Shalom Kitah Het Families:
Visiting Israel over Winter Break with my husband, children and parents, along with four other Minneapolis families has reminded me why Israel was, has been and is important to the Jewish people. During our trip we visited Independence Hall, where the presentation included a movie with historical footage from the 1940’s and before, followed by being escorted into the room where Ben Gurion declared Israel as a state. We listened to the real audio from that day and then rose together to sing Hatikvah--a beautifully moving moment that brought tears to my eyes.
We started the unit on Israel by listing what we all know, or think we know and talking about what students would like to learn more about during the semester. We talked about the person who had the vision for a Zionist State - do you know his name?* I am looking forward to being the guide on this journey as we continue to move forward on our timeline in class.
I am excited to share all that Israel is with the class in the coming weeks. Please share Israel in the news with your students as you see current events. It will continue to add richness to our class discussions.
I like to share good things going on in our area and on the internet for us to learn from. A couple things I would like to share with you this month are:
Families with teenage Jewish girls - Check out https://jgirlsmagazine.org
Like to laugh? Check out the Twin Cities Jewish Humor Festival--they have some events that are appropriate for 8th graders -- https://www.sabesjcc.org/events/events-humorfest/
*Theodor Herzl had the vision for a Zionist State; too bad he died 44 years before seeing Israel become a reality. Ask your student to share when else we learned about him in class.
B’shalom,
Kara