Jerusalem

Brief

The goal of this 6-session program is to provide an understanding of the politics of a united Jerusalem.  Author:  Ilan Bloch

Equipment

  • As per each session

Activity length: 45-60 minutes 

Each session’s length is stated in its summary.

Age Groups

High School, Staff

Topics

Politics, Zionism

Adaptable for Shabbat

Some of the sessions are not appropriate for Shabbat if they require craft materials.

Download for Printing

  • Session 1

    Importance of Jerusalem in Judaism and Israeli History

    http://www.zionism-israel.com/his/Jerusalem_history.htm

    History of Jerusalem through maps

    https://www.bu.edu/mzank/Jerusalem/mp/periodic/

    Session 2

    Importance of Jerusalem to the 3 Abrahamic religions

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/may/20/why-jerusalem-important-google-autocomplete

    What Makes Jerusalem So Holy?

    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26934435

    Islam and Jerusalem

    http://www.religionfacts.com/islam/places/jerusalem.htm

    Session 3

    Ir Amim website

    www.ir-amim.org.il/eng/

    Sheikh Jarrah evictions

    https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/article-696700

    https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2022-02-14/ty-article/.premium/the-east-jerusalem-flashpoint-that-could-ignite-the-entire-middle-east/0000017f-f1bf-dc28-a17f-fdbf0ce80000

    https://www.haaretz.com/2009-06-24/ty-article/jlem-bracing-for-more-haredi-riots-as-mayor-vows-shabbat-opening/0000017f-e199-d75c-a7ff-fd9da7bb0000

    https://www.haaretz.com/2009-06-28/ty-article/death-threats-sent-to-jerusalem-mayor-following-parking-lot-riots/0000017f-dc90-d3a5-af7f-febed4780000

    http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3759995,00.html

    http://muqata.blogspot.com/2008/09/eruv-wars-in-jerusalem.html

    http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/1,7340,L-3591087,00.html

    Session 4

    Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Division and Reunification of Jerusalem

    https://mfa.gov.il/Jubilee-years/Pages/1967-The-Reunification-of-Jerusalem.aspx#:~:text=Jerusalem%20was%20reunified%20under%20Israeli,the%20UN%20headquarters%20in%20Jerusalem.

    https://mfa.gov.il/Jubilee-years/Pages/1967-The-Six-Day-War-and-the-Historic-Reunification-of-Jerusalem.aspx

    https://www.gov.il/en/pages/saving-lives-israel-s-security-fence

    (Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Separation Barrier)

    Separation Barrier

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_West_Bank_barrier

    www.btselem.org/english/separation_barrier/

Goals & Overview

Overview
This unit consists of the following components:

  1. Six core sessions

  2. Vocabulary/Word Bank

  3. Extra Resources

Madrichim are encouraged to develop other programs and activities that will help chanichim engage with the materials in the framework of Peulat Erev, Peulat Tzrif and/or Yom Meyhuad.

Goals

  1. The chanichim will be exposed to issues that will be discussed in further detail on site, if and when, they participate in Ramah Israel Seminar.

  2. The chanichim will develop a viewpoint regarding the future of Jerusalem, without regard for accepted Jewish/Zionist orthodoxies, but also without the aim of rejecting these for the sake of being contrary.

  3. Goals by session:

    • Session 1

      1. The chanichim will be exposed to the centrality of Jerusalem in Jewish consciousness.

      2. The chanichim will acquire a basic understanding of the different historical Jerusalem(s) that existed over the last three thousand years (e.g. Second Temple Period, British Mandate Period, under Israeli sovereignty, etc.)

    • Session 2

      1. The chanichim will come to understand the centrality of Jerusalem to Christianity and Islam. 

    • Session 3

      1. The chanichim will be exposed to different Jewish conceptions of how Jerusalem should be governed, through exploring various sugiyot related

    • Session 4

      1. The chanichim will delve into the notion of “Jerusalem Divided/United Then and Now,” examining the key dates of 1948 (the loss of the Old City), 1967 (the conquering of the Old City, along with Judea and Samaria/the West Bank), and 2005 (the Israeli cabinet decision agreeing on the route of the security barrier in the Jerusalem envelope).

    • Session 5

      1. The chanichim will be exposed to a most challenging take on Jerusalem and issues dealing with its society, culture, and future.

    • Session 6

      1. The chanichim will review the theme, topics and aims (Knowledge, Skills, and Values and Attitudes) of the previous sessions.

Thought Questions / שאלות למחשבה

  1. What do you feel when you are in Jerusalem?  Something different from visiting other cities?

  2. Is Jerusalem a uniquely Jewish city?

  3. Who should govern Jerusalem?  Who should decide how the city is developed?

For the facilitator

This unit will look at the extent to which opinions differ among Israelis regarding the status of Jerusalem, and how those opinions developed over the last decades. Discussion will center on the political history, geography, emotional responses, and the pressing sociopolitical concerns at the heart of this issue.

These six 45-minute sessions will serve as an introduction to understanding the politics of a united Jerusalem. As with all units of study, this unit should be taught in as experiential, interactive, and informal a way as possible, in order to facilitate dialogue between chanichim, and critical thought and reflection on the part of chanichim in relation to their values and attitudes vis-à-vis Jerusalem and its future.

These materials are not prescriptive; you are more than welcome to utilize the resources that “speak to you,” and discard those that do not. In fact, it should be noted clearly that ideally this packet is meant to serve as an inspiration and a chinuch resource for all tzevet members in camp to plan their own peulot and divrei Torah, which are designed specifically for their chanichim and the context of their camps.

Session 1: Trigger/Introduction

    1. Small pieces of paper (one per chanich/a, with a few spares), plus coloring equipment (e.g. crayons, markers, etc.) and other arts and crafts supplies.

    2. Television and DVD player or a computer.

    3. Two music videos that are available on the “RILI CD” or from the National Ramah Program Bank.

    4. Double-sided song sheets (one per chanich/a (Appendix 1).

    5. Map packets (one between every two chanichim) (Appendix 2).

    6. Print a copy of the additional map (Appendix 3).

  • Part A – Trigger 1 (15 minutes)

    1. The madrich/a should ask each chanich/a to draw a picture of Jerusalem, according to what the city means to him/her. The picture does not have to be realistic; ideally, it should be symbolic/abstract. Afterwards, each chanich/a will be asked to present his or her picture, and explain it, relating it to what Jerusalem means to him/her.

    2. The madrich/a should highlight that although there exist similarities between different chanichim's conceptions of Jerusalem, there were clear differences (hopefully this will actually be the case!) and that it is important that we realize this point before we even commence this unit of study. Moreover, what holds true for this group of chanichim on a micro-level holds true for the Jewish world and especially Israeli society on a macro-level, and certainly for the Arab, Haredi, and non-Jewish worlds.

    Part B – Trigger 2 (20 minutes)

    1. The madrich/a should distribute lyrics sheets (Appendix I) and then play “Im Eshkachech Yerushalayim,” sung by Yaakov Shwekey and “Jerusalem If I Forget You,” sung by Matisyahu.

    2. Both of these are available on the from the National Ramah Program Bank.Please note that, depending on the time available, you may like to only show a portion of “Im Eshkachech,” as it is relatively long.

    3. Suggested sicha questions:

    4. Did you recognize any of the places in the “Im Eshkachech Yerushalayim” video? If so, which ones? Have you been to any of these places before?

    5. Were most of these places in “Old” or “New” (also, East or West/eastern or western sectors of) Jerusalem?

    6. Which part of the city is the “more authentic” Jerusalem?

    7. Which part is more relevant to you as Diaspora youth?

    8. Might this answer be different for Israelis, or for you if you lived in Israel?

    9. This song comes from Psalms 137:5-6, which is sung, among other places, under the chuppah at a wedding, and which some Jews say before Birkat HaMazon on yemei chol. To which part of Jerusalem do you think it is referring?

    10. When Jews sang this throughout the ages, to which part(s) of Jerusalem were they referring?

    11. What are the similarities and differences between the two songs? Compare and contrast them. Which is more meaningful to you, and why?

    12. Is the holiness of Jerusalem intrinsic (i.e. Jerusalem is holy because it is holy because it is holy) or a construct (i.e. Jerusalem is holy because people infused it with holiness and created a man-made narrative)? Is one type of holiness “better” than the other type of holiness, or is the distinction between them irrelevant? Why/why not?

    It is important to stress that Jerusalem is holy to Judaism because of Mount Moriyah, the site traditionally associated with Akedat Yitzchak/the Binding of Isaac, which includes Even HaShetiyah/the Foundation Stone (from which the world was created, according to the midrash). This is the site of the First and Second Temples. Jews pray towards Jerusalem three times a day, and participate in a number of religious rituals to remember its destruction and express hope for its rebuilding (e.g. Tisha B’Av, the boneh Yerushalayim brachah of the Amidah and Birkat Hamzon, breaking the glass at the chuppah, leaving a corner of a new house unpainted, putting ashes on the head of the chatan at a wedding, leaving the dining table not completely set, etc.).

    Especially as many of the other sessions of this unit deal with challenging themes, it is important to stress wholeheartedly the Jewish connection to Jerusalem. Do not take it for granted that the intense, long-lasting, and enduring nature of this connection is familiar to the campers.

    Part C – Maps (10 mins)

    1. The madrich/a should distribute maps of Jerusalem throughout the ages (Appendix 2) and show how Jerusalem’s borders have changed throughout history. All maps are taken from Martin Gilbert, Jerusalem: Illustrated History Atlas, in conjunction with The Board of Deputies of British Jews, London, 1977. It should be noted that the maps are not intended to be used as a resource to teach an extensive history of Jerusalem, but simply to demonstrate the changing face of Jerusalem throughout history.

    2. Distribute and examine the final map – “Jerusalem Boundaries 1947-2000”. (Note: This map is published by the Palestinian Academic Society for the Study of International Affairs, and it does portray an accurate picture of the changing nature of the borders of Jerusalem over the last half-century.)

    3. ”The question of “What is Jerusalem?” should be addressed. In other words, if “Im Eshkachech” was sung by Jews for the last 2500 years, how does this song – and how should a Jew – relate to the neighborhoods of Jerusalem which are new, having only been built in the last almost 165 years?

    4. If we have asked the question “What is Jerusalem?” and examined the different physical maps of Jerusalem throughout the ages, we must also examine the notion of Jerusalem as a concept. Let us do so through examining one more map.

    5. The 1581 map of Jerusalem as the center of the world (Appendix 3) should be shown to the chanichim.

    6. What is the difference between this map and “regular” maps?

    7. Why would somebody draw a map that cannot be used like a “regular map?”

    8. What is the purpose of each type of map?

    9. Which type of map is more important? Why?

    10. This introduces the concept of “Yerushalayim shel Ma’alah” (Heavenly Jerusalem) and “Yerushalayim shel Mata” (Earthly Jerusalem). Perhaps the song was never about an actual area of land called “Jerusalem,” but rather about an idea or concept called “Jerusalem.” What is the difference between the two “Jerusalems”? Can these differences be reconciled? Which is the “holier” Jerusalem? Why?

 
 

Session 2: The “Other” Jerusalems

    1. Baton

    2. Big jacket/sweatshirt with pockets

    3. Sticks

  • Note:

    The two trigger activities are intended to be triggers to understanding the significance of Jerusalem to Christianity and Islam; it is not intended to be a simulation of the last moments of Jesus’ life or of Mohammed’s Night Journey or Ascent, or put campers in their places.

    Part A – Trigger 1 – Fourteen Stations of the Cross Activity (15 minutes)

    1. Chanichim should be divided into groups of fourteen, and these groups will compete against one another in a relay race. If it is not possible to divide the chanichim into groups of fourteen, then each team must still field fourteen competitors (some chanichim may race more than once).

    2. Line-up the chanichim and create some form of a short/simple relay race. This can simply be a multi-leg running race, or a more complicated relay race with various components. Feel free to use your imagination and be creative.

    3. Each chanich/a must pass a baton to the next competitor, as well as a heavy jacket/sweatshirt, which is weighted down with heavy materials. Each competitor must wear the overcoat and carry the baton before running.

    4. The first team to have all fourteen players, all of whom have worn the heavy weighted-down jacket/sweatshirt, carried the baton, and crossed the finish line, wins.

    5. It is best if this relay race can be done around a big open space.

    Part B – Explanation of activity (10 minutes)

    1. The madrich/a should gather the chanichim and explain that the previous activity represented the Fourteen Stations of the Cross, which are the most important points of Jesus’ journey from being tried and condemned to death, to being buried. These Stations are along the Via Dolorosa (Way of Sorrows) in today’s Muslim and Christian Quarters of the Old City.

    2. This information is included for the madrich/a only; do not get into this level of detail with the campers.

    3. The stations are:

      • Jesus is condemned to death

      • Jesus is given his cross

      • Jesus falls the first time

      • Jesus meets his Mother

      • Simon of Cyrene carries the cross

      • Veronica wipes the face of Jesus

      • Jesus falls the second time

      • Jesus meets the daughters of Jerusalem

      • Jesus falls the third time

      • Jesus is stripped of his garments

      • Crucifixion: Jesus is nailed to the cross

      • Jesus dies on the cross

      • Jesus' body is removed from the cross

      • Jesus is laid in the tomb and covered in incense.

    4. Although the vast majority of the ministry of Jesus took place in the Galilee, especially on the northern (north-west) banks of the Kinneret, Jesus’ final days took place in Jerusalem, and his “Passion” (the suffering which he underwent before his trial, and during his trial, crucifixion and death) took place in Jerusalem and its surrounding area (e.g. Har HaZeitim/The Mount of Olives).

    5. According to Christian theology, this suffering was an atonement offering for the sake of humanity. Jesus was resurrected on the third day after his burial and will return as the Messiah (“the Second Coming”).

    6. The Church of the Holy Sepulcher was later built on the site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. It is the holiest site for Catholics today.

    7. Jerusalem is clearly a very holy and important place for Christians. Catholics place a greater theological significance on the sites where Jesus preached, healed, lived, and died, whereas Protestants place a greater theological significance on the ministry and message of Jesus.

    8. You may like to invite a Christian speaker to your camp to speak about the Christian connection to Jerusalem (and Israel). Please remember that the purpose of bringing the speaker – and of this activity – is to learn about this connection, and not to learn about Christianity itself.

    Part C – Trigger 2 – “Fly” (12 minutes)

    1. Each chanich/a should take a stick and these are placed equidistant from one another in a straight line, with enough space for one and a half feet between each stick (or ruler).

    2. The chanichim line up behind the first stick (ruler) and the final chanich/a in the line is named “The Fly.”

    3. Each chanich/a must run through the sticks, taking care to take only one step between sticks and to not step on the sticks. If a chanich/a takes more than once step between sticks or if he/she steps on them, he/she is out.

    4. Once “The Fly” finishes, he/she makes a special effort to jump particularly far (i.e. “to fly”) over the final stick. He/she remains in place and selects one stick to be removed from its place and replaced to the point where he/she has landed.

    5. This process continues until the spaces between the sticks gradually become larger and larger, leading to more and more chanichim being out.

    6. If “The Fly” is called “out,” the chanich/a in front of him/her (i.e. the penultimate chanich/a) replaces him/her as “The Fly.”

    7. The game continues until only one chanich/a can complete the mission. This chanich/a wins and is named “Super Fly.”

    Part D – Explanation 2 (8 minutes)

    1. The madrich/a should gather the chanichim and explain that the previous activity was supposed symbolize Mohammed flying from Mecca to Jerusalem on al-Buraq.

    2. Explanation: In 621 CE, Mohammed was ordered to go from the Al Masjid al-Haram (“the Holiest Mosque”) in Mecca, in what today is called Saudi Arabia to Al Masjid al-Aqsa (“The Far-Away Mosque”), which is accepted widely to be the Temple Mount, and was given Al-Buraq, a winged animal, to take him on his journey.

    3. According to mainstream Muslim theology, he reached his destination, tied Al-Buraq to the Kotel (others say to an area within the Temple Mount precinct, today known as Solomon’s Stables), and ascended to heaven from the Temple Mount.

    4. In 637 CE, Jerusalem was conquered by Mohammed’s successors, and in 691 CE they finished building the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount (“Haram al-Sharif,” or “The Noble Sanctuary,” according to Muslims).

    5. The Al-Aqsa Mosque was also built on the Temple Mount, its construction being completed in 715 CE.

    6. Along with Mecca and Medina, Jerusalem is one of Islam’s holy cities. It is called “Al-Quds” (“The Holy”) in Arabic, a shortened form of “Al Bayt al-Muqadis or Maqdis” (Beit HaMikdash).

    7. You may like to invite a Muslim speaker to your camp to speak about the Muslim connection to Jerusalem. Please remember that the purpose of bringing the speaker – and of this activity – is to learn about this connection, and not to learn about Islam itself.

Session 3: Perspectives

    1. Copies of Appendices 4, 5, and 6 (1/per chanich/a)

    2. Pens, markers, paper, poster board.

  • Part A – Trigger (10 minutes)

    1. Chanichim should be divided into three groups, representing different population sectors of Jerusalem (Arab, Haredi, secular), be given a press release describing a particular event in Jerusalem, which affects their constituency, and asked to read the release. Each group will be given a different press release.

    2. Please note that Appendix 4 deals with a confusing and difficult issue, one with which most Israelis are not familiar. Please help the chanichim and make sure that they understand the issue, and that it is a particularly complicated one.

    Part B – Preparation (15 minutes)

    1. After reading their press release, and asking the madrich/a any questions they may have, each group must prepare for protest action by preparing posters, a petition, and protest chants. Groups may like to also prepare a few words (sound bites) of explanation (not a speech – neither in formality nor length).

    Part C – Protest Action (10 minutes or much longer)

    1. After getting approval from the madrich/a, who will check that materials that have been prepared are appropriate, both in terms of content and suitability for camp, chanichim will leave the area where the session is being held to launch their protest action. They will protest next to a central place in camp, where there are people around (outside the chadar ochel for example).

    2. Each of the three groups should be close enough so that they can hear and see one another.

    3. The madrich/a should make to sure to circulate amongst all of the groups to make sure that everything remains appropriate.

    4. The goal of the protests is to make the chanichim more aware of the issues, expose them to protests, which are an everyday reality in Jerusalem, and potentially have them convince other chanichim of their views.

    Part D – Sikkum (10 mins)

    1. After returning to the session (or maybe at the very beginning of the next session), a spokesperson from each group must explain with what issue his/her group dealt, his/her group’s “persona” (i.e. Arab, Haredi or secular), and which of the other groups he/she thinks would support his/her group’s protest, and which of the other groups he thinks would launch a counter-protest. Please stress that for the purposes of this simulation, we have over-simplified matters; obviously, not every Arab, Haredi, or secular Jew thinks the same way.

    2. After each of them is presented, the madrich/a should elicit responses from each group’s spokesperson as to how his/her group would have dealt with the other scenarios. These issues are unresolved. There is no clear right or wrong in any of these matters. Our role is to learn more about them (and other issues) and try to be active and assist in resolving them in the best way possible, according to the educated and informed political viewpoints that we form. (With this said, madrichim should check the news before facilitating this session to see whether there are any updates regarding any of these issues.)

Session 4: Jewish/Arab Relations in Jerusalem

    1. Ball (dodge ball, volleyball, etc.)

    2. Masking tape (to delineate the squares for Dodge Ball)

    3. Map of Greater Jerusalem, one for every two chanichim

  • Part A – Trigger – Dodge Ball (10 minutes)

    1. er – Dodge Ball (10 minutes)

    2. The madrich/a should lead a game of dodgeball, with two important changes:

    3. The group is divided into uneven teams (one-quarter/three-quarters).

    4. The teams’ sides are uneven (the smaller team has a smaller square, and the larger team has a larger square, in proportion to the size of the team).

    Part B – Explanation (10 minutes)

    1. The madrich/a should gather the chanichim and explain that the previous activity represented a key event (date) that is important to understand before a position on the future of the city of Jerusalem can be formed.

    2. In 1948, only two weeks after the Declaration of Independence, the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem fell to the Transjordanian Army. In Batei Hamachase Square, the two thousand residents of the Jewish quarter were gathered together on May 28, during the 1948 War of Independence.

    3. The Jewish soldiers were taken captive, and the Jewish residents were expelled to the western, Jewish-controlled section of Jerusalem.

    4. Jordanian Colonel Abdullah al-Tal, commander of the Arab Legion (i.e. the Transjordanian Army), described the destruction of the Jewish Quarter in his memoirs with the words:

    5. "... The operations of calculated destruction were set in motion.... I knew that the Jewish Quarter was densely populated with Jews who caused their fighters a good deal of interference and difficulty.... I embarked, therefore, on the shelling of the Quarter with mortars, creating harassment and destruction.... Only four days after our entry into Jerusalem the Jewish Quarter had become their graveyard. Death and destruction reigned over it.... As the dawn of Friday, May 28, 1948, was about to break, the Jewish Quarter emerged convulsed in a black cloud - a cloud of death and agony."

    6. This came after a prolonged siege of Jewish Jerusalem, in which 100,000 residents – one-sixth of the total Jewish population of the Land of Israel – did not have enough food, water, medicine or ammunition, and were cut off from the rest of the Jewish-controlled areas of the Land of Israel.

    7. Even though the cease-fire agreement that was ultimately signed between Israel and Jordan called for the protection of holy places and the Jewish right to worship in Jordanian-controlled Jerusalem, between 1948 and 1967 Jews were barred completely from the Old City (including praying at the Kotel). Moreover, all but one of the synagogues of the Old City were destroyed, and headstones from the Har HaZeitim cemetery were pulled out and used for paving roads and latrines.

    8. The most well known of the destroyed synagogues is the Hurva Synagogue. On May 30, two days after Jordanian troops conquered the city, they blew up this synagogue. Early twenty-first century renovations there uncovered an ammunition cache dating back to the weeks leading up to the loss of the Jewish Quarter, as well as artifacts dating back to First Temple times. The renovated Hurva was re-opened in the spring of 2010.

    9. A wall marked the cease-fire line, and those Jews who lived in the frontier neighborhoods (near the wall) often had to deal with Jordanian soldiers sniping at them from the other side of the border.

    10. Even the Israeli forces that were allowed to cross the border to reach the Israeli enclave of Mount Scopus did not always enjoy undisturbed passage.

    11. Bottom line: The division of the city, and specifically the loss of the Old City (and its Jewish Quarter) was incredibly traumatic for Israeli society and the Jewish people; it was a trauma that continued for nineteen years. It is seethed into the consciousness of every Israeli and every Jew with a strong connection to Israel. This is a trauma that still shapes many Israelis’ view regarding the future of the city.

    Part C – Trigger 2 – Huggy Bears (5 minutes)

    1. Chanichim should walk around the activity area freely. Every so often, the madrich/a will call out “Huggy Bears,” followed by a number, e.g. “Huggy Bears Four.”

    2. On hearing this, the chanichim must get into groups of four, as quickly as possible, stand in a circle, with their arms around one another, and jump up and down frantically, shouting joyously “Huggy Bears! Huggy Bears! Huggy Bears!”

    3. The chanichim should walk around the activity area freely, until the madrich/a shouts out the next “Huggy Bears,” with a different number. (Although there is an option to call those chanichim who did not get into a group “Out,” this goes against the purpose that the game is being used for in this particular context – see below.)

    Part D – Explanation (5 minutes)

    1. The madrich/a should gather the chanichim and explain that the previous activity represented a key event (date) that we need to understand, before we can form a position on the future of the city. Make clear to the chanichim the link between the trigger and the explanation. (The chanichim grabbing one another and jumping up and down with joy symbolizes West Jerusalem and East Jerusalem being reunited, and everybody being ecstatic, holding each other, and dancing with joyous song.)

    2. The joy that was felt by Israeli society and Jews throughout the world when on the third day of the Six-Day War Israeli forces conquered the Old City of Jerusalem, including the Kotel, was absolute. There was almost a Messianic fervor amongst Israeli Jews (as well as amongst Diaspora Jews, especially Americans) after Israel, which many thought might even be destroyed as a result of the impending war, tripled in size in only six days and conquered the Biblical heartland of Israel, including Jerusalem.

    3. Within a very short time, the dividing wall between West and East Jerusalem(s) was demolished, the al-Mughrabi Quarter of the Old City (where Arabs lived) was bulldozed to make space for the Kotel Plaza in order to make room for the large number of pilgrims, who were expected to arrive on Shavuot (which fell only days after the end of the war), and the municipal borders of Jerusalem were expanded massively to the north, east, and south.

    4. The frontier neighborhoods (which had previously been slums) became prime real estate in the center of the city, with a perfect view of the walls of the Old City which was now under Jewish control.

    5. Bottom line: This was one of the most ecstatic, joyous moments in twentieth-century Jewish/Zionist history, and for many Israelis/Jews with a strong connection to Israel this was true therapy/catharsis for the trauma of 1948-1967.

    Part E – Trigger 3 – Cat and Mouse and Streets and Alleys (10 minutes)

    1. Cat and Mouse:

      • Two chanichim are selected to be the cat (whose role it is to chase the mouse) and the mouse (whose role it is to run away from the cat).

      • Chanichim stand in a circle holding hands, with the cat standing on the outside (or inside) and the mouse standing on the inside (or outside).

      • On the madrich/a’s command, the cat must start to chase the mouse, and the individual chanichim who form the circle, need to, on their own initiative, move their arms up or down, in order to allow the mouse to escape and to block the cat’s path (i.e. to separate the cat and the mouse and block one from the other).

      • Neither cat nor mouse can run far away from the outside of the circle; if either player is on the outside of the circle then they must be more or less adjacent to the chanichim who form that circle.

    2. Streets and Alleys:

      • Two chanichim are selected to be the cat (whose role it is to chase the mouse) and the mouse (whose role it is to run away from the cat).

      • All other chanichim are divided into several (as) even (as possible) straight adjacent lines and asked to spread out so that with outstretched arms, their fingers are touching one another. This is the “Streets” position.

      • On the madrich/a’s command, the cat must start to chase the mouse.

      • If the madrich/a calls out “Alleys,” all chanichim (except the cat and mouse) must turn to their right and quickly reposition themselves, so that with outstretched arms, their fingers are touching one another.

      • If the madrich/a calls out “Street Lights,” all chanichim (except the cat and mouse) must lift both their arms above their head (thereby allowing free access to both the cat and the mouse).

      • Neither cat nor mouse can run far away from the outside of the streets and alleys; if either player is on the outside of the “grid” then they must be more or less adjacent to the chanichim who form the outer rows of that grid.

      • And, neither cat nor mouse can run under any chanich/a’s arms (which separate the cat and the mouse and block them from one another) at any time; if the change to Streets or Alleys blocks their path, then they must go around the barrier, or bide their time, waiting for a new command.

    Part F – Sikkum (5 minutes)

    1. The trigger represented a key event (date) that we need to understand, before we can form a position on the future of the city. Make clear to the chanichim the link between the trigger and the explanation. (The chanichim in the circle in Cat and Mouse separate/block the cat’s access to the mouse, and the chanichim in Streets and Alleys separate/block the cat’s access to the mouse when they switch from Streets to Alleys, or from Alleys to Streets.)

    2. In 2005, the Israel cabinet approved the final route of the barrier. Here we are concentrating on the Jerusalem section of the barrier and discussing the barrier overall only in as much as it informs our conception of its Jerusalem section.

    3. It is important to note that although the vast majority of the barrier is a series of trenches/ditches, razor wire, patrol roads, sensors, etc. (approximately 90% at this point – this will be higher, if and when the entire planned southern section of the barrier is built), the portion around Jerusalem is one of a handful of places which has an eight-meter high wall as part of the barrier (overall across the entire length of the barrier, the wall section is approximately 10% at this time – this will be lower, if and when the entire planned southern section of the barrier is built).

    4. The madrich/a should distribute the map of Greater Jerusalem (see resources).

    5. Remember to include the following disclaimer: This map comes from the Ir Amim website (www.ir-amim.org.il), an organization which describes itself as “an Israeli non-profit organization founded to engage in those issues impacting on Palestinian-Israeli relations in Jerusalem, and on the political future of the city. Ir Amim seeks to render Jerusalem a more viable and equitable city, while generating and promoting a more politically sustainable future.” It is a left-wing organization.

    6. The madrich/a should stress the three “borders”

    7. a) the Green Line (the 1949 cease-fire line)

    8. b) the municipal (City Hall) border

    9. c) the proposed route of the separation barrier (the barrier is incomplete – most of the southern flank of Jerusalem remains exposed). It is interesting to note that the barrier divides some parts of Jerusalem (“the eternal undivided capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish people”) from other parts of the city.

    10. Those who support the barrier say that it has reduced terrorism significantly, although others counter that there must be other reasons for the drop in terrorism if the southern flank of Jerusalem remains completely exposed.

    11. Many oppose the barrier because it is seen as a “land-grab” by Israel (in that it has not been built on the Green Line but rather east of it, that is, inside Judea and Samaria/the West Bank), and because it cuts off many ordinary Palestinians from access to employment (including working their own fields), education, and medical care.

    12. Others oppose it because it seems to demarcate a political border and therefore cede Israeli control over parts of Biblical Israel.

    13. The vast majority of Israeli Jews continue to support the barrier.

    14. These issues will be discussed more in the later sessions.

Session 5: A Different Opinion

  • Appendix 7 (one copy per chanich/a)

  • Note:

    This session deals with very confronting themes. It should only be run for chanichim who are up to the challenge. For “intermediate” groups, it might be best to use the summary of the article. (Appendix 8)

    Procedure:

    1. The madrich/a should explain to the chanichim that during this session a different/critical review of Jerusalem will be presented. This view may be very different from the views of many of the chanichim, and may even upset many of them. This fact should be mentioned at the very beginning of the session.

    2. The madrich/a should explain that some Israelis rarely visit Jerusalem and that for some of them this is a very deliberate choice.

    3. Moreover, most Jewish Jerusalem residents would rarely visit East Jerusalem/the eastern part of Jerusalem – except for the Old City and some parts of the Holy Basin (some of the holy sites adjacent to the walls of the Old City).

    4. Why do you think this might be?

    5. What ramifications might this have for Jerusalem, and for the rest of Israel?

    6. It should also be explained to the chanichim that this view is being presented because it is a view that is representative of some Israelis.

    7. Have the chanichim read the entire article in Appendix 7 and then discuss in a whole group (better for older groups).

    8. Upon completing the article and discussion, the madrich/a should ask the chanichim if they have any general or specific questions, or any thoughts or feelings that they might like to share with the group in regard to this op-ed.

    9. To conclude, read Elie Wiesel's piece on Jerusalem (Appendix 8). To take us back to Yerushalayim shel Maala and Yerushalayim shel Mata of our first session, perhaps Sarid is presenting only Earthly Jerusalem and perhaps Wiesel is presenting only Heavenly Jerusalem. Perhaps some synthesis between these two opposing narratives can be made.

    10. If this is possible, how would you combine the ostensibly opposing positions represented by Sarid and Wiesel.

Session 6: Sikkum

  • Paper and makers, pencils, crayons, etc.

    1. What did we learn during the last five sessions? Review these sessions, focusing on the theme, topic and aims (knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes). Remember to make clear to the chanichim the link between the various triggers/activities and what they represented/symbolized, that is, the explanations.

    2. Ask the chanichim if they have any general or specific questions, or any thoughts or feelings that they might like to share with the group.

    3. Suggested sicha questions might include:

    4. Session 1

    5. Has your conception of Jerusalem changed over the course of the five sessions? If so, how?

    6. What is your “ideal” Jerusalem?

    7. What is the difference between your ideal Jerusalem and the Jerusalem that exists in reality?

    8. Session 2

    9. What should be the role (if any) of the Christian and Muslim religious authorities in administering/ruling over Jerusalem?

    10. Is it a good or bad thing that after conquering the Temple Mount in 1967, Israel made clear that the Waqf (Islamic Religious Trust) would be allowed to continue to administer the site, without Israeli interference (even though Israel would be

    11. Session 3

    12. Review the scenarios from Session 3.

    13. Which protest action do you actually support (according to your own belief system)? Why?

    14. Which do you oppose (according to your own belief system)? Why?

    15. Session 4

    16. Review the key dates which were discussed in Session 4.

    17. Is Jerusalem “the eternal undivided capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish people” – in theory/in reality?

    18. What do you think should be the future of Jerusalem?

    19. Should the city remain “the eternal undivided capital of the State of Israel and the Jewish people”?

    20. Can the city be (re-)divided?

    21. Is the essence of the Clinton Parameters (set down in December 2000/January 2001) that “the Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem will be under Israeli control and the Arab neighborhoods will be under Palestinian control, and special arrangements will be made for the Old City and for holy sites, acceptable to you? Why/why not?

    22. After having spent five sessions learning about Jerusalem, and more than 400 years after the “spiritual map” which we viewed in the first session was drawn, the chanichim will now have the opportunity to re-draw their own “spiritual map” of Jerusalem. After giving some time for this, several chanichim can be selected to present and explain their map.

    23. Again, ask the chanichim if they have any general or specific questions, or any thoughts or feelings that they might like to share with the group.

 

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