THE FIVE MEGILLOT

Blank Canvases for Artistic Expression of the Human Experience

Liora Alban

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Rhea Hirsch School of Education Curriculum Guide Spring 2018 Table of Contents 1

Letter to the Educator ...... 3 Curriculum Rationale ...... 7 Scope and Sequence ...... 11 Unit 1: Introduction ...... 13 Lesson 1:1: Why the Megillot? ...... 14 Lesson 1:2: Why Art? ...... 21 Creating Our Own Meaning ...... 30— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes Lesson 2:1: Reading Ecclesiastes ...... 32 Lesson 2:2: The Importance of Balance ...... 40 Lesson 2:3: Hevel Hevelim! ...... 49 Lesson 2:4: What Can I Take from Ecclesiastes? ...... 56 Lesson 2:5: Creating Our Own Meaning 1 ...... 67 Lesson 2:6: Creating Our Own Meaning 2 ...... 78 What Do Healthy Relationships Look Like? ...... 84 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs Lesson 3:1: Song of Songs Introduction ...... 86 Lesson 3:2: The Poetic Techniques in Song of Songs ...... 95 Lesson 3:3: Creating Our Own Song 1 ...... 101 Lesson 3:4: Creating Our Own Song 2 ...... 105 Lesson 3:5: Creating Our Own Song 3 ...... 112 Growth from Struggle ...... 115— הכיא Unit 4: Lamentations Lesson 4:1: Reading Lamentations Part 1...... 117 Lesson 4:2: Reading Lamentations Part 2...... 125 Lesson 4:3: Growth from Struggle ...... 131 Lesson 4:4: Collage-Making ...... 136 Lesson 4:5: Presentations and Artist Statements ...... 143 Standing Up For What Matters...... 146— רתסא Unit 5: Esther Lesson 5:1: Reading Megillat Esther ...... 148 Lesson 5:2: Responding to Ethical Dilemmas ...... 157 Lesson 5:3: Find Yourself a Mentor ...... 167 Lesson 5:4: Becoming Inspired by Others ...... 173 Lesson 5:5: Masking and Unmasking 1...... 176 Table of Contents 2

Lesson 5:6: Masking and Unmasking 2...... 178 Looking Forward ...... 182— תור Unit 6: Ruth Lesson 6:1: Ruth 1 ...... 184 Lesson 6:2: Ruth 2, 3, 4 ...... 189 Lesson 6:3: Photographing Our Journeys 1 ...... 204 Lesson 6:4: Photographing Our Journeys 2 ...... 209 Unit 7: Planning for an Artistic Exhibition (memorable moment) ...... 214 Lesson 7:1: Artwork Review ...... 216 Lesson 7:2: Final Touches ...... 219 Lesson 7:3: Final Exhibition (Memorable Moment) ...... 221 Bibliography ...... 223

Letter to Educator 3

LETTER TO THE EDUCATOR

Dear Educator,

In choosing to teach this curriculum, you are about to dive deeply into the timeless lessons found in the megillot. A megillah is a scroll and megillot is the plural form of the word. The megillot are scrolls that come from the Ketuvim (Writings) section of the Hebrew Bible and are read on specific Jewish holidays throughout the year. The stories in these ancient scrolls were relevant thousands of years ago. As you dive deeper into this curriculum, you will realize that these stories remain as relevant today. Issues related to personal identity, self-expression, and relationships are particularly salient for teenagers as they think about the types of people they want to become in their futures. The megillot provide the perfect entry points for examination on these issues in a Jewish way.

It is my hope that you as the educator will guide your students as they journey through this curriculum. There will be challenging moments during which students will extend their comfort zones. There will also be joyful moments of students feeling pride at the growth catalyzed by this curriculum. Students need not come out of this curriculum thinking a certain way. Rather, this curriculum is meant to stretch student thinking and develop a stronger sense of self for students to carry even after this curriculum is finished.

In order for you to teach this curriculum most effectively, I have answered several questions you may have before you begin:

How should I navigate this curriculum guide?

Structure This curriculum is divided into seven units: five core units surrounded by introductory and conclusion units. These units should be taught in the order that they are presented in this curriculum guide because the lessons and themes from later units build on earlier units.

Organization Each unit begins with a unit overview that contains enduring understandings, essential questions, goals, objectives, and an outline of lessons for that unit. Following these unit overviews are the individual lessons for the unit. Each lesson contains its own goals, objectives, and list of materials. Unit 2 is a scripted unit, meaning that directions and allotted times for each lesson in that unit have been more explicitly laid out than in Letter to Educator 4

other units. Additionally, the lessons in Unit 2 have their own essential questions to make the lessons even more clear. Any necessary materials for a lesson such as images, diagrams, or other texts are included directly after the lesson in the appendices section. Appendices are labeled according to unit, lesson, and number of appendices in the lesson. Any media that should be played during a lesson is hyperlinked to that media or you can search for the website directly yourself if you are reading the hard copy of this curriculum guide. All lessons contain a set induction, a set of activities, and a closure.

Goals and Objectives Each unit overview and lesson contain their own goals and objectives. Goals are what you as the educator want to accomplish during a unit or lesson. Objectives are the skills that students will acquire by the conclusion of a unit or lesson.

Notes to Educator Throughout this curriculum you will notice footnotes titled, “Note to Educator.” These indicate logistical clarifications of which you should be aware in order to carry out the lessons as they were intended.

What do I need to know before teaching this curriculum?

Familiarizing Yourself with the Megillot Before teaching this curriculum guide, you should be familiar with the content of the five megillot. I suggest that your first step be reading the texts of the five megillot carefully and thinking about how you relate to these rich stories. I then encourage you to read the JPS Bible Commentaries on Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Esther, and Ruth. These books contain annotated translations of the megillot as well as essays that provide important frameworks of understanding. The JPS Bible commentary on Lamentations has not yet been published but I found Lamentations and the Tears of the World by Kathleen M. O’Conner to be a helpful resource on Lamentations. I also suggest reading the introduction and commentary to Lamentations in the Jewish Study Bible.

Class Size Several activities in this curriculum guide assume a minimum number of twelve students in the class. This is true in Lesson 1:2 and Lesson 2:1 for example. These activities will need readjustment if your class contains fewer than twelve students.

Letter to Educator 5

Assessments Assessments take place in each lesson of this curriculum guide. These mostly take the form of measurable objectives that will help you as the educator to determine if students learn the basic material of each lesson. Each unit ends with an art project aimed at further assessing student learning. These art projects should not be assessed on technical artistic skill but rather should be assessed on their connection to content of their corresponding units.

After each project, the students will write artist statements that ask them to explicitly explain the project’s connection to the megillah taught in that unit. An artist statement is a short piece of writing that succinctly explains an artwork. Students will not write full artist statements on their own but will rather complete artist statement guides at the end of each unit. These guides will be placed inside of a portfolio so that students can keep their artist statements throughout the year and turn them into paragraph form for the final exhibition. They will also be able to keep these artist statements after the conclusion of this curriculum. As the educator, you should keep student portfolios in a safe place during the curriculum so that they can be pulled out for students to place their artist statement guides as they write them. These portfolios should be black half inch binders with the students’ names on them. The artist statement guides should be hole-punched and placed in plastic sheet protectors so that they stay in good condition.

Exhibition The memorable moment of this curriculum is an art exhibition at the end of the curriculum. This exhibition will provide students with an opportunity to showcase the art projects they created during the curriculum and to explain how these art projects illustrate their takeaways of the curriculum. Each student will select one art project they feel proud of and want to display. The exhibition should be open to parents, friends, and members of the entire community at which this curriculum takes place. This exhibition will take careful planning of aspects such as preparing the space, inviting guests, setting aside a budget for needed supplies, and preparing students. During Unit 7, students will provide feedback to each other so that each student feels prepared to choose an art project to display. They will edit their artist statements and turn them into paragraph form so that they are ready to be read by guests at the exhibition. There is also time set aside in this unit for students to brainstorm about aspects of the exhibition.

Storage of Art Projects Like the artist statements, you will want to make sure that the art projects that students create stay in good condition throughout the curriculum and are ready to be displayed Letter to Educator 6

at the final exhibition. I suggest keeping these projects in a private location at the synagogue or school where the curriculum takes place rather than allowing students to take their projects home before the conclusion of the curriculum.

Lessons That Require Extra Preparation During Lesson 4:4, students will create collages out of broken found objects. To that end, you should make sure to collect an ample supply of materials in the weeks leading up to this lesson. See the lesson outline for greater detail. Similarly, in Lesson 5:4, students will hear from ordinary “heroes,” or members of the community who can model for students what it looks like to stand up for beliefs. You will need to contact these speakers in advance. Finally, the artistic exhibition at the end of the curriculum will take months of planning. This will include setting the date, inviting guests, and ensuring a budget. In order for this curriculum to run most effectively, be sure to look over the entire curriculum in advance, paying special attention to these particular lessons that require advance planning.

What if I feel inexperienced at understanding and making art?

You need not be a skilled art aficionado in order to successfully facilitate this curriculum! The art projects in this curriculum have been carefully planned to be realistic for artists of all backgrounds and skill sets. Thus, as you should not assess student art projects in this curriculum based on technical skill or artistic talent, neither will your success as a facilitator of this curriculum be based on technical skills or artistic talent. All you need is an openness to expressing Jewish ideas on what it means to be human in a fresh artistic way. Too often, adults are so afraid of being wrong that they refuse to be creative at all. Your job should be to show students that there need not be a “right” or “wrong” in art. Instead, you and your students should look at art as an accessible and fluid mode of exploration and self-expression.

Best of luck as you embark on your journey through the megillot in a fresh way! I wish you curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to find joy even in the challenging moments of this curriculum. Most of all, hope this curriculum will allow you and your students to uncover new truths about yourselves, your relationships, and where you are heading on your personal journeys.

Liora Alban April 2018 Rationale 7

CURRICULUM RATIONALE

The Hebrew word, megillah (plural megillot), or scroll, means “revealed.” Each megillah reveals its own Jewish perspective on the experience of living and on life’s inevitable challenges as well as joys. Through five units that each correspond to one of the five megillot, students will learn Jewish perspectives on what it means to form healthy relationships to the self and others and will explore ways that these perspectives might shape their life experiences.

Year in and year out, Jews around the globe adhere to a cycle of reading specific megillot on their corresponding holidays. The stories of the megillot touch on the myriad of experiences and emotions that come with being human. Thus, like holidays allow people to examine and celebrate certain points in time in new ways, the megillot allow people to examine and celebrate certain experiences that come with being human. Ecclesiastes, read during

Sukkot, teaches readers to accept that there is a season and place for every experience and that there is thus no need to rush through life without stopping to notice and appreciate. Song of

Songs, read on Passover, teaches about the importance of respect, patience, and acceptance in forming and nurturing relationships. Lamentations, read on Tisha B’Av teaches about the inevitability of struggle and about how struggle often results in resilience and growth. Esther, read on Purim, proposes that anyone can become a hero in his or her own way by standing up for important causes, even when this is difficult. Ruth, read on Shavuot, teaches about loyalty to the self and others and reminds us that life is a journey of perpetual self-transformation.

This curriculum guide gives students an opportunity—perhaps for the first time—to dive deeply into the megillot and to emerge with a Jewish vision of how to think about relationships Rationale 8 and their lives. I remember studying the megillot during my third year of rabbinical school at

Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. I had read Esther many times before, but the text took on a whole new meaning for me at this particular time. The year was 2017 and antisemitism and vitriolic speech seemed rampant in the United States. I was looking for answers in my Jewish tradition on how to respond. That same year, I read Song of Songs for the first time ever. I was taken aback by such an enchanting model of companionship built on respect, patience, and acceptance. The megillot spoke to me in an entirely new way that year. I realized that they contain the answers for which I was searching. The megillot teach pertinent lessons found in today’s most profound literature and film that teenagers read and watch. They do so in a Jewish way.

This curriculum guide focuses on the importance of social and emotional learning (SEL).

SEL, or the, “capacity to recognize and manage emotions, solve problems effectively, and establish positive relationships with others, competencies that clearly are essential to all students” (Christner & Mennuti, 2009) is critical for the healthy development of this curriculum guide’s target learners, tenth through twelfth graders. At this age, students might be struggling with peer pressure and are beginning to form unique identities to be sharpened and carried later in life. It is important that students feel safe, heard, and supported by their communities so that they learn to become sociable and resilient young adults. Further, studies show that healthy social relationships in adolescence correspond to healthier physical lives later in life

(Yang, et al., 2015). This curriculum aims to teach the principles of SEL through the lens of

Judaic content, specifically the megillot. The stories in these ancient scrolls explore various ways of navigating the social arena and teach that anyone, regardless of background, Rationale 9 personality, or stature, can relate to and even lead others. For this reason, the first enduring understanding of this curriculum guide is that the five megillot teach universal lessons about human relationships to the self and others.

Throughout time, artists have added their own visual midrashim, or interpretive stories, to the megillot. This is because the megillot contain luscious descriptions which make them fertile grounds for intense study on human concerns and the production of art that visually represents these concerns. The first illuminated megillah was created in Germany in the 1300s

(Greenspoon & Crawford, 2003). Koren Publishers Jerusalem recently published both an illuminated and illustrated text of the five megillot. An illuminated manuscript is a liturgical book with select letters and miniature pictures made from precious colors and metals while illustrated text is one containing larger scale drawings. Students will look at how artists for centuries have painted scenes found in the megillot and depicted them through other artistic mediums as well. They will then add to this rich artistic tradition by producing their own art on the megillot as well. Thus, the second enduring understanding of this curriculum guide is that the texts of the five megillot provide blank literary canvases upon which artists vividly express themselves.

This curriculum guide uses the arts to help students develop SEL. As Ken Robinson writes in, Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education, creative thinking is crucial for student development. He writes:

The arts are about the qualities of human experiences. Through music, dance, visual

arts, drama, and the rest, we give form to our feelings and thoughts about ourselves, Rationale 10

and how we experience the world around us…Engaging with the arts of others is the

most vibrant way of seeing and feeling the world as they do.

At the juncture between childhood and adulthood, students are thinking in new ways about their social relationships and their identities. The megillot provide a meaningful entry point for deep thought on these topics in creative Jewish ways. My hope is that students will carry the megillot’s lessons during adolescence and beyond.

Scope and Sequence 11

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE

Unit 1: Introduction

This introductory unit provides the framework for the entire curriculum. It introduces the megillot for students and explains that this is an arts-based curriculum. It also provides students with the elements and principles of design for them to be familiar with as they create art during the remainder of the curriculum.

ֹ Creating Our Own Meaning— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

This first core unit sets the framework for the rest of the core units. It explores the key words of Ecclesiastes and teaches students that the human experience includes both successes and challenges, highs and lows. This unit asks students to confront the reality that sometimes efforts in life can be futile and that life can even feel meaningless at times. Towards the end of the unit, students learn that one way of making life meaningful is to live according to personal values that enrich our relationships and our lives.

?What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like — יש ר רישה י ם Unit 3: Song of Songs

This second core unit asks students to read Song of Songs as a lens to understanding the relationships in their own lives. Students will learn about the poetic techniques used in Song of Songs and then use this knowledge to write and illuminate their own poems about relationships.

Growth from Struggle— הכיא Unit 4: Lamentations

This unit teaches students that struggle and pain are inevitable realities of the human experience. In order to move forward from struggle, a person should begin by first acknowledging and accepting this struggle. Then, this person can look towards the future and think about moving on from this struggle. Once doing this, a person is ready to transform and grow. The greatest periods of struggle often bring the greatest periods of growth. Students will concretize this concept by making collages out of broken materials that show that brokenness often gives way to beauty.

Standing Up for What Matters—א רתס Unit 5: Esther

Once students have sat in the low point that comes with studying the somber text of Lamentations, they will employ what they learned in that unit—that it is important to eventually move on from struggle towards growth—to move into Unit 5 on Esther. Students will think about their strengths, examine how they can employ these strengths and the support they receive from others in order to be like Esther and stand up for the causes that they find important even when the risks of doing so are great. Students will create plaster masks that visually represent the leaders they wish to be. Scope and Sequence 12

Looking Forward- תור Unit 6: Ruth

In this last core unit, students will reflect on their journeys during this curriculum. They will learn that Ruth, too, is on a journey in her story. Ruth ends with an eye towards the future as the texts tells readers about the generations that come after Ruth. Similarly, the students will ask themselves how their journeys during this curriculum will impact how they shape themselves in the future. Students will curate photography collections that represents their journeys from the beginning of the curriculum to the students’ futures after the curriculum culminates.

Unit 7: Planning for an Artistic Exhibition (Memorable Moment)

Unit 7 brings the entire curriculum to a close. Students will reexamine their art projects and provide feedback to each other on these projects. Students will then choose art pieces to display at the final exhibition, edit their artist statements, and brainstorm what they want the exhibition to look like. The curriculum culminates in a memorable moment: the end-of-curriculum exhibition.

Unit 1: Introduction 13

UNIT 1: INTRODUCTION

UNIT ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS (STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT…) • The megillot reveal lessons on the human condition that can also be found in today’s most profound literature and film. • Visual art is an effective medium for understanding the megillot and expressing the lessons that the megillot reveal. • Visual art allows for self-exploration and self-expression.

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • What do the megillot reveal about my relationships and myself? • How might do the elements of art and the principles of art make art pieces visually appealing? • How are the megillot unique within the Biblical canon?

UNIT GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Introduce students to the megillot and explain why they are different from the rest of the Bible • Teach students about the history and content of each megillah • Explain why art can help students understand the megillot and express the lessons that the megillot raise

UNIT OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Name each megillah and summarize its content • Name, define, and artistically demonstrate the elements and principles of art • Explain why art is an effective vehicle for understanding the megillot and expressing the lessons they reveal. • Name one megillah they are looking forward to studying and their reason

LESSONS 1. Why the Megillot? 2. Why Art? Unit 1: Introduction 14

LESSON 1:1: WHY THE MEGILLOT?

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Explain to students why the megillot are unique to the Biblical canon • Show students that many of the lessons in the megillot are those found in today’s most profound literature and film

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Name each megillah and summarize a major theme or message of each megillah • Verbally explain why certain megillot are read on certain Jewish holidays

MATERIALS • Pop cultural pieces (Appendix 1:1A)1 • Megillot verses (Appendix 1:1B) • Large post-it notes • Pencils or pens

SET INDUCTION • As the students enter the classroom, there will be poems, quotes, song lyrics, and images from contemporary pop culture hanging on large post-it notes. See Appendix 1:1A. • Instruct students to walk around the classroom and add their own “midrash” to these pieces of pop culture. They should do this by answering the question, “What thoughts or concerns is the creator of this piece grappling with?” They should write their answers next to the pieces. They may also add their own questions or comments. • Encourage the students not only to add their own midrash but to also take time to notice what other students have written. • Once the students have written, instruct the students to sit down and explain to them that the class is about to embark on a journey that grapples with many of the concerns and questions raised by the pop cultural pieces they just viewed.

1 Note to Educator: The pop cultural pieces should be hung on large post-it notes around the classroom before the students enter. Unit 1: Introduction 15

• The class will do this by studying a certain category of biblical books called the Five Megillot.

ACTIVITY: MEGILLOT BACKGROUND INFROMATION • Ask Students if any of them have heard of the word, “megillah.” o Many students have probably heard of Megillat Esther. • Explain that megillah means, “scroll.” Megillat Esther is one scroll but there are four more like Esther that we read on Jewish holidays throughout the year. • Jews refer to the Hebrew Bible as Tanakh, after the initial letters of its three parts: Torah, Nevi’im (Prophets) and Ketuvim (Writings). • All five megillot are part of the Ketuvim section of Tanakh. • The megillot are different from other books of the bible for several reasons: o They are shorter than other books, and thus more accessible for people to understand. o They are each read on corresponding Jewish holidays. § The first of the megillot is Song of Songs, read on Passover. § The second of the megillot is Ruth, read on Shavuot. § The third of the megillot is Lamentations, read on Tisha B’Av. § The fourth of the megillot is Esther, read on Purim. § Finally, the fifth of the megillot is Ecclesiastes, read on Sukkot. o They grapple with big questions that were relevant in antiquity but remain just as relevant today. • Although the megillot were originally arranged in the Tanakh according to the dates when they were written, today they are arranged in the Tanakh according to the time of year at which they are read. • Assure the students that the entire curriculum is about each of these megillot, so they will learn about each one individually in more depth as the curriculum moves forward.

ACTIVITY: DISCUSSION • Ask students to share with the class one of the answers that they wrote next to one of the pop cultural pieces.

ACTIVITY: MEGILLAH MATCHING • Divide the class into five groups. • Give each group a verse from one of the megillot. See Appendix 1:1B Unit 1: Introduction 16

• Ask the students to work with their group to figure out which verse corresponds to which pop cultural piece. • Once they have figured it out, the students should walk to the corresponding cultural piece. This will allow you as the educator to make sure that the students understand a message or theme that the class will later be studying about each megillah. • Once the groups have each moved to their spots, go around the classroom and ask each group as the other students listen: o To share their reasoning for matching a certain megillah quote with a certain pop cultural piece o To try to explain why they think their particular megillah is read on the holiday on which it is read. § One example would be that we read Song of Songs on Passover because Passover celebrates the blossoming of Spring and Song of Songs takes place among garden imagery. § A second example would be that we read Ruth on Shavuot because Ruth is often considered the first convert to Judaism. She commits to following the laws of Torah in a similar way to how Jews are reminded of their reception of Torah on Shavuot. § Students should find explanations like the two above for all of the megillot. o If a group cannot come up with an answer to this question, invite other students to jump in.

CLOSURE • Ask, “When have you thought about any of the themes raised in the pieces of pop culture and/or in the megillot?” • Continue with, “What themes are you looking forward to exploring as the curriculum continues?” • Students raise their hands and answer as time allows. Unit 1: Introduction 17

APPENDIX 1:1A

Ecclesiastes "What the series ["Six Feet Under"] is all about is: We die. So while we're here, let's live fully. There are lots of things that masquerade as having the key to life -- religion, culture. But ultimately we have to make decisions on our own. And we will make mistakes. And that's OK, because we're human. It's a struggle to find meaning, but that struggle IS the meaning." - Alan Ball, creator of the HBO television show, Six Feet Under

Song of Songs “If You Forget Me” By Pablo Neruda

I want you to know one thing.

You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window, if I touch near the fire the impalpable ash or the wrinkled body of the log, everything carries me to you, as if everything that exists, aromas, light, metals, were little boats that sail toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now, if little by little you stop loving me I shall stop loving you little by little.

Unit 1: Introduction 18

Esther

Lamentations “You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.” - Maya Angelou

Ruth “Where You Lead” By Carol King and Toni Stern

“Where You Lead I Will Follow” Song by Carol King and Toni Stern If you're out on the road Feeling lonely and so cold All you have to do is call my name And I'll be there on the next train

Where you lead, I will follow Anywhere that you tell me to If you need, you need me to be with you I will follow where you lead

Unit 1: Introduction 19

APPENDIX 1:1B

Even if a man lives many years, let him enjoy himself in all of them, remembering how many the days of darkness are going to be. The only future is nothingness!

- Ecclesiastes 11:8

Your neck is like a tower of ivory, Your eyes like pools in Heshbon By the gate of Bath- rabbim, Your nose like the Lebanon tower That faces toward Damascus.

The head upon you is like crimson wool, The locks of your head are like purple— A king is held captive in the tresses.

How fair you are, how beautiful! O Love, with all its rapture!

- Song of Songs 7:5-7

Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life by being in the king’s palace.

On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows,

perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.

- Esther 4:13-14

Unit 1: Introduction 20

My eyes have brought me grief Over all the maidens of my city.

My foes have snared me like a bird, Without any cause.

They have ended my life in a pit And cast stones at me. Waters flowed over my head; I said: I am lost!

I have called on Your name, O LORD, From the depths of the Pit.

Hear my plea; Do not shut Your ear To my groan, to my cry!

You have ever drawn nigh when I called You; You have said, “Do not fear!”

- Lamentations 3:52-57

Do not urge me to leave you, to turn back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will

go; wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God.

- Ruth 1:16

Unit 1: Introduction 21

LESSON 1:2: WHY ART?

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Explain to students why visual art is an effective medium for understanding the megillot and expressing the lessons that the megillot reveal • Define “arts-based curriculum” for students • Explain to students that everyone can be an artist in their own way • Teach students the elements and principles of art

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Explain how famous artists employ or have employed the elements of art and design • Explain how visual art enhances the meaning of texts • Create a poster that visually demonstrates the elements and principles of art

MATERIALS • Creation of Adam (Appendix 1:2A) • Elements and Principles of Art sheet (Appendix 1:2B) • The Kiss, Starry Night, and I and the Village (Appendix 1:2C) • Laptop • Projector • Markers • Colored Pencils • Printer paper • Scissors • Glue • Large poster on which you have written the title, “Elements and Principles of Art”

SET INDUCTION • When the students walk into the classroom, have them sit down at their seats. • Ask the students to raise their hands if they enjoy viewing art. Ask the students to raise their hands if they enjoy making art. Ask students to raise their hands if they believe they are “good” at art. o Most likely, the number of hands raised will diminish with each question. Unit 1: Introduction 22

• Explain to the students that this is an arts-based curriculum. This means that the curriculum will utilize artistic experiences to foster learning about and appreciation for the five megillot. • Many people do not feel comfortable producing art or viewing art because they have this idea that they are “bad” at art. For this curriculum, there is no such thing as being bad at art! Assure students that the art projects they create will not be assessed on their mastery of skill but rather on the extent to which they explain their artistic choices and the relationships between the projects and the megillot. • Explain that the curriculum will culminate in an art exhibition for the entire school or synagogue (depending on where this curriculum takes place). Each student will have the opportunity to display one art piece for friends, family, and other guests in order to share with them what the class has explored together during this curriculum.

ACTIVITY: WHAT DOES ART CONVEY THAT WORDS DO NOT? • Divide the students into two groups. • One group will be responsible for reading Genesis 1:26-27: o And God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. They shall rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the cattle, the whole earth, and all the creeping things that creep on earth. And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. • The other group will look at the The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo. See Appendix 1:2A. • Each group should come up with a list of ten words to describe either Genesis 1:1 or the Creation of Adam. • After each group has created their list, bring the class back together and ask each group to share their list of words. • Ask, “What do the lists have in common and what is different about them?” • Ask, “What can this exercise teach us about the power of visual art to elicit emotions and thought in a way that the written word cannot?” • Students should raise their hands and share their answers. • Afterwards, explain that visual art often brings vibrancy to the written word. Sometimes people understand topics differently based on whether they read about them or view visual representations. • State, “During this curriculum, the class will think about deeply emotional topics: values, relationships, struggles, strength, our personal journeys, and more because these are some of the thoughts and concerns raised in the megillot. In order to get to the core of Unit 1: Introduction 23

these topics and express ourselves most fully, the curriculum will utilize both the experiencing and the production of art (mostly visual but also poetic and musical).”

ACTIVITY: NO SUCH THING AS GOOD OR BAD ART • Again, explain to students that during this curriculum, there will be no such thing as good or bad art. Everyone has the potential to be an artist! • However, in order to feel ready to begin creating art, the class will learn about the elements and principles that make a painting visually satisfactory. • Pass out the “Elements and Principles of Art” handout. See appendix 1:2A • Give students time to look over the handout. • Project The Kiss, Starry Night, and I and the Village one at a time. See Appendix 1:2C. • Ask students to look at the painting and explain how the artists employ the various elements and principles of art in these paintings.

ACTIVITY: ELEMENTS AND PRINCIPLES POSTER • Students will have the remainder of class (leaving ten minutes for closure) to make a poster that visually demonstrates the elements and principles of art so that they can refer to it throughout the rest of the curriculum when creating their art projects.2 • Divide students into twelve groups and assign each group one element or principle of art based on Appendix 1:2B3 • Direct the students to write the title of their assigned element or principle in block letters on a white piece of printer paper. • They should then decorate their title using their assigned element or principle. o For example: If a student or pair is assigned, “color,” they might write, “color” in block letters and then color each letter brightly in a different color.

2 Note to Educator: Afterwards the students have made this poster, you should hang this poster prominently in the classroom in a place where the students can see it for the remainder of the curriculum. This will help students be mindful of the elements and principles of art as they create later art projects.

3 Note to Educator: Depending on the number of students in the class, some students will most likely be working individually while others will be working in pairs. This is okay. Make sure to be intentional about who works alone or in pairs. Self-driven students should be working alone.

Unit 1: Introduction 24

o If a student or pair is assigned, “pattern,” they might write, “pattern” in block letters and then create different patterns inside those block letters. o If a student or pair is assigned, “emphasis,” they might write the word, “emphasis” in block letters and then decorate the center of the word in such a way that it draws attention or emphasizes that center. o Each group should do something similar to these examples depending on their assigned element or principle. • Once the students have written and decorated their element or principle, they should cut it out.

CLOSURE • Once each group has cut out their element or principle, they should share it with the class and explain how and why they decorated their letters to reflect that element or principle. • They should then glue that element or principle to a large plain poster titled, “Elements and Principles of Art.” • The poster should be hung on the classroom wall once all the students have presented.

Unit 1: Introduction 25

APPENDIX 1:2A

Michelangelo The Creation of Adam, 1512 fresco 280 cm × 570 cm (9 ft 2 in × 18 ft 8 in) Sistine Chapel, Vatican City

Unit 1: Introduction 26

APPENDIX 1:2B4

4 The Elements and Principles of Design [Web log post]. (2015, January 28). Retrieved from http://jdhsarts.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-elements-and-principles-of-design.html

Unit 1: Introduction 27

APPENDIX 1:2C

Gustav Klimt The Kiss (Lovers), 1908 oil and gold leaf on canvas 180 cm × 180 cm Österreichische Galerie Belvedere, Vienna

Unit 1: Introduction 28

Vincent Van Gogh The Starry Night, 1889 oil on Canvas Museum of Modern Art, New York 1 73.7 cm × 92.1 cm (29 in × 36 ⁄4 in)

Unit 1: Introduction 29

Marc Chagall I and the Village, 1911 oil on Canvas 192.1 cm × 151.4 cm (75.6 in × 59.6 in) Museum of Modern Art, New York

Creating Our Own Meaning 30— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

CREATING OUR OWN MEANING— תלהק UNIT 2 (SCRIPTED): ECCLESIASTES

UNIT ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS (STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT…) • The existential themes in Ecclesiastes are just as relevant to today’s world as to the world that existed when they were written. • Value-based decisions guide a person towards a meaningful life and fulfilling relationships. • Each person has their own creativity and can express their thoughts, feelings, concerns, and values through artistic means. • A person can gain new perspective by perceiving the art that others have created.

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • How can I act according to my values in order to make my life meaningful? • How can I use artwork to learn about Jewish texts and express my thoughts on Jewish texts? • If I were to write my own ending to Ecclesiastes, what would I say?

UNIT GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Invite students to grapple with the existential questions in Ecclesiastes • Encourage students to analyze Ecclesiastes and develop their own answers to its questions • Encourage students to explore their own creativity • Demonstrate how art can be used to understand Jewish texts • Demonstrate how art can be used to express our understandings of Jewish texts

UNIT OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Name one existential question with which Ecclesiastes grapples and explain the speaker’s answer to this question • Identify and define nine key terms from Ecclesiastes • Express five core values and create a personal manifesto that expresses these values • Construct their own mobiles that express the balance needed in life

Creating Our Own Meaning 31— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

LESSONS 1. Reading Ecclesiastes 2. The Importance of Balance 3. Hevel Hevelim! 4. What Can I Take from Ecclesiastes? Creating Our Own Meaning 1ֹ .5 6. Creating Our Own Meaning 2

Creating Our Own Meaning 32— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

LESSON 2:1: READING ECCLESIASTES

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Give students time to read Ecclesiastes with their peers • Ask students to begin thinking about key existential themes in Ecclesiastes • Teach students that Ecclesiastes grapples with human problems in an effort to make the reader examine his or her values and sense of purpose

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • How are the questions in Ecclesiastes raised in contemporary music, poetry, and film? • How have I thought about the existential questions raised in Ecclesiastes?

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Identify similarities between Ecclesiastes’ reflections and those in contemporary music, film, and poetry • Rewrite verses of Ecclesiastes in contemporary language to show that they understand the meaning of these verses

MATERIALS • List of poetic, musical, and Ecclesiastes verses (Appendix 2:1A) • JPS translations of Ecclesiastes • 12 strips of colored construction paper with Ecclesiastes words and phrases written (Appendix 2:1B) • Pencils or pens • Tape • Speakers • Laptop • Auxiliary cord

Creating Our Own Meaning 33— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

LEARNING PLAN 00-15: Ecclesiastes or Not? (Set Induction) 15-55: Ecclesiastes Paper Chain 55-60: Turn! Turn! Turn! Part 1 (Closure)

00-15: ECCLESIASTES OR NOT? (SET INDUCTION) • When the students walk into the classroom, ask the students to stand together in a single line at the front of the classroom. You should make sure there is enough room at the front of the classroom for students to walk forward. If there is not enough room, move desks back. • Read verses of contemporary poetry, song, and movie clips along with related verses from Ecclesiastes aloud. See appendix 2:1A.5 • Tell the students to move forward if they think a verse comes from Jewish text. If they think the verse comes from a secular movie or song, tell them to stay on the line. • After each round, tell the students where the verse actually comes from so that they know if they were correct or not. • Ask, “What similarities in themes did you notice between any of the quotations I just read?” o Possible answers include: the pointlessness of life, the balance between positive and negative, the idea that life is always changing • Explain that these are several of the themes that the class will explore together during the unit on Ecclesiastes.

15-55: ECCLESIASTES PAPER CHAIN • Divide the class into twelve groups. This may mean that some students are working individually, which is okay.6 • Each group will be given a large strip of colored construction paper. On each strip will be a verse from Ecclesiastes with certain words that have been intentionally left blank.

5 Note to Educator: To make this more interactive, you may want to play the song lyrics or movie clips if possible using a laptop, projector, and speakers.

6 Note to Educator: If students must work alone, make sure to be intentional about who works alone or in pairs. Self-driven students should be working alone. Creating Our Own Meaning 34— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

• Explain that each group must pick a strip of paper, search through Ecclesiastes (using a JPS translation), figure out which verse of Ecclesiastes corresponds with their strip, and fill in the blank spaces. See Appendix 2:1B. The purpose of this search is to provide students with an opportunity to read all of Ecclesiastes in an engaging way. • Then, on the other side of the strip of paper the group must work together to rewrite the sentence in contemporary language that clarifies the meaning of the verse. • After each group has rewritten the sentence, the groups are going to present their verses and the ways they rewrote the verses. • Then, the groups are going to work together to put their verses into the order in which they are written in Ecclesiastes. • The students will then tape the edges of their strips together to make circles and connect the circles together. • At the end, the students will have created a paper chain made of verses that summarize the lessons in Ecclesiastes. • Explain that Ecclesiastes is read during the holiday of Sukkot. If Sukkot has not yet happened before this class, the paper chain can be hung in the synagogue’s sukkah. If it has, the paper chain should be hung in the classroom and perhaps added to the synagogue’s sukkah the following year.

55-60 TURN, TURN, TURN PART 1 (CLOSURE) • Explain that one of the most famous musical interpretations of Ecclesiastes was produced in 1965 by a famous folk-rock band called the Byrds. • Play “Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds on speakers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ga_M5Zdn4. • Say, “This song is a play on a part of Ecclesiastes that you just read. Does anyone remember which verse we read that sounds like this song? In the coming weeks, we are going to learn more about what it means for there to be a “time for everything under the sun.”

Creating Our Own Meaning 35— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:1A

How much sorrow can I take, blackbird on my shoulder? And what difference does it make, when this love is over? - “Mystery of Love,” Sufjan Stevens

What real value is there for a person in everything he or she gains beneath the sun? One generation goes, another comes, but the earth remains the same forever. - Ecclesiastes 1:3-4

The water is always changing, always flowing. But people I guess can’t live like that. - From the Pocahontas Disney movie, 1995

If there is a future there is time for mending- Time to see your troubles coming to an ending.

Life is never hopeless however great your sorrow- If you're looking forward to a new tomorrow.

If there is time for wishing then there is time for hoping- When through doubt and darkness you are blindly groping.

Though the heart be heavy and hurt you may be feeling- If there is time for praying there is time for healing.

So if through your window there is a new day breaking- Thank God for the promise, though mind and soul be aching,

If with harvest over there is grain enough for gleaning- There is a new tomorrow and life still has meaning.

- “Life Still Has Meaning,” Raskome Gabriel Eyaefe -

For as wisdom grows, irritation grows. To increase learning is to increase heartache.

- Ecclesiastes 1:18

I can’t go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.

- From the Alice in Wonderland Disney movie, 1951 Creating Our Own Meaning 36— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

The world is full of love and joy, So apply every minute and enjoy. Your life isn’t too short or long, It’s enough to where you belong.

Don’t care about tomorrow, As it may be a sorrow. And don’t care about yesterday, As it won’t be as today.

- Excerpt from “Enjoy Your Life” Jeevitha

Then I turned to all the fortunes my hands had created, to the wealth I had acquired and won. Oh, it was all futile, like chasing after wind! There was no real value under the sun!

- Ecclesiastes 2:12

To everything (turn, turn, turn) There is a season (turn, turn, turn) And a time to every purpose, under heaven

- “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” The Byrds

So appreciate your vigor in the days of your youth, before those days of sorrow come and those years arrive of which you will say, “I have no pleasure in them”

- Ecclesiastes 12:1

“I used to want to save the world. To end war and bring peace to mankind. But then, I glimpsed the darkness that lives within their light. I learned that inside every one of them, there will always be both. The choice each must make for themselves - something no hero will ever defeat. I've touched the darkness that lives in between the light. Seen the worst of this world, and the best. Seen the terrible things men do to each other in the name of hatred, and the lengths they'll go to for love.”

- From the Wonder Woman movie, 2017 Creating Our Own Meaning 37— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

Can't you see I'm trying? I don't even like it I just lied to get to your apartment Now I'm staying there just for a while I can't think 'cause I'm just way too tired

Is this it? Is this it? Is this it?

- “Is This It?,” The Strokes

How does it feel, how does it feel? To be without a home Like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?

- “Like a Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan

Creating Our Own Meaning 38— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:1B

Strip 1 (Ecclesiastes 1:2): Utter ______—said Ecclesiastes —Utter______! All is futile!

Strip 2 (Ecclesiastes 1:4): One generation goes, another comes, But the earth ______.

Strip 3 (Ecclesiastes 1:18): For as ______grows, vexation grows; To increase learning is to increase ______.

Strip 4: (Ecclesiastes 2:24): There is nothing worthwhile for a man but to eat and drink and afford himself ______with his means. And even that, I noted, comes from God.

Strip 5: (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2): A ______is set for everything, a time for every experience under heaven. A time for being _____ and a time for ______, A time for planting and a time for uprooting the planted.

Strip 6 (Ecclesiastes 3:19): For in respect of the fate of man and the fate of beast, they have one and the same____: as the one dies so dies the other, and both have the same lifebreath; man has no superiority over beast, since both amount to______.

Strip 7 (Ecclesiastes 4:1): I further observed all the ______that goes on under the sun: the tears of the oppressed, with none to ______them; and the power of their oppressors—with none to ______them.

Strip 8: (Ecclesiastes 5:1): Keep your mouth from being _____, and let not your throat be quick to bring forth speech before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; that is why your words should be ____. Strip 9 (Ecclesiastes 5:17): Only this, I have found, is a real _____ that one should eat and drink and get ______with all the gains he makes under the sun, during the numbered days of life that God has given him; for that is his______.

Strip 10 (Ecclesiastes 7:14): So in a time of good fortune _____ the good fortune; and in a time of misfortune, ______: The one no less than the other was God’s doing; consequently, man may find no fault with God.

Creating Our Own Meaning 39— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

Strip 10 (Ecclesiastes 9:9): Enjoy ______with a woman you love all the ______days of life that have been granted to you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For that alone is what you can get out of life and out of the means you acquire under the sun.

Strip 11: (Ecclesiastes 12:1-2): So ______your vigor in the days of your youth, before those days of sorrow come and those years arrive of which you will say, “I have no ______in them;” before sun and light and moon and stars grow dark, and the clouds come back again after the rain.

Strip 12: (Ecclesiastes 12:13): The sum of the matter, when all is said and done: ______God and ______God’s commandments! For this applies to all mankind.

Creating Our Own Meaning 40— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

LESSON 2:2: THE IMPORTANCE OF BALANCE

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Express to students that Ecclesiastes 3 is about accepting the good of life along with the bad • Show students that art can physically represent ideas and texts

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • What is a life of balance? • What life experiences have I already had, and which ones are still coming?

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • State their understanding of the phrase, “a time for everything under the sun” • Construct their own mobiles which physically represent the message in Ecclesiastes 3 • Verbally explain why the mobiles physically represent the lesson in Ecclesiastes 3

MATERIALS • Statements from Ecclesiastes 3 (Appendix 2:2A) • White heavy poster board • Pencils • Pens • Markers • Paint • Brushes • Colored pencils • Wire • String • Paper clips • Cardboard • Scissors • Glue • Hole punchers

Creating Our Own Meaning 41— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

LEARNING PLAN 00-10: Turn! Turn! Turn! Part 2 (Set Induction) 10-20 Choosing Ecclesiastes 3 Statements 20-55 Creating Mobiles That Represent Life Experiences 55-60 Mobiles Relate to Ecclesiastes 3 Because… (Closure)

00-10 TURN! TURN! TURN! PART 2 (SET INDUCTION) • The class listened to Turn! Turn! Turn! by the Byrds in the first lesson. • Play the song again (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ga_M5Zdn4) and say, “This song argues that there is a time for everything under the sun. What lesson do you take from this assertion?” o Possible answers include: There is a season for everything, so we should not rush around trying to do everything at once. We should not be upset when one season ends because it simply means another is coming. Another answer might be that we only get one chance at certain opportunities in life, so we should work hard and seize every opportunity that comes our way.

10-20 CHOOSING ECCLESIASTES 3 STATEMENTS • Explain that one of the possible lessons in Ecclesiastes 3 is that life is all about balance. In order to feel fulfilled, one has to accept the bad experiences along with the positive and enjoyable. • Statements from Ecclesiastes 3 will be taped on the walls around the classroom. See Appendix 2:2A. • Ask the students to stand up, walk around the room, and choose three verses that matter to them. They do not have to physically take the verses back to their seats, but rather, should remember which verses they choose. • From there, the students will return to their seats. • Once seated students will be instructed to think about the verses they chose and tell their partners: o Their reasons for choosing these statements and if there have been times in their lives when they became aware of the necessity of balancing the experiences in the three verses they chose.

Creating Our Own Meaning 42— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

20-55 CREATING MOBILES THAT REPRESENT LIFE EXPERIENCES • From here, the students will create mobiles using the three verses they just chose. • Each table will be supplied with white heavy poster board, pencils, pens, markers, paint, brushes, and colored pencils, colored pencils, wire, string, paper clips, cardboard, scissors, glue, and hole punchers.7 • Pass out, “What is a Mobile?” text that gives historical background on mobiles and details about the artist who is most famous for creating mobiles, Alexander Calder. See Appendix 2:2B. • Students should read the description aloud at their tables. • When it seems like the students have finished reading the text, ask, “Who can explain to the rest of the class what a mobile is?” This will ensure everyone understands what a mobile is before moving on to creating them. • From here, students will use the materials in front of them to create their own mobiles. • Explain the following directions: o First think about how you might want to lay your mobile. The goal is to attach pieces in such a way that the mobile hangs straight, instead of being unevenly weighted. o Once finished, these mobiles will physically represent the sum of life experiences including both the good and bad. The mobile must be physically balanced, just as a full and fulfilling life balances both the positive and the negative. This is what Ecclesiastes 3 teaches readers. o On your mobile therefore you are going to include three pairs that come from the verses you just chose. § Examples may include: birth vs. death, plant vs. pluck, laugh vs. weep o Cut the cardboard or heavy paper in front of you. You will need six pieces. Each piece will represent one life experience that should be balanced against its opposing life experience (birth versus death, for example). o On each piece, write down the life experience it represents (being born, dying, peace, war, love, hate, etc.) o From there, you can decorate the pieces however you want. Just remember that each piece should represent a different life experience so any words or images you write or depict should be related to that experience. o Once you have your pieces cut and decorated, lay out the wire and the pieces on the table in front of you.

7 Note to Educator: Make sure to leave time before the closure for students to clean up their materials. Creating Our Own Meaning 43— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

o Punch holes in the pieces and connect them to the wire. o Tie string to the top of the mobile so it can be hung.

55-60 MOBILES RELATE TO ECCLESIASTES 3 BECAUSE… (CLOSURE) • Ask a clarifying question: How does this mobile physically represent the message of Ecclesiastes 3? o Answer: Just like these mobiles must balance using the weight of all their pieces, so too must a fulfilling life be balanced by all of a person’s experiences including both the positive and the negative. • Tell students that next week they will have an opportunity to explain the pieces that they put onto their mobiles.

Creating Our Own Meaning 44— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:2A8

A time to be born, a time to die

A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted

A time to kill, and a time to heal

A time to break down, and a time to build up

A time to weep, and a time to laugh

A time to mourn, and a time to dance

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing

A time to get, and a time to lose

A time to keep, and a time to cast away

A time to rend (break), and a time to sew

8 Note to Educator: Depending on the number of students in the class, multiple statements may have to be taped onto the classroom wall. There should be enough statements so that each student can pick three. Creating Our Own Meaning 45— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

A time to keep silence, and a time to speak

A time to love, and a time to hate

A time of war, and a time of peace.

Creating Our Own Meaning 46— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:2B9 What Is a Mobile?

Alexander Calder

Self-Portrait crayon on paper, 5 7/8 x 9 in.

Private collection, © 2003 Estate of Alexander Calder / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

Alexander (called Sandy) Calder was born in 1898 into a very artistic family, his father and grandfather were sculptors, and his mother was a painter. As a child, he had a workshop and used tools to construct toys and gadgets with bits of wire, cloth, and string. "Mother and Father were all for my efforts to build things myself—they approved of the homemade," he explained. Calder loved to invent and play—he continued to do both throughout his life. Calder received a degree in mechanical engineering. He worked as an engineer for a short time but then decided to study painting in New York City. He earned money by drawing illustrations for newspapers. He

9 Note to Educator: This appendix comes from a lesson plan developed by the National Gallery of Art (https://www.nga.gov/education/teachers/lessons-activities/counting-art/calder.html). This lesson plan was helpful for helping me to figure out how to teach my students to make mobiles. Creating Our Own Meaning 47— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes drew pictures of the circus for one paper and also made hundreds of animal drawings at the zoo.

Alexander Calder in his Roxbury, Connecticut studio, 1941

Photograph by Herbert Matter

The Alexander and Louisa Calder Foundation, New York During his lifetime, Calder created more than 16,000 works of art, including drawings, paintings, jewelry, tapestries, stage sets, and sculptures. However, he is most famous for his moving sculptures, called mobiles. Instead of anchoring these three-dimensional works to the ground, Calder usually suspended them from the ceiling to allow them to float freely in space. To make a mobile, he attached brightly painted metal shapes to wire, using trial and error to balance each one. He usually cut natural forms that looked like leaves and petals rather than hardedge geometric shapes. Calder's engineering background came in handy as he experimented with different materials to balance and build his mobiles. His use of industrial materials—steel, aluminum, and wire—was new. When Calder's mobiles move with the breeze, they change shape and cast interesting shadows. Some even "sing" as their movable parts rub against each other.

Creating Our Own Meaning 48— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

Alexander Calder

CONSTELLATION MOBILE, 1943

Wood, wire, string, and paint 53" x 48" x 35" Calder Foundation, New York

Alexander Calder

BOOMERANGS, 1941

Sheet metal, wire, and paint 45" x 117" Calder Foundation, New York Creating Our Own Meaning 49— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

LESSON 2:3: HEVEL HEVELIM!

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Provide students with time to share the mobiles that they created in the previous lesson • Clearly list and define the key terms in Ecclesiastes for students • To help students realize that all people, regardless of age, gender, time period, etc. sometimes feel like their efforts are futile and that this is okay

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • Does everyone sometimes feel like their efforts are futile? • Where do I agree with Ecclesiastes? • Where do I disagree with Ecclesiastes?

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • To verbally explain an artistic decision that they made when making their mobiles during the previous lesson • Identify and write their understanding of key terms from Ecclesiastes • To verbalize what Ecclesiastes means when he states that life is futile

MATERIALS • Laptop with internet access • Speakers • JPS translations of Ecclesiastes • Ecclesiastes key terms (Appendix 2:2A) that have been written on large post-it notes and hung around the classroom prior to the start of this lesson • Tape to hang the posters if using posters • Pens or pencils • Bubbles • Magazine Advertisements (Appendix 2:2B)

LEARNING PLAN 0-5 Life Has Its Ups and Downs (Set Induction) 5-20 Sharing Mobiles Creating Our Own Meaning 50— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

20-40 Key Terms 40-50 Hevel Hevelim! 50-60 Magazine Advertisements (Closure)

0-5 LIFE HAS ITS UPS AND DOWNS (SET INDUCTION) • Play “Life Has Its Little Ups and Downs” by Charlie Rich: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Azui-cs9DQ. • Ask, “How does the message of this song relate to the mobiles that we created last week?”

5-20 SHARING MOBILES • Students will each share one of the pairs of pieces that they included on their mobile and explain why they felt it was important to include.10

20-40 KEY TERMS • Display large posters or post-it notes with key words from Ecclesiastes around the classroom. See appendix 2:3A. • State, “We read Ecclesiastes in its entirety during the first lesson, but I want to make sure that everyone understands its key terms and lessons. Around the classroom you should see key terms.” • Explain to students that they should walk around the classroom, look at the key terms, and write the following right on the large post-it notes containing the terms: o Your understanding of this term o The relationship between this term and the larger book of Ecclesiastes o Questions you have about the term. • Write these questions on the board so that students can refer to them as they circulate among the questions. • Walk around and observe as the students write. • Students should be encouraged to look at what others are writing in order to stimulate thoughts and questions.

10 Note to Educator: If there is room inside the classroom, you may want to hang the mobiles from the ceiling of the classroom using Command hooks. Creating Our Own Meaning 51— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

• After the students have written, facilitate a discussion if need be. A discussion could be necessary if there are several key terms that the students did not know how to define or if the students have many questions. o Ask students which key terms they understood and which key terms that need to be explained. o Remind students of where in Ecclesiastes these key terms appear and how they contribute to the progression of the book.

40-50 HEVEL HEVELIM! • Divide students into pairs. • Give each pair a bottle of bubbles. • Say, “Now, your task will be to blow and catch as many bubbles as possible. You have three minutes. Go!” • The students will attempt to blow and catch their bubbles. • The trick of this activity is that obviously the students cannot catch the bubbles because they pop when anyone tries. • Once the students are finished, ask, “What was challenging about this task? How does this relate to Ecclesiastes ’s message? o Possible answers include: Whenever I tried to grab the bubble, it popped. This is like what Ecclesiastes says about life. It is vapor. We are always searching for the next best thing but by the time we reach it, the goal pops and is no longer as appealing as it once was. We are never satisfied. • Explain that this is what Ecclesiastes means when he says that life is hevel hevelim. The ,and in English this means, “vapor of vapors” or לבה ֹ בה י ם ,Hebrew way of writing this is “utter futility.” • We constantly search for the next best thing or work endlessly to accomplish our goals. The problem is that true happiness is unobtainable because things and accomplishments do not satisfy us permanently. They are like bubbles, popping once we catch them.

MAGAZINE ADVERTISEMENTS (CLOSURE) • Show contemporary magazine advertisements. See Appendix 2:2B. • Hold up each advertisement one at a time, and ask, “What is this advertising? What feelings do the advertisers want to incite in the viewer and for what purpose? When was a time in your life when you wanted something that was advertised, thinking it was going to change your life. Did it?” Creating Our Own Meaning 52— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

• Close the class by explaining that Ecclesiastes’ existential angst was not unique to him. We also have the problem of always searching after the next best thing—whatever will make you happier, smarter, skinnier, etc. The truth is that these material desires never satisfy us. We always want more.

Creating Our Own Meaning 53— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:3A11

;”toil.” NJPS renderings: Noun: “gains, wealth, fortune, toiling, means, labor, earnings“ למע Amal Verb: “earn, toil, make, try strenuously, acquire.”

,do or make happen.” NJPS renderings: Verb: build up, practice, lay out, bring to pass“ השע Asah do.”

portion or possession” NJPS renderings: Noun “all I got, portion, share, what you“ קלח Helek get.”

,senselessness, absurdity.” NJPS renderings: “futility, futile, amounts to nothing“ בה ל Hevel fleeting, illusory, brief span, frustration, nothingness.”

”.wisdom.” NJPS renderings: “wisdom, wise, skill“ מכח ה Hokhmah

”.pursuit of wind.” NJPS renderings: “pursuit of wind“ ער י ו ת ר ו ח Re’ut Ruahch

,enjoyment, pleasure.” NJPS renderings: “merriment, enjoyment, merrymaking“ החמש Simcha gladness.”

,good.” NJPS renderings: “mirth, better, worthwhile, enjoyment, pleases, good, better“ בוט Tov best, wealth, fortunate, happy.”

”.profit.” NJPS renderings: advantage, real value, superior, value, the good“ ורתי ן Yitron

11 Note to Educator: For more detailed definitions of these terms as well as explanations on how these terms represent the themes of Ecclesiastes, please turn to the JPS Bible Commentary on Ecclesiastes by Michael V. Fox. Creating Our Own Meaning 54— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:2B12

12 Note to Educator: While there are many advertisements viewable online, I chose these three specifically because they highlight American society’s constant quest for the impossible: to be flawless, live blissfully, or find the ultimate quick fix. Because people seek the impossible, they are never satisfied. For citations, see bibliography under Web Resources. Creating Our Own Meaning 55— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

Creating Our Own Meaning 56— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

LESSON 2:4: WHAT CAN I TAKE FROM ECCLESIASTES?

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Encourage students to formulate their own answer about how to move forward in life despite the possibility that life is futile, as Ecclesiastes posits

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS ?How do I move forward in life even if I accept that life is ֹ hevel • • If I were to write the ending to Ecclesiastes myself, what would I write?

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Summarize three metaphors for aging in Ecclesiastes 12 • Decide which interpretation of Ecclesiastes most makes sense to them • Explain what they would say to Ecclesiastes if they had the opportunity to respond to his existential angst

MATERIALS • Hevel Hevelim artwork (Appendix 2:4A) • Answers to Ecclesiastes’ Angst (Appendix 2:4B) • Corresponding Images or Poems (Appendix 2:4C) • Ecclesiastes 12 texts from JPS Tanakh • Ecclesiastes 12 worksheet (Appendix 2:4D)

LEARNING PLAN 0-10 Hevel Hevelim artwork (Set Induction) 10-30 How Do I Move Forward? 30-45 Ecclesiastes ’s Ultimate Answer 45-55 Students’ Ultimate Answers 55-60 Calvin and Hobbes cartoon (Closure)

0-10 HEVEL HEVELIM ARTWORK (SET INDUCTION) • Pass out Appendix 2:4A to pairs of students. Creating Our Own Meaning 57— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

• Ask students to look at this image and discuss the following with their partner: o How does this image encapsulate the meaning of hevel hevelim? § Possible answers: a young beautiful woman represents the seeking of meaningless beauty. The woman looks scared or angry, expressing her existential angst. • Invite students to share their answers. • Explain that Ecclesiastes is an “existential” book. This means that the speaker, Ecclesiastes, ponders the meaning and purpose of his life and his own existence.

10-30 HOW DO I MOVE FORWARD? • State, “We will begin thinking about how to move forward, even if we accept that life is futile. How can we add meaning to a life that is supposedly meaningless? Let us take a look at how some artists and thinkers have thought about the answer to this question.” • Continue with, “There are three signs around the classroom. Each has a possible answer to Ecclesiastes’ existential angst about life’s futility (Appendix 2:2B). Take a moment to walk around the classroom and read each one.” • Continue with, “I am going to read a poem or show an image and your task is to move to the answer that corresponds to the poem or image.” See Appendix 2:3C. • As you read a poem or share an image, the students should move to the answer posed by the poem or image that you read. • Each time that the students move, the class should pause and check to see to where everyone moved. If students moved to the incorrect answer, explain the correct answer and why it is correct. • Each time students move, conclude that round by asking, “Why might an artist respond to Ecclesiastes ’s angst with this particular answer?”

30-45 ECCLESIASTES ’S ULTIMATE ANSWER • State, “Ecclesiastes responds to his own existential angst at the end of chapter 12. Before he does that though, he goes into detail about the experience of aging and laments the fact that we cannot stay in the prime of our lives forever.” He wonders about the purpose of life given that everyone dies. • Divide students into pairs. Creating Our Own Meaning 58— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

• Ask students to work with their partners to read Chapter 12 and complete the “Chapter 12 Metaphors” worksheet. See Appendix 2:3D13 • Once all the students have completed the worksheet, bring everyone together and ask the class what they wrote on their sheets. • State, “By the very end of chapter 12, Ecclesiastes develops somewhat of a response to his own existential angst. Did anyone catch what he says?” o Ecclesiastes says that the purpose of life is to revere God and observe God’s commandments.

45-55 STUDENTS’ ULTIMATE ANSWERS • Say, “If you were to answer Ecclesiastes’ question about the purpose of life, what would you say? Would you give one of the answers that our artists gave earlier? Would you come up with a completely new answer?” • “Please either move to an artwork that matches our answer or move to the spot in the classroom labeled, ‘Another Answer.’” • The students will share their answers to the question and explain why they selected these answers.

55-60 CLOSURE • Show Calvin and Hobbes cartoon (Appendix 2:4E) and explain to students that this cartoon shares a message that is similar to that of Ecclesiastes. Both Ecclesiastes and the cartoon wonder about the point of living. • Explain that the class will return to the question posed in the cartoon and by Ecclesiastes during the next lesson.

13 Note to Educator: This appendix contains two diagrams. On the first, the first answer has been filled in. This is for you as the educator to get a sense of a possible answer. The second diagram does not have the first answer filled in. Depending on the ability of your students you can choose to give them the diagram with the first answer included or not. Creating Our Own Meaning 59— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:4A14

14 From a painting being sold on Etsy by GalerieEmet. For a direct link to the Etsy store, please refer to the bibliography under Artistic Resources. Creating Our Own Meaning 60— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:4B Answers to Ecclesiastes’ Angst

Life is about working as hard as you can even though you may never see the fruit of your labors. (Peter Vinton, Sisyphus)

Life has no meaning, so we should just enjoy it as much as we can by filling ourselves up with food, wealth, power, and other pleasures. (Katharine Turk-Truman, Son of Mac)

We can add our own meaning to life by enjoying the small moments and beautiful details in nature and with the people we love. (Leah Goldberg, “Poem of a Journey’s End”)

Another Answer

Creating Our Own Meaning 61— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:4C Corresponding Images or Poems

Peter Vinton Sisyphus pastel, colored pencil 16" x 20"

Creating Our Own Meaning 62— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

Katharine Turk-Truman Son of Mac acrylic

Creating Our Own Meaning 63— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

“Poem of a Journey’s End” By Leah Goldberg

The path is so lovely – said the boy. The path is so hard – said the lad. The path is so long – said the man. The grandfather sat on the side of the path to rest.

Sunset paints his grey head gold and red, the grass glows at his feet in the evening dew, above him the day’s last bird sings —Will you remember how lovely, how hard, how long was the path?

You said: Day chases day and night – night. In your heart you said: Now the time has come. You see evenings and mornings visit your window, and you say: There is nothing new under the sun. Now with the days, you have whitened and aged your days numbered and tenfold dearer, and you know: Every day is the last under the sun, and you know: Every day is new under the sun.

Teach me, my God, to bless and to pray over the withered leaf’s secret, the ready fruit’s grace, over this freedom: to see, to feel, to breath, to know, to hope, to fail. Teach my lips blessing and song of praise when your days are renewed morning and night, lest my day be today like all the yesterdays, lest my day be for me an unthinking haze.

Creating Our Own Meaning 64— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:4D Ecclesiastes 12 Metaphors

Directions: Ecclesiastes 12 uses several metaphors to express the experiencing of aging and death. This sheet is designed to help you make sense of these metaphors. On the right-hand side of the table is the metaphor written in Ecclesiastes. Please write what you think the meaning of the metaphor is on the left side of the table.

Metaphor Meaning

“Before sun and light and moon and stars This verse is a metaphor for aging. Society grow dark, and the clouds come back again teaches us that a young life is full of light. after the rain” 12:2 Everything should be happy and exciting. The rain represents youth. Rain allows seeds to blossom. Youth is a time of blossoming for the rest of one’s life. When the stars grow dark and the clouds come back, a person has passed their prime and has entered old age.

“Before the silver cord snaps and the golden bowl crashes, The jar is shattered at the spring, And the jug is smashed at the cistern.” 12:6

“And the dust returns to the ground As it was, And the lifebreath returns to God Who bestowed it.” 12:7

Creating Our Own Meaning 65— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 12 Metaphors

Directions: Ecclesiastes 12 uses several metaphors to express the experiencing of aging and death. This sheet is designed to help you make sense of these metaphors. On the right-hand side of the table is the metaphor written in Ecclesiastes. Please write what you think the meaning of the metaphor is on the left side of the table.

Metaphor Meaning

“Before sun and light and moon and stars grow dark, and the clouds come back again after the rain” 12:2

“Before the silver cord snaps and the golden bowl crashes, The jar is shattered at the spring, And the jug is smashed at the cistern.” 12:6

“And the dust returns to the ground As it was, And the lifebreath returns to God Who bestowed it.” 12:7

Creating Our Own Meaning 66— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:4E15

15 Verenna, T. (2011, December 1). Calvin and Hobbes on Death [Web log post]. Retrieved from https://tomverenna.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/calvin-and-hobbes-on-death/

Creating Our Own Meaning 67— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

LESSON 2:5: CREATING OUR OWN MEANING 1

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Teach students that when they act with their core values in mind, they create meaning • Give students the opportunity to develop and list five of their core values • Encourage students to write their own personal manifestos as an answer to Ecclesiastes’ existential questions

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • How can I find meaning in life even when my efforts feel futile? • What values are most important to me? • How can I live by my values in order to find meaning and be fulfilled?

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Explain the difference between a meaningful life lived according to one’s values and a life solely based on accomplishing goals that are not aligned with one’s values • Identify five of their core values • Create their own personal manifestos that encompass their five core values

MATERIALS • Two eulogies (Appendix 2:5A) • Values Ranking Worksheet (Appendix 2:5B) • Inspirational Quotations and Commands (Appendix 2:5C) • Examples of Personal Manifestos (Appendix 2:5D) • Multi-colored heavy posters • Paint • Brushes • Construction paper • Magazine clippings • Glue • Scissors • Markers • Pens or pencils

Creating Our Own Meaning 68— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

LEARNING PLAN 0-10 Resume Vs. Eulogy (Set Induction) 10-20 Values Ranking Worksheet 20-50 Personal Manifestos 50-60 Sharing (Closure)

0-10 RESUME VS. EULOGY (SET INDUCTION) • When the students walk into the classroom, ask them if they have ever heard or read someone’s eulogy or if they know what a eulogy is. • A eulogy is a speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, typically who has just died. • Read excerpts from two different eulogies. See appendix 2:4A. • Ask, “What’s the difference between the two?” o Possible answer: In the first, Steve Job’s sister focused on core values of Steve such as love, family, appreciation of beauty, determination. In the second, the person talked about in the eulogy seemed too critical, thoughtless, and mean- spirited. • Explain that thus far, the class has focused on the existential notion that life is hevel—all about chasing after empty goals and pleasures. One way to make life feel more meaningful is to develop core values and make decisions and actions based on these core values. Steve Jobs seemed to be a person who acted based on his values of love, positivity, family, etc. • The Reverend Canon Boak Alexander Jobbins seemed to be someone who was so focused on himself to think about his core values and how is actions made other people feel. • When we act with our values in mind, we create our own meaning. We feel good because we are aligned with what matters most to us and because we are doing what we think is best to make others feel good and make the world more pleasant.

10-20 VALUES-RANKING WORKSHEET • The students will work individually to complete this values-ranking worksheet. See Appendix 2:5B. • Afterwards, invite some students to share one of their top five values.

Creating Our Own Meaning 69— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

20-50 PERSONAL MANIFESTOS PART 1 • Ask the students if they remember how Ecclesiastes ends. o Answer: Ecclesiastes 12:14 says, “The sum of the matter, when all is said and done: Revere God and observe God’s commandments.” o Commandments are the answer to Ecclesiastes ’s questions about life’s meaninglessness. • Ask students to think silently about how they might end Ecclesiastes if they were given the chance. • Students will write their own endings to Ecclesiastes in the form of personal manifestos. The manifestos should answer the question, “When all is said and done, what values matter most to me and how can I live by them?” • Give students colored poster boards, pencils, paint, brushes, magazine clippings, scissors, glue, markers, and pens or pencils to make their manifestos. • Examples will be hanging on the walls or passed out to the students. See Appendix 2:5D. Invite students to look at the examples. • Each student will receive a list of inspirational quotations and commands (Appendix 2:5C) as inspiration that they can put onto their manifestos, or they can write their own. • Explain to students that they should write at least five statements in their personal manifestos, each of which represent one of their core values. • Students will work on these manifestos for the remainder of the class. Be clear that the students will have twenty minutes (no more though!) during the next class to finish their personal manifestos. • Make sure to leave time for clean up at the end of class.

50-60 SHARING (CLOSURE) • Invite students to share their personal manifestos thus far.

Creating Our Own Meaning 70— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:5A

Excerpt from the eulogy that Mona Simpson wrote for her brother, Steve Jobs.16

Steve was like a girl in the amount of time he spent talking about love. Love was his supreme virtue, his god of gods. He tracked and worried about the romantic lives of the people working with him. I remember when he phoned the day he met Laurene. “There’s this beautiful woman and she’s really smart and she has this dog and I’m going to marry her.” When Reed was born, he began gushing and never stopped. He was a physical dad, with each of his children. He fretted over Lisa’s boyfriends and Erin’s travel and skirt lengths and Eve’s safety around the horses she adored. None of us who attended Reed’s graduation party will ever forget the scene of Reed and Steve slow dancing. His abiding love for Laurene sustained him. He believed that love happened all the time, everywhere. In that most important way, Steve was never ironic, never cynical, never pessimistic. I try to learn from that, still.

Excerpt from the eulogy of The Reverend Canon Boak Alexander Jobbins17

Well, I'm not going to insult Boak's memory by pretending he was a perfect man. He wasn't. Far from it…

He wasn't shy about expressing his opinion. But he knew when to give you enough rope. To let you work out why you were wrong. Because you probably were. Even if you didn't know it yet...

People have written of a young firebrand minister, certain of the right way, and with little time for those who disagreed with him.

He COULD be a bastard sometimes. Having my character flaws served up as a sample material for a St Swithun's sermon was a pretty low point…

16 Simpson, M. (2011, October 30). A Sister’s Eulogy for Steve Jobs. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/30/opinion/mona-simpsons-eulogy-for- steve-jobs.html

17 Hutcheon, J. (2012, September 14). Speaking ill of the dead: The power of the eulogy. Retrieved from http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-14/hutcheon-speak-of-the- dead/4261322

Creating Our Own Meaning 71— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:5B18

VALUES RANKING WORKSHEET

Name ______Date______

What do you value most in life? There are 21 values listed below. Place a check mark in the column across from each value that best represents you. Afterwards you will be invited to share your values if you want. Extremely Not Values Important Important Important

WISDOM Having mature understanding, insight, good sense, and good judgment ______

COMFORT Having enough wealth to care for myself and my family ______

TRUSTWORTHINESS Being honest, straightforward, and caring ______

SKILL Being able to use knowledge effectively; being good at doing something important for you and others ______

SPIRITUALITY Having a personal connection to a higher power ______

RECOGNITION Being important, well-liked, and accepted ______

PLEASURE Satisfaction, gratification, fun, joy ______

COURAGE The drive to move forward even when the mission seems difficult ______

MORALITY Believing in and keeping ethical standards, personal honor, and integrity ______

18 Activities That Teach Values. (2002, August 6). Retrieved April 09, 2018, from http://www.uen.org/lessonplan/view/562

Creating Our Own Meaning 72— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

LOYALTY Maintaining allegiance to a person, group, or institution ______

LOVE Warmth, caring, unselfish devotion ______

KNOWLEDGE Seeking truth, information, or principles for satisfaction or curiosity ______

JUSTICE Treating others fairly or impartially; conforming to truth, fact, or reason ______

HONESTY Being frank and genuine with everyone ______

HEALTH Being sound of body ______

CREATIVITY The creation of new ideas and designs; being innovative ______

FAMILY One’s present family and future family ______

EDUCATION Formal learning. ______

ACHIEVEMENT Accomplishments; results brought about by resolve, persistence, or endeavor ______

APPRECIATION Being grateful for the good fortunes in your life ______

ACCEPTANCE The ability to accept the things I Cannot control and to move forward ______

INTEGRITY When your thoughts and actions align ______

OTHER ______

My top 5 most important values are:

1. ______2. ______3. ______4. ______5. ______

Creating Our Own Meaning 73— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:5C

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein

“Justice, Justice shall you pursue!” - Deuteronomy 16:19

“In spirituality, the searching is the finding and the pursuit is the achievement.” - Dr. Abraham J. Twerski

“Ben Zoma says: Who is the wise one? He who learns from all men...”

“Who is the mighty one? He who conquers his impulse...”

“Who is the rich one? He who is happy with his lot...”

“Who is honored? He who honors the created beings...” - Pirkei Avot 4:1

“Say little and do much.” - Pirkei Avot 1:5

“Any love that is dependent on something, when that thing perishes, the love perishes. But [a love] that is not dependent on something, does not ever perish.” - Pirkei Avot 5:16

“It is not your responsibility to finish the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.” - Pirkei Avot 2:16

“Whatever you find within your power to do, do it!” - Ecclesiastes 9:10

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” - George Bernard Shaw Creating Our Own Meaning 74— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.” - Dr. Seuss

“Live out your imagination, not your history.” - Stephen Covey

“You cannot buy trust, you have to earn it.” - Munia Khan

“To keep the body in good health is a duty, otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” - Buddha

“Happiness is only real when shared” - Jon Krakauer

Creating Our Own Meaning 75— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:5D19

19 Vardy, M. (2017, June 29). 10 Insanely Awesome Inspirational Manifestos. Retrieved from https://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/10-awesome-inspirational-manifestos.html

Creating Our Own Meaning 76— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

Creating Our Own Meaning 77— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

Creating Our Own Meaning 78— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

LESSON 2:6: CREATING OUR OWN MEANING 2

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Ask students to reflect on what they have discussed and created during this unit • Provide students with an opportunity to think deeply about the artwork they have created • Teach students about artist statements and allow them time to write artist statements for the art pieces they created during this unit

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • How can artistic expression help me understand the themes in Ecclesiastes? • What do I want others to know about my Ecclesiastes artwork? • What main lesson will I take away after reading Ecclesiastes?

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Finish making their own personal manifestos that encompass their five core values • Write their own artist statements about their Ecclesiastes artwork and will begin compiling their portfolios • State one main takeaway that they will carry with them even after this unit is complete

MATERIALS • Laptop with internet access • Inspirational Quotations and Commands (Appendix 2:5C from Lesson 2:5) • Examples of Personal Manifestos (Appendix 2:5D from Lesson 2:5) • Multi-colored heavy posters • Paint • Brushes • Construction paper • Magazine clippings • Glue • Scissors • Markers • Lined paper • Pens or pencils Creating Our Own Meaning 79— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

• Ecclesiastes Artist Statement Guides (Appendix 2:6A) • Student portfolios • Excerpt from Against the Grain: Unconventional Wisdom from Ecclesiastes (Appendix 2:6B)

LEARNING PLAN 0-10 What Makes Museums Special? (Set Induction) 10-55 Three Stations: Finish Manifestos, Artist Statements, Wrap-Up 55-60 Against the Grain (Closure)

0-10 WHAT MAKES MUSEUMS SPECIAL? (SET INDUCTION) • Show students a virtual tour of the National Gallery of Art: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/virtual-tours/virtual-tour-2011#/central- hall/. • Ask: What do you notice about the way that the room is organized including the pieces of art, the wall color, the shape of the room? • Explain that this lesson will be partly dedicated to finishing the manifestos but that the class will also be writing their first artist statements of the year. These will be used to make the end-of-curriculum exhibition. • When displaying important artwork, it is not enough to merely lay it down. Artwork should be contextualized and displayed intentionally, as it is at the National Gallery of Art. • The artist statements (to be explained further later in the lesson) will help students think about this context and intention.

10-55 THREE STATIONS: FINISH MANIFESTOS, ARTIST STATEMENTS, WRAP-UP • Students will be divided into three groups. • For the remainder of the class, students will rotate between three stations. They will spend fifteen minutes at each station.20

20 Note to Educator: If you have madrichim (helpers) in the classroom, this is a great place to use them. These madrichim can each lead a station which frees you to observe students working as they rotate between stations. If you do not have madrichim, you will have to explain Creating Our Own Meaning 80— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

• Station 1: Finish Manifestos o Students will have fifteen minutes to put finishing touches on their personal manifestos that they started during the previous lesson. • Station 2: Artist Statements o Students will receive paper and pens or pencils and write artist statements for the two pieces they have worked on during this unit (mobiles and personal manifestos). If students do not have enough time to work on both, they can choose to write about one piece. o Madrich(a) at this station will explain that an artist statement is a short piece of writing that succinctly explains an artwork. It should not contain personal details about the artist but should rather explain the “why” of a piece. o Remind students that they will be creating artwork like they did during the Ecclesiastes unit throughout the rest of this curriculum. They are also going to write corresponding artist statements to be placed inside their portfolios. o At the end of the curriculum, students will display at least one piece and its corresponding artist statement at the Spring Exhibition. Because these will be seen by guests, they should take these statements seriously. o Students will write their artist statements using the “Ecclesiastes Artist Statement Guide.” See Appendix 2:6A. o Once the students are finished, they will put the artist statements inside of their portfolios. • Station 3 o You or a madrich(a) lead a wrap up discussion by asking students to share a lesson from Ecclesiastes that is particularly meaningful to them and how they hope to remain mindful of this lesson in their lives even after this unit is finished.

55-60 AGAINST THE GRAIN (CLOSURE) • Read excerpt about someone’s thoughts after reading Ecclesiastes for the first time from Against the Grain: Unconventional Wisdom from Ecclesiastes. (Appendix 2:6A) • Explain that now that the class has read Ecclesiastes together, the hope is that they will refer to its lessons time and time again in the future.

the artist statements at Station 2 to the entire group before breaking up so that students can write their artist statements while you facilitate Station 3. Creating Our Own Meaning 81— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2:6A Ecclesiastes Artist Statement Guide

The title of my piece (mobile or personal manifesto) is…

This piece visually represents a lesson that I learned by reading Ecclesiastes, which is that…

The piece represents this lesson because…

The creative process I underwent to create this piece was…

T

Creating Our Own Meaning 82— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes

APPENDIX 2.6B21

21 Waddle, R. (2005). Against the grain. Retrieved April 2018, from https://books.google.com/books?id=N_E6CwAAQBAJ&pg=PT10&lpg=PT10&dq=Ecclesiastes in pop culture&source=bl&ots=VwJ7yPYx8V&sig=GHwtsdseJ29DdS4z2q- rdXogHYI&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi_qJ6zqsXZAhUFy2MKHTWGAyA4ChDoAQg9MAM#v=tw opage&q&f=false

Creating Our Own Meaning 83— תלהק Unit 2 (Scripted): Ecclesiastes What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 84 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

WHAT DO HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS LOOK — יש ר ישה ר םי UNIT 3: SONG OF SONGS LIKE?

UNIT ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS (STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT…) • When a person acts with respect, patience, and acceptance of others, they strengthen their relationships. • Metaphors powerfully help readers make sense of text and of the world. • Visual art can add meaning and significance to the written word. • Healthy relationships should be celebrated.

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • How should I read and understand Song of Songs? • How can I ensure that the people who play significant roles in my life treat me with respect, patience, and acceptance? • How can I treat others with respect, patience, and acceptance? • How can I use the power of language to describe the world around me? • How can I use the visual arts to make my written words even more powerful?

UNIT GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Teach students about the historical context of Song of Songs • Model for students how to understand and use poetic elements to enhance their writing • Ask students to examine their understanding of Song of Songs • To help students examine their current relationships and to strive for respect, patience, and acceptance in the relationships that exist currently in their lives and those yet to be created

UNIT OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Write their own lyrical poem in the style of Song of Songs • Illuminate their lyrical poems with images that clarify and enhance their meanings • Use linguistic and visual metaphor to represent the healthy aspects of a current relationship (familial, friendly, or romantic) in their lives and be able to explain how and why these are included on their illuminated manuscripts • Write what they understand Song of Songs to be describing

What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 85 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

LESSONS 1. Song of Songs Introduction 2. The Poetic Techniques in Song of Songs 3. Creating Our Own Song 1 4. Creating Our Own Song 2 5. Creating Our Own Song 3

What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 86 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

LESSON 3:1: SONG OF SONGS INTRODUCTION

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Introduce students to Song of Songs by providing them with an opportunity to read excerpts • Familiarize students with background information on Song of Songs including its poetic techniques, history and origin, and genre and function, and unique place within the Biblical canon

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Restate or draw excepts from Song of Songs • Write about Song of Song’s poetic techniques, history and origin, genre and function, and unique place within the biblical canon

MATERIALS • Introduction to Song of Songs from Jewish Study Bible (Appendix 3:1A) • Introduction to Song of Songs worksheet (Appendix 3:1B) • Excerpts from Song of Songs (Appendix 3:1C) • How Solomon Sees His Bride (Appendix 3:1D) • Posters or large post-it notes (to hang excerpts onto) • Tape to hang posters • Pencils and Pens

SET INDUCTION: LOVE SONG SING DOWN • When students enter the classroom, divide the students into two teams. • Tell the students that they have one minute to come up with as many songs as they can that have the word, “love” in it. • Once the minute is over, each team takes turns singing the songs that have the word, “love” in it. Once one team sings a song, it cannot be sung again by the other team. • Keep playing this game until one of the teams cannot think of any more songs. • Once the game is over, explain that the class will begin learning about a love song that comes straight out of the Tanakh: Song of Songs. .Shir HaShirim , יש ר רישה םי In Hebrew, Song of Songs is called • What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 87 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

• The book is a series of love poems between a man and a woman and the class will use these poems to explore what healthy relationships built on patience, respect, and acceptance look like.

ACTIVITY: SONG OF SONGS INTRODUCTION • Divide students into four groups. • Each group will receive an introduction to Song of Songs from The Jewish Study Bible. See Appendix 3:1A. • Each group will be assigned to read and explain to the rest of the class one paragraph of the introduction. The introduction has been color-coded to make it easier for students to know exactly which parts they are responsible for reading and explaining to the rest of the class.22 • In their groups, the students should read the paragraphs that their groups have been assigned and they should summarize their paragraph in the corresponding box on the “Song of Songs Introduction” worksheet. See Appendix 3:1B. • After each group has finished reading and summarizing their paragraph, the groups will each present what they read and summarized to the rest of the class. • As students listen to other groups present, they should fill out the rest of the “Song of Songs Introduction” worksheet so that by the conclusion of this activity, each student has completed the “Song of Songs Introduction” worksheet.

ACTIVITY: READING AND WRITING ON SONG OF SONGS EXCERPTS • Now that the students have read background information on Song of Songs, they will now begin reading excerpts from Song of Songs. • Hang excerpts of Song of Songs onto large posters or post-it notes around the classroom. You should do this before the lesson begins. See Appendix 3:1C. • Instruct students to walk around the classroom, read the excerpts, and either: o Restate in their own words what is being described in each excerpt o Draw the imagery being described • Afterwards, the students will return to their seats and be invited to share what they wrote or drew. If they have questions about the excerpts, they may share those too.

22 Note to Educator: You will need a color printer to maintain the color coding of Appendices 3:1A and 3:1B. If you do not have a color printer, you can code these appendices in a different way using symbols or a highlighter marker. What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 88 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

• Assure the students that some of the imagery is difficult to draw or to restate because it is metaphorical and thus it does not make sense to take the imagery literally.

CLOSURE • Pass out, “How Solomon Sees His Bride” diagram to each student. See Appendix 3:1D. • State, “See, if we were to take literally the metaphors in Song of Songs, the images would be rather strange. Most of the language is metaphorical. During the next lesson, we will learn how to make sense of the metaphors in Song of Songs.”

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APPENDIX 3:1A23 The Song of Songs is the Tanakh's only extensive discourse on human, erotic love. The book consists of a series of poems in which the speech of two lovers is interspersed with occasional comments by other voices. Throughout the poems, the lovers describe them selves and each other, and their feelings of love, desire, and longing. While the book has no narrative plot, the relationship between the lovers is marked by cycles of absence and presence. Poems which celebrate the presence of a lover alternate with poems of longing and poems of invitation. While both lovers speak within the text, the woman is the more active and articulate character. Her experiences, feelings, and perceptions are the central content of the poem. This suggests to some that a woman may have authored (parts of) the Song.

The Song is characterized by a wide range of poetic techniques. The poets draw from the language of the natural, domestic, and urban spheres. They use techniques of word play, pun and soundplay, repetition, simile, metaphor, and double entendre to highlight the relationship between the two lovers. One of the most striking literary features of the Song is the oscillation among the different spheres and modes. The poetic voices shift repeatedly from praise to adjuration, from playfulness to violence, and from third-person to second-person address, creating dyna c movement. The poetic techniques, many of which have parallels in Egyptian and Mesopotamian love poetry, provide an apt vehicle and a literary mirror for the lushness, exuberance, and movement of the relationship which they describe.

The compositional history and origin of the Song of Songs remain matters of debate. Most commentators agree that the book is a collection of poetic units which are linked by theme, language, and style. There are disagreements, however, over the extent of each unit and the degree of coherence of the collection. Some scholars insist that the poem is the work of a single author who might have relied on earlier sources or traditions. Others insist that the canonical text is the product of a redactor who edited together preexistent poems and poetic fragments.

The date of composition of the Song is also unclear. With the exception of the few references to King Solomon, there is no mention of known historical figures or events. Nor do the references to human behavior correlate to the attitudes or situations of a particular historical period. In addition, the book contains both archaic language and relatively late words, which makes it difficult to establish a date on linguistic grounds. Contemporary scholarly consensus

23 Berlin, A., Brettler, M. Z., & Fishbane, M. (2004). The Jewish study Bible: Jewish Publication Society Tanakh translation. New York: Oxford University Press.

What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 90 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs hypothesizes that the poem probably has its roots in early folk and literary traditions but was composed or redacted in the 4th or 3rd century BCE.

The original genre and function of the text have also been the subject of much research and debate. Over the past century, three major theories have been adduced. The first is that the Song is the script of a drama which told the story of a love affair. This theory was quite popular in the 19th century, but has since been abandoned. The second theory holds that the Song evolved from a Mesopotamian liturgical context which described the sacred marriage of a god and goddess. This theory is based on perceived similarities between the Song and ancient Mesopotamian sacred marriage texts. Like the dramatic theory, this theory has become less popular in recent years, but it remains possible that some of the images of the poem originate in liturgical or mythological traditions. The third, most satisfactory theory maintains that the text is a collection of poems about human love, some of which may have originally been used in wedding celebrations.

The Song's positive focus on human, erotic love, its silence regarding the central theological and historical themes of the rest of the biblical text, and the centrality of its female character, make it unique within the biblical canon. Some scholars have argued that already by the time of its inclusion in the canon, the Song was understood not only as human love poetry but also, and perhaps primarily, as a description of the love relation ship between God and Israel. This theory rests partly on the use of the human love relationship as a metaphor for the God-Israel relationship in the prophetic literature (e.g., Isa. 54-4-8; Jer. 2. 1-2; Ezek. chs 16, 23; Hos. chs 1- 3). While it is possible that the allegorical understanding of the poem was already current at the time of the book's canonization, it is also possible that the poems were introduced into the canon because, as secular love songs, they occupied an important place in the culture of ancient Israel in biblical and Second Temple times. Once the book became part of the canon, the tendency to interpret it allegorically increased.

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APPENDIX 3:1B

Song of Songs Introduction

Poetic Techniques in Song of Songs

History and Origin of Song of Songs

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Genre and Function

The Relationship Between Song of Songs and the Rest of the Bible

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APPENDIX 3:1C

“Ah, you are fair, my darling, Ah, you are fair, With your dove-like eyes! And you, my beloved, are handsome, Beautiful indeed! Our couch is in a bower; Cedars are the beams of our house, Cypresses the rafters.” (Song of Songs 1:15-17)

“My beloved spoke, and said unto me: ‘Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth. The time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; The fig-tree puts forth her green figs, and the vines in blossom give forth their fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.” (Song of Songs 2:10-13)

“O my dove, you are in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, Let me see your face, let me hear your voice; For sweet is your voice, and your face is lovely.” (Song of Songs 2:14)

“My beloved is mine and I am my beloved’s” (Song of Songs 2:16)

“Upon my couch at night I sought the one I love— I sought but found him not. I must rise and roam the town, Through the streets and through the squares; I must seek the one I love. I sought but found him not. I met the watchmen who patrol the town. ‘Have you seen the one I love?’” (Song of Songs 3:1-3)

“My beloved is clear-skinned and ruddy, Preeminent among ten thousand. His head is finest gold, His locks are curled and black as a raven. His eyes are like doves by watercourses, bathed in milk, set by a brimming pool. His cheeks are like beds of spices, banks of perfume His lips are like lilies; They drip flowing myrrh. His hands are rods of gold, studded with beryl; His belly a tablet of ivory, Adorned with sapphires. His legs are like marble pillars Set in sockets of fine gold. He is majestic as Lebanon, Stately as the cedars.” (Song of Songs 5:10-15)

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APPENDIX 3:1D24

24 Kranz, J. (n.d.). How Solomon sees his bride [infographic]: Figures of speech in Song of Songs. Retrieved March 2, 2018, from https://overviewbible.com/song-solomon-figures-of-speech/.

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LESSON 3:2: THE POETIC TECHNIQUES IN SONG OF SONGS

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Define “poem” for students • Teach students that Song of Songs is an example of Biblical poetry • Ask students to identify poetic techniques used in Song of Songs

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • State the characteristics that make a piece of writing poetry • Identify and share with the class poetic techniques in Song of Songs

MATERIALS • Laptop with internet access • Auxiliary cord • Speakers • Projector • Selection of Poems (Appendix 3:2A) • JPS translations of Song of Songs • “Mime’amakim” lyrics (Appendix 3:2B)

SET INDUCTION: WHY DO WE READ AND WRITE POETRY? • Show clip from Dead Poets Society: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS1esgRV4Rc&list=PLNXCcA3dMm_6Te3gzPAzdT7 2n5zYhrFws • Ask students, “According to this clip, why do we read poetry?” • Tell the students that the class will use this lesson to dive into the poetic techniques used on Song of Songs.

ACTIVITY: WHAT MAKES A POEM A POEM? • Divide students into pairs. • Give each pair a selection of poems. See Appendix 3:2A. • In their pairs, the students should read the poems and think about what they have in common in order to figure out what makes a poem a poem. What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 96 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

• After the pairs have worked together, invite the student to share what the discussed and what they think makes a poem a poem. Write key words that the students repeat on the board. • Afterwards, share with the students that poetry is a composition arranged in verse. This means that it is arranged with a metrical rhythm.

ACTIVITY: LECTURE ON POETIC TECHNIQUES25 • In order for students to “hunt” for the poetic techniques in Song of Songs in the next activity, you as the teacher will first have to teach the students about these poetic techniques so that they know what they are searching for. • Do this in a concise lecture style using the following information: o Parallelism: a characteristic of Hebrew poetry in which a thought in one line, or the first part of a line, is echoed, developed, or heightened in the second part or line. o Parallelism allows the poet to elaborate on an idea in several verses. § Example: Song of Songs 4:2 • A garden locked is my sister my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed. § Example: Song of Songs 1:15-16a • Ah, you are beautiful, my love; ah you are beautiful; your eyes are doves. Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly lovely. o Metaphor and Simile: A metaphor is a literary device of comparison between two unalike things. A simile is a specific subset of metaphor that uses "like" or "as" to make the comparison. § Example: Song of Songs 2:1 • I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys o Imagery: Visually descriptive or figurative language

25 When preparing this lesson, I found this website to be helpful: http://www.oxfordbiblicalstudies.com/resource/lessonplan_14.xhtml. For more information, please also refer to Robert Alter’s The Art of Biblical Poetry. What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 97 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

§ Song of Songs uses intense imagery, comparing the lovers’ bodies to items from the natural world. § One is able to imagine a luscious garden as the setting for Song of Songs. The Song also makes reference to geographical features such as Jerusalem and Tirzah. o Chiasmus: A common structure in biblical poetry that contains a relationship of A to B and then B to A. § Example: Song of Songs 2:14 • My dove, you are in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, Let me see your face, let me hear your voice; For sweet is your voice, and your face is lovely § Here the chiasmus is represented as: face, voice, voice, face.

ACTIVITY: POETRY HUNT • Divide the class into six pairs. If there are more than twelve students in the class, the groups can have three students. • Assign each group a passage from Song of Songs: 2:10–15, 3:1–5, 4:1–8, 5:2–7, 5:10–16, 7:1–5, 7:10–8:3. • Tell the groups to read their passages together in their JPS translations either aloud or silently and “hunt” for the following: o An example of parallelism o A metaphor o Imagery and an explanation of the mood that this imagery conveys o An example of chiasmus • Once the groups seem finished, invite each group to share what they found.

CLOSURE • Play “Mime’amakim” (Out of the Depths) by The Idan Raichel Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24cMDy1j86U. • Project the translated lyrics or print them out and pass them out to the students. See Appendix 3:2B. • Explain that this song is a modern Hebrew interpretation on Song of Songs. In the next lesson, students will begin writing their own versions of Song of Songs just like the Idan Raichel Project does here.

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APPENDIX 3:2A the universe took its time on you crafted you to offer the world something different from everyone else when you doubt how you were created you doubt an energy greater than us both Irreplaceable26 - Rupi Kaur

“Poem Without an End” By Yehuda Amichai Inside the brand-new museum there’s an old synagogue. Inside the synagogue is me. Inside me my heart. Inside my heart a museum. Inside the museum a synagogue, inside it me, inside me my heart, inside my heart a museum

26 Kaur, R. (2017). The Sun and Her Flowers. London: Simon & Schuster, a CBS company.

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“The Road Not Taken” By Robert Frost Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.

“Caged Bird” By Maya Angelou A free bird leaps on the back of the wind and floats downstream till the current ends and dips his wing in the orange sun rays and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage can seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill of things unknown but longed for still and his tune is heard on the distant hill for the caged bird sings of freedom.

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APPENDIX 3:2B27

“Mime’amakim” By the Idan Raichel Project From deep depths I called to you to come to me with your return the light in my eyes will come back it's not finished, I am not leaving the touch of your hands that it may come and light up/wake upon hearing the sound of your laugh.

From deep depths I called to you to come to me the moonlight I will again light your way to me they're spread out and melted again the touch of your hands I whisper, ask in your ears: Who is it that calls to you tonight - listen who sings loudly to you - to your window who put his soul so you'd be happy who will put his hand and build you your home who will give his life, put it underneath you who will be like dust living at your feet who will love you of all your lovers who will save you from all evil spirits from the deep depths.

From deep depths I called to you to come to me the moonlight I will again light your way to me they're spread out and melted against the touch of your hands I whisper, ask in your ears: Who is it that calls to you at tonight ...

Who is it that calls to you at tonight ...(X2)

27 http://www.hebrewsongs.com/?song=mimeamakim What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 101 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

LESSON 3:3: CREATING OUR OWN SONG 1

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Teach students that a healthy relationship is one built on respect, patience, and acceptance • Teach students that Song of Songs describes what respect, patience, and acceptance look like in a relationship • Ask students to examine their own relationships and to identify healthy relationships, romantic or not, in their lives • Give students an opportunity to begin writing their own poetry about healthy relationships

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Verbally share key words that express the feeling of being loved • Find and verbally share three examples of respect, patience, and acceptance in the lovers’ relationship in Song of Songs • Write a poem about a healthy relationship in their life that includes at least two of the poetic techniques learned in Lesson 3:2 (metaphor or simile, imagery, chiasmus, parallelism)

MATERIALS • JPS translations of Song of Songs • Poetic Techniques of Song of Songs (Appendix 3:3A) • Lined paper • Pencils

SET INDUCTION: WHAT DOES HEALTHY LOVE FEEL LIKE? • Once the students enter the classroom and sit down at their desks, ask students to think of a time in their lives when they felt particularly loved. • Students should raise their hands and share when they felt loved and what made them feel this way. • As the students share, write key words on the board that the students share. Examples may include: o Supported, safe, understood, patience, respected, accepted, appreciated, etc. What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 102 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

• Afterwards, ask students to share aspects of unhealthy relationships and how it feels to be treated poorly by others. Examples might include: o Jealousy, gossip, competition, judgement, mean-spiritedness. • Explain that a healthy relationship is one that lifts up both people in the relationship. It encourages them to becomes stronger and more fulfilled versions of themselves. • A healthy relationship often acts as a mirror. People with whom we share relationships should feel comfortable enough with us to offer negative feedback when they feel we need to grow. Even when someone offers us negative feedback, though, we should feel that this feedback is coming from a supportive and encouraging place of wanting us to be the best possible versions of ourselves. • A relationship should not constantly make us feel worse about ourselves and or that we are alone in improving ourselves. If and when this becomes the case, it is time to leave the relationship. • A healthy relationship is ultimately one built on respect, patience, and acceptance.

ACTIVITY: ASPECTS OF HEALTHY LOVE IN SONG OF SONGS • Explain that even though Song of Songs is a love poem between two lovers, it nevertheless offers much guidance on what a person should expect in any type or relationships, romantic or not. It describes a relationship built on respect, patience, and acceptance. • Divide the class into three groups. • Assign one group the term, “respect.” • Assign one group the term, “patience.” • Assign one group the term, “acceptance.” • Ask each group to read through the JPS translation of Song of Songs and find 3 pieces of evidence that these qualities exist in the lovers’ relationship in Song of Songs. • Afterwards, each group will share what they found with the entire class.

ACTIVITY: IDENTIFYING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS IN OUR OWN LIVES • Ask students to close their eyes and think about an important relationship in their lives. • Say, “This relationship can be familial, friendly, or romantic. This relationship should be healthy. Again, this means that this relationship should be one based on respect, patience, and acceptance. This relationship should be one that makes both you and the other person better and more fulfilled.” • Once you have given the students a moment to think silently to themselves, continue with, “Write six words that describe how this relationship makes you feel.” What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 103 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

ACTIVITY: STARTING TO WRITE OUR OWN SONG • Next, present the following prompt to the students and ask students to begin writing a poem based on this prompt: o A time in my life when a special relationship lifted me up and helped me become a stronger person was… • The students should include the six words from the above activity. • The students should also include at least two of the poetic techniques discussed in Lesson 3:2. Pass out Appendix 3:3A to remind student of these poetic techniques that should be included. • The students will have thirty minutes in the next lesson to finish the poems that they begin in this lesson.

CLOSURE • Once students have turned in their poems to you so that you can return them to the students during the following class, read the following quotation by Leonardo Da Vinci: “Poetry is nearer to vital truth than history.” • Ask students what they think this means and ask them if they were able to express truth in a new way while writing their poems during this lesson.

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APPENDIX 3:3A Poetic Techniques of Song of Songs

Parallelism: a characteristic of Hebrew poetry in which a thought in one line, or the first part of a line, is echoed, developed, or heightened in the second part or line.

Example: Song of Songs 4:2 A garden locked is my sister my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed.

Example: Song of Songs 1:15-16a Ah, you are beautiful, my love; ah you are beautiful; your eyes are doves. Ah, you are beautiful, my beloved, truly lovely.

Metaphor: a literary device of comparison between two unalike things Simile: a specific subset of metaphor that uses "like" or "as" to make the comparison.

Example: Song of Songs 2:1 I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys

Imagery: visually descriptive or figurative language. For instance, Song of Songs compares the lovers’ bodies to items from the natural world.

Example: Song of Songs compares the lovers’ bodies to items from the natural world. One is able to imagine a luscious garden as the setting for Song of Songs. The Song also makes reference to geographical features such as Jerusalem and Tirzah.

Chiasmus: A common structure in biblical poetry that contains a relationship of A to B and then B to A.

Example: Song of Songs 2:14 My dove, you are in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, Let me see your face, let me hear your voice; For sweet is your voice, and your face is lovely

Here the chiasmus is represented as: face, voice, voice, face.

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LESSON 3:4: CREATING OUR OWN SONG 2

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Give students an opportunity to share their poetry with peers • Teach students that the written word can be made more powerful through visual enhancement • Give students an opportunity to visually enhance their poems • Assess the extent to which students understand how to employ the poetic techniques taught in Lesson 3:2 (metaphor or simile, imagery, chiasmus, parallelism)

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Finish writing poems about important healthy relationship in their lives • Employ at least two of the poetic techniques learned in lesson 3:2 in their poems (metaphor or simile, imagery, chiasmus, parallelism) • Verbally share with peers their processes in writing these poems including the key words and poetic elements they wanted to include • Trace these poems onto watercolor paper so that they can begin illuminating the poems

MATERIALS • Poems the students began writing in the previous lesson • Pencils • 9” x 12” sheets of watercolor paper for each student • Rulers • Black illustration pens https://www.dickblick.com/products/prismacolor-premier- illustration-markers/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=22141- 2020&gclid=CjwKCAjwypjVBRANEiwAJAxlIsjOHVcQnI8cm9sCPjnDi9UoCnd1t0sjGnkmrd0 mFnpuU-1h2rpePxoCMVcQAvD_BwE • Watercolors • Watercolor brushes for each student • Gold paint • Silver paint • Cups of water for every two students • Illumination samples (Appendix 3:4A)

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SET INDUCTION • Present two versions of Song of Songs 4:7 to the students. o First, project the plain text to the student as it appears printed in the JPS translation. § Ask, “How do you feel after looking at the text of this verse?” o Next, project a decorated manuscript of this verse: http://hellojoyco.com/2015/12/songofsongs47mint/#comment-2353. § Ask, “How do you feel after looking at the decorated text of this verse?” • Explain that there is a long tradition dating back to antiquity of making the written word visually attractive. This exists as both illustration and as illumination. • An illustrated piece of writing is one with illustrations in pen and ink alone but does not contain color. • An illuminated manuscript contains applied color and gold and silver.28 • Explain that today the students will take inspiration from illustrated and illuminated manuscripts. • The class will spend this lesson writing, editing, and completing their poems. • Then, they will decorate their poems similarly to the decorated verse of Song of Songs they just viewed. • The idea will be to clarify and enhance the meanings of their poems through illumination.

ACTIVITY: FINISHING POEMS • The students will have thirty minutes (no more) to finish the poems that they began writing in the previous lesson. • Once students believe they have finished their poems, they should find partners who have also finished. • The two partners should read their poems aloud to each other and explain how they included their six key phrases and poetic techniques. • As the students are sharing with each other, walk around the classroom and listen in on their conversations to ensure that the student conversation is focused on the poems.

28 Epstein, M. M., & Frojmovic, E. (2015). Skies of parchment, Seas of Ink: Jewish Illuminated Manuscripts. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 107 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

ACTIVITY: POEM ILLUMINATION • Once a student is completely finished with his or her poem and has shared that poem with a partner, the student should begin illuminating that poem. • Please refer to examples that might help students develop ideas for their illuminations. See Appendix 3:4A. • The student will begin this process during this lesson and will have thirty minutes during the following lesson to finish the illuminations. • To do this, the student should receive a 9”x 12” sheet of watercolor paper. • Using a ruler, the student should lightly draw straight lines on the watercolor paper with pencil. These lines will be the lines upon which the student later writes the verses of his or her poem. • From there, the student should fancifully write the words of their poem in pencil. • Then, the student should begin drawing illuminations around their verses. • The illuminations should visually represent the meaning of their poem. This means that if the student has included specific metaphors or images in their poem, the student should draw these metaphors. • Once a student has written his or her verses and illuminated the background of his or her sheet of paper, the student should present the piece to you for approval. • The student should be prepared to explain their choice of illumination. • Once you have approved the poem and the illuminations, the student should trace their words and drawings using a black illustration pen. • From there, the student should fill in their illuminations in watercolors. • If the student chooses, he or she can add gold and silver paint to enhance the poem even further.

CLOSURE • Students will each share their illuminated poems thus far and their plan for finishing in the following lesson.

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APPENDIX 3:4A

Barbara Wolf You Renew the Face of the Earth (104:30) Parchment with precious metal leaf, 24K gold powder, dye 29

29 The first three images of this appendix were created by the artist, Barbara Wolff. Wolff, B. (n.d.). Barbara Wolff. Retrieved from http://www.artofbarbarawolff.com/projects.php?psalm Jenkins, P., & Snyder, Z. (Directors), & Roven, C., Snyder, D., & Suckle, R. (Producers).

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Barbara Wolff To Bring Forth Bread (104:14) Parchment with precious metal leaf, 24K gold powder, dye

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Barbara Wolff Mizrach with Roses Parchment with gold leaf and powder, pigments

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Illuminated Song of Songs30

30 Printed Matter - Book Cover - Song of Songs, flowers deer. (2011, April 07). Retrieved from http://vintageprintable.swivelchairmedia.com/animal/animal-deer-and-related/printed- matter-book-cover-song-of-songs-flowers-deer/

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LESSON 3:5: CREATING OUR OWN SONG 3

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Continue giving students the opportunity to enhance their poems using visual art • Ask students to explain their poetic and artistic choices in their artist statements

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Complete an illuminated poem that expresses elements of a healthy relationship in their lives • Write an artist statement that describes the poetic elements and message of their illuminated poem

MATERIALS • The illuminated poems that the students began in the previous lesson • Rulers • Black illustration pens https://www.dickblick.com/products/prismacolor-premier- illustration-markers/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=22141- 2020&gclid=CjwKCAjwypjVBRANEiwAJAxlIsjOHVcQnI8cm9sCPjnDi9UoCnd1t0sjGnkmrd0 mFnpuU-1h2rpePxoCMVcQAvD_BwE • Watercolors • Watercolor brushes for each student • Gold paint • Silver paint • Cups of water for every two students • Illumination samples (Appendix 3:4A) • Song of Songs Artist Statement Guide (Appendix 3:5A) • Student portfolios

SET INDUCTION • Explain to students that when the early rabbis decided which books to include in the Hebrew Bible, there was debate about Song of Songs. In Mishnah Yadayim 3:5, we learn that some rabbis believed that Ecclesiastes belonged in the Bible over Song of Songs. Ultimately, Rabbi Akiva chimed in and stated, “The whole world is not as worthy as the day on which the Song of Songs was given to Israel; for all the writings are holy but the What Does a Healthy Relationship Look Like? 113 — יש ר רישה םי Unit 3: Song of Songs

Song of Songs is the Holy of Holies.” This is why Song of Songs is included in the Hebrew Bible today. • Ask students, “Why might Rabbi Akiva have said that Song of Songs is the holiest of all the books in the Bible?” o Possible answers: Healthy relationships are one of the most important parts of life. Song of Songs is often read as a metaphor to describe the love between Israel and God. • Remind students that as they illuminate their poems today, they should think of the relationship described in that poem as “holy” in the way that Rabbi Akiva believed that the relationship in Song of Songs is holy. Our relationships inform our actions and how we view the world. These illuminations are one way of celebrating and highlighting the importance of our healthy relationships.

ACTIVITY: FINISH ILLUMINATIONS • Students will have thirty minutes to finish the illuminations of their poems that they began during the previous lesson. • After thirty minutes, the students must move on so that there is time for them to write their artist statements.

ACTIVITY: WRITING ARTIST STATEMENTS • Students will write artist statements for their illuminated poems so that they can be placed inside of their portfolios. • Students should refer to the “Song of Songs Artist Statement Guide” to write these artist statements. They should fill these out individually. See Appendix 3:5A.

CLOSURE • Each student will place the poem into his or her portfolio. • Then, ask the students to share their illuminated poems with the class. • Ask them to share one of the key words or phrases they included in the poem and one of the poetic techniques they included.

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APPENDIX 3:5A Song of Songs Artist Statement Guide

The title of my poem is…

My poem describes a relationship in which I feel…

I included the following poetic techniques in my poem… (give examples) I

The visual elements make the meaning of my poem even more clear and more powerful because…

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GROWTH FROM STRUGGLE— הכיא UNIT 4: LAMENTATIONS

UNIT ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS (STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT…) • Life circumstances are out of a person’s control. • A person can, however, control reactions to circumstances. • A person must acknowledge the pain that comes with struggle, sit with that pain, and then develop a plan of action for moving forward from this pain. • Struggle often results in growth.

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • What control do I have and what is out of my control? • How can my struggles lead to hope, growth, and change for the better?

UNIT GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Remind students that they do not have control over all circumstances in their lives • Remind students that they do, however, have control over their responses to circumstances • Remind students that struggles often give way to periods of transformation and growth

UNIT OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Read Lamentations • Write their own acrostic poems • Write their own endings to Lamentations that show how the pain people feel can often catalyze growth and positive change • Create their own collages that turn destruction and brokenness into something beautiful31

31 Note to Educator: In Lesson 4:4, students will create collages out of broken or defective materials. The idea will be to create something beautiful out of brokenness. To that end, you may want to begin collecting random broken pieces in the weeks leading up to this collage project in order to make sure that there are enough materials for students to be creative.

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LESSONS 1. Reading Lamentations Part 1 2. Reading Lamentations Part 2 3. Growth from Struggle 4. Collage-Making 5. Presentations and Artist Statements

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LESSON 4:1: READING LAMENTATIONS PART 1

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Give students time to read each chapter of Lamentations • Ask students to work together to make sense of Lamentations and develop two questions about Lamentations

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Identify a time in their lives when they felt sad or disappointed because things had not gone according to their plan • Verbally summarize each chapter of Lamentations • Develop two questions that they have about each chapter of Lamentations

MATERIALS • Lamentations Reading Diagram (Appendix 4:1A) • JPS translation of Lamentations (each chapter hanging around classroom on large posters)32 • Posters or large post-it notes • Tape or glue if using posters that need to be hung • Pencils or pens

SET INDUCTION • Invite students to think about a time in their lives when they felt particularly disappointed or sad about a circumstance in their lives. • Ask, “What did it feel like to be in this low place? Where you able to get yourself out? How?” • Let the students know that they do not have to share their answers. This will allow students to be honest with themselves without the pressure of having to share their thoughts with their peers.

32 Note to Educator: You will need to find Lamentations on Sefaria.org or in a JPS Tanakh, print each chapter, and tape or glue the chapters to large posters or post-it notes hung around the classroom before students enter. 118

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• After the students have had time to think, explain that the class is moving into a new unit, all about things not going as planned for the people of Jerusalem and them finding themselves in the depth of suffering and despair. • Lamentations is comprised of five poems about the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 586 BCE at the hands of the Babylonians. This was a catastrophic event in Jewish history that forever changed Judaism. Prior to this, the Temple had been the main locus of Jewish worship.

ACTIVITY: LAMENTATIONS GROUP READING • Divide students into five groups. • Provide each group with a copy of the “Lamentations Reading Diagram.” Each group should receive all five pages. See Appendix 4:1A. • The five chapters of Lamentations will be printed and hanging around the classroom.33 • The groups will rotate around the classroom. During each rotation (of ten minutes each) the students will read a chapter of Lamentations that is hanging in front of them in the classroom and complete the corresponding page of the Lamentations Reading Diagram. The students can choose a single person to write on behalf of the group or can take turns filling out the diagram. • The students will complete five rotations so that they have read and thought about each chapter of Lamentations by the time that this activity is finished. • It is okay if the students do not read the chapters in order as long as they read every chapter. • After the students have completed the diagram, they will give their completed diagrams to you so that the diagrams can be used in the following lesson.

CLOSURE • Ask students to share words that describe how reading Lamentations made them feel. Students should give answers such as: o Depressed, sad, angry, hopeless, confused, scared, hopeful

33 Note to Educator: Again, this will come from you finding the five chapters of Lamentations on Sefaria.org or in a JPS Tanakh, printing the chapters, and hanging them on posters or post-it notes around the classroom before the students enter. 119

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• State, “Reading Lamentations has the potential to raise heavy emotions such as these in its readers. Feeling these emotions is okay and normal. In the following lessons, the class will learn about feeling these emotions and sitting with these emotions but then creating a plan of action for moving on after feeling such heavy emotions.”34

34 Note to Educator: You may want to offer time to students after class if they want to talk with you personally about any of their heavy emotions. 120

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APPENDIX 4:1A35 Lamentations Reading Diagram Lamentations 1 1. Who is the speaker? Two questions we have about this chapter:

2. What aspect of the catastrophe does the speaker emphasize?

3. Who does the speaker blame for the catastrophe?

4. How does the speaker think about God?

5. What action does the speaker recommend?

35 These questions are derived from http://www.sophiastreet.com/2017/07/30/eicha- lamentations/. This website also has possible answers to these questions. 121

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Lamentations Reading Diagram Lamentations 2 1. Who is the speaker? Two questions we have about this chapter:

2. What aspect of the catastrophe does the speaker emphasize?

3. Who does the speaker blame for the catastrophe?

4. How does the speaker think about God?

5. What action does the speaker recommend?

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Lamentations Reading Diagram Lamentations 3 1. Who is the speaker? Two questions we have about this chapter:

2. What aspect of the catastrophe does the speaker emphasize?

3. Who does the speaker blame for the catastrophe?

4. How does the speaker think about God?

5. What action does the speaker recommend?

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Lamentations Reading Diagram Lamentations 4 1. Who is the speaker? Two questions we have about this chapter:

2. What aspect of the catastrophe does the speaker emphasize?

3. Who does the speaker blame for the catastrophe?

4. How does the speaker think about God?

5. What action does the speaker recommend?

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Lamentations Reading Diagram Lamentations 5 1. Who is the speaker? Two questions we have about this chapter:

2. What aspect of the catastrophe does the speaker emphasize?

3. Who does the speaker blame for the catastrophe?

4. How does the speaker think about God?

5. What action does the speaker recommend?

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LESSON 4:2: READING LAMENTATIONS PART 2

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Help students develop answers to the questions they have about Lamentations • Clarify the meaning of each chapter of Lamentations • Teach students the definition of an acrostic • Enable students to write their own acrostics that express how they felt after surviving a sad or disappointing time in their lives.

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Develop answers to others’ questions about Lamentations • Choose at least one word that describes how they felt after surviving a sad or disappointing time in their lives • Write an acrostic poem in which each line begins with a letter of one of the words they choose

MATERIALS • Completed Reading Lamentations Diagrams (Appendix 4:1A) • Appendix 4:2A • Colored pens • JPS translation of Lamentations • Pencils or pens • Paper

SET INDUCTION • Play “Eicha” by Sam Glaser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31DQ4zwU6U0. • Ask, “What mood does this song express? Does it match with the meaning of Lamentations?”

ACTIVITY: ADDING OUR OWN MIDRASH TO THE LAMENTATIONS READING DIAGRAMS • Place the completed diagrams from last week on different classroom tables. 126

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• The students will spend time reviewing the way that other groups completed their diagrams and then add their own “midrash,” or interpretive commentary. • They will do this by responding to the answers and questions that the other groups wrote on their diagrams. They should do this in colored pen so that the original answers and questions are distinguishable from these later answers and questions. • Once the students have had sufficient time to add their own midrash, everyone should then walk around and view the midrash that has been added to the diagrams. • Ask if anything surprised the students as they were reading the diagrams completed by other groups and the midrash that has now been added.

ACTIVITY: LAMENTATIONS ACROSTIC REVEAL • Divide students into pairs. • Tell the students that there is something peculiar about the first letters of each line in Lamentations 1-4. • Ask students to work with their partners to figure out what is peculiar. o Note that the Aleph Bet should be visible somewhere in the classroom so that students can look at it and be reminded of the letters. o As the teacher you may want to hint towards this so that the students have a greater chance at figuring out that Lamentations 1-4 are acrostics. • After three minutes, stop the students and ask them if anyone figured it out. • Explain that chapters 1- 4 of Lamentations are acrostic poems. When lined up, the first letters of these chapters form the Hebrew alphabet. The first verse begins with aleph. Verse two begins with bet. The pattern continues like this through the aleph bet. • Chapter 3 is a three-way acrostic. It is sixty-six verses long, with every three lines corresponding to a different Hebrew letter. • Ask students if they have any ideas about why Lamentations was written as a series of acrostics. • Students share answers. • Read highlighted lines in Lamentations and the Tears of the World, pages 11-13. This provides an explanation for the acrostic structure in Lamentations. See Appendix 4:2A.

ACTIVITY: WRITING OUR OWN ACROSTICS • Ask students to think back to the time in their lives when they felt particularly disappointed or sad about a circumstance in their lives. This comes from the set induction in the previous lesson. 127

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• Next ask students to write words that describe how they feel knowing that they survived these sad or disappointing times. o Possible words might be: Strong, resilient, happy, confident, relieved, amazed • After the students have written their set of words, the students will pick at least one word and then write an acrostic in which each line begins with a letter in that word. • Explain that the acrostic should elaborate on the meaning of this word and why they felt this feeling after surviving a sad or disappointing time. • After explaining the directions walk around the classroom to observe students working and offer students help.

CLOSURE • Ask a few students to share their acrostics. • Tell the students to take their acrostics home and place them where they will see them every day. The acrostics should remind the students that they are resilient and capable of moving forward and growing after struggle.

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APPENDIX 4:2A36

36 O’Connor, K. M. (2007). Lamentations and the tears of the world. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books. This book is used again in Lesson 4:3. 129

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LESSON 4:3: GROWTH FROM STRUGGLE

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Explain to students that everyone struggles at some point and that this is okay • Remind students that the greatest struggles often bring the greatest growth periods and positive change • Give students the opportunity to write their own endings to Lamentations that demonstrate how the people of Jerusalem might have moved on after the destruction of their Temple

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Write their own endings to Lamentations that outline how the people of Jerusalem might have moved in after the destruction of their Temple. • Read and discuss excerpts from Lamentations and the Tears of the World” with their peers

MATERIALS • Lamentations and the Tears of the World, “The Power of Tears” and, “Weeping as a Political Act” (Appendix 4:3A) • Pencils or pens • Lined paper

SET INDUCTION • Play March for Our Lives speech of Emma Gonzalez, high school student turned activist for gun control after the Stoneman Douglas shooting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQYLn1s3uus&feature=youtu.be&list=PL4B448958 847DA6FB • Ask, “What reactions do you have to this video?” • Students should raise their hands and share answers. • Ask, “Do you see any similarities between the message that Gonzalez is trying to portray and a possible message that one might receive after reading Lamentations? 132

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o Possible Answer: Life is unfortunately filled with painful realities. It is important to acknowledge this pain and sit with this pain. Do not deny this pain. Then, turn the pain into positive growth and change.

ACTIVITY: LEARNING THAT GROWTH COMES FROM STRUGGLE • Divide students into pairs. • Students read from, Lamentations and the Tears of the World, “The Power of Tears” and, “Weeping as a Political Act.” (See Appendix 4:3A) • Students answer questions with their partners: o Why does this author argue that tears are powerful, not weak? o What does the Chinese parable in this passage mean in your own words? Share with your partner. o Can you think of other examples of struggle bringing growth? You can think of your own life or stories of people like the students at Stoneman Douglas High School who have suffered tremendously yet used their grief to come our stronger and determined to create change. • Walk around the class and observe student discussions.

ACTIVITY: WRITING LAMENTATIONS 6 • Give students pencils and lined paper. • Say, “Keeping in line with the idea that struggle often brings growth and positive change, we are going to write our own additional chapters of Lamentations. The idea is that you will explain how, despite desperate struggles and deep pain, the people of Jerusalem are going to hope and rise up in order to come out of their struggles stronger than before and ready to make change.” • Students will spend the rest of the class writing their additional chapters. They do not have to be acrostics, but students can choose to write acrostics if they want.

CLOSURE • Read description of each chapter of Lamentations from The Jewish Study Bible pages 1580-1581:

Each of the five poems has its distinctive tone and theme and offers a different perspective on the catastrophic defeat. In Chapter 1 we see Jerusalem, the lonely 133

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and shamed city, grieving for her lost inhabitants. Feminine imagery is especially prominent in this chapter, conveying the shameful and the shamed woman, abandoned by her lovers (her supposed allies), emptied of all she holds dear, mocked by passers-by, mourning and deprived of comfort. Chapter 2 shifts to the siege of the city and all the horror of starvation and disease that accompanied it. Chapter 3 speaks in the voice of a lone man who experiences deportation into exile. Chapter 4 returns to the city in its last days before the destruction and gazes upon the degradation that has befallen the population. Chapter 5, a prayer, may be read as the view of those who remained in Judah after the destruction, when it had become a Babylonian possession.

• Ask students to add to this description. If they were adding their sixth chapter of Lamentations, how would its description fit into the description just read?

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APPENDIX 4:3A

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LESSON 4:4: COLLAGE-MAKING

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Teach students that Jewish tradition tells us we have to move forward when we have mourned too much • Allow students to create a collage that visually represents the growth and positive change that often comes from struggle

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Create a collage that visually represents the growth and positive change that often comes from struggle • Formulate and discuss their own interpretations of Bava Batra 6b

MATERIALS • Random materials that are considered broken or defective in some way37 to make collages. These materials may include but are not limited to: o Lost buttons o Fabric scraps o Multicolored paper scraps o Torn magazine clippings o Shards of broken plastic o Clean food wrappings o Broken jewelry • 9 x 12” sheets of paper or poster board (the paper must be sturdy to support the weight of glued materials) • White glue • Scissors • Babylonian Talmud, Bava Batra 6b (Appendix 4:4A)

37 Note to Educator: The purpose of the collage activity is to create something beautiful out of brokenness. To that end, you may want to collect random broken pieces in the weeks leading up to this collage project in order to make sure that there are enough materials for students to be creative. 137

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SET INDUCTION • Divide students into pairs. • Together, the students will read excerpt from Bava Batra 6b (Appendix 4:4A) and answer the following questions (also included on the appendix): o What does this passage from Talmud tell us about the problem with excessive mourning? o When do you believe it is okay to move on from mourning and take steps towards positive growth and change? § Possible answers: This text reveals the limitations of excessive mourning. While it is important for a suffering person to acknowledge and sit with their pain, this person also has to take care of themselves and eventually move forward. A person should move forward when they feel ready and committed to looking towards a bright future, even if this future is not exactly how they originally imagined it. • Pairs should develop an answer to the question and be prepared to share with the class. • Explain that in this lesson, the class is going to focus on the importance of moving forward after mourning. • The class will create visual representations of the hope, growth, and positive change that can often occur when a person is ready to stop mourning and move forward from pain.

ACTIVITY: COLLAGE MAKING • The collage materials should be spread at the front of the classroom. • Each student should receive a 9 x 12” sheet of paper or poster board. • Say, “For our art project this unit, we are going to create a collage that visually represents the growth and positive change that often results from suffering. • Ask students if any of them can explain the concept of a collage to the rest of the class. • A collage is an artistic composition made of various materials glued to a single surface. • Show examples of collages. See Appendix 4:4B. • Explain that all the materials the students are about to use are broken in some way. The goal will be to create a beautiful collage out of these broken materials. • Ask, “How do you think this collage-making project relates to what we have recently been studying? o Answer: Lamentations is all about being in the depths of despair. This class has also though focused on the need to move forward after suffering. Our collages 138

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represent this concept. Out of things considered “broken,” we will make art. Our collages will thus represent the need to move forward from struggle and hopefully grow towards the positive as a result. We will create beauty from brokenness. • Students may want to think about a specific time in their lives when they felt broken (think back to the set induction in lesson 4:1) or they may want to make a collage based on the ending chapter to Lamentations that they wrote in Lesson 4:3. • Students will have the remainder of this class to completer their collages. • During the next lesson the students will present their collages and write artist statements.

CLOSURE • Invite a few students to share one piece that they were excited to use in their collage. What did they find beautiful or appealing about this piece even though most people would refer to it as, “broken?”

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APPENDIX 4:4A

Bava Batra 6b, Translation from the William Davidson Talmud38

Having mentioned the prohibition against plastering, which is a sign of mourning over the destruction of the Temple, the Gemara (a Jewish text written by rabbis in the 6th Century CE) discusses related matters. The Sages taught in a baraita (an earlier text) (Tosefta, Sota 15:11): When the Temple was destroyed a second time, there was an increase in the number of ascetics among the Jews, whose practice was to not eat meat and to not drink wine. Rabbi Yehoshua joined them to discuss their practice. He said to them: My children, for what reason do you not eat meat and do you not drink wine? They said to him: Shall we eat meat, from which offerings are sacrificed upon the altar, and now the altar has ceased to exist? Shall we drink wine, which is poured as a libation upon the altar, and now the altar has ceased to exist?

Rabbi Yehoshua said to them: If so, we will not eat bread either, since the meal- offerings that were offered upon the altar have ceased. They replied: You are correct. It is possible to subsist with produce. He said to them: We will not eat produce either, since the bringing of the first fruits have ceased. They replied: You are correct. We will no longer eat the produce of the seven species from which the first fruits were brought, as it is possible to subsist with other produce. He said to them: If so, we will not drink water, since the water libation has ceased. They were silent, as they realized that they could not survive without water.

Discussion Questions 1. What does this passage from Talmud tell us about the problem with excessive mourning? 2. When do you believe it is okay to move on from mourning and take steps towards positive growth and change?

38 This translation comes from Sefaria. org 140

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APPENDIX 4:4B

Kurt Schwitters Merz Picture 32 A. The Cherry Picture (Merzbild 32 A. Das Kirschbild), 1921 cut-and-pasted colored and printed paper, cloth, wood, metal, cork, oil, pencil, and ink on paperboard 36 1/8 x 27 3/4" (91.8 x 70.5cm)

Museum of Modern Art, New York

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Chanoch Piven The Perfect Purple Feather, 2002

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39

39 Taken from my personal Instagram account. See bibliography for web address. 143

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LESSON 4:5: PRESENTATIONS AND ARTIST STATEMENTS

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Oversee students as they write artist statements that explain the creative processes behind their collages and explain how their collages represent what they have learned while studying Lamentations • Ask students thought-provoking questions about their collages that force them to think deeper as they write their artist statements

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Present their collages to the rest of the class, explaining their artistic choices • Write artist statements that explain their artistic choices and the relationship between their collages and Lamentations

MATERIALS • Pencils or pens • Lamentations Artist Statement Guide (Appendix 4:5A) • Student portfolios

SET INDUCTION • Ask, “Who can remind me why we made collages during the last class?” • Students raise their hands and answer.

ACTIVITY: ARTIST STATEMENT • Students will write artist statements for their collages to be placed in their portfolios. • They should use Appendix 4:5A as a guide.

ACTIVITY: COLLAGE PRESENTATIONS • Students will present their collages to the rest of the class, verbally explaining their artistic choices and the relationship they see between their collages and Lamentations.

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CLOSURE • Say, “To close our class today and our unit on Lamentations, I am going to leave you with a story that comes from Lurianic Kabbalah.” Tell story:

At the beginning of time, God’s presence filled the universe. When God decided to bring this world into being, to make room for creation, God first drew in breath, contracting God’s self. From that contraction darkness was created. And when God said, “Let there be light” (Gen. 1:3), the light that came into being filled the darkness, and ten holy vessels came forth, each filled with primordial light.

In this way God sent forth those ten vessels, like a fleet of ships, each carrying its cargo of light. Had they all arrived intact, the world would have been perfect. But the vessels were too fragile to contain such a powerful, divine light. They broke open, split asunder, and all the holy sparks were scattered like sand, like seeds, like stars. Those sparks fell everywhere, but more fell on the Holy Land than anywhere else.

• Explain to students that Kabbalah teaches that the point of the Jewish people is to be a holy people who gather the holy sparks through good deeds. This is where the notion of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, comes from. • During this unit, the class engaged in similar process to what is described here. Ask students to explain how. o Possible answer: The students gathered “broken” materials and created something beautiful. This is similar to how Kabbalah teaches that the world is filled with broken holy sparks that need to be put back together into a single piece. In a way, then, our collages were an act of tikkun olam. • Close with, “Our Jewish tradition, including Lamentations and Kabbalah, teaches that brokenness is sometimes out of a person’s control. What a person does have control over, however, is how they respond to that brokenness. In times of pain, it is important for a person to acknowledge and sit with their pain. Eventually though, they should try to remember that it is possible to move on from their pain towards the beauty that comes with growth.

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APPENDIX 4:5A Lamentations Artist Statement Guide My collage’s title is…

The creative process I underwent to create this collage was…

Lamentations focuses on the despair felt by Jerusalem after the destruction of the Temple. It is a book all about the pain and brokenness one feels after their dream has been destroyed. In the same way, my collage started off as a pile of random broken pieces. Now when I see my collage, an adjective I would use to describe it is…

This teaches me that…

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STANDING UP FOR WHAT MATTERS— רתסא UNIT 5: ESTHER

UNIT ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS (STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT…) • Everyone reaches crossroad moments in their lives when they have the opportunity to make a choice that could change the course of their lives and perhaps the world. • In crossroads moments, a person must determine what he or she believes and act in service of his or her values, even if this is difficult. • In moments of uncertainty, one should rely on trustworthy others for support. • In order to be a leader, one must carry oneself like a leader.

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • To whom can I turn when I need support? • What causes are important to me? • When is it important to stand up for what I believe, despite the risks? • What strengths do I carry? • How can I use my strengths to shape a better world?

UNIT GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Encourage students to find their strong inner voices • Teach students that there are always numerous ways to respond to ethical dilemmas but that they must be prepared for the results of their responses • Present students with real “heroes” in their communities who have decided to stand up for causes important to them40 • Give students the opportunity to share a cause or causes that matters to them • Give students the opportunity to create plaster masks that represent their strengths and the causes that they have chosen

UNIT OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Create a personalized mask that represents their leadership strengths and the causes that they have chosen to learn more about and stand up for

40 Note to Educator: Lesson 5:4 asks you to bring ordinary “heroes” to speak to the students. These should be members of the community who are active in local nonprofit organizations and vocal about causes that matter to them. You will need to contact these speakers in advance. Standing Up for What Matters 147— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

• Identify key mentors who help them make positive and values-based decisions • Explain that standing up for what one believes does not require looking a certain way or being a particular type of person but rather making the decision to stand up and going forward

LESSONS 1. Reading Megillat Esther 2. Responding to Ethical Dilemmas 3. Find Yourself A Mentor 4. Becoming Inspired by Others 5. Masking and Unmasking 1 6. Masking and Unmasking 2

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LESSON 5:1: READING MEGILLAT ESTHER

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Provide students with an opportunity to read Esther and demonstrate their understanding of Esther by depicting its various scenes • Inform students that we will be learning about Esther in a new way from how they might have studied it in the past in relation to Purim

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Name a characteristic that makes a person a “leader” • Retell the story of Esther by creating comic book squares • Share one piece of information they learned about Esther in this lesson • Explain if they have faced a difficult moral decision like the one Esther faces

MATERIALS • White board • White board markers • Highlights from Esther (Appendix 5:1A) • JPS translation of Esther • Samples from Megillat Esther by JT Waldman (Appendix 5:1B) • White poster board (enough for every two students) • Pencils • Black illustration pens https://www.dickblick.com/products/prismacolor-premier- illustration-markers/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=22141- 2020&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7Z3VBRC- ARIsAEQifZRBV1Wl7cj2ZysTHlITdurxBd9QcJunDZt7ern2LnvM7H2okDEvPUAaAozxEALw_ wcB • Markers • Colored pencils

SET INDUCTION • At the beginning of class, ask students to share about someone they know or have heard of whom they think is a leader. Ask what makes this person a leader. Standing Up for What Matters 149— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

• Explain that the class is beginning a new unit on Megillat Esther. The class will learn about the leadership lessons found in this megillah.

ACTIVITY: READ ESTHER AND CREATE COMIC BOOK • Divide the students up into eight pairs or groups. Each pair will be assigned a section of Megillat Esther. The sections will be as follows: o Chapter 1:10-13, 15-22 o Chapter 2:1-4, 7-10, 12-13, 15-17 o Chapter 3:13 o Chapter 4:1-2, 4-16 o Chapter 5: 1-4, 6-8 o Chapter. 6:6-11 o Chapter 7:2-14 o Chapter 8: 1-2, 15-16 • Pass out “Highlights of Esther” (Appendix 5:1A). Each group will be responsible for reading the section they have been assigned. • Then, they will be responsible for depicting this section via a comic strip. They should do this by talking to each other and figuring out how they want to depict their section. • The students should begin by drawing a rough outline version of their section and showing you. Once you have approved their strip, the students can outline their strip in black pen and add color if they choose. • Show samples from JT Waldman’s book, Megillat Esther (Appendix 4:1B) in order to give students and idea of what they should create.

ACTIVITY: SHARE PRESENTATIONS • Students will share their comic strips according to the order of the story. If there are holes in the story from the end of one presentation to the next, the students will have to fill in the story for the rest of the class before they present their section. This way, the presentations will tell the entire story of Esther. • After each group presents, the group will have to share one piece of information from their section of Esther that they did not previously know.

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CLOSURE • Explain that several characters in Megillat Esther face a moral crossroad. o Vashti must decide whether or not she wants to dance for the king and his officials. o Esther must decide whether or not she wants to tell the King she is Jewish and to ask him to save the Jews. o The King must decide what to do after learning about Esther’s Judaism and Haman’s destructive plot. • Ask, “Have you ever faced a moral crossroad? How did you respond?” • Students will share as many answers as time allows.

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APPENDIX 5:1A Highlights from Esther41

Chapter 1:10-13, 15-22 On the seventh day, when the king was merry with wine, he ordered the seven eunuchs in attendance to bring Queen Vashti before the king wearing only a royal crown, to display her beauty to the peoples and the officials; for she was a beautiful woman. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command. The king was greatly incensed, and his fury burned within him.

Then the king consulted the sages learned in procedure. “What,” [he asked,] “shall be done, according to law, to Queen Vashti for failing to obey the command of King Ahasuerus?” Thereupon Memucan declared in the presence of the king and the ministers: “Queen Vashti has committed an offense not only against Your Majesty but also against all the officials and against all the peoples in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus. For the queen's behavior will make all wives despise their husbands, as they reflect that King Ahasuerus himself ordered Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she would not come. This very day the ladies of Persia and Media, who have heard of the queen's behavior, will cite it to all Your Majesty's officials, and there will be no end of scorn and provocation!

“If it please Your Majesty, let a royal edict be issued by you, and let it be written into the laws of Persia and Media, so that it cannot be abrogated, that Vashti shall never enter the presence of King Ahasuerus. And let Your Majesty bestow her royal state upon another who is more worthy than she. Then will the judgment executed by Your Majesty resound throughout your realm, vast though it is; and all wives will treat their husbands with respect, high and low alike.” The proposal was approved by the king and the ministers, and the king did as Memucan proposed. Dispatches were sent to all the provinces of the king, to every province in its own script and to every nation in its own language, that every man should wield authority in his home and speak the language of his own people.

Chapter 2:1-4, 7-10, 12-13, 15-17 Some time afterward, when the anger of King Ahasuerus subsided, he thought of Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. The king’s servants who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for Your Majesty. Let Your Majesty appoint officers in every province of your realm to assemble all the beautiful young virgins at the fortress Shushan, in the harem under the supervision of Hegai, the king's eunuch, guardian of the women. Let them be provided with their cosmetics. And let the maiden who pleases Your Majesty be queen instead of Vashti.” The proposal pleased the king, and he acted upon it.

41 Highlights of the Biblical Scroll of Esther. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://jwa.org/media/highlights-of-biblical-scroll-of-esther

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[Mordecai] was foster father to Hadassah—that is, Esther—his uncle's daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was shapely and beautiful; and when her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter. When the king's order and edict was proclaimed, and when many girls were assembled in the fortress Shushan under the supervision of Hegai, Esther too was taken into the king's palace under the supervision of Hegai, guardian of the women. The girl pleased him and won his favor, and he hastened to furnish her with her cosmetics and her rations, as well as with the seven maids who were her due from the king’s palace; and he treated her and her maids with special kindness in the harem. Esther did not reveal her people or her kindred, for Mordecai had told her not to reveal it. When each girl's turn came to go to King Ahasuerus at the end of the twelve months' treatment prescribed for women (for that was the period spent on beautifying them: six months with oil of myrrh and six months with perfumes and women's cosmetics, and it was after that that the girl would go to the king), whatever she asked for would be given her to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. When the turn came for Esther daughter of Abihail—the uncle of Mordecai, who had adopted her as his own daughter—to go to the king, she did not ask for anything but what Hegai, the king's eunuch, guardian of the women, advised. Yet Esther won the admiration of all who saw her. Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, in his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign. The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she won his grace and favor more than all the virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Chapter 3:13 Accordingly, written instructions were dispatched by couriers to all the king's provinces to destroy, massacre, and exterminate all the Jews, young and old, children and women, on a single day, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month—that is, the month of Adar—and to plunder their possessions.

Chapter 4:1-2, 4- 11, 12-16 When Mordecai learned all that had happened, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went through the city, crying out loudly and bitterly, until he came in front of the palace gate; for one could not enter the palace gate wearing sackcloth.

When Esther's maidens and eunuchs came and informed her, the queen was greatly agitated. She sent clothing for Mordecai to wear, so that he might take off his sackcloth; but he refused. Thereupon Esther summoned Hathach, and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and all about the money that Haman had offered to pay into the royal treasury for the destruction of the Jews. He bade him to inform Esther and charge her to go to the king and to appeal to him and to plead with him for her people. When Hathach came and delivered Mordecai's message to Esther, Esther told Hathach to take back to Mordecai the following reply: “All the king's courtiers and the people of the king's provinces know that if any person, man or woman, enters the king's presence in the inner court without having been summoned, there is but one law for him—that he be put to death. Only if the king extends the golden scepter to him may he live.”

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When Mordecai was told what Esther had said, Mordecai had this message delivered to Esther: “Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life by being in the king's palace. On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father's house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.” Then Esther sent back this answer to Mordecai: “Go, assemble all the Jews who live in Shushan, and fast in my behalf; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens will observe the same fast. Then I shall go to the king, though it is contrary to the law; and if I am to perish, I shall perish!”

Chapter 5:1-4, 6-8 On the third day, Esther put on royal apparel and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, facing the king's palace, while the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room facing the entrance of the palace. As soon as the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, she won his favor. The king extended to Esther the golden scepter which he had in his hand, and Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter. “What troubles you, Queen Esther?” the king asked her. “And what is your request? Even to half the kingdom, it shall be granted you.” “If it please Your Majesty,” Esther replied, “let Your Majesty and Haman come today to the feast that I have prepared for him.”

At the wine feast, the king asked Esther, “What is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to half the kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” “My wish,” replied Esther, “my request—if Your Majesty will do me the favor, if it please Your Majesty to grant my wish and accede to my request—let Your Majesty and Haman come to the feast which I will prepare for them; and tomorrow I will do Your Majesty’s bidding.”

Chapter 6:6-11 Haman entered, and the king asked him, “What should be done for a man whom the king desires to honor?” Haman said to himself, “Whom would the king desire to honor more than me?” So Haman said to the king, “For the man whom the king desires to honor, let royal garb which the king has worn be brought, and a horse on which the king has ridden and on whose head a royal diadem has been set; and let the attire and the horse be put in the charge of one of the king's noble courtiers. And let the man whom the king desires to honor be attired and paraded on the horse through the city square, while they proclaim before him: This is what is done for the man whom the king desires to honor!” “Quick, then!” said the king to Haman. “Get the garb and the horse, as you have said, and do this to Mordecai the Jew, who sits in the king's gate. Omit nothing of all you have proposed.” So Haman took the garb and the horse and arrayed Mordecai and paraded him through the city square; and he proclaimed before him: “This is what is done for the man whom the king desires to honor!”

Chapter 7:2-4 On the second day, the king again asked Esther at the wine feast, “What is your wish, Queen Esther? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even to half the kingdom, it shall be fulfilled.” Queen Esther replied: “If Your Majesty will do me the favor, and if it pleases Your Standing Up for What Matters 154— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

Majesty, let my life be granted me as my wish, and my people as my request. For we have been sold, my people and I, to be destroyed, massacred, and exterminated.”

Chapter 8:1-2, 15-16 That very day King Ahasuerus gave the property of Haman, the enemy of the Jews, to Queen Esther. Mordecai presented himself to the king, for Esther had revealed how he was related to her. The king slipped off his ring, which he had taken back from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther put Mordecai in charge of Haman's property. Mordecai left the king's presence in royal robes of blue and white, with a magnificent crown of gold and a mantle of fine linen and purple wool. And the city of Shushan rang with joyous cries. The Jews enjoyed light and gladness, happiness and honor.

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APPENDIX 4:1B42

JT Waldman, Megillat Esther, pg. 42

42 For more samples, please refer to Megillat Esther by JT Waldman. Standing Up for What Matters 156— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

JT Waldman, Megillat Esther, pg. 84

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LESSON 5:2: RESPONDING TO ETHICAL DILEMMAS

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Remind students of the key moments in Esther • Teach students that difficult ethical moments, in which a person is scared or unsure of the right choice, will always be a part of life • Teach students that they have the power to respond to difficult ethical moments in ways that match their values

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Recall key moments in Esther • Map out the various ways that Esther could have responded to Haman’s evil wishes • Articulate why speaking up is sometimes more beneficial than remaining silent

MATERIALS • Esther Paintings (Appendix 5:2A) • Large posters or post-it notes on the walls • Construction paper in various colors (enough for each student to have a sheet) • Markers • Excerpt from The Dawn (Appendix 5:2A) • Lined paper • Pens or pencils • Laptop to play Ted Talk • Projector • HDMI cord • Speakers

SET INDUCTION • When students walk into the room, various paintings (Appendix 5:2A) that depict scenes from Esther will be posted around the room. • Next to each painting will be large post-it notes or posters with questions written that ask: “What is happening in this painting? How does the artist use color, perspective, and emphasis to show the emotions of the people in the paintings?” Standing Up for What Matters 158— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

• Ask the students to walk to the various paintings and write the answers to these questions on the posters or post-it notes that are text to the paintings. • After completing this, the students will return to their seats and you will ask students to share what they wrote on the post-its. • Tell the students to turn towards the painting of Esther entering the King’s chambers. • Ask, “What, in particular, are her emotions here? How did the artist show this? What do you think Esther was feeling in this moment?” • Students share answers.

ACTIVITY: ESTHER FORTUNETELLER • Tell the students to each find a partner. • Each student will receive a piece of construction paper and markers. • Once the students have found their partners and each received paper and markers, ask, “What are the various ways that Esther could have responded to the knowledge that Haman wanted to kill her people?” • Possible answers: o ignored the information and continued living her privileged lifestyle o Gone to speak directly to Haman about the situation o Turned the responsibility back onto Mordechai and asked him to do something about the situation o Do what she did—be tactful in her response and do something at the appropriate time • Further ask, “How would you have responded were you in Esther’s shoes?” • Instruct the students to think about this to themselves and then create a fortune teller that display these various responses and the results of these responses.43 • The students should develop eight possible responses. These eight responses will be written on the small triangles of the fortune tellers. When the students play with their partners and pick one of the triangles, it should lift up to reveal a possible result of that response. • Once the students have created their fortune tellers, they should play with their fortune tellers with their partners. Once the students have created and played with their fortune tellers, the ask the students what this game teaches.

43 For more information on how to make a fortune teller, please go to http://www.dltk- kids.com/world/japan/mfortune-teller.htm. Standing Up for What Matters 159— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

o This game teachers that in difficult ethical moments, there are always various ways to respond. o One must remain mindful though of the consequences of their decisions. Often, the fate of a person’s life or the fate of the world depends on a single person making a sound decision.

ACTIVITY: WHEN HAVE YOU FACED AN ETHICAL DILEMMA? • Read excerpt from, The Dawn, pg. 142-143. See Appendix 5:2B. Afterwards, ask students if they have ever felt similar to how Esther must have felt right before she entered the King’s chamber.

CLOSURE • Students will watch a ted talk about the danger of remaining silent during challenging ethical dilemmas: https://www.ted.com/talks/clint_smith_the_danger_of_silence/transcript#t-67580 • Leave students with the following closing questions: “What would have happened if Esther remained silent? What does this teach us about the importance of sometimes speaking up?”

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APPENDIX 5:2A44

Edwin Long Queen Esther, 1878 oil on canvas 213.5 × 170.3 cm National Gallery of Victoria

44 For more information on these and other paintings, please see: http://www.womeninthebible.net/bible-paintings/beautiful-esther/. Standing Up for What Matters 161— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

Marc Chagall Esther, 1960 lithography, paper 52.5 x 38 cm

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Arendt de Gelder Esther Talking to Mordechai, 1685 oil on canvas 93 × 148 cm Rhode Island School of Design Museum

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John Everett Millais Esther, 1865 oil on canvas Private Collection

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Jan Steen Esther, Ahasuerus, and Haman, 1668 oil on canvas Cleveland Museum of Art

Rembrandt Van Rijn Ahasuerus and Haman at the Feast of Esther, 1660 oil on canvas 73 cm × 94 cm (29 in × 37 in) Pushkin Museum, Moscow

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Jean François de Troy Triumph of Mordecai, 1763 oil on canvas 33 5/8 x 59 1/4 in. (86 x 150.2 cm) Metropolitan Museum of Art

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APPENDIX 5:2B45

45 Hazony, Y. (2007). The Dawn: Political Teachings of the Book of Esther. Jerusalem: Shalem Press.

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LESSON 5:3: FIND YOURSELF A MENTOR

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Provide students with an opportunity to articulate the type of person they want to be as they grow up—what values do they want to embody? What people do they want to emulate? How do they want to invest their time? • Ask students to think about the qualities that make them respect a particular person • Remind students that in times of ethical dilemma, it is okay to rely on others for guidance and support

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Identify the characteristics that Mordechai possesses that make him a positive mentor whom Esther respect • Identify someone in their lives who can mentor them as well • Pick four values or characteristics of people they respect that they want to strive to emulate

MATERIALS • Esther quotes (Appendix 5:3A) • “Mordechai’s Role in Megillat Esther” chart (Appendix 5:3B) • Pens or Pencils • “A Time When a Mentor Guided Me” worksheet (Appendix 5:3C)

SET INDUCTION • Read the following quote and ask students how it relates to the previous lesson: “Our choices reveal the kind of person we are, but there is another side to the coin. We may, by our choices, also determine what kind of person we will become.” - A.W. Tozer • Explain that last week the class learned about the importance of making good choices because each choice yields its own results. During this lesson, students will learn that the people around us whom we respect can guide us towards making good choices.

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ACTIVITY: MORDECHAI CHARACTERISTIC JIGSAW • Students will be divided into four home groups. Each home group will receive one quote. See Appendix 5:3A. • Each student will receive the “Mordechai’s Role in Megillat Esther” chart (Appendix 5:3B). • Together, the students in the home groups will discuss their quote and each student should fill in the corresponding row on the chart based on what is discussed in their home group. • Once the students have discussed their quotes in their home groups and filled out the row that corresponds to their home group’s quote, the students will divide a second time into expert groups. There should be at least one member from each home group in each expert group. • Each student will share what they talked about in their home group with the other students in the expert group. They should provide answers to the questions on the “Mordechai’s Role in Megillat Esther” chart. o What is happening at this point in the Esther story? o What characteristic does Mordechai display in this particular moment? o How do Mordechai’s actions here help Esther make her ultimate decision to speak up and save the Jews? • As students discuss what was talked about in their home groups, they should fill in the remaining rows on the chart based on what is discussed in the expert groups. • By the conclusion of this jigsaw activity, each student should have filled out the entire “Mordechai’s Role in Megillat Esther” chart.

ACTIVITY: A TIME WHEN A MENTOR GUIDED ME • Students work individually on “A Time When a Mentor Guided Me” sheets. See Appendix 5:3C.

CLOSURE • Students should share what they wrote as time allows. • You should remind students that during the last lesson, they learned about the importance of making good choices. During this class, they thought about how Mordechai helped Esther make the right choice—to stand up for the Jews. Similarly, the students have all had moments when they were guided by mentors who helped them make the right choice. As the students learn and grow, they should be unafraid to lean on others for guidance and support in making good choices. Standing Up for What Matters 169— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

APPENDIX 5:3A

Esther Quotes Home Group 1 In the fortress Shushan lived a Jew by the name of Mordecai, son of Jair son of Shimei…He was foster father to Hadassah—that is, Esther—his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was shapely and beautiful; and when her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter. (Esther 2:5-6)

Home Group 2 All the king’s courtiers in the palace gate knelt and bowed low to Haman, for such was the king’s order concerning him; but Mordecai would not kneel or bow low. (Esther 3:2)

Home Group 3 On the thirteenth day of the first month…written instructions were dispatched by couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, massacre, and exterminate all the Jews…When Mordecai learned all that had happened, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went through the city, crying out loudly and bitterly, until he came in front of the palace gate (Esther 3:12-4:2)

Home Group 4 Mordecai had this message delivered to Esther: “Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life by being in the king’s palace. On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.” (Esther 4:13-14)

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APPENDIX 5:3B Mordechai’s Role in Megillat Esther

What is What How do happening at characteristic does Mordechai’s actions this point in the Mordechai display here help Esther Esther story? in this particular make her ultimate moment? decision to speak up and save the Jews? In the fortress Shushan lived a Jew by the name of Mordecai, son of Jair son of Shimei…He was foster father to Hadassah— that is, Esther—his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The maiden was shapely and beautiful; and when her father and mother died, Mordecai adopted her as his own daughter. Esther 2:5-6

All the king’s courtiers in the palace gate knelt and bowed low to Haman, for such was the king’s order concerning him; but Mordecai would not kneel or bow low. Esther 3:2

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What is What How do happening at characteristic does Mordechai’s actions this point in the Mordechai display here help Esther Esther story? in this particular make her ultimate moment? decision to speak up and save the Jews? On the thirteenth day of the first month…written instructions were dispatched by couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, massacre, and exterminate all the Jews…When Mordecai learned all that had happened, Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He went through the city, crying out loudly and bitterly, until he came in front of the palace gate Esther 3:12-4:2

Mordecai had this message delivered to Esther: “Do not imagine that you, of all the Jews, will escape with your life by being in the king’s palace. On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.” Esther 4:13-14

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APPENDIX 5:3C A Time When a Mentor Guided Me

Write about a time in your life when you relied on a mentor, teacher, parent, or friend to give you advice in a difficult situation.

How did this person influence you and what happened?

What are 4 characteristics that this person has that you respect and that you would want to embody? (Possible ideas: Empathy, determination, moral conviction, foresight, experience in a particular area, positivity, expertise, charisma, confidence, humility)

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LESSON 5:4: BECOMING INSPIRED BY OTHERS

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Inspire students with the stories of others who decided to take a stand for their beliefs • Teach students that some causes are worth speaking up for, even when this is challenging or frightening

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • List the challenges that sometimes arise when someone takes a stand • Determine what inspires someone to decide to speak up

MATERIALS • “Everyday Heroes” chart (Appendix 5:4A) • Pens or Pencils • Speakers from the community who are willing to speak to the class46

SET INDUCTION • Play video of Jewish activists peaceful protesting on capitol hill on behalf of Dreamers. https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-u-s-jews-protest-trump-s-threat-to- deport-dreamers-on-capitol-hill-1.5744478. • Ask students to share what they think is happening in this video. Then ask, “How are the protestors in this video acting similarly to how Esther acts in Megillat Esther?” o Answer: Here and in Megillat Esther, an ordinary person or ordinary people are using their privilege to peacefully speak their minds and stand up for the vulnerable. • Explain that, today, the class will hear from people in the community who also have used their privilege to stand up for the vulnerable.

46 Note to Educator: You should search for members of the community who are active in nonprofit organizations and passionately vocal about social justice causes. You might begin by thinking about the parents of students in the class. You should prepare them for their visit to the class by asking them to develop answers to the questions on the “Everyday Heroes” chart (Appendix 5:4A). Standing Up for What Matters 174— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

ACTIVITY: EVERYDAY HEROES • Bring members of the community who have become active in local causes. The students will learn from their involvements. • Before this lesson, ask the speakers to prepare answers to the following questions that come from the “Everyday Heroes” chart: o What was the turning point where you realized you could not remain silent any longer but had to take a stand for your cause? o What personal characteristics do you have that make you successful in your fight? o What has been your greatest challenge? Your greatest success? • As students listen, they will fill out a diagram. See appendix 5:4A.

CLOSURE • Ask, “What is something you have in common with any of the speakers we heard from today?” • After students share, explain that these speakers are just like us. When they first decided to take a stand, they may have been unsure of themselves and did not think they would be successful. They spoke up anyway. We all have strengths and passions that will give us the drive to speak up, even if it might seem impossible at first that we can actually make a difference. Everyone is scared of speaking up sometimes. These speakers learned to do it. We too can learn to speak up about the things that matter to us and become the leaders we dream of being.

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APPENDIX 5:4A

Everyday Heroes

Turning Point Personal Greatest Greatest When They Characteristics Challenge Success Decided to Take They Possess Stand Speaker #1

Speaker #2

Speaker #3 Standing Up for What Matters 176— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

LESSON 5:5: MASKING AND UNMASKING 1

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Teach students that hiddenness is a prominent theme in Esther and that this is often expressed through the symbol of the mask • Teach student that masks are both a tool for hiding one’s self but also revealing one’s innermost and often hidden qualities

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Verbally explain how masks both conceal and reveal • Work with partners to create plaster masks

MATERIALS • Petroleum jelly (Vaseline) • Plaster bandages, fast setting (4ʺ wide are good; “fast setting” is about 4 minutes) • Water • Containers to hold water • Scissors • Newspapers to cover the floors or tables (depending on where students lay while being covered in plaster bandages)

SET INDUCTION • Play video about the connection between masks and Purim: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBQ3Dcib7wI. • Read excerpt from Forward article, “Revealing Ourselves Through Our Masks” by Jay Michaelson:

Masks are curious things: They conceal and reveal at the same time. People express more in the masks they choose to wear than in any other choice of apparel. Of course, clothes themselves are masks, concealing the naked body as they reveal social status and self-image. We dress up in business suits and miniskirts in a constant social masquerade, yet we are doing more than simply hiding our bodies; we are revealing our souls.

Ordinary clothing is calculated to project an image, often with a goal in mind of some monetary, sexual or social gain. Carnival masks tend to go deeper. They Standing Up for What Matters 177— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

tend to express what we really see ourselves to be, a communication masked, appropriately enough, by the merriment that surrounds them. Perhaps because we understand the mask to be part of a game, we are able to play the game freely.47 • Ask, “What do you think it means that masks conceal and reveal at the same time?” • After students share their answers, explain that people tend to think of masks as concealing. Today, the class will work on a project that asks the students to think about how masks can reveal their best selves, i.e. the selves they wish to one day project out towards the world.

ACTIVITY: MAKING PLASTER MASKS • The students will create their own plaster masks that reflect what they have learned during this unit. • Students will find partners. • Each partner will have the rest of this lesson to complete the plaster mask for his or her partner.48 During the next lesson, the students will be decorating their masks according to specific directions and they will be writing artist statements for their masks.

CLOSURE • Students should clean the materials from the mask-making activity. • Once the classroom is clean, let the students know that the next lesson will be spent by decorating the masks that were just created. • Ask the students to think about their ideal self that they want to project onto the world. What strengths does this person have? What causes does this person dedicate their time to? How would others describe this person? • During the next lesson, the students will be using this information to decorate their masks.

47 Michaelson, J. (2004, March 5). Revealing Ourselves Through Our Masks. Forward.

48 For step by step directions on how to make plaster masks, please see: https://kinderart.com/art-lessons/multic/plaster-masks/. Standing Up for What Matters 178— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

LESSON 5:6: MASKING AND UNMASKING 2

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Provide students with an opportunity to list their strengths • Provide students with the opportunity to ask themselves how they want to affect others’ lives • Provide students with an opportunity to think about a cause or causes which they are concerned about and want to learn more about and stand up for

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Visually represent their strengths on their plaster masks • Write words on their masks that they want others to describe them as • Pick a cause or causes that they want to learn more about and stand up for and visually represent this cause or causes on their masks

MATERIALS • Acrylic paint • Paint brushes • Water • Water containers • Additional materials to decorate masks as desired (buttons, jewels, feathers, ribbon, or more!) • Lined Paper • Pens or Pencils

SET INDUCTION • When the students enter the classroom and sit down at their desks, pick one volunteer to read Esther 5:1: “On the third day, Esther dressed up in royalty and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, facing the king’s palace, while the king was sitting on his royal throne in the throne room facing the entrance of the palace.” • Ask, “What does it mean that Esther dressed herself up in royalty? Why do you think she felt she had to dress in a special way in order to speak with the King? • Possible Answer: Standing Up for What Matters 179— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

o Clothing has tremendous power because it shapes how we feel about ourselves and it shapes how others view us. Our clothing reveals the type of person we want to be viewed as. When Esther dressed up in royalty, she felt powerful and brave. She felt ready to stand up for herself and her people. Perhaps this contributed to her success in speaking with the King. • Explain that during this class, the students will create masks that reveal the types of people they want to be viewed as.

ACTIVITY: MASK MAKING • Students will spend most of this lesson decorating the plaster masks which they created during the previous lesson. • The directions will be as follows: o Students will have to think of: § two of their strengths § a cause or causes that they are concerned about, want to learn more about, and stand up for § Descriptive words that represent how they want others to view them and describe them as (Examples include: thoughtful, patient, determined, etc.) o Once students have thought of answers to these categories, they will decorate their masks using the acrylic paint and other materials. o They must visually represent their strengths, their cause or causes, and their descriptive words on their masks. o Once students are finished, they will set their masks down to dry and begin writing their artist statements.

ACTIVITY: WRITING ARTIST STATEMENTS • Once students are finished with their mask decorations, they will begin writing artist statements using the “Esther Artist Statement Guide.” See Appendix 5:6A. • Once the students fill out the artist statement guides, they should place them inside their portfolios.

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CLOSURE • Once students have cleaned up, invite the students to share the masks with the class as time allows.

Standing Up for What Matters 181— רתסא Unit 5: Esther

APPENDIX 5:6A Esther Artist Statement Guide

The title of my mask is______.

Two of my strengths are ______and ______. I visually represented them on my masks by…

The causes or causes that I want to learn more about are… They are visually represented on my mask by…

The descriptive words I wrote on my mast are… I want others to describe me in these ways because

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LOOKING FORWARD— תור UNIT 6: RUTH

UNIT ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS (STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT…) • In order to become one’s best self, a person must have self-knowledge and be open to the help and guidance of others. • Self-transformation means letting go of parts of ourselves that are no longer necessary so that we can make room for greater goals. • The work of self-transformation never ends. • Photography can powerfully express a person’s thoughts and concerns.

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • What kind of person do I want to be in five years? • How can the self-knowledge I have gained during this curriculum inspire me to grow as I move forward? • What am I willing to let go of and what changes am I willing to take on so that I can become the best version of myself?

UNIT GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Help students envision their future selves • Remind students of all they have learned during this curriculum • Help students relate to Ruth’s journey of growth and personal discovery

UNIT OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Summarize each chapter of Ruth in three sentences • Match images of scenes in Ruth to their corresponding chapters • Write what they remember realizing through the study of the five megillot: o Their five most important values o Three characteristics of a healthy relationship o A personal note to themselves next time they are struggling o A cause or causes they care about and for which they want to fight Looking Forward 183— תור Unit 6: Ruth

• Curate a three-part photography collection that represents their personal journey throughout this curriculum and into the future.49 • Write an intention they want to set for themselves moving forward

LESSONS 1. Ruth 1 2. Ruth 2, 3, 4 3. Photographing Our Journeys 1 4. Photographing Our Journeys 2

49 Note to Educator: Students should use their cellphone cameras to take photographs in Lesson 6:3. If a student does not have a cellphone camera, that student should find a friend and borrow their camera or bring a disposable camera to this lesson. Let students know this in advance so that they can bring a disposable camera to class if need be. Looking Forward 184— תור Unit 6: Ruth

LESSON 6:1: RUTH 1

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Give students the time to read and discuss Ruth 1 • Remind students that when they feel lost or low, it is okay to rely on others for support • Tell students that the people in our lives will help us along our journeys towards self- discovery

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Read and discuss Ruth 1 • Identify a person in their life worth making sacrifices for

MATERIALS • “Where You Go” lyrics (Appendix 6:1A) • Rabbi Hanokh story (Appendix 6:1B) • JPS translation of Ruth • Lined paper • Pens or pencils • Laptop with internet access • Speakers • Auxiliary cord

SET INDUCTION • Play, Eat, Pray, Love trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjay5vgIwt4 • Ask, “Judging from the trailer, what do you think the main character of this movie sets out to do? Why does she set out to do it?” • Students will share their answers. Then explain that in order to become one’s best self, this person must start with themselves. They have to learn their strengths, weaknesses, needs, desires, and goals. Then, they can work on getting better.

ACTIVITY: CHEVRUTA STUDY ON RUTH 1 • Students will divide into chevruta pairs and read Ruth 1 in their pairs. • The pairs will discuss the following questions: o How do you think Naomi felt after losing her husband and two sons? Looking Forward 185— תור Unit 6: Ruth

o Why does Ruth decide to stay with Naomi? • Afterwards, the students to join together. Invite the students to share what they discussed in their pairs. • Following this, class should listen to, “Where You Go” by Alicia Jo Rabins.50 o This is a folk song about Ruth’s declaration to stay with Naomi. o Distribute lyrics to students so they can look at the lyrics while they listen. See Appendix 6:1A. • After the class listens to the song, the pairs should turn towards each other again and discuss the following questions: o Have you ever cared for someone so much that you might make a similar sacrifice to the one that Ruth makes here? o What can this story teach us about moving on after grief and loving people in grief? § Possible Answer: We may think we have to fight our battles alone, but if we open ourselves up to the support and help of others, they might be willing and wanting to help. Sometimes when people push our help away, it is not that they cannot use our help but that they do not want to burden us. If we really care for a person, helping is not a burden. • Afterwards, the students should join together again. Invite the students to share what they discussed in their pairs.

ACTIVITY: FREE WRITE ON RUTH 1 • Give each student a sheet of lined paper and a pencil. • Students will have time to write freely on the following questions: o When have you imitated a change in the course of your life by letting go of a part of you that was no longer necessary? o What did you realize about yourself that told your gut that things had to change? o How did you develop this self-realization? • Explain that the story of Ruth is all about her journey of self-transformation. Before a person can transform into his or her best self, this person has to figure out what he or she wants to become. Figuring this out requires searching deep within one’s soul to determine one’s strengths, weaknesses, and goals. • Continue: “During this Unit on Ruth, I invite you to use what you have studied and though about in this curriculum until this point: o Your values (Ecclesiastes) o Your relationships (Song of Songs)

50 Girls in Trouble. (2009). Girls in trouble. Retrieved April 2, 2018, from https://girlsintrouble.bandcamp.com/album/girls-in-trouble

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o Your past and struggles and growth (Lamentations) o Your decisions and the causes you find important (Esther) • Continue, “Using this, we will now look towards the future, asking ourselves how we can use this self-knowledge and become the people we want to be moving forward.”

CLOSURE • Read story about beginning with one’s self from The Way of Man According to the Teachings of Hasidism by Martin Buber. See Appendix 6:1B. • Ask, “What is the meaning of this story? How does this story shed light on what we have learned in this lesson?”

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APPENDIX 6:1A

“Where You Go” by Alicia Jo Rabins

Where you go I will go Where you stay I’ll stay Where you lie down I will lie And be buried by your side

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APPENDIX 6:1B51

Rabbi Hanokh told this story: There was once a man who was very stupid. When he got up in the morning it was so hard for him to find his clothes that at night he almost hesitated to go to bed for thinking of the trouble he would have on waking. One evening he finally made a great effort, took paper and pencil and as he undressed noted down exactly where he put everything he had on. The next morning, very well pleased with himself, he took the slip of paper in his hand and read: “cap” “pants” — there it was, he set it on his head; there they lay, he got into them; and so it went until he was fully dressed. “That’s all very well, but now where am I myself?” he asked in great consternation. “Where in the world am I?” He looked and looked, but it was a vain search; he could not find himself. “And that is how it is with us,” said the rabbi.

51 Buber, M. (2002). The Way of Man: According to the Teachings of Hasidism. London: Routledge. Looking Forward 189— תור Unit 6: Ruth

LESSON 6:2: RUTH 2, 3, 4

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Give students the time to read and discuss Ruth 2, 3, and 4 • Assess whether students understand the narratives of these chapters

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Read and discuss Ruth 2, 3, and 4 • Answer personal questions that relate Ruth’s journey to situations in their own lives • Match images of scenes in Ruth to the chapters with which they belong • Write three-sentences summaries of each chapter of Ruth

MATERIALS • JPS translation of Ruth • Ruth Discussion Questions (Appendix 6:2A) • Ruth Images (Appendix 6:2B) • Ruth Summary (Appendix 6:2C) • Pens or pencils

SET INDUCTION: FUTURE SELF VISUALIZATION • When the students walk into the classroom, tell the students to line up at a line of tape that has been placed at the front of the classroom.52 • Lead the students in a visualization exercise in which they imagine their future selves and the steps they must take in order to get from where they are to where they want to be. • Say: o Imagine yourself five years from now. Are you in school, working, or doing something else? Who are your friends? How do you spend your free time? What do you look like? o Now, imagine that the end of this classroom is that version of yourself five years from now. o What steps in your life do you have to take in order to move from here (at the tape line) to there? o Slowly walk forward from here, slowly and allowing yourself time to stop along

52 Note to Educator: You may have to move desks and chairs before the class begins in order to create a large open space for the students to move forward from the tape line. Looking Forward 190— תור Unit 6: Ruth

the way and visualize the steps you must take in order to move from here to there. Maybe you have to stop and apply to college. Then you have to get into college. Maybe you need a certain internship before you can have your dream post-college job. o Walk slowly and intentionally. Take as long as you need to “walk through” the next five years of your life. o We will all meet five years into the future, at the other end of the class. • After the students have reached the other end of the classroom, facilitate a discussion using the following questions: o What did you realize you have to do before you can become your ideal self? o What did you imagine yourself five years in the future to be? o How does this make you feel? Overwhelmed at everything you have to do? Excited about all the exciting steps ahead? Something else entirely? • Explain that we started class by imagining our journeys because today we are going to spend the class reading about a part of Ruth’s journey—from widow to married woman and mother. This was the vision success for women in ancient times.

ACTIVITY: ACTIVITY: RUTH DISCUSSIONS • Divide students into pairs. • Each pair should read Ruth 2, 3, and 4 and discuss the corresponding discussion questions and write their answers. See Appendix 6:2A. • Walk around the classroom and listen to student conversations to make sure that students are staying on track.

ACTIVITY: READING AND VIEWING RUTH PUZZLE • Give each pair a set of Ruth Images (Appendix 6:2B).53 • The pairs should then arrange the images by chapter onto the “Ruth Summary” diagram. See appendix 6:2C. They should do this by looking at the images and

53 Note to Educator: In the appendix, the images are arranged neatly according to chapter. When you distribute the images to the pairs of students, make sure that the images have been cut out and rearranged so that it is not easy to determine their order and to which chapters the images belong.

Looking Forward 191— תור Unit 6: Ruth

determining with which chapter they correspond. Then, the diagram asks students to summarize each chapter to assess for understanding.54

CLOSURE • Ask, “While matching the images to the chapters of Ruth, did the images help you understand the story? Why or why not? • Explain that in the next lesson, the class will be creating its own images to help visualize our own stories.

54 Note to Educator: The images might not be the exact same shape or size as the boxes allotted. This is okay. They do not have to fit perfectly. Looking Forward 192— תור Unit 6: Ruth

APPENDIX 6:2A

Ruth Discussion Questions

Ruth 2 Discussion Questions

Why do you think Boaz asks Ruth to stay in his field rather than gleaning somewhere else?

Why does Naomi not disclose to Ruth that Boaz is a relative until Ruth 2:20?

Has a seemingly chance encounter in your life--like the one between Boaz and Ruth--ever become much more significant and impactful on your life?

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Ruth 3 Discussion Questions

Why do you think Ruth initially has to hide her identity from Boaz?

Have you ever put yourself out there to ask for something you wanted from a person of power even though you were not sure about how the other person was going to respond?

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Ruth 4 Discussion Questions

The final scene of Ruth celebrates marriage and birth, as well as the promise that Naomi will be cared for by Boaz and Ruth in her old age. How has Ruth’s life changed since the beginning of the megillah? What does this teach us about the human capacity to change and improve our lives?

Who helped Ruth change her life? Do you think she could have done it without these people?

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APPENDIX 6:2B55 Ruth Images

Ruth 1 (Ruth and Naomi together)

55 Note to Educator: These paintings (except for the last painting) were curated by Alicia Jo Rabins in her “Girls in Trouble” curriculum. See bibliography for full citation. Looking Forward 196— תור Unit 6: Ruth

Ruth 2 (Ruth gleaning)

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Ruth 3 (threshing floor)

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Ruth 4 (Marriage to Boaz and birth of Obed)

Ruth and Obed, 1512 Michelangelo fresco Sistine Chapel, Vatican City

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APPENDIX 6:2C Ruth Summary

Which images correspond to Ruth 1?

Image 1 Image 2

Image 3

Please summarize Ruth 1 in 3 sentences:

Looking Forward 201— תור Unit 6: Ruth

Which images correspond to Ruth 2?

Image 1

Image 2

Please summarize Ruth 2 in 3 sentences:

Which images correspond to Ruth 3? Looking Forward 202— תור Unit 6: Ruth

Which images correspond to Ruth 3?

Image 1 Image 2

Summarize Ruth 3 in 3 sentences:

Looking Forward 203— תור Unit 6: Ruth

Which image corresponds to Ruth 4?

Image Summarize Ruth 4 in 3 sentences:

Looking Forward 204— תור Unit 6: Ruth

LESSON 6:3: PHOTOGRAPHING OUR JOURNEYS 1

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Allow students to review what they have studied throughout this entire curriculum • Ask students to think intentionally about who they want to be five years in the future • Teach students that photography is a powerful way of sharing one’s voice and visions with the world

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Photograph three images that visualize three stages of their personal development: Them at the beginning of the curriculum, them now, and them as they want to be in the future • Name their five most important values • Name a cause or causes for which they want to stand up • Name three qualities that are important in their relationships • Write themselves a message of strength to remember next time they find themselves in struggle • Write three-sentence summaries of each of the megillot

MATERIALS • JPS translation of Ruth • Megillot Review Handout (Appendix 6:3A) • Students should be able to use their cellphone cameras.56

SET INDUCTION • Remind students that during the previous lesson, they matched images with scenes in Ruth. • Ask, “Did the images better help you understand Ruth? Why or why not?” • Explain that today, the students will be photographing their own images that add visuals to the personal journeys that they have been on during this entire curriculum and on

56 Note to Educator: If a student does not have their own cellphone camera, that student should borrow someone else’s camera or bring a disposable camera to this lesson. Looking Forward 205— תור Unit 6: Ruth

which they will continue after this curriculum.

ACTIVITY: MEGILLOT REVIEW • Pass out portfolios to students. • Give students a few minutes to look at their portfolios to remind themselves of what they created and wrote during this curriculum. • Pass out the “Megillot Review” handout to students. They should use their portfolios and their memory of the curriculum to complete this handout individually.

ACTIVITY: PHOTOGRAPHING OUR JOURNEYS • Students will create a photographic collection that represents the journey they have been on during this curriculum as well as the journey that they envision ahead of themselves as they move forward. • The students will have to take at least three photographs: o one that represents the self that they remember before they began this curriculum o one that represents their selves now o and one that represents the self the image five years from now. • The students can choose to literally stage their photographs, or they can take photographs that represent these three stages metaphorically. • Allow students to have free reign over the campus at which this class takes place. • The students should be able to use their cell phone cameras for this activity. Invite students to be inspired by “Instagram” and create a three-image feed similar to an Instagram feed. • The students will have the remainder of this class to take their pictures (leaving five minutes for closure) but the students will have no more time during the following lesson.

CLOSURE • Invite students to share any of the photographs they took and explain what these photographs represent. Looking Forward 206— תור Unit 6: Ruth

• Ask students to go home and email their photos or add them to a drive so that you can print them out for the next lesson.57

57 Note to Educator: This means that you will have to print the images between this lesson and the next lesson. If a student used a disposable camera, collect that camera and have the photos developed before the next lesson. Looking Forward 207— תור Unit 6: Ruth

APPENDIX 6:3A Megillot Review

Ecclesiastes 3 Sentence Summary During this unit, I realized that the five most important values to me are:

Song of Songs 3 Sentence Summary During this unit, I realized that there are three qualities that I need in my relationships:

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Lamentations 3 Sentence Summary During this unit, I learned that struggle is inevitable but realized that I can come out of struggles stronger and ready to move forward. In the future, when I am struggling, I will remind myself:

Esther 3 Sentence Summary During this unit I learned about the importance of standing up for what matters to me. The causes that I find important and want to stand up for are:

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LESSON 6:4: PHOTOGRAPHING OUR JOURNEYS 2

GOALS (AS AN EDUECATOR I WANT TO…) • Give students the time to write intentions for themselves • Give students the time to decorate their photograph frames with their intentions • Give students the time to write artist statements

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Write intentions for themselves after this curriculum is finished • Decorate their frames with these intentions • Write artist statements about their photographic pieces

MATERIALS • Twilight in the Wilderness with frame and without frame (Appendix 6:4A) • Printed photographs that students took last class. Printed on photo paper is ideal. • Black cardstock in whatever size all three photographs that the students have taken will fit on. http://www.michaels.com/coredinations-smooth-cardstock-black- cat/D044320S.html • Metallic art pens http://www.michaels.com/10231914.html • Ruth Artist Statement Guide (Appendix 6:4A) • “Separate Histories” Lyrics (Appendix 6:4B)

SET INDUCTION • Show students two images of Twilight in the Wilderness painting—one with a frame and one without. See Appendix 6:4A. o This is a painting painted in 1860 by Frederic Edwin Church. It currently sits in the Cleveland Museum of Art with an intentionally chosen frame from the period during which it was created. • Ask, “How does this painting’s frame enhance the power of the painting? • Explain that today, the class will run with the idea of the importance of frames by framing their photographs in order to enhance their meanings.

ACTIVITY: FRAME MAKING/ARTIST STATEMENT WRITING • The class will be divided into two halves. • The first half will write their artist statements for their photographic pieces using the “Ruth Artist Statement Guide.” See Appendix 6:4A. • The second half will be making picture frames for their photographs. Looking Forward 210— תור Unit 6: Ruth

• Each half will have approximately twenty minutes to work before the halves switch. • The half making the picture frames will mount their photographs onto black cardstock so that the photographs are surrounded by black. It is important to note that the students should mount their photographs together so that they can be framed inside a single frame together. • Around this frame, in metallic marker, the students should write an intention they want to set for themselves moving forward. o One example could be: “Moving forward, I want to speak about the things that matter most to me and remember that it is always better to be true to myself and my needs even when others disagree.” • Near the end of the class, leaving ten minutes for closure, the students should place their artist statements into their portfolios and give their framed photograph collections to you for safe keeping.

CLOSURE • Play, “Separate Histories” by Alicia Jo Rabins.58 See Lyrics in Appendix 6:4B • Ask, “As you move forward on your journey and meet new people along the way, will your histories also become one? What does this mean? Can a single person have multiple histories that become one?”

58 Girls in Trouble. (2015). Open the ground. Retrieved April 2, 2018, from https://girlsintrouble.bandcamp.com/album/open-the-ground.

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APPENDIX 6:4A

Frederic Edwin Church Twilight in the Wilderness, 1860 oil on canvas 3ʹ 4ʺ x 5ʹ 4ʺ Cleveland Museum of Art

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APPENDIX 6:4A Ruth Artist Statement Guide

The title of my photographic collection Is…

The first photograph represents me at the beginning of the year because…

The second photograph represents me now because…

The third photograph represents me five years into the future because…

Together, the photographs show my transformation from…to…

Appendix 6:4B Looking Forward 213— תור Unit 6: Ruth

“Separate Histories” by Alicia Jo Rabins59

59 Rabins, A. J. (2015, September 08). OPEN THE GROUND, by Girls in Trouble. Retrieved from https://girlsintrouble.bandcamp.com/album/open-the-ground. Unit 7: Planning for an Artistic Exhibition (Memorable Moment) 214

UNIT 7: PLANNING FOR AN ARTISTIC EXHIBITION (MEMORABLE MOMENT)

UNIT ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS (STUDENTS WILL UNDERSTAND THAT…) • The visual arts express thoughts, feelings, and concerns in ways that words cannot. • The megillot reveal powerful lessons that are meaningful for all members of a community. • Artists take added pride in their work when sharing it publicly.

UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS • What new meanings will others see in my artwork that I did not originally see? • How can art bring people closer together? • What do I want to make sure others know about the five megillot?

UNIT GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Provide students with an opportunity to display the artwork they have created during this curriculum • Provide students with an opportunity to share the lessons they have learned in this curriculum • Ask students to make choices about which artworks are most meaningful to them • Teach students that art can always be an accessible means for them to express themselves

UNIT OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Choose an artwork they are most proud of from the curriculum to be displayed during a final artistic exhibition • Edit the artist statements of these artworks • Verbally share one lesson they remember from the curriculum

LESSONS 1. Artwork Review 2. Final Touches Unit 7: Planning for an Artistic Exhibition (Memorable Moment) 215

3. Exhibition (Memorable Moment)60

60 Note to Educator: Lesson 7:3 is an artistic exhibition open to the entire community in which this curriculum takes place. You may choose to go beyond showing the art pieces that students have created by also adding programmatic aspects to the memorable moment. You could do this by asking students to act out or retell the stories of the megillot. If you choose to do this, you must set aside time in the preceding lessons (7:1 and 7:2) for students to work on these performances. This may require you to readjust the activities currently written in this curriculum for time’s sake.

Unit 7: Planning for an Artistic Exhibition (Memorable Moment) 216

LESSON 7:1: ARTWORK REVIEW

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Ask students to reflect on the reasons for creating all of the art pieces of this curriculum: o Mobiles o Personal Manifestos o Illuminated Songs o Collages o Plaster masks o Photo Collection • Ask students to discern between their top-quality art pieces and their lesser quality art pieces so that they can decide which piece they want to display in the final exhibition. • Provide time for students to offer feedback on other students’ artworks and to edit their own pieces of art

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Pick an art piece that they want to display in the final exhibition • Receive advice from their peers about which art pieces to display at the end-of-year exhibition • Give feedback to their peers on which pieces should be displayed at the end-of-year exhibition

MATERIALS • Signs with the title of the megillot hung around the classroom

SET INDUCTION61 • When students enter the classroom, direct them to move to the title of the Megillah with lessons that feel most relevant to their lives right now. • Around the classroom will be signs with the titles of each megillah and the students will move towards them.

61 Note to Educator: Before the students enter the classroom, move the tables against the walls so that there is a large amount of open space in the center of the classroom. Then, place the various artworks that the students have created throughout this curriculum on the tables. Unit 7: Planning for an Artistic Exhibition (Memorable Moment) 217

• Once the students have moved, invite a handful of students to share why they moved to a particular spot. • Explain to students that this is the final unit of the curriculum. During this unit the class will review the megillot and the art pieces created during the curriculum. Students will review their peers’ art pieces and provide feedback. Then, the students will have an opportunity to edit their art pieces and decide which three they want to display at the final art exhibition of the year.

ACTIVITY: ARTWORK REVIEW • Before students entered the classroom, the various artwork created during this curriculum should have been placed on the classroom tables. The classroom tables should be pushed back against the walls so that there is a large amount of open space in the center of the room. • Students should look at their own pieces and pick three that they think they might want to display in the final exhibition. They should leave these three pieces on the tables and move the pieces that they do not want to display to a designated location in the classroom. The students will take home the pieces that they do not want to display once this lesson is finished. • After each student has picked three pieces, divide the class in two. • One half of the class will stand at their pieces and the other half of the class will walk around offering feedback on these pieces directly to the students who created these pieces. • The feedback should come in the following format: o “I notice…” o “I wonder…” o “I appreciate…” • After twenty minutes, the two halves of the class should switch. The students who walked around offering feedback should move to stand by their pieces and vice versa.

CLOSURE • Once students have offered and received feedback, they should be prepared to make a decision about which final piece they want to display at the curriculum’s final exhibition. • Each student should pick a single piece. • Each student should share the piece that they have chosen and why they have chosen it. Unit 7: Planning for an Artistic Exhibition (Memorable Moment) 218

• The students should take home the pieces that they do not want to display at the exhibition. They should give the piece that they do want to display to you so that they can refer to it during the next lesson.

Unit 7: Planning for an Artistic Exhibition (Memorable Moment) 219

LESSON 7:2: FINAL TOUCHES

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Provide students with twenty-five minutes to edit the artist statement guides for the art pieces they will display at the final exhibition • Provide students with time to create labels for their art pieces

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Write final artist statements for the art pieces they will display at the final exhibition • Create labels for the art pieces they will display at the final exhibition • Verbally share an idea that they have to make the final exhibition meaningful

MATERIALS • Student portfolios • Pens • Lined Paper • Labels • Black markers (to write on labels) • Blank artist statement guides from each unit

SET INDUCTION • Show students the clip of an art exhibition from “Saturday Night Live:” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUmpXUJpEug” You may have to only play part of the video for time’s sake. • Remind students that the class is preparing for an art exhibition. • The students will spend this lesson writing their artist statements and creating labels for their pieces

ACTIVITY: EDITING ARTIST STATEMENTS • Pass student portfolios out to students. • Students should take out the artist statement guide that they worked on for the piece that they have chosen to display at the exhibition. Unit 7: Planning for an Artistic Exhibition (Memorable Moment) 220

• Students will edit these artist statements and turn them into paragraphs using lined paper and pens. • They should also create labels that contain their pieces titles. • Remind students that these artist statements and labels will be displayed for guests at the exhibition. Grammar and spelling should be correct. The writing should be legible.

ACTIVITY: EXHIBITION BRAINSTORM • Facilitate as students brainstorm ideas for what they want the exhibition to include. • You may want to divide the class into groups based on parts of the exhibition that they want to plan (printed programs, food, decorations, schedule of the event) • If you do decide to divide the class into these planning groups, be sure to tell students the parameters of what they are planning (budget restrictions, time restrictions, etc.). • Remind the students that this is the final culmination of everything they have learned in this curriculum. This is a culmination of the personal journeys they have been on individually and as a class. This exhibition should be a display of their artworks, but more than that, it should also honor the students’ journeys. • Ask students to think about what would make the culmination meaningful in this way. o Some ideas include: § Each student sharing a lesson that they learned during this curriculum § Each student explaining which megillah is most relevant to their life and their reasoning. o Suggest these two ideas and ask for others. • After students have brainstormed, ask each student to share one idea that they have to make the exhibition as meaningful as possible. • Take these ideas into account when making final plans to the exhibition.

CLOSURE • Ask each student to share one lesson they remember from the curriculum and intention that they want to set based on something they learned in this curriculum.

Unit 7: Planning for an Artistic Exhibition (Memorable Moment) 221

LESSON 7:3: FINAL EXHIBITION (MEMORABLE MOMENT)

GOALS (AS AN EDUCATOR I WANT TO…) • Share with the community what students have learned in this curriculum • Invite students to take pride in their art pieces and the lessons they have learned • Teach students that the processes of learning and creation are more meaningful when shared with others

OBJECTIVES (STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO…) • Participate in a final artistic exhibition that represents a culmination of this curriculum • Answer questions about their art pieces for visitors

MATERIALS • Materials will depend on what you choose for the exhibition

ACTIVITY: EXHIBITION! • Hold an artistic exhibition at the synagogue, school, or other community where this curriculum takes place. • Invite family members, friends, and other members of the community who would enjoy being a part of this memorable moment. • Each artistic piece that the students have chosen to display should be displayed neatly and prominently with the artist statement that the student has written next and a label next to the piece. • Make sure that there is time during the exhibition for students to stand next to their pieces to answer questions about their pieces for guests. • You may choose to add a programmatic aspect to the event. This could happen in several ways: o You could choose students to share an important lesson or meaningful experience they learned or had during this curriculum. o You could ask students to act out or retell the stories of the megillot. If you choose to do this, you must set aside time in the preceding lessons for students to work on these performances. o You could ask students to share the megillot they appreciate and their reasoning. Unit 7: Planning for an Artistic Exhibition (Memorable Moment) 222

• As the author of this curriculum, I envision this exhibition including fake cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, and cocktail attire. The setting should be memorable and different from other family programming at the synagogue or school. Bibliography 223

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

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This book is an excellent resource for understanding the Jewish illuminated manuscript

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graphic novel. This book was helpful in helping me visualize the narratives of the

megillot. In Lesson 5:1, students turn portions of Megillat Esther into comic strips in a

style inspired by J.T. Waldman.

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