Dear RSY-Netzer madrichim, We hope that you are all getting very *excited* for camp, we know we are! This year we have a brand new way of doing chinuch (education) on camp, where all four camps have the same theme! That‟s right! This year‟s *Summer Theme* is all about Torah, and not just anything in Torah, but we‟ll have the chance to really learn from the people we meet as we read the stories that make up our Torah. So welcome to summer 5771, a summer of: Torah Tales This choveret should help you on your journey to writing the best peulot RSY-Netzer has ever seen! It will help you can consider what you think of different biblical characters, give questions to consider and ideas for peulot. Going through this should be an enriching process, so we encourage you all to take a moment before you start planning to say the prayer for Jewish study: Baruch Ata Adoni Eloheinu melech haolam asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav vetzivani lasok b’divrei Torah. Remember that the opportunities for education do not end with peulot! You will have conversations with chanichim all the time, and can seize opportunities all over the camp to use biblical characters, so here are just a few ideas to get you started: Kvutsah & Dorm Take a look at the page on „Creating Communities‟. Is there something you could learn from that to help form the strongest group you can? Also why not do a dorm time on Dreams looking at Joseph’s dreams, and the dreams he interprets, or at Jacob’s dream of a ladder connecting heaven and earth. Chuggim: ART: Why not think a little about Betzalel. In Parshat Vayakhel he is commissioned to build the temple. This is a brilliant biblical example of the importance of artists, and the text goes onto describe in detail the specifications of the Mikdash. Check out http://www.g-dcast.com/vayakhel for some inspiration! DRAMA: You could act out scenes in Torah or do interviews with “biblical characters” and get really into the minds of these people. If you want to find some Torah tales where biblical people act, you can look at Abraham pretending his wife Sarah is his sister to prevent them being in danger (Genesis 20). MUSIC: Miriam is known for her musical ability. She leads the people of Israel out of Eygpt alongside her brother Moses, and leads them in song. You know the famous bit of The Prince of Eygpt? Also there is a wonderful Debbie Friedman song all about her, look at: http://www.ritualwell.org/lifecycles/sitefolder.2006-03- 23.3610986751/copy_of_primaryobject.2005-06-15.3904904973 Contents: Creating Communities: How are communities created? By Richard Pearson. God: Who is God? Who is God to us? By Jeremy Tabick. Jacob: How can we be in touch with our inner lives? By Rabbi Dr Michael Shire. Jethro’s Model for Identifying Leaders: How can we learn from Moses’s father in law? By Rabbi David Mitchell. Leadership Lessons: What different models of leadership are there in Torah? By Daniel Reisel and Alma Smith. Looking After Others: What can we learn from Abraham and Sarah’s hospitality? By Rabbi Debbie Young-Somers. Miriam: What is Counter-Culture? Does Gender matter? By Deborah Blausten. Personal Development: How does Joseph transform from childhood? By Rabbi Judith Levitt. Self-Esteem: What can we learn from the Spies about self-esteem? By Naomi Russell. Taking a Stand: Which biblical characters rejected the status quo? How so? By David Brown. Tikkun Olam: What is Tikkun Olam? Where does it come from in Torah? By Alma Smith Torah Villains: Who are the bad guys and what can we learn from them? By Ezekiel Jacobs. Understanding Biblical Characters: What are some of the difficult stories in Torah? How should we respond? By Adam Overlander-Kaye. Some Inspiration from 8 Minor Characters: Eliezer, Judah, Tamar, Serah bat Asher, Nachshon ben Amminadav, Zipporah, Bezalel, Hur. By Rabbi David Mitchell Where to go for more help: A list of people and places to go for more help with creating things for camp. Contributors: A List of who all the people are that put this together. Creating Communities: A lesson from Torah – Richard Pearson Who we’re looking at: Adam and Eve, Noah and the world, babel, Moses & the law Introduction: In the bible we come across several stories which tell us how communities were made. We learn about Adam and Eve in paradise, the evil world, the flood that destroys it and the new world with Noah. We also see Moses’ laws which govern the children of Israel. From these texts we have a rich tradition highlighting important and dangerous elements of making a community. Such ideas can enrich our Probably the most famous couple in human history – the first man and his wife were responsible for creating communities today. a community in Eden and beyond. They open up Genesis – but we’ll join them in chapter 2: Adam and Eve: Respect & Govern Genesis 2:15-17: “And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying: “Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat; but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, for in the day that thou eat thereof thou shall surely die.” In the end man and woman break the law by eating from the tree – they learn to distinguish between good and evil, realise their nakedness and well get in a spot of bother for it all. Lovely story – but what can this tell us about community? We have responsibility over our community. Laws allow us freedom to live and move within – before the law was broken – it was ‘paradise’ Should we break laws? Was it good? Noah and the world The second big community we hear about in Genesis is the WORLD! It’s not going too great – but why not? Genesis 6.5: “The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually.” “ 6.11 “Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence.” Meanwhile Noah was presented as ‘Tzadik’ (7:1) meaning: righteous/ just/ lawful This is the way the bible wants us to be What are the main differences between being righteous/ just/ lawful and corrupt, violent, wicked and evil thoughts? After the flood God makes a covenant with Noah, a rainbow appears and the Noahide laws are given as a way to structure all societies: Genesis 9.1-6: “And God blessed Noah and his sons and said unto them: „Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and upon all wherewith the ground teemeth, and upon all the fish of the sea: into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you; as the green herb have I given you all. Only flesh with the life therein, which is the blood thereof you shall not eat. And surely your blood of your lives will I require at the hand of every beast will I require it; and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man‟s brother, will I require the life of man. Who sheds man‟s blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God He made man.“ Immediately after the flood laws are given about how people should live. Even if we feel some of these laws are not great (eg/ blood for blood) – we still see how law was so respected by the ancient Israelite that in a world of just Noah and his sons – law was still needed. It’s also interesting how the laws focus not only on punishment for crime, but also eating, how we treat the world around us and animals. Why do you think these categories were so important at this stage? Tower of Babel: A baffling story! So, a bit later in Genesis - some people get together, build a tower, speak one language – and God destroys it. Why? 9: 4 “Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” What was wrong with the community they were creating? Their motive was just to make a name for themselves They were challenging the greatness of God. Moses & the law Moses is the lawgiver of Israel – receiving the law from God and passing it down to Israel. Therefore he is a great example of how to create a community, and how to implement law. The laws given include the wide range of the following: G-d; Torah; Signs and Symbols; Prayer and Blessings; Love and Brotherhood; The Poor and Unfortunate; Treatment of Gentiles; Marriage, Divorce and Family; Forbidden Sexual Relations; Times and Seasons; Dietary Laws; Business Practices; Employees, Servants and Slaves; Vows, Oaths and Swearing; The Sabbatical and Jubilee Years; The Court and Judicial Procedure; Injuries and Damages; Property and Property Rights; Criminal Laws; Punishment and Restitution; Prophecy; Idolatry, Idolaters and Idolatrous Practices; Agriculture and Animal Husbandry; Clothing; The Firstborn; Kohanim and Levites; T'rumah, Tithes and Taxes; The Temple, the Sanctuary and Sacred Objects; Sacrifices and Offerings; Ritual Purity and Impurity; Lepers and Leprosy; The King; Nazarites; Wars The 10 commandments: (Deuteronomy 5:6-21) “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.