You Cannot Be What You Cannot See

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Sharing Stories Inspiring Change You Cannot Be What You Cannot See

Transcript of You Cannot Be What You Cannot See

Sharing Stories

Inspiring Change

You Cannot Be What You Cannot See

Sharing Stories

Inspiring Change

Discussion about the stories we teach

• What do you notice about our list?

• How many are women? How many

women are NOT biblical women?

• Why do our curricula look like this?

• What are the implications for student

learning?

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Documenting Jewish women’s stories,

elevating their voices, and inspiring them to be

agents of change.

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JEWISH TIME JUMP: NEW YORK

LESSON PLANS ABOUT JUDAISM

AND LABOR TO ACCOMPANY THE

MOBILE GAME

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RISING VOICES FELLOWSHIP

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Who is this person?

What did this person do?

Why did they do it?

Who am I?

What do I do / What do I want to do?

Why do I do it?

You Cannot Be What You Cannot See

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How can primary sources

expand our narrative and

engage our students?

Text Study

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Text 1: A Letter from Henrietta Szold

Curricular Connections:

Jewish rituals (Kaddish,

prayers)

Jewish heroes (Szold was

founder of Hadassah)

Life cycle (death and mourning)

New York

September 16, 1916

It is impossible for me to find words in which to tell you how deeply I was touched

by your offer to act as “Kaddish” for my dear mother. I cannot even thank you — it

is something that goes beyond thanks. It is beautiful, what you have offered to do

— I shall never forget it.

You will wonder, then, that I cannot accept your offer. Perhaps it would be best for

me not to try to explain to you in writing, but to wait until I see you to tell you why it

is so. I know well, and appreciate what you say about, the Jewish custom; and

Jewish custom is very dear and sacred to me. And yet I cannot ask you to

say Kaddish after my mother. The Kaddish means to me that the survivor publicly

and markedly manifests his wish and intention to assume the relation to the

Jewish community which his parent had, and that so the chain of tradition remains

unbroken from generation to generation, each adding its own link. You can do that

for the generations of your family, I must do that for the generations of my family.

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Text 1: A Letter from Henrietta Szold

Essential Questions:

How do we balance our

community’s traditions with our

own needs surrounding Jewish

ritual?

How are values passed on

within families?

How do we show respect for

others?

What needs do Jewish

mourning rituals address?

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Text 1: Follow-up Activities

Elementary School:Draw a picture of a time your own beliefs or ideas about ritual or tradition came in conflict with someone else’s practice. Then draw a picture of how you responded.

Middle School:Write a letter to a friend or family member about a ritual or tradition that is important to you. Be sure to explain why it is important.

High School:Research how ritual traditions have changed in your community or family over time.

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Text 2: Advertisement from Mother Earth

Curricular Connections:

Holidays (Yom Kippur)

Jewish values and action (what

do our beliefs look like in

public?)

Evolution of ritual (how

traditions have changed across

time and place)

Pluralism and religious diversity

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Essential Questions:

What is the purpose of

celebrating holidays?

How and why are new

traditions formed?

How do I understand customs

that are different from my own?

Text 2: Advertisement from Mother Earth

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Text 2: Follow-up Activities

Elementary School:Draw a picture or write a poem about your favorite holiday that describes the special things you do to celebrate it.

Middle School:Find a Jew who practices Judaism differently than you do and interview them about how they connect to and “do” Judaism.

High School:Reimagine (or create a new) tradition at your school. It could be a new ritual, celebration, etc.

Questions??

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Natalia Twersky Educator Award

Honoring educators who share JWA’s commitment to

using primary sources to weave Jewish women’s

stories into their lessons and programs.

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Who is eligible? What are the prizes?

• Any Jewish educator working with students in grades

6-12

• Two cash prizes

• Winner receives $2,000 + $400 for their school/program

• Finalist receives $500 + $100 for their school/program

• Submission Deadline: June 1, 2015

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Examples

Adele Gilman and Jackie Zidar—Studying the congregation’s Confirmation Photos

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Submission requirements

• Statement of purpose

• Lesson plan

• Classroom product (handout, assignment, etc.)

• Two examples of student work

• Two letters of support (from supervisor,

colleague, student, parent, etc.)

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THANK YOU!