish collective belonging, global community and mutual responsibility.
We believe that being part of an ancient, global people offers Jews from all backgrounds and of all ages an immeasurable opportunity to experience the richness of Jewish civilization, history and culture.
If you are a teacher or community leader and you want to help your students, campers, colleagues (or even yourself) feel more connected to the Jewish People and motivated to take an active role in shaping its future, you have come to the right place!
In this Toolkit, you will find resources dealing with the following questions:
- WHAT is Jewish Peoplehood?
- WHY is teaching about Jewish Peoplehood important and relevant?
- HOW do I teach my students to feel part of the Jewish People?
- WHAT is included in Jewish Peoplehood Education?
Themes
Because Jewish Peoplehood is a broad concept that includes many different topics, we have divided it into five core themes:
- Collective Belonging
- Mutual Responsibility
- Universal versus Particular
- Israel & Jewish Peoplehood
- Diversity and Pluralism
- Judaism as a Civilization
Each theme includes an introduction, conceptual explanation, related educational questions, enduring understandings, strategies for teaching and more. Each theme also has a section in the Programs, Resources & Materials section. You could build an entire curriculum around the themes, or just focus on the one (or two) that are most interesting to your students.
Programs, Resources & Materials
The Toolkit contains ready-to-use activities, organized by topic, one for each theme:
- Collective Belonging
- Mutual Responsibility
- Universal vs Particular
- Israel & Jewish Peoplehood
- Diversity and Pluralism
- Judaism as a Civilization
For each topic there is at least one introductory activity and at least two text-based activities. There are also media resources and links to other materials that are related. The activities can be used with a range of ages and in different settings. Feel free to build them into a longer curriculum or pick and choose what works best for you.
It’s important to us to allow educators in the field to input their own lesson plans, allowing us to create a user-driven program bank. Click here to submit your own lesson plan.
Peoplehood Practices
The Peoplehood Practices are a series of methodologies that are effective in building a Jewish Peoplehood consciousness.
Whether it is through the use of travel, people-to-people meetings (Mifgashim), focusing on Hebrew language or using social media effectively – all these practices should be part of the toolkit of the Peoplehood educator. In the Peoplehood Practices section of this site, you will find best practices, resources, links to useful ideas and much more.
Digital Library
The Digital Library is an entire online collection of writings about Jewish Peoplehood.
There are articles about all aspects of Jewish Peoplehood, from the Center for Jewish Peoplehood Education and other sources. The materials here can enrich any course or activity on the subject, and will offer a multi-vocal approach to Jewish Peoplehood.