Educators

Resources on the situation in Israel

 

For a pdf from the Jewish Council on Public Affairs, click here.
For a pdf from Israel Interactive, click here.

JECC Curriculum:
Israel: Connecting with our Heads, Hands and Hearts
The Bureau's equivalent in Cleveland, the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland (JECC), prepares excellent response curricula. The JECC has posted to its website an Immediate Response Curriculum called, "Israel: Connecting with our Heads, Hands and Hearts (Gaza, 2009)."  This guide does not have easy or pat responses to share with our students, but does contain links to many useful resources so that teachers can find what they need to best educate themselves and then find ways to open the conversation with their students.  
 
The curriculum may be found at: 
http://www.jecc.org/Curriculum/Response-Curriculum.htm
or can be accessed by link from the JECC home page:
http://www.jecc.org 


Video Links:

Red Color: Young students expressing their feelings about the situation.
What a teacher in Sderot came up with in order to combat day-to-day terrorization of her students. No graphic violence.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34GYNxhn7SU

A Picture is Worth 1000 Words: Would this be acceptable in other part of the world? Young man expressing the fundamental question of why it is that bombings are tolerated in Israel yet, while any other nation in the world would not accept this as a reality. No graphic violence.  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im4KE3nkGA0

Hamas' and Jihad's Use of Children: How Hamas/Jihad uses children in the terrorist organizations vs. how the IDF is helpful towards Palestinian children: No graphic violence. Age restricted – 4th grade.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3c5uWIDBXY&feature=related

Beauty of Hamas: Arab-American Psychologist Wafa Sultan shows footage of the crimes Hamas commits.  Taken from within the Palestinian borders. Graphic violence from far away – viewer discretion advised. 
Part I: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9_LatFA_hA
Part II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM8Sa_oFc9o

IDF Youtube Page: Various footage taken by IDF soldiers in Gaza during operation Cast Led. Updated frequently.
http://www.youtube.com/user/idfnadesk

Website Links:

Honest Reporting:
This is a website for high school students and teachers to use. It is
dedicated to ensuring that Israel receives fair media coverage. They “scrutinize the media for anti-Israel bias, and then mobilize subscribers to complain directly to the news agency concerned.”
http://www.honestreporting.com/

Camera: A website by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America.
http://www.camera.org/

NY Times: This is a solid introductory lesson created by The New York Times Learning network. It examines the media's portrayal of facts regarding the Palestinian and Israeli crisis. Note that the lesson is weak on the Israeli sources, which in itself is a lesson! For teachers of Grades 6-12.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/NIE/index.html

J-Source: Is what we hear in the news fact or myth? This is J-Source’s myth/fact page about Israel. For high school students and teachers.
http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/myths/mftoc.html

IDF Homepage: Teachers can get the facts right from The Israel Defense Force’s web page, including information on the current situation in Israel. It is updated frequently and is available in English and Hebrew.
Hebrew: http://www.idf.il
English: http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/

IMFA: Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides up-to-date information on the situation in Israel. The site contains news briefs and links to facts about Israel and the peace process.
http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA

ADL (Anti Defamation League): Various information regarding the history of Israel and the current situation; including facts vs. fiction, common misconception of Israel and how to respond, how to advocate for Israel and links to other useful resources and web pages.
http://www.adl.org/israel/advocacy/how_to_respond/peace_process.asp?xflag=1#top

The David Project: The David Project: a site dedicated to Israel support and advocacy; site includes many resources, background information, news updates, how YOU can take action and more.
http://www.davidproject.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=94&Itemid=118

The Israel Project: The Israel Project: a site dedicated to Israel support and advocacy; site includes many resources, background information, news updates, how YOU can take action and more.
http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.672581/k.9AD8/For_freedom_security_and_peace_in_Israel_and_the_Middle_East.htm

Jerusalem Online: A site dedicated to Israel support and advocacy; site includes many resources, background information, news updates, how YOU can take action and more.
http://www.jerusalemonline.com/specials19.asp

Advocate for Israel, you CAN make a difference:

ADL: Support Israel and her people by writing a letter to congress expressing your thoughts and feelings.
http://support.adl.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=20601.0&dlv_id=33781

The Israel Project: Information about writing a letter to congress or to a newspaper. http://www.theisraelproject.org/c.hsJPK0PIJpH/b.4183355/k.ECB1/Send_a_letter_to_your_editor/siteapps/advocacy/ActionCenter.aspx

Jerusalem Online: Support Israeli soldiers by sending care packages
http://www.israel-catalog.com/?category=1100&kbid=1773

Table to Table: Support Israeli soldiers and civilians in need of food and supplies
http://www.tabletotable.org.il/english/projects.php?did=172

International fellowship of Christians and Jews: Help Israel with donations Your secure online gift will be used to provide emergency relief and support to traumatized Israeli children, elderly, and families
https://secure2.convio.net/ifcj/site/Donation2?idb=0&df_id=2520&2520.donation=form1&s_src=Google&s_subsrc=E9AEWAR1&JServSessionIdr006=i1rl4nxeq6.app1b

LIBI: The Fund for Strengthening Israel’s Defense. Have a DIRECT impact on the IDF with donations that help with the supply of combat needed equipment
http://www.libi-fund.org.il/Libi/eng

Honest Reporting: Send a soldier a smile and a message – no cost
http://www.honestreporting.com/a/smilecampaign.html

Donate to Shma Kolenu – research and development for the hard of hearing
https://www.baraksoftware.com/stav/sites/system/english/creditInput.asp

Send a gift basket to an IDF soldier:
http://www.koshergiftbaskets.com/index.php?ref=6&cPath=150

Donate money towards an indoor playground for the children of Southern Israel:
http://www.jnf.org/site/PageServer?pagename=sderot&s_src=2280


Learning is central in Judaism. The Torah is the ultimate teaching; God is the supreme instructor; and humanity’s prime identity is to be a student. Jewish tradition honors teachers in many ways…It praises teachers because they are a vital link in guiding humanity to its ideal prophetic state. Once that state is attained, then war will be no more and peace, compassion, and justices shall reign supreme.
Dr. Moshe Dov Shualy in “In Praise of Teachers”



The Educational Services Department of the Bureau provides the resources that teachers need to flourish in the classroom. We are here to support schools and individuals in their efforts to provide high quality, dynamic Jewish education in greater Rhode Island. The department:

  • provides and promotes professional development
  • establishes and monitors standards
  • promotes the status of Jewish educators
  • produces and helps others to produce educational materials
  • maintains collections of instructional materials
  • serves as a liaison and consultant to the principals, teachers and schools

For more information in any of these areas, please contact Lawrence Katz at 401.331.0956 x179 or via email at: lkatz@bjeri.org.

Additionally, the Educational Services Department oversees the Bureau’s Special Education program for pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah students in areas synagogue schools. Beth Brier coordinates the Special Education program and can be reached at 401.331.0956 x223 or via email at: bbrier@bjeri.org.

Teaching is a fragile art. Something moves a teacher’s heart. The heart causes words to flow. The teacher’s voice then sends moving molecules of air across the room. With luck, they reach the student’s ears. And, perhaps, they then move the student’s heart.
Kotsker Rebbe

For more information on Bureau programs for educators, click here.
Bureau of Jewish Education of Rhode Island | 130 Sessions St. | Providence, RI 02906 | 401-331-0956 | bjeri@bjeri.org