“Aboard the Exodus: Setting Sail for Freedom’s Shore” (PAGES 14–17) LESSON PLAN BY ANN R. BERMAN After reading the feature article about the Exodus 1947, students will discuss Watch a newsreel aboutat the many people who took great risks to create a Jewish homeland in . the Exodus 1947 . Through a comparison of the Exodus from Egypt and the Exodus 1947, students www.babaganewz.com will understand the connection between freedom and the Land of Israel.

CONCEPTS AND OBJECTIVES would be allowed to enter the land without Arab approval. k Students will understand that creating the modern State Displaced Persons (DP’s): These were people who had been of Israel required risk-taking, hard work, and the efforts forced to leave their homes during WWII. This group of from many parts of the world. The ultimate included the Jewish survivors of the concentration camps success of the Exodus 1947 mission was due to the efforts and Jews who had been in hiding during the war. While of various groups of people, rather than specific non-Jewish DP’s waited in camps until they could return individual “heroes.” Groups of everyday people working to their pre-war homes, Jewish DP’s could not and did not together for a common goal have the power to affect the wish to return. After surviving the concentration camps, course of history. these DP’s lived in DP camps in , Austria, and k For Jews, there is a concrete connection between Italy for many years until a new home could be found for freedom and the Land of Israel. them. Very few could go to Israel legally because of the White Paper, and few could come to the United States PRE-READING DISCUSSION because of immigration quotas. In order for students with little background in pre-State history to understand the impact that the Exodus 1947 had Aliyah Bet—1939–1948: This refers to the illegal movement in creating the State of Israel, students should understand to bring Jewish survivors into Eretz Yisrael, despite the the following terms and ideas. A glossary of these terms is restrictions of the White Paper. The story of Exodus 1947 is available to print at www.babaganewz.com/teachers. only one of many stories of illegal ships trying to get Jews into Eretz Yisrael during these years. —1917: In this document, the British government promised to help the Jewish community (): This is the group of Jews, based in establish a Jewish homeland in Eretz Yisrael (known as Eretz Yisrael, in charge of the Aliyah Bet movement. They Palestine before 1948). sent members to Europe to move Jews secretly by truck and on foot from the DP camps in Germany, Austria, and White Paper—1939: This British law was written just before Italy to the coast of France and Italy, and then eventually to the beginning of WWII, and limited the number of Jews Eretz Yisrael. allowed to enter and settle Eretz Yisrael to 75,000 over a five-year period. After that, the law stated that no more Jews launch anation.” the shoresof passengers streamontotheship.” In shocked disbelief, thesailorswatchedweary France,Sete, oftheirtask. realizedthetrueimportance they membersarrivedin BigBillandthe34othercrew “When KEY QUOTESANDQUESTIONS the events isavailablethe events at of the events 2. Review Quotesand Questions. theKey anddiscuss 1. Readthearticle MOTIVATION AND DEVELOPMENT Was themissionsuccessful? help createanew Jewish state] What was themissionof immigrants aboard tear-stained facesofthemorethan4,500homeless “Freedom—and thepricepaidforit—nowhadaface: tothepassengers? presenceontheshipimportant was hisvery andhespoke Hebrew.] establishment ofaJewish statethere, time? How was Yossi atthat differentfrommostJews intheworld the DPcampsgetto lawstook theriskofbreakinginternational tohelptheJews from Yossi was livinga“free”lifein Mossad How didYossi cometobeonthisship? strength.”renewed the ship’s Jewish commander, withhope,pride,and Yossi viewed aboardtheship,they “Like everyone Harel, justlikepassengers Aliza? How didAlizacometobeonthisship?were therestof “Teenager AlizaCohenwasamongthethousandsofrefugees.” most ships? on How were differentfrommostpassengers thesepassengers knew little.] who were opentovolunteeringfor asecretventureaboutwhichthey duringWWIIand fromserving menwhohadreturned U.S. service ship? Howwas therestofcrew justlike BigBill? boardthe afterseeingthepassengers this? Whatdidhelearn Who was BigBillbeforethisadventure?Why didhevolunteerfor at vote pass.Your studentscanview theactualnewsreel ofthisevent helpedthat ofthisstory, createdby thenews reports the Jews, Nations votedtoestablishtheStateofIsrael.World sympathy for theUnited inNovember 1947, at thistime.Threemonthslater, sympathyto go—createdinternational for theplightofJews becausethey hadnowhere nightmare, the originoftheirterrible onlytobesentback Holocaust resistthemightyBritishfleet, ofthe lonelysurvivors destitute, fromtheship—helpless, reports How didthisshiphelplaunchtheStateofIsrael? Europe.] article. article. people involved inthe thestudents tomakeprint. Ask alistofallthegroups www.babaganewz.com H ie nteLn fIre,risked hislife for working the [He livedintheLandofIsrael, and Haganah Eretz Yisrael .] Eretz Yisrael Exodus 1947 Exodus 1947 Exodus 1947 .] so thatthey couldbeginanew life and Exodus 1947 www.babaganewz.com/teachers Eretz Yisrael N,theshipwas sentbackto [No, ? . Atimelinesummarizing that arereferred tointhe , theshipthathelped ? [Refer totheroleof [to get4,500DP’s onto . Why doyouthinkhe [These were [The news Why to Jews leaving andtheJews aboardthe Egypt 1947 After completing the charts, askstudents: thecharts, completing After despite therisksandpossiblenegativeconsequences. thisillegaladventure, why variousgroupsdecidedtosupport serious possibleconsequenceonthe“Minus” side.Discuss pressing advantageonthe“Plus”sideandbymost Aliyah Bet the and consequencesthatwouldbefacedbysupporting listthepotentialproblems them onthe“Plus”side.Then and of “freedom” asrepresented by boththeBiblicalExodus establish theState ofIsrael aclassdefinition sought.Draft oftheHolocaustthe survivors andthegroupsworkingto withthefreedomthat at thetimeofExodusfromEgypt offreedom 6. Concludethelessonbycomparing theaspects 5. StudytheJewish below. texts Discuss why the of or insmallgroups,studentswillthinkofways thatthestory the frontandfourboxesonback.Working individually ofpaperintofourboxeson students todivideaplainsheet to 4. ComparetheExodusfromEgypt have inhelpingtomake StateofIsraelareality? themodern togetheraroundtheworld and thevariousgroupsthathadtowork andhowwere they met?What roledidthe defeated, Aliyah Bet What doesthistellusaboutthegroupsofpeopleinvolved inthe refitted, andputsuppliesonthe by oneofthesegroupsinvolved inthe groups. Eachgroupwillbeassignedtoanalyzetheriskstaken 3. Plus-Minus-Interesting Dividetheclassintothree Chart: Haganah the advantages/reasons thatDP’s, Americansailors,orthe Eachgroupshouldbrainstorm missions werekept secret. law isusuallyconsideredtobeabadthing,andsothese Jews allowedto enter Israel Paper”). (“White Breakingthe established becausetheBritishhadlimitednumberof Bet should identifytherolethattheirgroupplayed inthe www.babaganewz.com/teachers Using thatisavailable theworksheet toprinton assigned totheAmericanJews, inthisactivity.) toparticipate American Jewish group, community andcreateafourth want toteachyourclassabouttheinvolvement ofthe have enoughroomfor fourcomparisonsontheirpaper. account andfind parallelsinthemodernstory. Studentswill different peopleorspecific intheBiblicalExodus events story. Encouragestudentstothinkabouttherolesof student draws orwrites itsparallelfromthe story, fromtheEgyptian something andopposite thatthe and freedom.In onebox,astudentdraws orwrites involved inthe theAmericanJewscovered inthearticle, werealsovery Haganah 1) Americansailors,2)thedisplacedpersons,and3) Exodus 1947 . Remindthestudentsthat Exodus 1947 . Whatistherelationshipbetween thedestination ofthe ? What was important tothem?Howwere theirgoals ? Whatwas important would have the forsupporting members. (Additionaloption:Althoughnot on the“Minus” side.Put astarbythemost Haganah is similar to the story of Egyptian slavery ofEgyptian is similartothestory Aliyah Bet models. renamed the movement. They purchased, movement. They President Warfield Aliyah Bet , eachgroupofstudents President Warfield Exodus 1947 Aliyah Bet Exodus 1947 movement was Exodus 1947 Exodus 1947 . You may Aliyah Bet . Instruct and list , Aliyah Exodus ? :

BABAGANEWZ TEACHERS’ GUIDE NISAN 5764 BABAGANEWZ TEACHERS’ GUIDE NISAN 5764 complete untiltheJewish ofIsrael.complete totheLand people get hope todisplacedpersons.Rememberthatfreedomisnot studentstorelatehowthesepromisesmighthaveAsk brought made totheIsraelites beforetheTen inEgypt Plaguesbegan. arethepromisesofredemptionandfreedom based. These ofwine(andnotdrinkingElijah’sdrinking fourcups Cup)is aretheversesfrom These you asaheritage.IamGod.” Exodus 1947 the Designacommemorativestampdepicting 2. Art: andkept changing. that goalwasuncertain 1947 but studentscanrelatethewordsofthissongto alludestothedifficultiesactually leaving faced after Egypt, Avraham, toYitzh then Iwillbringyoutothelandthatsworegive Who bringsyououtfromundertheburdensofEgypt.And yourGod, andyouwillgettoknowthatIamGod God, I willtakeyoutoMe forapeople, and Iwillbetoyoua with anoutstretchedarmandgreatjudgments, I willsaveyoufromtheirslavery,andredeem will bringyououtfromundertheburdensofEgypt,and andI Therefore, saytotheChildrenofIsrael:“IamGod Shemot 6:6–8 JEWISH TEXTS 1. Music: FOLLOW-UP ANDENRICHMENT people? What roledoesIsraelplay intheideaoffreedomforJewish andtheArablands? Argentina, Ethiopia, Soviethappened toJewish communitiesintheformer Union, whatcouldhave have nohomeelsewhere. Iftherewere noIsrael, andprovidingJews asafehaven aroundtheworld forJews that promise areality?DiscusstherolethatIsraelplays inprotecting withGodtohelpmake this howdowe partner times, In modern Exodus 1947 whoassistedinthevoyage andothers of crew, passengers, ofthatpromiserealtothe Howwasthis verse. thememory nation ( God promisedAvraham thathisdescendantswouldbeagreat Blessed One,rescuesusfromtheirhands. the they riseupagainstustodestroyus;andGod, for notonlyonehasrisenupagainstus,butinallages It isthispromisethathasstoodbyourancestorsandus; Pesach Haggadah, Ve’hi She’amdah . Those passengers had a goal, but the route to get to passengershadagoal,buttherouteto get . Those Bereishit The Journey Song ? . Ask students to decide what they thinkisthe studentstodecidewhatthey . Ask 12:2). This is the promise that is referred toin 12:2). Thisisthepromisethatreferred . ak, andtoYaakov, andIwillgiveitto Shemot by DebbieFriedman. song The upon which the custom of upon whichthecustom Exodus ‘ most important messagefromthe most important hY tWrj My 3. Video: View thebeginningofmovie 3. Video:View in thestyle ofapostagestamp. draw ofpaper, animageofthatmessageonafull-sizesheet VOCABULARY FORYOURSTUDENTS www.us-israel.org/jsource/Holocaust/stlouis.html A briefhistoryofthe www.haruth.com/VirginiaExodus1947.html stages ofthe For ahistoryandmanyphotographsfromdifferent Gruber. New York: TimesBook,1999. Exodus 1947: TheShipThatLaunchedaNation www.babaganewz.com book isacompositeofmany storiesof same asareal theadventure.Althoughnameofshipis depicts A newsreelofthe RELATED WEBSITES/ADDITIONALSOURCES arouse worldsympathy.) the not. (No onelistened toorcaredaboutthepassengersof Exodus 1947 whythefinalunsuccessful missions.Discuss outcomeof passengers disembarkwhereintended.Bothshipshad their other countriesdidnotwant.Bothshipscouldlet homeinIsrael.establish anew BothshipscarriedJews that Jewish refugees committed toleaving Europeinorderto the infernoofEurope.Itendswith the United itsill-fatedpassengersto States,onlytoreturn their shipwasturnedaway fromWestern including ports, St. Louis Holocaust beginsandends withaship:Itbeginsthe Somescholarsnotethattheperiodof 4. Discussion: the groupsinvolved. thechallengesof depicting does notmatch BhY 5l 1r 1e 6x St. Louis 2 5l 8 4m 1e 1 ta 8 (1939)—Jewish refugeestriedtoflee Europe,but 6yx ; after thewar,; after the Exodus 1947 1y was positive,whilethatofthe Aliyah Bet 4 Exodus 1947 Exodus 1947 before statehood Eretz Yisrael illegal movementthatbroughtJews to Aliyah Bet aliyah freedom Exodus fromEgypt S.S. St.Louis vessel, the story inthemovieand vessel, thestory , immigrationtoIsrael voyage arriving inHaifa , termusedtodescribethe . The videoisvaluablein . The Aliyah Bet Exodus 1947 after theHolocaustafter and Exodus 1947 Aliyah Bet Exodus 1947 and therolesof St. Louis Exodus was ableto ships, and , byRuth and to that was —