Facts, Faces and Facets of Israel-Part 4-Culture

LESSON 1 – SYMBOLS OF ISRAEL

Goal

The goal of this lesson is to familiarize the students with the symbols of the State of Israel and to help them understand and appreciate their meaning.

Materials

Included in the kit: 4 large envelopes containing information, pictures and music; a page with pictures of various objects

Needed: pen and paper, a CD player

Suggested Lesson Plan

Step 1 (10 minutes)

We recommend opening the lesson in either 1 of 2 ways:

Option A

Ask the students some of the following questions:

1. What is the symbol of your favorite baseball team? Why did the team choose that particular symbol?

2. What is the symbol of the United States? Why?

3. Why do we need a symbol?

4. Why do we need a national anthem?

And then tell them that in this lesson we will learn about the national symbols of the State of Israel and their meaning.

Option B

Hand out pens or pencils and place the objects on the floor (included in the kit) in the middle of the classroom. Ask the students to draw what they think is an appropriate symbol of the State of Israel using any of the objects on the floor. If the students complete this exercise quickly ask a few students to explain their symbol.

Step 2 (10 minutes)

Similar to the Jerusalem Tour (see “Israel and the Palestinians: what are they fighting about?” – Lesson 4), this lesson will involve a tour of different sites. In this case, each site is a different symbol of Israel – the official State symbol, the Israeli flag, the national anthem and the symbols of the Israeli army. The teacher should place four tables in different parts of the classroom and place an envelope with the materials (included) on each table. Then divide the class randomly into 4 groups and assign each group to a table with each group responsible for learning about, and preparing to lead a tour of the Israeli symbol on its table.

Step 3 (25-30 minutes)

The class should reassemble and walk together from table (symbol) to table (symbol). At each table a representative from each group will lead the tour. We strongly recommend leaving the Hatikvah table last so that the class can conclude with the class singing it in unison. 

Note: It is very important to limit the tour of each symbol to 7 minutes so that there will be sufficient time for all the symbols.

The Symbols

I. The Flag of Israel

Look at the Israeli flag. What is its design and what its meaning?

Focus for a moment on the stripes against a white background. What does that remind you of? The Tallit.

The Tallit (prayer shawl). (See the picture of the tallit with blue stripes.)

Indeed legend has it that when Herzl raised the question of the Zionist flag, David Wolffsohn got up and said “Why do we have to search? Here is our national flag” and then proceeded to display the tallit with its white field and its blue stripes along the margin.

Some say that the stripes of the tallit are meant to recall the one dyed strand of the fringes (tzizit) (see picture of tzizit with blue cord)which is to be light blue as it says in Numbers 15:

The Lord said to Moses as follows: Speak to the Israelite people and instruct them to make for themselves fringes on the corners of their garments throughout the ages; let them attach a cord of blue to the fringe at each corner.

Many symbolic meanings were attached to it. Some say that it recalls the color of the sky and reminds people of God. Others say that is was the color of the Tablets of the Law; thus they are reminded to observe the laws. Also white and light blue along with gold and purple were the colors of the High Priest’s garments and of the curtains on the Tabernacle.They were considered to be colors symbolizing purity and spirituality.

The first person in modern times who voiced the idea that blue and white are the national colors of the Jewish people, was the Austrian Jewish poet Ludwig August Frankl (1810-1894) who wrote a poem entitled “Judah’s Colors”:

When sublime feelings his heart fill

He is mantled in the colors of his country

He stands in prayer, wrapped

In a sparkling robe of white.

The hems of the white robe

Are crowned with broad stripes of blue;

Like the robe of the High Priest,

Adorned with bands of blue threads.

These are the colors of the beloved country,

Blue and white are the borders of Judah;

White is the radiance of the priesthood,

And blue, the splendors of the firmament.

The Star of David

The Magen David, literally the “Shield of David”, but which is known in English as the Star of David, is supposed to represent the shape of King David’s shield (or perhaps the emblem on it). Nevertheless there is little evidence that David’s shield looked like that. Furthermore, the so called “Star of David” was never a uniquely Jewish symbol. The standard name for the geometric shape is a hexagram or six-pointed star and it was a shape commonly used in the Midlle East and North Africa and was thought to bring good luck. Nevertheless, in Prague in the 16^th century Jews started to use this geometric shape as part of the special emblem printed on the title page of books. In the 17^th century it became a popular practice to put the “Star of David” on the outside of synagogues to identify them as Jewish houses of worship in much the same way that a cross identified a Christian house of worship. (See picture of the old synagogue)

Some scholars attribute deep theological significance to the symbol. For example, some note that the top triangle strives upward, toward God, while the lower triangle strives downward, toward the real world and others note that the intertwining makes the triangles inseparable, like the Jewish people. Some say that the three sides represent the three types of Jews; Priests, Levites and Israel.

Why did the early leaders of the State of Israel decide to feature the Star of David on the Israeli flag?

Perhaps they had the above symbolic meanings in mind. However it is also possible that they purposely adopted a symbol which had become widespread among Jews but which had no clear-cut religious associations. Nevertheless, the inclusion of the blue stripes of the tallit on the Israeli flag lent it undeniable symbolic religious and spiritual significance.

II. The Official Emblem of the State of Israel

The Menorah

The Menorah – a seven branch candelabrum made out of gold – was one of the prominent vessels of the Temple in Jerusalem (see picture). The priests lit the menorah every evening and cleaned it out every morning. It has been said that the menorah is a symbol of the nation of Israel to be “light unto the nations” (Isaiah 42:6). The Festival of Chanukah commemorates the miracle that a day’s worth of oil for this menorah lasted eight days. From early times the menorah served as a symbol of Judaism and it is featured on mosaics in ancient synagogues in Israel and on tombs and on ancient coins (see picture of Menorah mosaic).

After the Romans destroyed the Temple in 70 A.D. they carried off the spoils in a triumphal procession. In the Arch of Titus in Rome Jews are pictures in this procession carrying the menorah in humiliation and disgrace (see the picture of the Arch of Titus).

Thus, by incorporating this ancient Jewish symbol on the emblem of the State of Israel a strong link is made between the current state of Israel and the grandeur of the Jewish past and the beauty and richness of Jewish tradition. And by incorporating that which symbolized in the Arch of Titus the destruction of the Temple and the Jewish state, the message is that the Jews are now proudly returning – if not to the Temple- then to the newly born State of Israel.

The Olive

As is well known the turning point in the story of the flood was when the dove returned to Noah’s ark with an olive leaf indicating that the water had begun to recede and the flood would soon be over, and there would be a new era of peace and tranquility. Thus, the olive has become a worldwide symbol of peace.

Additionally, the olive tree has been extolled as a beautiful tree and which bears olives and olive oil, one of the healthiest oils around. Furthermore, ancient kings, including the kings of Israel, were anointed with olive oil (see the pictures of the olive tree, olive oil and olive press). 

Why is the Menorah flanked by two olive branches?

1. The Menorah in the Temple was kindled with olive oil.
2. There is a verse in the biblical Book of Zechariah, chapter 4:

I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl above it. The lamps on it are seven in number… and by it are two olive trees, one on the right and one of the left of the lampstand.”

The text explains that the two olive trees refer to the king and the high priest who will rebuild and restore the Temple that had been destroyed by the Babylonians in the 6^th century BCE. Thus the Menorah flanked by two olive branches serves today as a symbol of the rebuilding and restoration of the people and of the land.

III. The Symbols of Tzahal (IDF – Israel Defense Forces)

Look at the charts of the symbols of the U.S. and Saudi Arabian armies.

What are the different motifs?

Now look at the symbols of Tzahal.

(See the chart, the pictures, and the actual ranks)

What motif appears on the symbols of the Israeli army that does not appear on the symbols of the other armies?

The central motif is the leaf. However, there are two leaves, each with its own significance.

The olive leaf

As is well known the turning point in the story of the flood was when the dove returned to Noah’s ark with an olive leaf indicating that the water had begun to recede and the flood would soon be over, and there would a new era of peace and tranquility. Thus, the olive-leaf has become a worldwide symbol of peace (see the picture of the olive branch).

It is interesting that an army engaged in constant warfare would use the olive-leaf as its symbol. This indicates Israel’s desire to live in peace with its neighbors and commitment to pursuing peace even as it often has to fight for its very survival. This underlying message is also stated in Israel’s Declaration of Independence (see the section of the Declaration of Independence found in the “Internal Conflicts and Debates” Student Reader):

“WE EXTEND our hand to all neighbouring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighbourliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.”

Additionally, the olive-leaf represents the olive tree which has been extolled as a beautiful tree and which bears olives and olive oil, one of the healthiest oils around. Furthermore, ancient kings, including the kings of Israel, were anointed with olive oil. 

The other leaf

It resembles both a grape leaf and a fig leaf (see pictures). This design was apparently deliberate and is meant to echo the verses in the biblical book of Micah, chapter 4:

In the days to come, the Mount of the Lord’s House shall stand

Firm above the mountains;

And it shall tower above the hills.

The peoples shall gaze on it with joy,

And the many nations shall go and shall say:

“Come,

Let us go up to the Mount of the Lord,

To the House of the God of Jacob;

That He may instruct us in His ways

And that we may walk in His paths.”

For instruction shall come forth from Zion,

The word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Thus he will judge among the many peoples,

And arbitrate for the multitude of nations,

However distant;

And they shall beat their swords into plowshares

And their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation shall not take up

Sword against nation;

They shall never again know war;

But every man shall sit

Under his grapevine or fig tree

With no one to disturb him.

For it was the Lord of Hosts who spoke.

These verses describe a time when there will be peace and harmony in the land and in which every man will be able to relax while sitting under his grapevine and fig tree. Thus, both the leaves of the Israeli army serve as symbols of the desire to lay down all arms and the deep yearning for peace.

IV. The National Anthem – Hatikvah

1. Background

This poem was written by Naphtali Herz Imber in 1878. In 1882 he read the poem to the farmers of Rishon Le-Zion who received it with enthusiasm. Soon afterwards the poem was set to a melody based on a Moldavian-Rumanian folk song which is itself an incarnation of an older well-known melodic pattern found throughout Europe. The poem and the melody were changed slightly since then. At the 18^th Zionist Congress in 1933 it was formally accepted as the Zionist anthem.

2. Listening to the Hatikvah

Play the tape of the Hatikvah (play the first track on the CD)and follow along with the English translation.

התקווה

Hatikvah

כל עוד בלבב פנימה

נפש יהודי הומיה

ולפאתי מזרח קדימה

עין לציון צופיה

עוד לא אבדה תקוותנו

התקווה בת שנות אלפיים

להיות עם חפשי בארצנו

ארץ ציון ירושלים

Hatikvah

As long as deep in the heart

The soul of a Jew yearns

And toward the east

An eye looks to Zion

Our hope is not yet lost

The hope of two thousand years

To be a free people in our land

The land of Zion and Jerusalem.

3. Understanding the Hatikvah

Read the poem carefully and try to explain its central message.

• The central message seems to be that the hope of our eventual return to the land and of becoming a free people will never be lost so long as we have a Jewish yearning, or an intrinsic feeling of “Jewishness”, in our souls, and so long as we maintain a connection to the land in our hearts.

Look at the poem again. What other ideas does this poem convey?

• That Zionistic hopes could never have been fulfilled if Jews had been completely satisfied with Jewish life outside the land. This may imply that Israel’s continued existence in the future depends on the extent to which Jews living outside the Land feel connected to it.
• That there is no specific type of Jewish yearning for the land that is expected of all Jews. Some may express it through prayer, some through political activism, some through fund-raising, and others through periodic visits.
• That the hopes of the entire people depend on each individual. In order for “Our hope” (the collective) to be realized the soul of “a Jew” (the individual) must yearn for a deeper connection to the land.
• That no matter how connected we may feel to the country where we live, the land of Israel is ultimately “our land”, the land of the Jewish people. In other words, being Jewish means inheriting the right to a land which we can call our own.
• That our hope is to be a “free people” in our land. But what is the precise nature of freedom that we are to enjoy? The simple reading is freedom “from” persecution and second-class status that we experienced for much of the two thousand years living in other lands. But then the question is freedom “for” what? Some understand freedom as “freedom to do whatever you want”, but there are others believe that Israel provides Jews with the “freedom to be Jewish”. The difference in this approach is discussed in depth in the “Internal Conflicts and Debates” section of the curriculum.

4. Singing the Hatikvah (only when you lead the tour for the class)

Play the Hatikvah without the words (track 2 on the CD) and have the students sing along with the help of the transliteration below:

Hatikvah- Transliteration

Kol od balevav penima

Nefesh yehudi homiya,

Ulfa’atei mizrach kadima

Ayin letziyon tzofiah

Od lo avda tikvatenu,

Hatikva bat shenot alpayim,

Liheyot am chofshi beartzenu,

Eretz tzion veyerushalayim.

LESSON 2 – ISRAELIS SING ABOUT ISRAELI LIFE

Goal

The goal of this lesson is to help the students understand and appreciate some of the attitudes of Israelis toward Israeli life over the years, as they are expressed in popular Israeli songs.

Materials

Included in the kit: A cassette tape with 5 Israeli songs, pictures of Aviv Gefen and the Dag Nachash band

Needed: a cassette player

Suggested Lesson Plan

Step 1 (3 minutes)

The teacher should explain that a lot can be learned about a culture and a society from its music. It would be helpful to illustrate this principle through popular American music to the extent that the teacher is familiar with it. Otherwise the teacher may ask the students themselves to describe some of the differences in the lyrics between the music they listen to and the music their parents’ listen/ed to. How do they explain some of these differences?

Explain that in this lesson we will try to understand aspects of Israeli culture through songs that have been popular in Israel over the years. In particular we will try to learn from the songs how people have felt about life in Israel at different times in its history.

Then ask the students to find the translations of the songs in their Student Readers which they are meant to follow as each song is played.

Step 2 (7 minutes)

Play the first song, “Shir Lamoledet” – “A Song for the Homeland” – and address the following questions:

1. What is the general mood of the song? Optimistic, determined, passionate. It reflects a love affair between the people and the land and total dedication to do everything for its welfare, regardless of the price.
2. Who is speaking? Is it an individual or a collective? It is the collective body of the Jews speaking, not the sentiments of an individual.
3. What are the heroes of the song willing to do for the State? Absolutely everything. Nothing will stand in their way, even death.
4. How does the melody contribute to the message of the song? The melody is a European march. It is filled with energy, determination, and commitment. 
5. What do we know about this song? It was written in the 1930s but it became a virtual anthem well into the 50s and 60s. It was sung at every formal state or school ceremony, such that almost anyone growing up in Israel at the time knew the words by heart. Thus, it is fair to say that this song represents the general feeling of Israeli society at large at the time.

Step 3 (7 minutes)

Play the second song, “Eretz Eretz” – “Land, Land” – written in 1974, and discuss the following questions:

1. What is the general mood of the song? Adoration and boundless love.
2. Who is speaking? Is it an individual or a collective? Once again it is the collective “we”.
3. What is the source of this love? The land’s physical beauty, the fact that it belongs to us and always will, it is like both “our mother” and “our father”, and it is the land promised to us in the Torah.
4. What are the similarities and the differences between the first and the second song? The similarity is that both songs reflect extreme optimism and faith in a bright future in the land. The difference that the first was written at a time in which a lot of the work in the building of the state had not yet been done whereas the second describes the land as a place which has already been established. Furthermore, the first is very secular; it describes the physical characteristics of the land and that which man can do to enhance it physically. The second describes both the physical and spiritual characteristics of the land: it is blessed with beautiful seashores and sand dunes but it is also the “land of the Torah the source of light and the language of faith”.

Step 4 (7 minutes)

Play the third song “Ein Le Eretz Acheret”- I Have No Other Homeland” – written in 1984, and discuss the following questions:

1. What is the general mood of the song? In what way is the mood different from the previous songs? Unlike the previous songs which reflect joy, love and genuine optimism about the future, this song reflects the sadness and pain that have become features of the reality of life in the land. Instead of a spontaneous outpouring of love this song reflects a conscious attempt to revive its memory in spite of the difficulties of life in the land. Defending life in the land on the grounds that “I have no other land” is an admission that things have gone awry and that in theory it might be better elsewhere if only there were somewhere else to go.
2. Who is speaking? For the first time we begin to encounter the individual not the collective. This a definite turning point; in the decades immediately after the founding of the State virtually all the songs were written in the collective. The individual was seen primarily as the instrument of the collective; here and in many subsequent songs the individual is given center stage.
3. What feelings are evoked through the melody? Sadness mixed with hope

Step 5 (10 minutes)

Play the fourth song “Uri Ur”- “Arise Arise!” – written a few years ago, and discuss the following questions:

1. Who is Aviv Gefen? He is one of the top rock stars in Israel particularly popular among the younger generation. His popularity stems not only from his music but from his provocative lyrics and dress style (see picture). He has been the subject of much controversy for his refusal to serve in the Israeli army.
2. What is the general mood of the song? In what way is it different from the other songs? The song reflects a mood of extreme weariness and frustration with all the hardships of life in the land. The weariness stems first and foremost from the constant state of war but also from internal problems such the “mutual hatred that is increasing daily”, “violence, humiliation and racism toward immigrants”. Despite all this, the composer has not lost his attachment to the land which is still “beloved” and has not completely lost faith in its ability to be a source of love. If the previous song was somewhat ambiguous about the difficulties of life in the land here they are spelled out quite clearly and in harsh language. Nevertheless, both songs 3 and 4 share a sense of disappointment with the land and the hope that the land will arise and be a source of goodness and love once again, unlike the previous 2 songs which expressed overwhelming joy and enthusiasm about life in the land.
3. Who is speaking? In one part the songwriter speaks in the plural: “we are weary” and in another he speaks in the singular: “gives me strength”. Perhaps he is aware that the problems that have plagued the people in the land have not affected others as much as they have affected him; that, despite it all, others still love the land whereas his love is waning which is what leads him to implore the land to “give me the strength to love you“. Perhaps this is a reflection of the frustration and impatience of youth, or perhaps it is a reflection of the lack of idealism that has come to characterize much of the younger generation in Israel in recent years.

Step 6 (10-15 minutes)

Play the fifth song “Gabi and Debbie” and discuss the following questions:

1. Who are Dag Nachash? They are a relatively new Jerusalem- based hip-hop band which has quickly become among the most popular and successful bands in the country.
2. What is the difference between the mood of this song and the previous songs? Unlike the first two songs which reflected overwhelming love and enthusiasm and unlike the 3^rd and 4^th songs which reflected sadness and disappointment, the mood of this song is a combination of humor, sarcasm and cynicism. The contrast between the original vision of Herzl and the reality of life in Israel is so great as to arouse ridicule and derision. Herzl, as it were, is hanging out, and getting “high” while everything is falling apart in Israel. Instead of responding to the terrible news about conditions in the land he offers the bearer of the news a “trip”. Given the fact that Israel is fraught with countless problems of its own the idea that the Jewish state is supposed to be the solution to the Jewish problem seems nothing short of absurd. Thus, instead of the prophetic words “Im tirtzu ein zo aggadah – “If you will it, it will come true” the songwriters suggest, in a play on words, that Herzl must have been saying “Im tikchu ein zo aggadah”- if you take it, i.e., drugs, all your dreams will come true. The great hero Trumpeldor who died saying “tov lamut be’ad artzeinu”- “it is good to die for our country” must have really been saying “tov lamuchta al artzeinu” – “it is good to spit on our land”. Furthermore, if the previous songs reflected a Zionist yearning and a deep love for the land even if the land has failed to live up to expectations, these songwriters are taken aback by the very idea of thinking about Zionism. Zionism is not “hip” but a subject that should be relegated to educational T.V. 

Step 7 (5-10 minutes)

The teacher should lead a summary discussion dealing with some or all of the following questions:

1. Which song did you enjoy listening to the most? Which the least?
2. Did your feelings about the songs change when you paid attention to the words? Why?
3. Looking at all 5 songs what general trend can you detect in the attitude of Israelis toward Israeli life over the years?
4. How do you think this trend can be explained?
5. How do you feel about this trend?
6. Did this lesson change your perspective on Israel? If yes, in what way?
7. What do you think will be the mood of the next generation of Israeli songs?

.

The Songs

Songs

שיר למולדת/ נתן אלתרמן   בהרים כבר השמש מלהטת, ובעמק עוד נוצץ הטל. אנו אוהבים אותך; מולדת, בשמחה בשיר ובעמל.   ממורדות הלבנון עד ים-המלח נעבור אותך במחרשות. אנו עוד ניטע לך ונבנה לך אנו נייפה אותך מאד.   נלבישך בשלמת בטון ומלט ונפרוש לך מרבדי גנים. על אדמת שדותייך הנגאלת הדגן ירנין פעמונים.   המדבר – אנו דרך בו נחצובה הבצות – אנו נייבשן. מה ניתן לך עוד להוד ושובע מה עוד לא נתנו – וניתן?   בהרים, בהרים זרח אורנו, אנו נעפילה אל ההר. האתמול נשאר מאחורינו, אך רבה הדרך למחר.   אם קשה היא הדרך ובוגדת אם גם לא אחד יפול חלל – עד עולם נאהב אותך מולדת אנו לך בקרב ובעמל.	Shir Lamoledet – A Song for the Homeland/ Natan Alterman   The sun is already burning hot on the mountains And the dew is still sparkling in the valley. We love you: homeland With joy, song and toil.   From the slopes of the Lebanon to the Dead Sea We will go over you with plows. We will yet plant and build for you And beautify you greatly.   We will dress you with a robe of concrete and cement And we will spread for you a carpet of gardens. The grains will ring with bells Upon earth of fields redeemed.   We will carve a path in the desert We will dry the swamps. What else shall we give you for glory and fulfillment What else has not been given – and we shall?   In the mountains, the mountains, our light has shined, We will venture toward the mountain. Yesterday is left behind us, But there is still a long road till tomorrow.   If the road is hard and treacherous If not just one will fall to his death We will love you till eternity, homeland We are yours in battle and with toil.
ארץ ארץ/ שייקה פייקוב   ארץ, ארץ, ארץ, ארץ תכול אין עב, והשמש לה כדבש וחלב, ארץ בה נולדנו ארץ בה נחיה ונשב בה, יהיה מה שיהיה ארץ שנאהב היא לנו אם ואב ארץ של העם ארץ לעולם ארץ בה נולדנו ארץ בה נחיה יהיה מה שיהיה. ארץ, ארץ, ארץ, ים אל מול החוף ופרחים וילדים בלי סוף. בצפון כינרת בדרום חולות ומזרח למערב נושק גבולות. ארץ שנאהב… ארץ, ארץ, ארץ, ארץ התורה את מקור האור ושפת האמונה. ארץ, ארץ, ארץ, ארץ יקרה, הן הבטחת שאין זו אגדה. ארץ שנאהב…	Eretz Eretz- Land, Land/Sheika Peikov   Our land of blue cloudless skies, And a sun like milk and honey. Our land where we were born Where we will live Where we will stay Whatever else may happen.   Our land that we love Our mother and our father A land that’s ours forever, The land where we were born Where we will live Where we will stay Whatever else may happen.   Our land, along the seashores, Flowers and children all around. The Kinneret in the North And sand dunes in the South; Its east and West borders almost close Enough to kiss.   Chorus: Our land that we love…   Our land: land of the Torah, You are the source of light and The language of faith. Our dearest land, You promised us its true.   Chorus: Our land that we love…
עורי עור/ אביב גפן   האימה האיבה קולות המלחמה ושנאת אחים שבכל יום גוברת הזיקנה מביכה הם מתים פה מבושה בקולם הם לוחשים ואת שותקת עורי עור עורי עור מולדת אהובה כי אנחנו עייפים מאוד זקוקים למנוחה עורי עור עורי עור מולדת אהובה פעם בחיים אנו חיים תתני קצת אהבה אלימות, השפלה גזענים לעלייה ועוד ילד שכבר לא יחזור הביתה פוחד לחזור הביתה האימה האיבה שירים של מלחמה ושנאת אחים שבכל יום גוברת עורי עור… ותני לי ת’כח לאהוב אותך מן פינה קטנה לשמוח איך לפעמים קשה לסלוח לך	Uri Ur – Arise Arise/ Aviv Gefen   The dread, the hostility The sounds of war And the mutual hatred That is increasing daily   Old age is disheartening They are dying here from shame They whisper And you are silent.   Arise! Arise! O beloved homeland   Because we are very weary In need of rest Arise! Arise! O beloved homeland We live just once in a lifetime Give us a little love   Violence, humiliation, Racism toward immigrants, And another child who will no longer return home Afraid to go home. The dread and the hostility Songs of war And the mutual hatred That is increasing daily.   Arise! Arise! O beloved homeland   And give me the strength To love you Some small corner to be happy How it is sometimes hard to forgive you.

Gabi and Debbie/ Hadag Nachash

Come hear a short story, which may be even a bit funny,

About the day I met Gabi and Debbie with the magic stick[1]

I walked innocently one evening

I looked all around me in every direction

When suddenly everyone was speaking English

And their color changed to black and white[2]

Everyone was there: Ding Dond, Scooterman and that cowboy what’s his name

There was Doctor Halfbaker, Mister Kashtan, Yirmy Kaplan and his father too[3]

Gabi and Debbie were there too but they stood on the side

Debbie looked upset and Gabi troubled

They said they lost some magic stick

And asked whether I would mind helping them look for it

“Hey man, is there a reward for the kind person who finds it?”

They said

That if I find the stick

They will fly me

Anywhere on earth that I wish.

In exactly one second I found the stick

Because Gabi put it in his back pocket, what an idiot!

“Wow!” I shouted, like Homer Simpson in ecstasy.

Let’s go to Paris to the Sheraton Plaza

There is a great whorehouse

That’s where I want to be.

Debbie cleared her throat and said

You have to understand that although we would be perfectly happy

Unfortunately there are some restrictions

First of all this is educational television

And there has to be a positive message

Don’t you have someplace in mind a little more Zionistic?

What do you mean, Zionistic, I said what do you mean? Like Herzl?

Whoops! We landed in Basel.

Chorus:

The Dag Nachash[4] are doing a Zionistic hip-hop

The Dag Nachash are doing a Zionistic hip-hop.

Herzl was leaning on the railing[5], so laid back

As soon as I saw him I got pissed off

He isn’t embarrassed to hang out as though nothing is happening

In Israel everything is on fire, what is he a moron?

I looked at him in the eye, real close

It’s really wild, his pupils were wide and the white of his eye was all red

Psss… I whispered, but he seemed like he was “high”

Gabi said “shut up, play it cool”

But I couldn’t hold back and, without any shame, I let the man who prophesied my state have it

About all the difficult and miserable aspects of life in Israel,

I told him about the road accidents

And the strike of the disabled

I told him about the quarter of a million unemployed

And about the corrupt politicians.

Herzl didn’t respond but gave a broad smile

He put his hand in his pocket.

I tried to stress that there is no peace and no security

And we’re all sick and tired of living in fear

Herzl put a “trip” on my tongue and said

“If you take it, it will come true”[6]

Chorus:

The Dag Nachash are doing a Zionistic hip-hop

The Dag Nachash are doing a Zionistic hip-hop.

I had no idea what was happening to me, I swear

Suddenly I had a Karabin[7] in my hands,

I found myself in the battle of Tel-Hai[8]

Wow, I don’t want guns, I’m in no mood,

I have a profile of 21[9]

But Gabi said that the story of Tel-Hai

Is very important and it is worth studying.

I identified Trumpeldor immediately, what a dude!

The one with the arm, I mean without

‘What’s happening Yosef?” I asked politely,

But Trumpeldor was pissed off and angry

Suddenly the wind formed a cloud of dust

Trumpeldor choked and spit out right next to us a greenish liquid

And then coughed and said

“It is good to spit on our land” [10].

Chorus:

The Dag Nachash are doing a Zionistic hip-hop

The Dag Nachash are doing a Zionistic hip-hop.

Suddenly everything seemed overwhelming

My legs failed me and I fell to the ground shouting “Enough!”

This trip was supposed to be a real bonus

It’s not fun with you at all

You screwed me, you screwed me

Debbie regained her composure first, she turned to me with maternal understanding

“You’re right” she said “now let’s fly

Wherever you want, wherever you say”

Oh, at last,

“Just not to Jerusalem in 2002”, I said

But apparently they didn’t hear the “not”

Because to this place

To where?

To this place

To where?

I returned right back here.

Chorus:

The Dag Nachash are doing a Zionistic hip-hop

The Dag Nachash are doing a Zionistic hip-hop.

גבי ודבי/ דג נחש

תשמעו סיפור קצר אולי אפילו קצת מצחיק
על היום בו פגשתי את גבי ודבי עם המג’יק סטיק
הלכתי לי ערב אחד לתומי
הסתכלתי סביבי לפה ולשם
כשלפתע כולם דיברו באנגלית
וצבעם התחלף לשחור ולבן
כולם היו שם: מיס דינג דונג, סקוטרמן והקאובוי ההוא מה שמו
היה דוקטור האפבייקד, מיסטר קשטן, ירמי קפלן ואבא שלו גם
גם גבי ודבי אבל הם עמדו בנפרד
דבי נראתה שבוזה וגבי מוטרד
הם אמרו שהם איבדו איזה מקל קסמים
ושאלו אם אכפת לי לעזור בחיפושים
סבבה, יש פרס למוצא הישר?
ענו לי
שאם אמצא ת’מקל
הם יטיסוני
לכל מקום שאבחר ברחבי תבל
מצאתי את המקל תוך שניה בדיוק
כי גבי שם אותו בכיס האחורי איזה דפוק
“ווהו” צעקתי כמו הומר סימפסון באקסטזה
בואו נטוס לפריז לשרתון פלאזה
יש שם ברו לה פות וואחד בית זונות
שם אני רוצה להיות
דבי כחכחה בגרונה ואמרה
אתה צריך להבין דווקא היינו שמחים
אבל יש לנו לצערך מספר אילוצים
קודם כל זו טלויזיה חינוכית
וצריך שהמסר יהיה חיובי
אין לך בראש איזה מקום יותר ציוני?
מה ציוני? אמרתי מה? כמו הרצל?
הופס! נחתנו בבאזל

הדג נחש עושים היפ הופ ציוני
הדג נחש עושים היפ הופ ציוני

הרצל נשען על המעקה מה זה בשנטי
איך שראיתי אותו נהיה לי אנטי
הוא לא מתבייש להסתלבט כאילו כלום
בארץ הכל עולה באש מה הוא סתום?
הסתכלתי לו בעיניים מקרוב טוב טוב
איזה קטע האישונים מורחבים והלבן של העין מה זה אדום
פס… לחשתי נראה לי הוא מסטול
גבי אמר שתוק שחק אותה קול
אבל לא התאפקתי והטחתי בחוזה המדינה בלי בושה
את כל פרטי המציאות הישראלית העגומה והקשה
אני סיפרתי על תאונות הדרכים
וסיפרתי על שביתת הנכים
אני סיפרתי על רבע מיליון מובטלים
וסיפרתי על פוליטיקאים מושחתים
הרצל לא הגיב חייך חיוך רחב
את יד ימין תחב לכיס מכנסיו
ניסיתי להדגיש שאין שלום אין בטחון
ונמאס לחיות בחרדה
הרצל שם לי קרטון על הלשון ואמר:
“אם תיקחו אין זו אגדה”

הדג נחש עושים…

לא הצלחתי להבין מה קורה לי בחיי
פתאום היה לי קרבין בידיי
מצאתי את עצמי בקרב על תל חי
וואוו, לא רוצה נשק אין לי חשק
יש לי פרופיל 21
אבל גבי אמר שהסיפור בתל חי
הוא מאוד משמעותי ושללמוד אותו כדאי
זיהיתי את טרומפלדור מיד, איזה כלי
נו זה זה עם היד, בעצם בלי
מה נשמע יוסף? שאלתי בנימוס
אבל טרומפלדור היה עצבני וכעוס
פתאום הרוח העלתה ענן אבק
טרומפלדור נשנק נחנק וירק נוזל ירקרק ממש לידנו
אחר כך השתעל ואמר
“טוב למוחטה על ארצנו”

הדג נחש עושים…

פתאום הכל הרגיש גדול עליי
כשלו רגליי לרצפה נפלתי וצעקתי די!!!
הטיול הזה היה אמור להיות צ’ופר אמיתי
לא כיף אתכם בכלל
דפקתם אותי, דפקתם אותי
דבי התעשתה ראשונה פנתה אליי בהבנה אימהית
אתה צודק אמרה עכשיו נטוס
לאן שתרצה לאן שתגיד
או, סוף סוף
רק לא לירושלים ב-2002 אמרתי
אבל כנראה שהם לא שמעו ת’לא
כי בדיוק לפה
לאיפה?
בדיוק לפה
לאיפה?
בדיוק לפה אני חזרתי

הדג נחש עושים…

LESSON 3 – ISRAELI CULTURE: WHERE IS IT HEADED?

Goal

To offer students insight into the tension that exists today between Israel as a distinctive culture and Israel as a replica of western culture and to encourage them to think about what they would like for Israel’s future.

Materials

Included in the kit: video clip on shopping in Israel.

Needed: a VCR

Suggested Lesson Plan

Step 1 (5 minutes)

Begin the lesson by asking the students where they like to shop and why. Then ask the students who have been to Israel where they shopped when they were there and why. If none of the students have been to Israel then ask what they imagine the shopping in Israel is like.

Step 2 (22 minutes)

Show the Israel shopping video clip.

Step 3 (8 minutes)

Discuss the clip guided by some or all of the following questions:

Were you surprised by any of the things that were shown or said on the clip? Were you uncomfortable with anything? Were you pleased with anything? Is this similar to or different from what you imagined Israel to be like?

Step 4 (10-15 minutes)

The video clip introduces the students into one aspect of contemporary Israeli culture. Now try to shift the focus to a discussion of the future direction of Israeli culture. This can be done by asking open-ended questions such as, should Israel try to become more or less like other western countries such as America? In what ways? What are the pros and cons of being different or of imitating other cultures? What might be the political, economic and religious consequences? Which vision of Israel would you be more interested in visiting and being a part of?

Alternatively this can be done by dividing the class- or by allowing the students to divide themselves – into 3 groups corresponding to the different views that were expressed on the video clip – those in favor of more Malha malls, those in favor of more Mahaneh Yehudah markets, and those in favor of having more of both. Each group has to come up with arguments in defense of its assigned – or chosen – position.

LESSON 4 – SOME OF ISRAEL’S EXTRAORDINARY ACHIEVEMENTS

Goal

The goal of this lesson is for the students to understand and appreciate some of Israel’s extraordinary achievements. This will hopefully help offset, in their minds, some of the negative images of Israel that they encounter in the media’s coverage of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Materials

Included in the kit: a video with four segments describing different achievements of Israel, a list of 36 achievements of Israel.

Needed: a VCR

Suggested Lesson Plan

Step 1 (37 minutes)

Show the video in its entirety

Step 2 (8-15 minutes)

Lead a discussion about the video guided by any or all of the following questions: How did they feel about what they just saw? Which of the segments was the most meaningful to them? Which do they think is the most important? Why are these aspects of Israel generally unknown to the larger public?

Step 3 (3-5 minutes)

If you would like, hand out copies of the following list of 36 things regarding Israel that appeared in a recent e-mail list and have the students glance at it briefly. Also mention the “Israaid” website for a fuller description of the humanitarian assistance that Israel offers countries around the world: www.israaid.org.il.

Regarding Israel

Israel, the 100th smallest country, with less than 1/1000th of the world’s population, can lay claim to the following:

1. The cell phone was developed in Israel by Israelis working in the Israeli branch of Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel.
2. Most of the Windows NT and XP operating systems were developed by Microsoft-Israel.
3. The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel.
4. Both the Pentium-4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel. In fact, the Pentium microprocessor in your computer was most likely made in Israel.
6. Voice mail technology was developed in Israel.
7. Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel.
8. The technology for the AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in 1996 by four young Israelis.
9. Israel has the fourth largest air force in the world (after the U.S., Russia and China). In addition to a large variety of other aircraft, Israel’s air force has an arsenal of over 250 F-16’s. This is the largest fleet of F-16 aircraft outside of the US.
10. Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita.
11. Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees to the population in the world.
12. Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation by a large margin – 109 per 10,000 people — as well as one of the highest per capita rates of patents filed.
13. In proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world. In absolute terms, Israel has the largest number of startup companies than any other country in the world, except the US (3,500 companies, mostly in hi-tech).
14. With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and startups, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world — apart from the Silicon Valley, US.
15. Israel is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds right behind the US.
16. Outside the United States and Canada, Israel has the largest number of NASDAQ listed companies.
17. Israel has the highest average living standards in the Middle East. The per capita income in 2000 was over $17,500, exceeding that of the UK.
18. On a per capita basis, Israel has the largest number of biotech startups.
19. Twenty-four per cent of Israel’s workforce holds university degrees — ranking third in the industrialized world, after the United States and Holland – and 12 per cent hold advanced degrees.
20. Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.
21. In 1984 and 1991, Israel airlifted a total of 22,000 Ethiopian Jews at risk in Ethiopia, to safety in Israel.
22. When Golda Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1969, she became the world’s second elected female leader in modern times.
23. When the U. S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya was bombed in 1998, Israeli rescue teams were on the scene within a day — and saved three victims from the rubble.
24. Israel has the third highest rate of entrepreneurship — and the highest rate among women and among people over 55 in the world.

25. Relative to its population, Israel is the largest immigrant-absorbing nation on earth. Immigrants come in search of democracy, religious freedom, and economic opportunity.
26. Israel was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly process, an international standard that certifies diamonds as “conflict free.”
27. Israel has the world’s second highest per capita of new books.
28. Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees, made more remarkable because this was achieved in an area considered mainly desert.
29. Israel has more museums per capita than any other country.
30. Medicine… Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.
31. An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment. Every year in U. S. hospitals 7,000 patients die from treatment mistakes.
32. Israel’s Given Imaging developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a pill. Used to view the small intestine from the inside, the camera helps doctors diagnose cancer and digestive disorders.
33. Researchers in Israel developed a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, an innovation with the potential to save lives among those with heart failure. The new device is synchronized with the heart’s mechanical operations through a sophisticated system of sensors.
34. Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U.S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With over 25% of its work force employed in technical professions. Israel places first in this category as well.
35. A new acne treatment developed in Israel, the ClearLight device, produces a high-intensity, ultraviolet-light-free, narrow-band blue light that causes acne bacteria to self-destruct — all without damaging surroundings skin or tissue.
36. An Israeli company was the first to develop and install a large-scale solar-powered and fully functional electricity generating plant, in southern California’s Mojave Desert.

. . . . . All the above while engaged in regular wars with an implacable enemy that seeks its destruction, and an economy continuously under strain by having to spend more per capita on its own protection than any other country on earth.

LESSON 5 – A YOM HA’ATZMAUT CELEBRATION

Goal

The goal of this lesson is to help deepen the students’ feelings for, appreciation of, and commitment to Israel through a class celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut – Israeli Independence Day.

Note: It is important that this lesson be taught during the week of Yom Ha’atzmaut.

Materials

Included in the kit: The Haggadah for Yom Ha’atzmaut published by the Jewish National Fund and the Frankel Center for Jewish Family Education

Suggested Lesson Plan

The Haggadah for Yom Ha-atzmaut (HYH) offers a range of suggestions regarding the celebration of Yom Ha-atzmaut in different circles and for different age groups. While teachers should feel free to select any of the suggestions that they deem appropriate for their students the following are a few of our own suggestions and selections:

1. In preparation for this class ask the students to bring an object from home that meaningfully represents Israel to them.
2. Prior to class, the teacher should decorate the classroom with as many Israel related objects as possible. It is recommended to use some of the materials included already in the curriculum such as maps, faces of Israelis, various symbols of Israel, and an enlarged copy of the Israeli Declaration of Independence.
3. Since Yom Ha’atzmaut in Israel is preceded by a dramatic and moving memorial for the fallen soldiers we strongly suggest following the same order. Thus it is appropriate to preface the Yom Ha-atzmaut celebration with the dramatic ceremony and reading for Yom Hazikaron – Israel Memorial Day- described in pages 8-9 of HYH. 
4. The Yom Ha’atzmaut Seder proposed by the HYH seems a bit too long and formal for a high-school class. Furthermore, many of the ideas and texts were discussed or studied at different junctures during this course. Perhaps it would be wise to integrate some readings from HYH with students talking about the objects that they brought and explaining why they symbolize Israel.
5. Whether or not you choose to follow the formal guidelines of the HYH it is recommended to include a taste of some Israeli foods such as nuts and fruit or Israeli snacks such as “Bisli” or “Bamba” to the extent that these are available in your community. If there are cooking facilities then it would be great to serve pita and falafel (assuming that this doesn’t cause problems of kashrut).
6. It is strongly recommended to spend some time singing Israeli songs with which the students may already familiar such as those on pages 40-41, 48-49. It might also be helpful to bring a tape of Israeli classics along with the lyrics in transliteration and translation and have the students listen and sing along and, in this way, expand their repertoire.
7. At some point during the festivities it might be moving to show some old footage of the early pioneers or of the events leading to the establishment of the State of Israel. Either re-show the clip from Roots–Lesson 6 or contact your local Federation, WZO or the Jewish Agency to obtain other video footage.

Note: Keep in mind that this lesson is meant to be experiential and affective and no formal learning needs to take place. Thus, it is important to choose the activities that you think will be the most moving and meaningful to your students.

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[1] Gabi and Debbie name of a produced in Israel in the 80s to teach English to Israelis. The plot revolves around teenagers named Gabi and Debbie who got hold of a magic stick. Every place on a map that they happen to touch is where they end up going.

[2]This  program was produced in black and white

[3] All these names are characters from programs aimed at teaching English to Israelis

[4] The name of the band

[5]  Herzl is believed to have conceived of the idea of creating a Jewish state while leaning on the railing of a hotel in Basel

[6] This is a play on Herzl’s famous words “If you will it, it will come true”

[7]  A gun used in the Israeli war of independence

[8] One of the places where intense fighting took place during the war of independence. The hero of this battle was Yosef Trumpeldor who had only one arm

[9] The “profile” is a rating system to determine the physical and mental readiness of draftees for combat A soldier with a profile of 21 is exempt from combat.

[10]  A play on Trumpeldor’s famous words “it is good to die for our land”