The Statements Game
The Statements Game
<p>From: Looking Forward to Mifgashim <br />The Charles R. Bronfman Center for the Israel Experience <br />Section 3 – Activity 2</p>
Goal:
To help participants clarify their ideas
about and relationship to Israeli Jews
Number of Participants:
Any number
Time required:
60 -90 minutes Statement Signs
Materials needed:
Task Cards (photocopied and cut apart)
Large envelopes or bags
Empty slips of paper
Pen / pencils
Procedure:
Choose 6-8 statements from the list that
follows and write each statement on a large sheet of paper (let's call them
"Statement Signs").
Hang Statement Signs around the room.
Attach a large envelope or bag to the bottom part of each sign. It is not
necessary to use all of the statements; choose those statements most appropriate
to the group.
Give each participant the same number of
slips of blank paper as there are statements. Ask them to write a brief
reaction to each statement on the slips of paper (i.e. do they agree/disagree
with the statement and why?) and to drop each slip in the corresponding
envelope.
After participants have put all the slips
in the envelopes, divide them into the same number of small groups as there are
statements.
Have each small group take one Statement
Sign and its attached envelope/bag. Read aloud the slips of paper in it and
tally how many slips agreed and disagreed with the statement.
Have each small group then discuss the
statement, guided by the Task Card. and come to an agreement about their
position on that topic as a group.
Ask the small groups to present to the
full group their statement, the issues they discussed relating to that
statement and the position they decided to take.
Questions
for Group Discussion:
- Do
you feel close to or alienated from Israeli Jews?
- Do
you see a reason to maintain or strengthen the connection between Israeli
and Diaspora Jews? Why? How?
- How
do you think the mifgash can contribute to this process?
Statements:
1. Israeli
Jews should not leave Israel to live anywhere else.
2. The
State of Israel belongs more to its citizens (including Israeli Arabs) than it
does to Jews living outside of Israel.
3. The
Jewish people could not continue to exist without the State of Israel.
4. Today
it is difficult to see how Israelis and the Jews of the Diaspora are one people.
5.
Anti-Semitism keeps the Jewish people going;
without it, Jews would not assimilate.
6.
Diaspora Jewish communities must help Israelis
who move to them in the same way that Israel helps those Jews who make aliya
from the Diaspora.
7.
Diaspora Jews should not try to influence what
goes on in Israel; Israelis should not try to influence what happens in
Diaspora communities.
8. Israel also has an assimilation problem.
Statement 1: Israeli Jews should not
leave Israel to live anywhere else.
1. Arrange
the responses that you received in the form of a chart. In one column place the
positive responses and their reasons and in the other place the negative
responses and their reasons.
2. Come
to a group consensus about the statement, using these questions:
a) Which
reasons convinced you?
b) Are
Israelis being disloyal when they choose to leave their country?
c) Do
you think Jews living in the Diaspora should feel obligated to strengthen the
Jewish State by moving to Israel?
Statement 2:
The State of Israel belongs more to its citizens (including Arabs) than it does
to Jews living outside of Israel.
1. Arrange the responses that you
received in the form of a chart. In one column place the positive responses and
their reasons and in the other place the negative responses and their reasons.
2. Come to a group consensus about the
statement, using these questions:
a) Which
reasons convinced you?
b) Do
you believe Israel should be a specifically Jewish state? In what way?
c)
Should Israel have completely
equal rules and services for all of its citizens—Jews, Druze, Christians and
Muslims? Should there be any differences?
d)
To whom do you feel closer -to an
Israeli Jew or to a Christian living in your neighborhood?
b) How do you
explain the fact that the Jewish people existed for close to 2,000 years
without a state?
Statement 3: The Jewish
people could not continue to exist without the State of Israel.
1. Arrange the responses that you received in the form of a chart. In one column place the positive responses and their reasons and in the other place the negative responses and their reasons.
2. Come
to a group consensus about the statement, using these questions:
a) Which
reasons convinced you?
b) How do you explain the fact that the
Jewish people existed for close to 2,000 years without a state?
c) In
what ways does Israel ensure the survival of the Jewish people?
d) If
Israel did not exist, would your Judaism still be as meaningful? Explain!
Statement 4: Today it is difficult to see
how Israelis and the Jews of the Jews of the Diaspora are one people.
1. Arrange
the responses that you received in the form of a chart. In one column place the positive responses
and their reasons and in the other place the negative responses and their
reasons.
2. Come
to a group consensus about the statement, using these questions:
a) Which
reasons convinced you?
b) Do
you think it is important for Israeli and Diaspora Jewish to feel like one
people?
c) Do
you feel connected to Israelis? In what way?
d) Are
the ways in which you think Israelis are a people separate from you?
Statement 5: Anti – Semitism keeps the
Jewish people going; without it, Jews would assimilate.
1. Arrange
the responses that you received in the form of a chart. In one column place the positive responses
and their reasons and in the other place the negative responses and their
reasons.
2. Come
to a group consensus about the statement, using these questions:
a) Which
reasons convinced you?
b) Are there any ways in which
anti-Semitism can be seen as a positive force for the Jewish people? If so,
how?
c) Does
anti-Semitism strengthen Israel in any way?
Does it promote aliya to Israel?
d) Do
you think Israelis have a problem with anti-Semitism?
Statement 6: Diaspora Jewish communities must
help Israelis who move to them in the same way that Israel helps those Jews who
make aliya from the Diaspora.
1. Arrange
the responses that you received in the form of a chart. In one column place the positive responses
and their reasons and in the other place the negative responses and their
reasons.
2. Come
to a group consensus about the statement, using these questions:
a) Which
reasons convinced you?
b) Are
you ready to invite Israelis who leave Israel into your synagogue or community?
c) Does
helping Israelis in your community encourage them to leave Israel?
d) Do
you think it is a problem that a significant number of Israelis choose to leave
Israel?
Statement 7: Diaspora Jews should not try
to influence what goes on in Israel; Israelis should not try to influence what
happens in Diaspora communities.
1. Arrange
the responses that you received in the form of a chart. In one column place the positive responses
and their reasons and in the other place the negative responses and their
reasons.
2. Come
to a group consensus about the statement suing these questions:
a) Which
reasons convinced you?
b) Do you think a person has a right to
express his or her views about a situation in which he or she is not directly
involved?
c) Is
it better for Israeli and Diaspora Jews to remain apathetic towards each other?
d) Would you like to have an influence on
what goes on in Israel? Are you
interested in the opinions of Israeli Jews about how your Jewish community should
be run?
Statement 8: Israel also has an
assimilation problem.
1. Arrange
the responses that you received in the form of a chart. In one column place the positive responses
and their reasons and in the other place the negative responses and their
reasons.
2. Come
to a group consensus about the statement, using these questions:
a) Which
reasons convinced you?
b) What
can assimilation mean for a Jew living in Israel?
c) How do you think it is different to
live in a country in which Jews are the majority as opposed to where Jews are
the minority?
