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The Many Faces of Israel
The Many Faces of Israel
A project of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
In cooperation with The Archdiocese of Los Angeles
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Curriculum Writers: Marlynn Dorff and Ardyth Sokoler
A project of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
In cooperation with The Archdiocese of Los Angeles
The Many Faces of Israel
Acknowledgements
This project would not have been possible without the involvement and dedication of the
Holy Land Democracy Task Force.
Dr. Daniel Lieber, Chair
Elaine Albert, Director
Dr. David Ackerman, Educational Consultant
Dr. Parviz Afshani
Marc L. Benezra
Stuart Bernstein
Prof. Gerald Bubis
Susie Chodakiewitz
Avi Davis
Abner Goldstine
Stanley Kandel
Deborah Kattler Kupetz
Leslie Kessler
Ernest Z. Klein
Paul Kujawsky
Linda Mayman
Jo Ann Oster
Dr. Irwin Reich
Faith Schames
Nathan Wirtschafter
Some materials and lessons come from and/or have been adapted from the One People ManyFaces curriculum that is available through the Boston Bureau of Jewish Education.
The maps and many of the history and fact pages come from and/or have been adapted from
curricular materials prepared by the San Francisco JCRC.
All rights reserved.
© 2004 The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome
Introduction iGoals iiThe Many Faces of Israel iii
FAcTS AND FIGUReS
Introduction 1
The Middle East Today in Maps 3Emblem and Anthem 5Fact Summary 6
DemocRAcY
Democracy in Action 9
Israel: Declaration of Independence (May 14, 1948) 11U.S.: Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) 15U.S.: Preamble to Constitution 18Party History 1916th Knesset 2017th Knesset Elections 21
HISToRY
Jewish History Overview 22Christianity 25Islam 26The Jewish Diaspora 27The Middle East before WWI 28Balfour Declaration 29The Middle East between World Wars 1 and 2 30The Holocaust 31U.N. Resolution 181 32U.N. Partition Plan 33Creation of the State of Israel 34
TABLE OF CONTENTS
HISToRY (continued)
Difficult Issues – Refugees 35Jews Who Fled From Arab Lands 36Palestinian Arab Refugees 37Restrictions on Jews in Muslim Countries 38
Ethiopian Jews 39Immigration to Israel 40Israel Map (1949-1967) 44Developing Concepts 45Israel Map (Today) 46The Middle East Map (Today) 47Anti-Zionism 48Personal Stories 49Culture Trees 65
cURReNT eVeNTS
The News 68Media Web Sites 69World Briefs 70Israel Defense Force Guidelines 72In the Press 75
PeoPle
Introduction 82Distant Friends Video Transcript 83Israeli Food Fair 90Recipes 91
BIBlIoGRAPHY I
When you hear about Israel in the news, chances are you have heard about
war and terrorism in Israel and little else.
There is much more to the Holy Land than the limited snap-shots you see
on the evening news. People marry, babies are born, children go to school,
teens listen to rock music and are crazy about their soccer or basketball
teams and complain about too much homework, film stars make movies,
doctors perform miracles, farmers make crops grow where there used to
be desert, archaeologists discover new secrets from the past, people climb
mountains or hang out at the beach or the disco, people on the run grab
a falafel or pizza or schwarma, politicians argue.
This unit includes five short lessons about the modern State of Israel. We
hope you will learn a little about Israel’s people, geography, democracy, his-
tory, teen-age culture, and food. We hope this experience will help you
understand things just a little better, or at least help you ask better questions.
We hope you will come visit some day and see for yourself!
i
Welcome to
At the end of the unit students will be able to:
1. Identify Israel’s government as a democracy;
2. Explain that all kinds of people live in Israel, including all kinds of Jews;
3. Give at least one reason why people consider Israel the Jewish homeland;
4. Give at least one reason why Jews need a homeland;
5. Give at least one reason why Jews come to Israel to live;
6. Give at least one reason why Jews who do not live in Israel think it is
important to have the Jewish State of Israel;
7. Identify at least one area of conflict in Israel between Jews and Arabs;
8. Give at least one reason why the peace process in Israel is still
a challenge;
9. Give at least one example of how Israelis and Arabs handle the
conflict differently;
10. Give at least one example of how an Israeli teenager’s life is similar
to and different from an American teenager’s life.
ii
Goals
iii
TheMany
FacesofIsrael
TheMany
FacesofIsrael
iv
The Many Faces of
v
Israel
vi
Facts & Figures
1
Israel is the only Jewish state in the world and the most democratic country
among its Arab neighbors.
Israel’s citizens come from all over the world and practice many different
religions, just like in the United States. All of these people, Jewish and
Christian, Islamic and Secular, have the right to free expression, to vote, to
own property, to have a trial if charged with a crime, just about all the rights
that Americans have.
The ancient Jewish state in the Land of Israel was destroyed by the Romans
in 70 CE and later renamed Palestine. Some Jews always lived in places such
as Jerusalem, Safed, Hebron, Jaffa, and the Galilee, but over the centuries
the Land was ruled by others, including Romans, Arabs and Turks. The
majority of Jews were scattered among the nations, where they were often
persecuted, a defenseless minority. Most of the Jewish families in Israel today
are descended from immigrants, while some are descended from those who
always maintained residency in the land.
At times, Jews found homes in all these countries, but their experiences were
not always happy ones. Each country is a unique story about why Jews were
expelled or wanted to leave. This is one of the reasons it is important for
Israel to exist as a permanent haven for Jews who are threatened.
In 1897, Theodor Herzl founded modern Zionism, the belief that Jews
should return to Israel to build their own land. After that, many Jews began
to come. They bought land, much of which was either desert or swamps,
and made the country bloom. For the next 50 years, Zionism grew as an
international movement and waves of settlers came to Israel.
In 1933 Adolph Hitler stirred up violent anti-Semitism in Germany, so many
German Jews escaped to Israel. Other large sources of Jewish immigrants to
the Land of Israel include:
– survivors from the Holocaust who had no place else to go after 1945;
– Jews from Arab countries, many of whom fled or were expelled because
they were Jews;
– Russian Jews who finally received permission to leave the USSR;
– Ethiopian Jews - Israel had to make special arrangements to get them out; and
– North Americans, Europeans, South Africans, South Americans, etc.
When the United Nations voted to establish a Jewish State in Palestine in
1947, many Jews wept for joy. Finally, they could officially claim the land that
many believed God had given them and be a nation like any other. Their fate
would be in their own hands and they could make their own decisions
about how to live and how to worship. This is another reason Jews believe
that they need their homeland.
Facts &Figures
Introduction
2
Under the Ottoman Empire the area we call Palestine had been separate
provinces, not a united political entity. When Turkey lost World War I, this
became a British Mandate. The United Nations voted to give only a small
portion of this land to Israel. A large portion became Transjordan.
In 1948, when Israel declared independence, the entire Arab world rejected
the existence of a Jewish state and five Arab armies invaded, intending to
crush the new state. Despite overwhelming odds, Israel won the war.
If you look at a map, you will have a hard time finding Israel. It is a very
small country whose entire size is just smaller than Los Angeles plus
Riverside Counties.
You can also see on the map that Israel is surrounded on the north, east
and south by Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt, all Arab countries. Nearby
you can see Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Yemen, Libya, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.
All of them form an organization called the Arab League. The land mass of
these 21 countries equals the entire United States.
One reason that the peace process is so complicated is that Israel has to
defend all her borders.
Facts &Figures
Introduction
3
11
13
Somalia
14 I______
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10
Mauritania
Facts &Figures
The MiddleEast Today
4
Somalia
Mauritania
Facts &Figures
The MiddleEast Today
5
Hatikvah (The Hope)
Israel’s National Anthem
As long as in the heart
The Jewish spirit yearns
With eyes turned eastward
Looking towards Zion, then our hope,
The hope of two thousand years,
Is not lost:
To be a free nation in our own land,
The land of Zion and Jerusalem.
The emblem of the State of Israel
The official emblem of the State, which was adopted in 1949, is composed
of two symbols. One is the menorah, or candelabrum, of the temple in
Jerusalem, the ancient symbol of the Jewish people as seen in relief on the
Arch of Titus in Rome. The menorah is surrounded by two olive branches,
linked at the bottom by the inscription “Israel” in Hebrew. The olive branch
itself has been synonymous with peace since the dove sent to find dry land
brought one back to Noah’s Ark (Genesis 8:11).
Facts &Figures
Emblem andAnthem
6
Size of Israel:
10,840 sq. miles (Following the June 1967 Arab-Israeli War, Israel gained the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip from Jordan and the Golan Heights from
Syria. These territories have been and will continue to be the subject of
negotiations between Israel and her Arab negotiating partners. As a result
of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Israel has redeployed from 99% of
the Gaza Strip and almost 40% of the West Bank. Today these areas, which
include 99% of the Palestinian population, are under the jurisdiction of the
Palestinian Authority.)
Topography:
Coastal Plain – fertile, humid and densely populated along the
Mediterranean Sea
Central Highlands – Hills of Galilee in the north and the Judean Hills in
the south
Negev Desert – about 1/2 of Israel’s area
Jordan Valley – includes lowest point (approximately 1,300 feet below sea
level) at the Dead Sea
Geography:
Size of the state of New Jersey
290 miles from north to south
Width at widest point, 85 miles
Width at narrowest point, 6.2 miles
Border:
North – Lebanon
Northeast – Syria
East & South – Jordan
Southwest – Egypt
West – Mediterranean Sea
official Name:
State of Israel
capital:
Jerusalem
Natural Features:
Mountain Ranges – Mountains of Galilee; Hills of Judea and Samaria
Highest Peak – Meron, 3,963 feet (1,208 meters)
Major River – Jordan, 322 kilometer long
Largest Lakes – Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret)
People:
1990’s – 6,203,300 (91.4% urban, 8.6% rural)
Facts &Figures
Fact Summary
7
life expectancy:
75.9 for males, 80.1 for females
major Religions:
Judaism, Islam and Christianity
major languages:
Hebrew, Arabic (both official), English and Russian widely spoken and
taught in state schools
literacy:
92%
leading Universities:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel Institute of Technology and
Tel Aviv University
Form of Government :
Republic and Parliamentary Democracy
chief of State:
President
Head of Government:
Prime Minister
legislature:
The Knesset, parliament of 120 members elected by popular vote for
a four-year term
Voting Qualifications:
age 18
Political Divisions:
Six districts which consist of Central, Haifa, Jerusalem, Northern, Southern,
and Tel Aviv
constitution:
No comprehensive written Constitution, but 9 Basic Laws enacted
by Knesset
Facts &Figures
Fact Summary
8
Politics:
Multiparty system
Main categories:
1. Left of center
2. Right of center
3. Religious
4. Arab parties
crops:
Apples, bananas, cotton, grapefruit, grapes, melons, olives, onion, oranges,
potatoes, tomatoes, and wheat
livestock:
Cattle, chicken, goats and sheep
chief mined Products:
Bromine, magnesium, phosphate rock, potash, and salt
chief manufactured Products:
Industry electronics, biotechnology, diamond cutting and polishing, energy,
chemicals, rubber, plastics, clothing, textiles and defense
chief exports:
Electronics, machinery, metals, beer and wine, citrus fruits and vegetables,
diamonds, fertilizers, flowers, iron and steel, organic and inorganic chemicals
and textiles
chief Imports:
Defense, materials for processing, boilers, machinery and parts, cereals,
chemicals, commercial and passenger vehicles, electrical machinery, fuel, iron
and steel, petroleum, rough diamonds and textiles
monetary Unit:
1 New Shekel = 100 Agorot
Approximately 4.4 New shekels = 1 American dollar
References: The Library of Congress/Country Studies(www.loc.gov/( & Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs (www.israel.org/mfa)
Facts &Figures
Fact Summary
9
The People: Israeli citizens can vote from the age of 18, regardless of religion, race, or sex. The electorate is approximately 82.5% Jewish, 16%Arab (13.5% Moslem, 2.5% Christian) and 1.5% Druze and other.
The President: Israel’s head of state is elected every seven years by vote of the Knesset. The President holds formal powers but has only limited governmental authority (e.g., signing treaties and laws, receiving the credentials of foreign ambassadors).
The Knesset: Israel’s parliament takes its name and size (120 members)from the Knesset Hagedolah convened in Jerusalem following the returnfrom the Babylonian exile about 500 years before Jesus. The modernKnesset holds absolute legislative power, unrestricted by veto. Knessetmembers are elected every four years, but the Knesset can dissolve itselfand call for new elections sooner. Elections are proportional: Israelis votefor one party and its platform; seats are assigned to each party in proportionto its percentage of the total vote. This system ensures a wide spectrum of political views in the Knesset, including the major centrist parties, Likudand Labor Alignment, small parties ranging from the left to the right, and a number of religious parties.
The Prime minister: Following each election, the President calls on onemember of the Knesset to form a government and serve as Prime Minister.This is usually the leader of the party that holds the most seats, since thegovernment must have the support of the Knesset to function. No party inIsrael’s history, however, has ever had the minimum 61 seats needed to forma government by itself. All Israeli governments have been based on coalitionsbetween two or more parties, under the Prime Minister’s leadership. ThePrime Minister and the ministers who make up the Cabinet have executivepower in the state and broad policy-making powers as well, subject alwaysto the Knesset’s support.
The Judiciary: Israel’s courts are a wholly independent branch within the political system. Judges are appointed by the President and serve for life, with retirement mandatory at age 70. State courts have jurisdiction in matters of marriage and divorce, with separate Jewish, Christian, Moslemand Druze courts enforcing their own religious laws. Israel’s Supreme Courtcan call attention to the desirability of changes in Knesset legislation anddoes determine whether laws properly conform with the Basic Laws thatmake up Israel’s constitutional framework.
The constitution: Although Israel does not have a formal, written constitution, the Knesset has created the constitutional framework for thestate through “Basic Laws” on the Presidency, the Knesset, the Government,the Judicature, the State Comptroller, the Army, State Lands, the Economyand Jerusalem. A “bill of rights” to complete Israel’s constitution is nowunder consideration in a Knesset committee. Individual rights are also guaranteed by the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israeland by long-standing precedent. Among these rights are freedom of religion,freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly and equalprotection under the law.
In Action
Democracy
10
Self-Defense: At age 18, every Israeli must serve in the Israel DefenseForces (IDF). Men serve for three years, women for two. Israeli Arabs are notrequired to serve but may volunteer. At the request of their communities,Druze and Circassian men have been drafted into the IDF since 1957. Aftercompleting their active service, men and unmarried women are assigned toreserve units, in which they serve about 30 days each year. Men can becalled for reserve duty up to age 55, women up to age 24. Because all citizens serve in the IDF, it is truly a citizens’ army. The IDF has also becomean important agent for social integration, encouraging an egalitarian spirit in the nation at large. At the same time, military life and the constant needfor military readiness have a direct impact on every Israeli, including on theroutines of civilian life.
In Action
Democracy
11
Israel is the most democratic state among its Arab neighbors today.
Israel’s Declaration of Independence has many similarities to that of
the United States. Both countries were founded by people seeking freedom
and safety after suffering persecution and discrimination. The signers of
both documents had great hopes for the future.
Israel’s President serves one 7-year term and has mostly ceremonial power,
similar to those of the Queen of England. The Prime minister is the
head of the government. He or she (a woman named Golda Meir, who
moved to Israel from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was Prime Minister) comes
from the political party that forms a majority in the Knesset, the Israeli
parliament. When you look at the list of Israel’s political parties, you will
see that it is very long. It is not always easy to form a coalition in order
to create a majority. The two largest parties are Likud and Labor. Today,
there are 4 Arab parties.
Politics in Israel can be very lively! People tend to be very outspoken about
their views.
State of Israel:Declaration ofIndependenceMay 14, 1948
Democracy
State of Israel:Declaration ofIndependenceMay 14, 1948
12
THe DeclARATIoN oF THe eSTABlISHmeNT
oF THe STATe oF ISRAel
may 14, 1948
On May 14, 1948, on the day in which the British Mandate over a Palestineexpired, the Jewish People's Council gathered at the Tel Aviv Museum, andapproved the following proclamation, declaring the establishment of the State ofIsrael. The new state was recognized that night by the United States and threedays later by the USSR.
ERETZ-ISRAEL [(Hebrew) – the Land of Israel, Palestine] was the birthplace of
the Jewish people. Here their spiritual, religious and political identity was
shaped. Here they first attained to statehood, created cultural values of nation-
al and universal significance and gave to the world the eternal Book of Books.
After being forcibly exiled from their land, the people kept faith with it
throughout their Dispersion and never ceased to pray and hope for their
return to it and for the restoration in it of their political freedom.
Impelled by this historic and traditional attachment, Jews strove in every
successive generation to re-establish themselves in their ancient homeland.
In recent decades they returned in their masses. Pioneers, ma'pilim[(Hebrew) – immigrants coming to Eretz-Israel in defiance of restrictive
legislation] and defenders, they made deserts bloom, revived the Hebrew
language, built villages and towns, and created a thriving community
controlling its own economy and culture, loving peace but knowing how
to defend itself, bringing the blessings of progress to all the country's
inhabitants, and aspiring towards independent nationhood.
In the year 5657 (1897), at the summons of the spiritual father of the Jewish
State, Theodore Herzl, the First Zionist Congress convened and proclaimed
the right of the Jewish people to national rebirth in its own country.
This right was recognized in the Balfour Declaration of the 2nd November,
1917, and re-affirmed in the Mandate of the League of Nations which, in
particular, gave international sanction to the historic connection between
the Jewish people and Eretz-Israel and to the right of the Jewish people to
rebuild its National Home.
The catastrophe which recently befell the Jewish people – the massacre
of millions of Jews in Europe – was another clear demonstration of the
urgency of solving the problem of its homelessness by re-establishing in
Eretz-Israel the Jewish State, which would open the gates of the homeland
wide to every Jew and confer upon the Jewish people the status of a fully
privileged member of the comity of nations.
Survivors of the Nazi holocaust in Europe, as well as Jews from other parts
of the world, continued to migrate to Eretz-Israel, undaunted by difficulties,
restrictions and dangers, and never ceased to assert their right to a life of
dignity, freedom and honest toil in their national homeland.
eretz: land
Democracy
13
In the Second World War, the Jewish community of this country contributed
its full share to the struggle of the freedom- and peace-loving nations
against the forces of Nazi wickedness and, by the blood of its soldiers and
its war effort, gained the right to be reckoned among the peoples who
founded the United Nations.
On the 29th November, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed
a resolution calling for the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz-Israel; the
General Assembly required the inhabitants of Eretz-Israel to take such steps
as were necessary on their part for the implementation of that resolution.
This recognition by the United Nations of the right of the Jewish people to
establish their State is irrevocable.
This right is the natural right of the Jewish people to be masters of their
own fate, like all other nations, in their own sovereign State.
ACCORDINGLY WE, MEMBERS OF THE PEOPLE'S COUNCIL,
REPRESENTATIVES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY OF ERETZ-ISRAEL
AND OF THE ZIONIST MOVEMENT, ARE HERE ASSEMBLED ON THE
DAY OF THE TERMINATION OF THE BRITISH MANDATE OVER
ERETZ-ISRAEL AND, BY VIRTUE OF OUR NATURAL AND HISTORIC
RIGHT AND ON THE STRENGTH OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE UNITED
NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY, HEREBY DECLARE THE ESTABLISHMENT
OF A JEWISH STATE IN ERETZ-ISRAEL, TO BE KNOWN AS THE STATE
OF ISRAEL.
WE DECLARE that, with effect from the moment of the termination of the
Mandate being tonight, the eve of Sabbath, the 6th Iyar, 5708 (15th May,
1948), until the establishment of the elected, regular authorities of the State
in accordance with the Constitution which shall be adopted by the Elected
Constituent Assembly not later than the 1st October 1948, the People's
Council shall act as a Provisional Council of State, and its executive organ,
the People's Administration, shall be the Provisional Government of the
Jewish State, to be called "Israel."
THE STATE OF ISRAEL will be open for Jewish immigration and for the
Ingathering of the Exiles; it will foster the development of the country for
the benefit of all its inhabitants; it will be based on freedom, justice and
peace as envisaged by the prophets of Israel; it will ensure complete equality
of social and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race
or sex; it will guarantee freedom of religion, conscience, language, education
and culture; it will safeguard the Holy Places of all religions; and it will be
faithful to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
THE STATE OF ISRAEL is prepared to cooperate with the agencies and
representatives of the United Nations in implementing the resolution of the
General Assembly of the 29th November, 1947, and will take steps to bring
about the economic union of the whole of Eretz-Israel.
State of Israel:Declaration ofIndependenceMay 14, 1948
Democracy
14
WE APPEAL to the United Nations to assist the Jewish people in the
building-up of its State and to receive the State of Israel into the comity
of nations.
WE APPEAL – in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now
for months – to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve
peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and
equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent
institutions.
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.
WE APPEAL to the Jewish people throughout the Diaspora to rally round
the Jews of Eretz-Israel in the tasks of immigration and upbuilding and to
stand by them in the great struggle for the realization of the age-old dream
- the redemption of Israel.
PLACING OUR TRUST IN THE "ROCK OF ISRAEL", WE AFFIX OUR
SIGNATURES TO THIS PROCLAMATION AT THIS SESSION OF THE
PROVISIONAL COUNCIL OF STATE, ON THE SOIL OF THE HOMELAND,
IN THE CITY OF TEL-AVIV, ON THIS SABBATH EVE, THE 5TH DAY OF
IYAR, 5708 (14TH MAY,1948).
David Ben-Gurion
Daniel Auster
Mordekhai Bentov
Yitzchak Ben Zvi
Eliyahu Berligne
Fritz Bernstein
Rabbi Wolf Gold
Meir Grabovsky
Yitzchak Gruenbaum
Dr. Abraham Granovsky
Eliyahu Dobkin
Meir Wilner-Kovner
Zerach Wahrhaftig
Herzl Vardi
Rachel Cohen
Rabbi Kalman Kahana
Saadia Kobashi
Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Levin
Meir David Loewenstein
Zvi Luria
Golda Myerson
Nachum Nir
Zvi Segal
Rabbi Yehuda Leib Hacohen
Fishman
David Zvi Pinkas
Aharon Zisling
Moshe Kolodny
Eliezer Kaplan
Abraham Katznelson
Felix Rosenblueth
David Remez
Berl Repetur
Mordekhai Shattner
Ben Zion Sternberg
Bekhor Shitreet
Moshe Shapira
Moshe Shertok
* Published in the Official Gazette, No. 1 of the 5th, Iyar, 5708 (14th May, 1948).
State of Israel:Declaration ofIndependenceMay 14, 1948
Democracy
15
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people
to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and
to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to
which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent
respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the
causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that
they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that
among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure
these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just
powers from the consent of the governed, –That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the
People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its
foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to
them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence,
indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be
changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath
shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable,
than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are
accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing
invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute
Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government,
and to provide new Guards for their future security. –Such has been the
patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which
constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history
of the present King of Great Britain [George III] is a history of repeated
injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an
absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to
a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for
the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing
importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should
be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend
to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts
of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation
in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
DemocracyThe Declaration of Independencein CongressJuly 4, 1776
The UnanimousDeclaration of theThir teen Uni tedStates of America
16
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable,
and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole
purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly
firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to
be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have
returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in
the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and
convulsions within.
He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that
purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to
pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions
of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to
Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their
offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of
Officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the
consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the
Civil power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our
constitution and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts
of pretended Legislation:
For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us;
For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any
murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States;
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world;
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent;
For depriving us, in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury;
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offenses;
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighboring;
DemocracyThe Declaration of Independencein CongressJuly 4, 1776
The UnanimousDeclaration of theThir teen Uni tedStates of America
17
Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging
its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument
for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies;
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and
altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments;
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves
invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever;
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his
Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and
destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to
compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with
circumstances of Cruelty and perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most
barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas
to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their
friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavored to
bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose
known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes
and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the
most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by
repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act
which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have
warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend
an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the
circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed
to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the
ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would
inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have
been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore,
acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them,
as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
DemocracyThe Declaration of Independencein CongressJuly 4, 1776
The UnanimousDeclaration of theThir teen Uni tedStates of America
18
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in
General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world
for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by the Authority of
the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these
United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States;
that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all
political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and
ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they
have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish
Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States
may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance
on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other
our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect
Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common
defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to
ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for
the United States of America.
The Constitutionof the UnitedStates ofAmerica
Democracy
19
major Israeli Political Parties (current and Historic) and
approximate political classification
SOCIALIST - LIBERAL -RIGHT ORTHODOX
NON
ZIONIST CENTEROR
ANTI-ZIONIST
Ahdut Ha'avoda Center Party Gahal Agudath Arab Democratic PartyYisrael
Am Ehad Democratic Movement Herut Degel Baladfor Change Hatorah
Labor General Zionists Likud Mizrachi Hadash
Labor Alignment Independent Liberal Moledet NRP Haolam Hazeh
Mapai Liberal Party National Union Shas Maki
MAPAM Progressive Tehiya Rakah (Rakah)-Communist
Meretz Ratz-Citizens Rights Tzomet Sheli
Poalei Tziyon Shinui Yisrael United ArabBeiteynu
Rafi Kadima
Reshima Mamlachtit
Party History
Democracy
20
major political parties, number of mKs in the 16th Knesset
(the one that ended in march 2006) and a summary of their
political orientations
NAME ORIENTATION PERSONALITIESMANDATES16TH KN.
Meretz (Yahad or Ya'ad) Leftist, Secular Zionist Yossi Beilin, Yosssi Sarid, Ran Cohen 6
Labor Center-Left,Zionist Amir Peretz, Shimon Peres, Ehud Barak, Benjamin Eliezer 21
Shinui Center, Zionist, Capitalist Tommy Lapid, Avraham Poraz, Eliezer Zandberg 15+
Kadima Center-Right, Zionist, Populist Ariel Sharon *
Noy Center Right? David Tal 1#
Likud Right, Zionist, Capitalist, Benjamin Nethanyahu, Zionist Shaul Mofaz 40
National Union Extreme Right, Zionist Avigdor Lieberman, Benny Eilon 7
Yisrael Beiteynu Extreme Right, Zionist Avigdor Lieberman **
NRP Extreme Right, Zevulun Orlev(National Religious Party) Religious Zionist Nissan Slomiansky
Shaul Yahalom 6 ***
Shas Ultra-Orthodox Nissim Dahan;Yair Peretz;Center-Right, non-Zionist Shlomo Ben-Izri 11
Agudath Yisrael**** Ultra Orthodox, Right, non-Zionist Yakov Litzman, Meir Porush 3
Degel Hatorah**** Ultra Orthodox,non-Zionist, Dovish Moshe Gafni Avraham Ravitz 2
Hadash Communist Party of Israel, Muhamed Barakeh,Anti-Zionist ("Arab" party) Ahmad Tibi 3
National Democratic Anti-Zionist ("Arab"Assembly (Balad) party), progressive Azmi Bishara 3
United Arab List Anti Zionist ("Arab" party) Abdulmalik Dehamshe
includes Islamists Talab El-Sana 2
* Kadima party was formed in November 2005 and has no current representation in the Knesseth.14 Likud members including Ariel Sharon joined the party.
** Yisrael Beiteynu merged with National Union party
*** NRP currently has 4 members, as Effie Eitam and Yitzhak Levy left to form the more extremeright Renewed National Zionism Faction.
**** Joined together frequently as "United Torah Judaism = "Yahadut Hatorah"
+ Shinui currently has 14 members. Joseph Paritzky was ejected from the party for ethical violationsand formed the Zionism Liberalism Equality list
# David Tal broke away from the Shas party to join Amir Peretz's Am Ehad, then left Am Ehad when
that party merged with Labor.
16th Knesset
Democracy
21
National election Results for the 17th Knesset*
elections of march 28, 2006
Total Ballots: 3,186,739 Valid Ballots: 3,137,064 Defective Ballots: 49,675
Party Name Number of Votes Mandates
Brit Olam 2011Da-am - Workers` Party 3692Gil 185759 7 Green Leaf 40353Greens (Hayerukim) 47595Hadash 86092 3 Herut 2387Hetz 10113Ichud Leumi - Mafdal 224083 9 Kadima 690901 29 Labor-Meimad 472366 19 Lechem 1381Leeder 580Lev 1765Likud 281996 12 Meretz 118302 5 National Arab Party 738National Democratic Assembly 72066 3 National Jewish Front 24824New Zionism 1278One Future 14005Party for the Struggle With the Banks 2163Shas 299054 12 Shinui 4675Strength to the Poor 1214Tafnit 18753Torah and Shabbat Judaism 147091 6 Tzedek Lakol 3819Tzomet 1342United Arab List - Arab Renewal 94786 4 Yisrael Beitenu 281880 11
The qualifying threshold (2%) from all valid votes is 62,742 votes.The number of votes per mandate is 24,619.
Elections to the17th KnessetMarch 28, 2006
Democracy
1800 BCE
1290 BCE
1250 BCE
722 BCE
586 BCE
165 BCE
70 CE
711-1492
1096-1291
1211-1880
1806-
1871-
1882
1894
1897
1903
Abraham brings family to Canaan from Ur
Exodus from Egypt
Jews settle in Israel
Fall of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria;Ten Lost Tribes
Southern Kingdom and Temple destroyed by Babylonia; Jews exiled, move and return70 years later and rebuild Temple
Maccabees fight Greeks – Hanukkah storyLast Jewish kings
Romans destroy Second Temple; exile
Golden Age in Spain; Inquisition; Expulsionfrom Spain. Expulsions and violence againstJews in Europe
Crusades
Many Rabbis and scholars move to whatwould become Israel
Napoleon makes Jews citizens; can vote,attend university…
Period of intensive pogroms in EasternEurope; many Jews leave for Israel or USA
Many Yemenite Jews come to Palestine
Dreyfus Affair – Jewish officer in Frencharmy falsely accused of treason; great scandal about anti-Semitism
Theodor Herzl & first Zionist Congresspropose a Jewish State (Herzl traveled to many heads of European states to get support)
“First Aliyah” – large immigration to Israelfrom Europe
I assign the land you live in to you andyour offspring to come, all the land ofCanaan, as an everlasting holding.Genesis 17:8
When the Lord your God enlarges yourterritory, as He swore to your fathers,& gives you all the land that He prom-ised to give your fathers…Deuteronomy 19:8
Let them, however, regard themselves asguests in the Diaspora, their heartsdirected towards Israel…Talmud (Jewishlaw book completed around 500)
By the rivers of Babylon we sat andwept, as we thought of Zion. Psalm137:1
My heart is in the East…It would beeasy for me to leave behind all the goodthings of Spain; it would be glorious tosee the ruins (of Israel) Y. HaLevy, poet
Living in Israel is equal to the weight ofall the other commandments. Biblecommentary called Sifrei Re’eh 12:29
Return in mercy to the city Jerusalemand dwell in it as thou has promised;rebuild it soon, in our days…Jewishprayer book
Sound the shofar (ram’s horn), lift up the banner to bring our exilestogether & assemble us from thefour comers of the earth…Jewishprayer book
In your land (Israel) you can sit in safety, but you cannot live in safety in a strange land. Commentary onBible called Sifra
History
Jewish HistoryOverview
22
1904-1914
1917
1918
1919-35
1920,1929,1936
1935-39
1939
1939-45
1947
1948
1948
1956
1961
1967
1972
1973
1976
1978
1979-85
1981-82
1982
Second Aliyah – youth from Russia; morecommunities built
Balfour Declaration: British back Jewishhomeland idea
British Mandate: take over Israel fromOttoman Empire
Third Aliyah, Fourth Aliyah; Jews buyingmore land
Arab riots against Jewish inhabitants
Fifth Aliyah – German Jews trying toescape Nazis
White Paper: Britain limits Jewish immigra-tion to Palestine
6,000,000 Jews slaughtered in Holocaust;refugees caught trying to get to Israelreturned to Europe or put in camps
UN votes to create Jewish & Arab states
Jewish refugees from Europe, Syria, Yemen,all over world
Israel declares Independence; Arab nationsinvade Israel; Jordan expels Jews fromJerusalem
Suez War
Trial of Adolf Eichmann – Nazi leader sentenced to death
Six Day War – Israel defeats Arab forces;Jerusalem liberated; Sinai and Golan captured
11 Israeli athletes massacred at MunichOlympics by PLO
Yom Kippur War; Invading Arab armiesdefeated
Entebbe – Israel rescues hostages hijackedto Uganda
Peace treaty with Egypt; Sadat flies toJerusalem
Mass aliyah of Jews from Ethiopia
PLO terror campaign against Israel
Israel invades Lebanon to stop PLO terror
Next year in Jerusalem! Last line ofPassover seder
Next year in Jerusalem! Last line ofservice on Yom Kippur
Other countries won’t accept them
“A Jewish soldier in the JewishBrigade (Palestinian Jews in theBritish Army during World War II),was standing outside the barbed wirefence that circled the camp onCyprus. A very thin little boy wasstaring at him. The boy pointed to his torn, dirty shirt, to the Jewish Starthat the Nazis required Jews to wearas a sign of shame. The boy thenpointed to the Jewish Star insignia on the soldier’s uniform that identifiedhim as a proud member of the JewishBrigade. He grinned from ear to ear.He understood the differencebetween the two symbols that onlylooked the same.”
Israel, England, France, force Egypt to open Suez Canal
Jews can visit holy places again
History
Jewish HistoryOverview
23
24
1987-92
1987-92
1993
1994
1997
2000
2004
2005
2005
2005
2005
2006
2006
2006
2006
Intifada
Large numbers of Soviet Jews allowed to come
Oslo Agreement between Arafat (PLO) and RabinNot fulfilled by Arafat
Peace treaty with JordanPalestinian Authority created P.A. given authority over West Bank and Jericho
90% of Gaza and West Bank Arabs under Palestinian Authority
Arafat leaves negotiations at Camp David; launches terror campaign (EL AQSA intifada)
Death of Yasir Arafat
Election of Mahmoud Abbas
Sharon and Abbas renew peace process
Israel withdraws from Gaza
Ariel Sharon creates new political party: Kadima
Ariel Sharon suffers massive stroke
Hamas wins upset victory in Palestinian Legislative council elections
Ehud Olmert elected prime minister of Israel, heading Kadima Party
Hamas kidnaps soldier from inside Israel. Hezbollah kidnaps 2 soldiers and sends 4,000 rockets into northern Israel during one month warIsrael responds by targeting Hezbollah rocket sites in LebanonMany casualties on both sides.
History
Jewish HistoryOverview
25
History
Christianity
26
History
Islam
27
History
The JewishDiaspora
28
History
The MiddleEast JustBefore WorldWar One
29
History
The BalfourDeclaration
30
History
The MiddleEast BetweenWorld WarsOne & Two
31
History
TheHolocaust
32
History
United NationsResolution 181
History
United NationsPartition PlanFor Palestine1947(Resolution 181)
33
34
History
Creation of theState of Israel
35
The issue of what will happen to Palestinians who fled from Israel in 1948,
and since, is very sensitive. As a result of the implementation of the Oslo
Agreements, the Palestinian Authority’s control of the territories was
gradually phased in. Now 90%+ of the Palestinians in the territories live
in areas governed and administered by the Palestinian Authority. However,
because of the violence against Israeli civilians resulting from the second
Intifada that erupted in 2000, Israel has sent its army back into various
Palestinian towns which are centers for recruiting and equipping
suicide bombers.
The future of Palestinian refugees now living in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, other
Arab countries and elsewhere is a problematic issue to be solved through
negotiations. These refugees now living in other countries and their children
and grandchildren want the right to live in a future Palestinian state. They
believe that their leadership has promised that they will obtain their
citizenship and that is why they have not been able to become citizens
and integrate into the countries where they live. (See map and chart
showing the destinations of the Arab refugees.)
Israelis say the Palestinian Arab refugees are not the only Middle Eastern
refugees created as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Of the nearly
860,000 Jews who lived in Arab countries until 1948, only a few thousand
remain. Some 720,000 Jews from Arab lands were expelled.
Israelis say that if Arab countries had provided for Arab refugees from the
Arab-Israeli conflicts in the same way Israel provided for Jewish refugees,
they would now be well settled among their Arab brethren. Instead, Israelis
argue, the Arab countries decided to reject settling the refugees in their
countries in order to create impoverished refugee camps, supported by
funding from the United Nations, where feelings of hopelessness would
insure that rejection of the Jewish state would be passed from generation
to generation. Israelis further point out that if the descendants of all the
Palestinians who fled after the creation of the State of Israel were to return,
Israel would no longer be a Jewish state.
Some Palestinians and Israelis have suggested that the problem might be
addressed by recognizing the plight of the Palestinian refugees and giving
them some form of monetary compensation in recognition of their claims.
History
Difficult IssuesRefugees
36
History
Difficult IssuesRefugees:Jews Who Fledfrom Arab Lands:Movement to Israel1948-72
37
History
Difficult IssuesRefugees:The PalestinianArab Refugees1948
Restrictions On Jews in Moslem Countries
38
History
Restrictions onJews inMuslimCountries1948
39
History
EthiopianJews
40
History
Immigration to Israel
41
History
Immigration to Israel
42
History
Immigration to Israel
43
History
Immigration to Israel
44
History
Israel1949 - 1967
45
coNFlIcT
War of
Independence
Six Day War
Attrition Battles
The October
War,or Yom
Kippur War
Lebanon –
Israeli response
to terrorism
The First Intifada
The Second
Intifada
DATe
1948
1967
1967-70
1973
1981-82
1987-93
2000-
present
oUTcome
Israel gained 20% more land than
U.N. partition allotted. Egypt
retained the Gaza strip, Jordan
captured the West Bank and
East Jerusalem.
Israel captured the West Bank,
East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights
the Gaza Strip, and all of the
Sinai Desert
Beginning of Israeli settlements in
West Bank & Gaza
Israel retained the territories
captured in 1967
Israel withdrew in 1985, but
maintained a military force
in southern Lebanon as a
buffer zone to prevent
terrorist incursions
Conflict ended with the Oslo
Agreement between Israel and
the PLO.
PLO to govern Palestinians in
the territories.
PLO govern Palestinians in
the territories
–Attrition Battles Between Wars, 1967-70
–The October War, 1973
–The Lebanese Invasion, 1982
–The First Intifada 1987-1993
–The Second Intifada 2000-present
PARTIcIPANTS
Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, &
Iraq attacked Israel
Egypt, Jordan, Syria, & Iraq
massed forces against Israel.
Israel launched preemptive strike
Jordanians, Egyptians, Palestinian
terrorists
Egypt and Syria attacked Israel
on its holiest day
PLO, Syria, Israel
Palestinians from the territories
2000 Camp David Peace
process ended as PLO launched
a terror campaign
History
DevelopingConceptsHistorical Context
46
History
Israel Today
47
History
The MiddleEast Today
48
RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC LEADERS CONDEMNANTI-ZIONISM AS A FORM OF ANTI-SEMITISM
Over the years many religious and ethnic leaders have condemned the idea
that anti-Zionism is different than anti-Semitism. In fact, many religious and
ethnic leaders have come out strongly for the proposition that anti-Zionism
is a form of anti-Semitism.
The 18th International
catholic-Jewish liaison committee Joint Declaration (2004)
“As we approach the 40th anniversary of Nostra Aetate – the ground-breaking
declaration of the Second Vatican Council, the consequence of which repudiated
the deicide charge against Jews, reaffirmed the Jewish roots of Christianity
and rejected anti-Semitism – we take note of the many positive changes
within the Catholic Church with respect to her relationship with the Jewish
People. These past forty years of our fraternal dialogue stand in stark contrast
to almost two millennia of a “teaching of contempt” and all its
painful consequences. We draw encouragement from the fruits of our
collective strivings which include the recognition of the unique and unbroken
covenantal relationship between God and the Jewish People and the total
rejection of anti-Semitism in all its forms, including anti-Zionism as a more
recent manifestation of anti-Semitism.”
“We oppose anti-Semitism in any way and form, including anti-Zionism that
has become of late a manifestation of anti-Semitism.”
Statement from martin luther King, Jr.
“When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You are talking anti-Semitism.”
–From “The Socialism of Fools: The Left, the Jews and Israel”
by Seymour Martin Lipset, Encounter Magazine, December, 1969, p. 24
History
Anti-Zionism
49
The stories in this lesson all illustrate something about Jewish life.
chana Bracha was the mother of Marilyn Dorff, one of the creators of
this curriculum. She was born in the Soviet Union in 1922, but things were
not good for Jews and she and her parents escaped in 1923, using a forged
visa. They hid in Poland for several years while waiting for a visa to Israel.
Different Jewish families housed them for months at a time. They rarely
went outside because they were terrified that the Polish police would find
them and send them back. Chana Bracha’s father had a son from a previous
marriage, but Mikhail was not allowed to leave with them. The family
emigrated to the United States in 1927, hoping to earn enough money to
pay bribes to get him out. But this never happened. They never saw him again.
Most of the Jews in the Mediterranean countries settled there when they
were expelled from Spain in 1492. The Jews in Syria and morocco
(Tangiers), like those in other Muslim countries such as Iraq and Iran,
sometimes lived well and sometimes suffered, depending on who was ruling
and how he felt about Jews. On page 3.36 you will find a list of some rules
that applied to Jews, limiting what they could do.
The tragedy of the Holocaust is an important part of Israel’s culture.
Many of the survivors came to Israel, and their children and grandchildren
keep their history alive. Others feel that if there had been a Jewish
homeland, 6,000,000 Jews would not have been massacred. In Denmark
and in some other places where people stood up to the Nazis and protected
the Jews, Jews escaped or survived the war. There are many stories of
Righteous Gentiles, non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews. The
Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem has a beautiful garden where these heroes
are honored. Gay Block and Malka Drucker researched many of these
special people, thinking that they would find a pattern, something to help
us understand why these particular people saved lives. But they found none.
The Righteous Gentiles were all unique individuals, rich, poor, educated, not
so educated, religious, not so religious…we will read the story of one such
woman who saved children.
John Philips is a photographer who is not Jewish. He was in Israel in 1948
when the Jordanians forced Jews to leave the Old City of Jerusalem, where
many of them had lived for generations. He took photographs. In 1967,
after the Six Day War when Israel took back the entire city of Jerusalem,
the mayor, Teddy Kollek, invited him to come back and find the people he
had photographed. I hope you will read the first page of his introduction
to his book, A Will to Survive.
History
Personal StoriesChana Bracha
50
My mother, Chana Bracha, was born in a little town outside Kiev, five years
after the Russian Revolution. There was a short period of time when the
Soviet government allowed people to return to the place of their birth. My
grandfather had his papers forged to say he was born in Poland, so he, my
grandmother, and their infant daughter escaped to Warsaw. They lived there
for a number of years, staying with one Jewish family and then with another,
because they had no money and because they were afraid someone would
check their papers. Finally, Great Britain granted them a visa permitting
them to enter Palestine.
Chana Bracha was only 4 1/2 when she started kindergarten in Tel Aviv. Her
mother usually picked her up after school, but one day she was late. Tel Aviv
had more sand dunes than people in the 1920’s and many children walked
to school by themselves. When Ruthie invited her home that day, Chana
Bracha saw no reason not to go. She followed Ruthie up one street and
down another until they came to a house with a fence around it. Ruthie
went inside and promptly closed the door. Chana Bracha knocked and
knocked, but no one came to let her in. She decided she should go home.
Chana Bracha wandered through the streets and empty fields until she was
completely confused. A Jewish policeman saw her and asked if she needed
help. Hundreds of years of experience trying to survive in Europe had
taught the Jews to keep their distance from the police. Chana Bracha had
learned this lesson well, so she looked down at the ground and did not say
a word. He took her to the police station and changed out of his uniform,
but she knew this was a trick and still would not say a word. He offered her
a chocolate bar. Chana Bracha’s family had very little money and candy was
a rare treat. She was hungry and she loved chocolate, but she picked up a
nail from the floor and poked holes all over the candy bar. Fortunately, a
teacher from the school passed by, saw Chana Bracha and took her home.
Chana Bracha had not been in Palestine long enough to know that there
was such a thing as a Jewish policeman. She only knew that police, soldiers,
people in authority, could be dangerous to Jews.
This story had a happy ending. But even today, not all Jews live in places
where they are safe.
Throughout history, there have been Jews who kept gold coins or diamonds
handy in case they suddenly had to leave a country, even though Jews might
have lived there for a thousand years. One of the things that having a Jewish
state means to us is that Jewish children grow up in their own country
where Jewish police and Jewish soldiers and Jewish citizens protect the land
and all its people. And the Jews of Israel do not need gold coins or diamonds
to feel safe.
History
Personal StoriesChana Bracha
51
History
Personal StoriesA Will To Survive
52
The pictures I took in the Jewish Quarter of Jerusalem on May 28, 1948,
during the Israeli War of Independence, have given rise to some questions
I would like to answer.
People have expressed amazement that a Jew was able to photograph the
plight of the Israelis in the aftermath of their surrender to the Arab Legion.
What amazes me is that anyone would assume I must be Jewish to have
taken “such compassionate pictures.” No Jewish photographer could have
shot the pictures I did. The rampaging Arabs would have killed him. Being
a White Anglo-Saxon Protestant was no help either. Conditions were such
that anyone with a camera was considered a Jewish spy and promptly set
upon. I managed to get the pictures that illustrate this book only because
I was in the uniform of the Arab Legion. Mistaking me for a British officer,
the Arab populace left me alone – at first.
Aware that the sack of the Jewish Quarter would shock the western world,
Arab authorities across the Middle East tried to prevent the news from
leaking out. Jerusalem could not be mentioned under any circumstance.
A dutiful Cairo censor even wanted to blue-pencil every reference to
Jerusalem in the Bible of a departing tourist. I knew my pictures on the
agony of the Jewish Quarter would end up in a censor’s wastepaper basket.
I did not want this to happen and decided to smuggle them out of the
Middle East. There was some risk, but I took the chance. The record of what
really happened in Old Jerusalem on May 28, 1948, was saved for posterity,
should posterity care. Why would a gentile become embroiled in such a
conflict? I’d be lying if I sanctimoniously claimed that I was merely doing my
job as a representative of the free press. Through happenstance I had spent
most of my adult life recording violence, and editors were in the habit of
assigning me to violent stories. I was particularly interested in this conflict
because I was born in Algeria, grew up among Arabs and Jews, and have an
affinity for both.
My Algerian upbringing taught me what it feels like to belong to a minority
group. At the Petit Lycee Mustapha Superieur in Algiers I found out what
it meant to be called “a dirt Englishman,” how lonely and desperate you feel
when surrounded by a hostile crowd. I was held personally responsible for
Joan of Arc going to the stake. “You burned our saint!” a wild-eyed French
classmate screamed, kicking me in the face after I was down. The result was
a broken nose and a life long sympathy for minorities.
In Algiers I learned how Arab hostility for the Jews was encouraged by
French colonials. Politically Algeria was French territory; in fact it was as
colonial as Palestine, where I had a chance to observe “the Palestine
Problem” in 1943. In truth, the problem was a tragedy of promises made
to two peoples that were never kept.
History
Personal StoriesA Will To Survive
53
History
Personal StoriesA Will To Survive
54
History
Personal StoriesA Will To Survive
55
History
Personal StoriesA Will To Survive
56
Shabbat: Sabbath
History
Personal StoriesTheChildrenfromHaleb
Shaliach: Guide
57
History
Personal StoriesTheChildrenfromHaleb
58
History
Personal StoriesThe Saintly Sulekafrom Tangiers
59
History
Personal StoriesThe Saintly Sulekafrom Tangiers
60
History
Personal StoriesRescuers
61
History
Personal StoriesRescuersMarie Taquet
62
lower-left hand photo
History
Personal StoriesRescuersMarie Taquet
63
lower-left hand photo
History
Personal StoriesRescuersMarie Taquet
top photo
64
History
Personal StoriesRescuersMarie Taquet
65
Name______________________
Use the culture Tree below to chart the main character from the story
that you just read. Write appropriate descriptions on the leaves, trunk, and
roots of the tree. Look at the example provided to help you. You may also
create a Culture Tree about yourself.
The leaves of the tree represent the cultural groups to which someone
belongs, such as gender, religion, age, and nationality. Examples include
woman, Catholic, teenager, married, African American, and Latino American.
The trunk of the tree represents cultural characteristics that are visible
to others such as physical traits and activities. Examples include speaking
English or Spanish, celebrating Thanksgiving, having curly hair, enjoying rap
music or sports.
The roots of the tree represent beliefs and values. Examples include
education, religion, family, independence, friendship, freedom, and trust.
History
Culture Tree
66
History
SampleCulture Tree
67
History
My CultureTree
68
Since 1948, much of the news from the Middle East has been about war
and terrorism. Israel fought in 1948, 1967, 1973. In 1978, after negotiations
at Camp David, Egypt’s President Anwar Sadat, made peace with Israel. In
1981, an Islamic terrorist assassinated Sadat. Egypt was also expelled from
the Arab League. Jordan made peace with Israel in 1994. To this day, no other
Arab states have made peace and the Intifada continues.
In the 1960’s, the Arab League created the Plo, the Palestine Liberation
Organization, to destabilize Israel by targeting civilians. In 1994, Israel agreed
to create a mini-state called the Palestinian Authority, and the PLO, which
was to rule this area, agreed to renounce terror attacks and crack down
on terrorism. The PLO has not done so.
Israeli responses to terrorism have been criticized by the world community,
especially in Europe. For example, Israel demolishes the homes of suicide
bombers to deter other attackers. Israel fires missiles from helicopters to
kill terrorists and sometimes bystanders also become casualties. Israel uses
checkpoints to restrict movement, even though innocent people are often
delayed. These techniques, which are all used by the U.S. Army in Iraq, have
deterred some suicide bombers and helped capture others, but still have
had limited success.
Jews place great value on peace and on the sanctity of life. They don’t
understand a culture that encourages and idolizes suicide bombers, that
applauds the murder of children on school buses, teenagers at a disco, families
celebrating a Passover feast, young people eating at a pizza restaurant. Israelis
want to end terror and create Palestinian and Israeli states with clear borders
and real peace. They are divided on how best to accomplish these goals.
Despite the terror, life goes on in Israel and many wonderful things happen.
Tel-Aviv was recently named one of the top 10 hi-tech cities in the world.
If you have AOL and use ICQ, you are using an Israeli-designed product. An
Israeli company patented the first vaccine against Alzheimer’s. An Israeli
hospital recently performed open-heart surgery on an Iraqi baby. The Israeli
invention of drip-irrigation for desert farming has changed agriculture
throughout the world. Israel invented a way to make ice cream out of
camel’s milk, a method that was quietly adopted in Arab countries. Israelis
love basketball and soccer, music and movies. Find articles about these
things too, and not just about terrorism!
Remember that unlike its Arab neighbors, Israel has a free press because
she is a democracy. Other countries in the area are not as fortunate. Even
a free press that tries to be fair and to present only facts can be biased
(more sympathetic to one side than the other) and not present all the facts
the same way. This happens even in the USA. It is important to learn how
to recognize propaganda, prejudice and erroneous reporting. It is
important to be exposed to different opinions, to do lots of reading and
ask lots of questions. It is important to judge things for yourself.
CurrentEvents
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Resources for Information About Israel
AIPAC: The American Israel Public Affairs Committeehttp://www.aipac.org
American Jewish Committeehttp://www.ajc.org/site/c.ffTK0OyFoG/b.843899/k.3FFD/Los_Angeles.htm
Bitter Lemonshttp://www.bitterlemons.org
Ha’Aretz Newshttp://www.haaretz.com
The Israel Projecthttp://www.theisraelproject.org
Israel Policy Forumhttp://www.israelpolicyforum.org
Israel 21Chttp://www.israel21c.org
The Israeli Consulate of Los Angeleshttp://www.israeliconsulatela.org
Jerusalem Center for Public Affairshttp://www.jcpa.org
The Jewish Agency for Israelhttp://www.jewishagency.org
The Jewish Federation’s Jewish Community Relations Committee (JCRC)http://www.jewishla.org/html/jcrc.htm
The Jewish Journalhttp://www.jewishjournal.com
JTA:Global News Service of the Jewish Peoplehttp://www.jta.org
Memrihttp://www.memri.orghttp://www.memri/videos.org
Stand With Ushttp://www.standwithus.com
Washington Center for Near East Policyhttp://www.washingtoninstitute.org
YnetNews.comhttp://www.Ynetnews.com
You may find other English language magazines and newspapers here in Los Angeles directed to the Jewish or Arab communities that live here.
Please note that many of these sources are produced in democratic countries with a free press, either the USA or Israel.
The two memri websites monitor reports in the Arab world.
CurrentEvents
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‘Iran 11’ Go Public
The families of 11 missing Iranian Jews are publicizing their plight and asking the United Nations
to help. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and the Iranian
American Jewish Federation submitted a letter Tuesday to the U.N. secretary-general, asking him
to help discover the missing Jews’ condition and whereabouts. The Jews went missing up to nine
years ago after trying illegally to leave Iran, which has strict emigration laws for Jews. Until now,
their families preferred backroom dealings. Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the
Conference of Presidents, said they decided to go public because "there’s been no movement
all these years, so they really have nothing to lose."
Annan Blasts Fence
Kofi Annan says Israel’s security barrier could damage prospects for peace. The U.N. Secretary
General was reporting on Israel’s compliance with a General Assembly resolution that
demanded the barrier be dismantled. Routing the wall through parts of the West Bank, instead
of alongside it, "could damage the longer-term prospects for peace," Annan said in the report
released last Friday.
Jewish extremists Guilty
Two Israeli Jewish extremists pleaded guilty to weapons-related crimes as part of a plea
bargain. Yitzhak Pass, whose infant daughter was killed in 2001 by Palestinian terrorists, and
his brother-in-law, Matityahu Shvu, will not face charges that they planned to use explosives
found in their car for a terrorist attack. Israeli officials believe the two were part of a cell
of Jewish terrorists based in the West Bank settlement of Bat Ayin. The plea bargain was
announced Tuesday.
An online Guide to Restitution
The Claims Conference published an online guide to Holocaust restitution programs. The group’s
Compensation and Restitution at a Glance Chart now is available at the Claims Conference’s
homepage at www.claimscon.org. The guide provides a country-by-country breakdown of
current compensation and restitution programs and appropriate contact information. Information
on art and insurance policies relating to the Holocaust era and the Swiss banks settlement also
is included. "This online publication will aid Holocaust survivors and people working in agencies
that assist survivors in navigating the sometimes complex process of applying for compensation
and restitution," said Gideon Taylor, executive vice president of the Claims Conference.
Bush, let my People In!
U.S. Jewish groups are pressing President Bush to allow all 70,000 refugees slots to be filled this
year. The 22 groups from across the political spectrum said that fewer than 30,000 of the 70,000
slots have been filled during the past two years. "Our concern over the current status of the
U.S. Refugee Program is based on our core values as Americans and Jews," said a letter from
the groups dated Monday.
Arrest in Turkey Shul Bombings
Turkey arrested a man believed to have given the orders in one of the Turkish synagogue bombings.
CurrentEvents
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71
The suspect, whose name was not released, is believed to be behind the attack on the Beth
Israel synagogue, one of two deadly attacks on Nov. 15. He was charged Saturday with treason,
which is punishable by life in prison.
london Synagogue Attacked
A London synagogue had its windows broken in what police are describing as a hate crime.
The Orthodox Edgware Synagogue was attacked with bricks after congregants left at the end
of Shabbat on Saturday. It is the second time this year the shul has been targeted.
Briefs courtesy Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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To defend the existence, territorial integrity and sovereignty of the state of Israel.To protect the inhabitants of Israel and to combat all forms of terrorism whichthreaten the daily life.
Basic Points:
– Israel cannot afford to lose a single war.
– Defensive on the strategic level, no territorial ambitions.
– Desire to avoid war by political means and a credible deterrent posture.
– Preventing escalation.
– Determine the outcome of war quickly and decisively.
– Combating terrorism.
– Very low casualty ratio.
The operational level:
Defensive Strategy – Offensive Tactics:
Prepare for Defense
– A small standing army with an early warning capability, regular air
force and navy.
– An efficient reserve mobilization and transportation system.
Move to Counter-Attack
– Multi-arm coordination.
– Transferring the battle to enemy’s territory quickly.
– Quick attainment of war objectives.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are the state of Israel’s military force. The
IDF is subordinate to the directions of the democratic civilian authorities
and the laws of the state. The goal of the IDF is to protect the existence of
the State of Israel and her independence, and to thwart all enemy efforts to
disrupt the normal way of life in Israel.
IDF soldiers are obligated to fight, to dedicate all their strength and even
sacrifice their lives in order to protect the State of Israel, her citizens and
residents, IDF soldiers will operate according to the IDF values and orders,
while adhering to the laws of the state and norms of human dignity, and
honoring the values of the State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state.
Spirit of the IDF-Definition and origins
The Spirit of the IDF is the identity card of the IDF values, which
should stand as the foundation of all of the activities of every IDF soldier,
on regular or reserve duty.
The Spirit of the IDF and the guidelines of operation resulting from it
are the ethical code of the IDF . The Spirit of the IDF will be applied by the
CurrentEvents
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73
IDF, its soldiers, its officers, its units and corps to shape their mode of action.
They will behave, educate and evaluate themselves and others according to
the Spirit of the IDF.
The Spirit of the IDF draws on four sources:
1st. The tradition of the IDF and its military heritage as the Israel
Defense Forces.
2nd. The tradition of the State of Israel, its democratic principles, laws
and institutions.
3rd. The tradition of the Jewish People throughout their history.
4th. Universal moral values based on the value and dignity of human life.
Basic Values:
Defense of the State, its citizens and its residents – The IDF’s
goal is to defend the existence of the State of Israel, its independence and
the security of the citizens and residents of the state.
love of the Homeland and loyalty to the country – At
the core of service in the IDF stand the love of the homeland and the
commitment and devotion to the State of Israel – a democratic state that
serves as a national home for the Jewish People – its citizens and residents.
Human Dignity – The IDF and its soldiers are obligated to protect
human dignity. Every human being is of value regardless of his or her origin,
religion, nationality, gender, status, or position.
The Values:
Tenacity of Purpose in Performing Missions and Drive to Victory – The IDF servicemen and women will fight and conduct themselves
with courage in the face of all dangers and obstacles; They will persevere in
their missions resolutely and thoughtfully even to the point of endangering
their lives.
Responsibility – The IDF serviceman or woman will see themselves as
active participants in the defense of the state, its citizens and residents. They
will carry out their duties at all times with initiative,involvement and diligence
with common sense and within the framework of their authority, while
prepared to bear responsibility for their conduct.
Credibility – The IDF servicemen and women shall present things
objectively, completely and precisely, in planning, performing and reporting.
They will act in such a manner that their peers and commanders can rely
upon them in performing their tasks.
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Personal Example – The IDF servicemen and women will comport themselves
as required of them, and will demand of themselves as required of them, and will
demand of themselves as they demand of others, out of recognition of their
ability and responsibility within the military and without to serve as a deserving
role model.
Human Life – The IDF servicemen and women will act in a judicious and safe
manner in all they do, out of recognition of the supreme value of human life.
During combat they will endanger themselves and their comrades only to the
extent required to carry out their mission.
Purity of Arms – The IDF servicemen and women will use their weapons and
force only for the purpose of their mission, only to the necessary extent and
will maintain their humanity even during combat. IDF soldiers will not use their
weapons and force to harm human beings who are not combatants or prisoners
of war, and will do all in their power to avoid causing harm to their lives, bodies,
dignity and property.
Professionalism – The IDF servicemen and women will acquire the professional
knowledge and skills required to perform their tasks, and will implement them
while striving continuously to perfect their personal and collective achievements.
Discipline – The IDF servicemen and women will strive to the best of their
ability to fully and successfully complete all that is required of them according
to orders and their spirit. IDF soldiers will be meticulous in giving only lawful
orders, and shall refrain from obeying blatantly illegal orders.
Comradeship – The IDF servicemen and women will act out of fraternity
and devotion to their comrades, and will always go to their assistance when
they need their help or depend on them, despite any danger or difficulty, even
to the point of risking their lives.
Sense of Mission – The IDF soldiers view their service in the IDF as a mission;
They will be ready to give their all in order to defend the state, its citizens
and residents. This is due to the fact that they are representatives of the IDF
who act on the basis and in the framework of the authority given to them in
accordance with IDF orders.
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CurrentEvents
In the PressLos Angeles Times
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In the PressIn BriefAug. 16, 2003
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In the PressJuly 31, 2003
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CurrentEvents
In the PressJerusalem Post
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In the PressJerusalem Post
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In the PressJerusalem Post
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In the PressJerusalem Post
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The best way to know about a country is to be there. Since we can’t
arrange that, we wanted you at least to meet some Israeli teenagers.
You will see that each one is special in his or her own way.
You will probably find that they are very much like American teens.
However, living in Israel means that they serve in the armed forces after
high school, before college, and this makes their lives very different.
Everyday, they live with the possibility of another terrorist attack.
Israel’s teens live in a free country, where no one discriminates against
Jews, and where they can argue with each other and with the government
without fear.
The ethnic foods, that I hope you will enjoy, represent the wide spectrum
of cultural backgrounds that make up the people of Israel and help to make
the Holy Land such an incredible place.
Israel is a fascinating, ancient land. Come visit!
In the meantime, you might want to check out
1. www. israelimages.com
2. jafi.org.il/education/100/places/index.htm
They are fun websites.
People
Introduction
83
Introduction:
The four students you will meet are members or the Tel Aviv Student
Forum. Established in 1999 by the Tel Aviv-Los Angeles Partnership, the
Forum brings together students from various cultural, religious, and
economic backgrounds. Twice a month, they meet to confront what divides
and unites them as Israeli Jewish teenagers.
Song:
Shalom, salaam, peace. Shalom, salaam, peace.It’s possible here, not only in Paris, or in Nice, or Abba Badis.
Discos full of people, everyone’s dancing ‘cause everyone’s happy.
Smiling, working, singing, saying shalom.
Because there’s shalom, salaam, peace.
Shalom, salaam, peace. Shalom, salaam, peace.
It’s possible here, not only in Paris, Tunis, or Nice, Nice, Nice.
We have to spread love around.
Student Introductions:
Sasha: We immigrated to Israel in 1991, when I was six years old. I live
with my mother, grandfather, and grandmother. My father lives in Russia. My
parents divorced when I was two. My grandfather was born in an Orthodox
home. He lived in a Jewish town where many religious Jews lived. His father
studied in a heder. But in Russia, we didn’t observe Jewish traditions. You see,
my father isn’t Jewish; he’s Christian. He wears a cross and goes to church.
When I’m in Russia, I can go with him to church.
Shlomi: I believe in God, without connection to…Obviously, being born
to a religious family makes believing easier for me, but it doesn’t mean that
I didn’t choose for myself. Each day, I choose whether or not to believe. The
quality of my relationship with my parents, in my opinion, you can ask them
later if you want, is very high. It has nothing to do with being a teenager. It’s
my normal behavior. Being a teenager may affect some things, like the music
I listen to or the performances I go to.
Na’ama: To be Jewish is not a religion. Judaism is a nationality, a culture.
Traditions, customs, values…it’s everything but religion. When I first got
involved in the connection to Los Angeles and the Partnership, I was rather
antagonistic. Slowly I realized that in part, the purpose of the forum is to
demonstrate patience towards unfamiliar things. So I demonstrated lots
of patience towards the whole thing.
Yaki: Growing up in Jaffa isn’t like growing up in Tel Aviv. It presents a
slightly different world, with different goals. It shapes your character differently.
Shalom, Salaam
Peace: Shalom is the
Hebrew word for peace.
Salaam is the Arabic word for
peace.
Heder: a Jewish school
commonly found in Eastern
Europe in the 1800’s and
early 1900’s.
Jaffa: a primarily Arab city
adjacent to Tel Aviv
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You see tough things related to violence, crime, and drugs. They used to say
that the army discriminates between people coming from Jaffa and people
form other areas. In my opinion, that’s not true. It’s proven untrue. I have
to bring Asaf home from kindergarten almost every day. When he comes
home, he usually watches TV and when that’s done, I have to keep him busy.
He knows I’m his big brother. When you have a small brother, you have to
take responsibility and watch him, especially if your parents aren’t always
home. Because he’s very mischievous you have to watch him carefully. I
understand that responsibility.
A Day in the life:
Sasha: I live in Ariel which is about 40 kilometers east of Tel Aviv. I get
up at 5:40. I quickly do whatever I have to do.
Shlomi: We begin prayers at 7:30 until 8:15; we take a short break and
begin our morning studies, mainly the Talmud and Bible.
Sasha: I’m in a science class. We study computers, physics, and mathematics.
Yaki: I’ve got my homework and my exams. Twelfth grade is very difficult.
I hardly have time for friends.
Na’ama: The Bagrut more or less sum up the knowledge gained from the
time you begin school, particularly what you’ve learned during the last two
or three years.
Sasha: In Russian, in computers, in computers, in computers. Three
different kinds.
Shlomi: Social Studies, History, Bible.
Na’ama: English, Physics, Chemistry, Speech…nine altogether. Some are
divided, so it’s a bit more.
The Army:Yaki: Being drafted to the army’s a bit scary. You go through some tough
procedure in the induction center.
Shlomi: We discuss the army and the draft quite often. It’s logical for
Israeli youth to be preoccupied by the subject.
Na’ama: I really believe that this is my way to serve this country, and to
join those who for 50 years defended and did everything possible to make
sure that this state continues to exist.
Talmud: volumes about
Jewish law written down by
Rabbinic scholars around
500 C.E.
Bagrut: mandatory exams
taken by all Israeli high
school students.
The Army: In Israel, all
Jews are required to serve
in the Israeli army after
graduating from high school.
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Shlomi: We don’t want to die, but if there’s no choice, we’ll die for our
country. For ages, Jews and Israelis died so that the Jewish nation could
survive. I certainly don’t hope to become one of them, but if it happens,
as unpleasant as it is, sometimes there’s no choice.
Na’ama: I think that girls with good physical capabilities should be given
the same opportunities as boys. This doesn’t mean that the standards should
be lowered. The standards should be identical.
Shlomi: I’d like to in a combat unit. After high school, I’m less interested
in studying computers. I’d rather be in infantry or take one of the tougher
courses. I don’t know. Whatever I get.
Sasha: I don’t see myself in combat. I have a responsibility towards my
family. I think I can contribute more to the army in the area of computers
or intelligence than in combat. All in all, girls can’t contribute so much
in combat.
Shlomi: We’re not like the U.S. where the draft isn’t mandatory. Here
everyone has to contribute, otherwise we won’t survive.
The Territories:Sasha: I don’t mind crossing the Green Line. I enjoy it and I believe that
I’m doing the right thing.
Na’ama: I’d never live over the Green Line. Ideologically I believe these
territories don’t belong to us and should be returned so the Palestinians
can establish a state.
Sasha: I think it’s right, because it unites my country and the territories
which I believe belong to me…to my country. At the start of the October
riots, the Intifada al-Aqsa, I was frightened. I didn’t sit next to the window
on the bus. I’d sit next to someone taller than me. If I had to sit next to
the window, I’d hold my bag like this. Of course, it wouldn’t help if I were
shot at. I couldn’t fall asleep on the bus, but that passed. Besides, everything
is safe here.
Terrorism:
Sasha: In 1996, here on Dizengoff Street, a suicide bomber blew himself
up. Thirteen people were killed. Their names are here.
Na’ama: Three of the girls killed, Dana, Hadas, and Bat Chen were from
my school. It was awful.
The Territories: In 1967,
Israel’s neighbors suddenly
attacked, triggering the Six
Day War. In defending her
borders, Israel captured land
that had been annexed to
Syria and Jordan. Ownership
of this land is still disputed.
These areas are commonly
referred to as the West Bank
and the Golan. (Sinai and
the Gaza Strip were also
captured, but they have been
returned to Egypt.)
The Green line: the
border dividing the original
border of Israel and the
territories in 1967
Intifada al-Aqsa: the
violent conflict between Israelis
and Palestinians that began
in 2000, characterized by
Moslem suicide bombers
and Israeli retaliation
People
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What We Do:
Shlomi: Of course, parents worry. These are worrisome times. You worry
when you see something suspicious. You think about it then you say to
yourself, “It can’t be.” Generally, I don’t feel frightened.
Sasha: I can go to the beach. I can stay and go somewhere at night.
Shlomi: I was at a Cranberries and an Alanis Morissette performance.
Na’ama: Dance, mostly.
Yaki: Action movies, suspense.
Sasha: Vodka.
Yaki: Girlfriend? Not right now.
Na’ama: The same kind of music you hear.
Shlomi: Iron Maiden, Guns and Roses, Nirvana.
Yaki: I mostly listen to MTV and Israeli music. Israeli music characterizes
the country. It has nothing to do with religion.
(Song) She said: look life’s pretty easy. We’ll rent a room in Tel Aviv and
live like grown ups.
The Holocaust:
Yaki: A delegation from our school goes to Poland almost every year.
They visit certain sites that survived the Holocaust. To me, being a Jew is
remembering whatever happened to our people. This is what constitutes
your religion, nationality, and faith. It’s important for me to know so I can
protect my people and make sure that this never happens again.
Shlomi: Every year a siren goes off at 10:00 a.m. on Holocaust Memorial Day.
Shabbat Shalom:
Shlomi: My mother lights candles, then all the boys, sometimes my mother
or sisters, come with us to the synagogue, for the evening prayers. When we
return we sing Sabbath songs. We bless the food and eat. We discuss the
Bible, because it’s the Sabbath, we say grace and go to sleep.
Na’ama: For us, Shabbat means rest. A day of relaxation. We don’t have to
travel to Tel Aviv. There’s no pressure. You don’t care about when you’ll get
there or when you’ll return. Besides that, we spend lots of time together.
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Yaki: My father goes to synagogue. Truthfully, I seldom join him.
Sasha: We don’t observe the Sabbath customs. We don’t light candles.
Yaki: We watch TV, we write. We don’t observe all the customs. Some yes
and some not.
Jews Here, Jews There:
los Angeles
Shlomi: I think that the relationship between Jews in Israel and in the
Diaspora is important to the Jews in Israel because it gives them strength,
and to Jews in the Diaspora, because it strengthens their bond with this
country, with their roots, and with Judaism.
Sasha: I think it would be nice of them to come and live here. The more
the merrier.
Na’ama: It’s hard for me to see people living overseas who don’t intend
to…People who visit once or twice during their lifetime, even if they donate
money or declare themselves Zionists, it’s still hard for me to consider them
Zionists. It’s not like someone who lives here, serves his country and
endures the daily hardships and fears.
Sasha: The saying, “All Jews are responsible for each other” means a lot
to me. It teaches me about the past. How Jews stood by one another and
about the future, how much we need one another. That we must hold on
to each other and help another.
What Is Israel? Who Is A Jew?
Sasha: I think that the State of Israel is more than a refuge from
anti-Semitism. Like the French live in France, the Spanish in Spain. Jews
live in Israel.
Shlomi: I’d be very happy if ninety percent of the people suddenly decided
they want to live in a state governed by Jewish religious law. I’d accept it
gladly. In my opinion, it’s a good thing. In a religious state, the Sabbath would
be like Yom Kippur. No one would travel.
Na’ama: If this were a religious state, I’d run away not only because it
doesn’t suit my lifestyle, but because I don’t want to live in a country whose
laws are based on laws written 2000 years ago, in which a woman’s status
is inferior.
Yaki: Jewish doesn’t necessarily mean religious. It means Jewish roots,
history, language, culture…not necessarily religion.
Diaspora: Jews who live
outside the land of Israel such
as the United States
Zionists: People who sup-
port the existence of an inde-
pendent Jewish homeland
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Sasha: I agree with Yaki. I think that religion and state should be separated.
The Reform Jews are okay, they can do what they want. As far as I’m
concerned, they aren’t religious. I consider you (Shlomi) religious. I don’t
consider them religious.
Na’ama: In my opinion the Reform Jews are as legitimate as the OrthodoxJews. What does it mean “I consider them religious…?” Everyone has his
own religious truth.
Shlomi: They decide that my truth isn’t right and that their truth is right.
Na’ama: Why the contest?What does it mean, your truth is right, mine isn’t?
Shlomi: That’s the way it is.
Na’ama: Hold on, is my truth the same as yours?
Shlomi: No.
Na’ama: So why isn’t it okay for me to have my own truth?
Shlomi: Like Sasha says, you have no truth as far as religion is concerned.
Yaki: I don’t understand that definition. What Na’ama is saying is that each
person has the right to live according to his beliefs. If someone says he’s
non-religious, no matter how he behaves, as far as he’s concerned, he’s
non-religious. If I believe in God and I say I’m religious, then as far as I’m
concerned, I’m religious. You don’t have to think so, nor do you have to
think so. I live the way I want to live. I’ll do what I want to do. I’ll believe
or I won’t. I am what I am.
Sasha: Na’ama has a problem because I don’t consider them Jewish…religious.
Na’ama: First of all, how can you judge them and say they’re not Jewish?
Sasha: You’re judging me. Don’t people judge people?
Na’ama: I don’t have the right to tell you or ask why you’re Jewish.
Reform, orthodox:
Judaism has denominations
including Reform, Conservative,
Reconstructionist, and
Orthodox. Jewish law,
theology, and practice are
defined differently within
these denominations. In
Israel, the Orthodox rabbis
have political power and
control. The other movements
are fighting for acceptance.
People
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Sasha: I don’t tell them. I tell myself. I look at Shlomi and at a Reform Jew,
and I say to myself this is a religious person, and this isn’t. I don’t go around
saying: “Hey, you’re not religious.”
Na’ama: The beauty of all religious groups, just like in Judaism, is that
everyone can choose to observe whatever he wants. He’s Jewish because
he considers himself Jewish. If he considers himself religious, so be it. If
things were like that here, I’d go to synagogue. Although I’m not a believer,
I’d go to learn.
What’s Next?:
Yaki: Five years from now, I can imagine myself at university, probably
studying computers. But everything can change. I’m not sure I want to study
computers. I’ll see, I don’t know, everything can change.
Na’ama: Ten years from now, I’ll find myself in the middle of my PhD.
A PhD, ten years from now, sounds logical, doesn’t it? Or, I’ll suddenly decide
to leave university and travel or live in some forsaken hole in the Negev
Desert and become a tour guide. I have no idea what I’ll be.
Shlomi: I don’t know where I’ll be ten years form now. I hope I’ll be married.
Maybe I’ll have a child. I don’t know what I want to study or what profession
I want. I have no idea.
Sasha: I might want to live elsewhere, outside of Israel. Maybe in New
York. I think it’s an amazing city. I was there and I loved it. I want to study
at a university in France. I might even want to return to Russia. But I don’t
think I’ll feel at home there. Here I feel at home.
People
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Since Jews came to Israel from all over the world, all kinds of food are served inhomes and restaurants, including Mexican, Chinese, Moroccan, Yemenite, Ethiopian,Polish, Iraqi, Russian…
Most of the foods listed below are available in supermarkets, especially in Jewishneighborhoods. There are also many small kosher markets in Los Angeles. Forinstance, the Kosher Klub is located on the north side of Pico Blvd., just west of San Vicente, before La Brea. Some items will be available in Moslem stores.Spellings will vary! An * indicates that a recipe is attached.
Breads
Pita
Jachnun
Malawah
Bagels
Challah or egg bread (can buy frozen dough and bake at school)
Dips
Tahina (can) (sesame seed)
*Schug – hard to find
In refrigerator section:Hummus
Cream cheese with salmon, etc.
Babaganoush (eggplant with mayo)
Eggplant salads, Turkish eggplant salad
Miscellaneous
In freezer:Chopped liver
Knishes – assorted kinds
Kugels – *noodle, potato; also available in boxes
Chicken soup with matzah balls and noodles – or in cans
*Apple strudel
Kubeh
Barekas – potato, spinach, mushroom
Blintzes – cheese, potato, cherry, blueberry
Falafel balls – or make from a boxed mix
Falafel – spice fried chickpea balls – boxed mix, sometimes available frozen.
Served in pita with Israeli salad and tahina poured over it
*Salata – Israeli chopped salad
*Cholent
Israeli chocolate and cookies
Sunflower seeds, in the shell
Dried figs, dates, apricots
*Hamantaschen – triangular filled pastries, available at bakeries
Israeli snacks such as Bamba, Bisli
People
Israeli FoodFair
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ScHUG – spicy! You will need rubber gloves, food processor, etc.
2 cups hot green peppers
1 clove garlic
1 tsp. black pepper
1. Clip stems of peppers – wear gloves! Avoid contact with eyes!
2. Mix with other ingredients in food processor.
SAlATA – ISRAELI CHOPPED SALAD
6 ripe tomatoes
6 cucumbers, peeled
1-2 tbs. chopped onion
1 tbs. olive oil
1. Mix lemon juice, onion, oil, spices, and sugar to taste. Dressing should be
tangy and on the tart side.
2. Dice tomatoes and cucumbers.
3. Pour dressing over tomatoes and cucumbers. Let sit 15-20 minutes.
NooDle KUGel – oven, 9x13 baking pan (disposable?), large pot, colander
8 oz. wide noodles boiled until tender,
but firm
4 tbs. melted butter or margarine
1 cup soft cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milk
Topping: mix 1 cup corn flake crumbs, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup
melted butter
1. Follow directions on package for cooking noodles. Rinse and drain.
2. Using large bowl, combine all the other ingredients. Add noodles.
3. Pour into greased pan. Sprinkle with topping.
4. Bake uncovered at 350˚ for about an hour, until lightly browned.
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. coriander
1-1/2 tsp. salt
juice of 3-4 lemons
1/2 - 11/2 cups sugar – to taste
1-2 tbs. salt – to taste
dash garlic powder, pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 cup sour cream
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
6 eggs
1 cup raisins
People
Recipes
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BlINTZ cASSeRole – oven, large casserole dish
3 boxes frozen cheese blintzes
5 eggs beaten
3 tbs. sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Let blintzes defrost.
2. Melt butter or margarine in casserole dish.
3. Line the dish with a single layer of blintzes.
4. Blend eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt and pour over blintzes.
5. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
6. Bake at 350˚ for 30-45 minutes. It will puff up. Eat right away!
APPle STRUDel – cookie sheet, waxed paper, oven
Filo dough (frozen)
4 large, tart apples peeled and cored
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg
dash cloves
This is probably enough filling for 2 batches.
1. Let Filo dough defrost.
2. Cut apples into small pieces.
3. Mix apples with sugar, spices, lemon juice, raisins, 2-3 tbs. crumbs.
4. Follow directions on box for working with Filo dough. Use 5-6 leaves of
dough for each batch, brushing a little butter and some crumbs in-between
each layer. If you put the leaves on waxed paper, it will be easier to roll it
up afterwards.
5. Spread some of the apple mixture along one edge of the dough.
6. Carefully roll up, like a jellyroll, tucking in the ends. Brush egg on top and
sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Place on greased cookie sheet.
7. Brush top with egg and bake at 350˚ for 30-40 minutes, until brown.
8. When cool, slice into pieces. Great served warm with ice cream!
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
sugar and cinnamon mixed
2-3 tbs. lemon juice
1/2 cup bread crumbs
melted margarine or butter
1 cup of raisins, 1/2 cup chopped nuts
sugar and cinnamon mixed
People
Recipes
93
HAmANTAScHeN – rolling pins, something to cut circles of dough,
cookie tray
4 eggs beaten
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1. In large bowl, combine all ingredients except for flour.
2. Add flour gradually until dough feels soft and spongy, not sticky.
3. Roll out on floured surface until 1/4 inch thick.
4. Cut out 3-4 inch circles, using glass or cup.
5. Place some filling in center. Pinch sides of circle together to form triangle.
6. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375˚ 20-25 minutes, until
lightly browned.
Fillings:
Solo brand (in cans) has apricot, poppy seed, plum, cherry.
Any canned pie filling or prune or apricot butter.
You can add chocolate chips or orange peel to a filling.
cHoleNT – crock-pot, cheesecloth - This cooks for 24 hours!
2 large onions sliced – fried in oil?
6 potatoes, cut in half
1 cup dry lima beans
1. If you have a frying pan, brown the onions in oil first.
2. Put onions, cut-up potatoes, rinsed limas, spices (be generous), and meat
into crock-pot.
3. Put rinsed barley in center of large piece of cheesecloth. Sprinkle with
more seasonings before loosely tying the corners of the cloth. Place on top
of ingredients in crock-pot.
4. Cover with water.
5. Turn on crock-pot and gently simmer for 24 hours. If water boils down,
you might have to add a bit, but the crock-pot is pretty good about
retaining water.
3/4 cup pearl barley
1 lb. stew meat, optional
salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4-5 cups flour (more?)
extra flour to roll out dough
People
Recipes
BibliographyHoly Land Democracy Project
Antler, Joyce. The Journey Home.Simon and Schuster Adult Publishing Group, 1997.
Bahat, Dan and Sabar, Shalom. Jerusalem. Rizzoli International, 1998.
Bard, Mitchell. Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict. American Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, 2002.
Bard, Mitchell. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Middle East Conflict.Alpha, 2002.
Bayme, Steven. Understanding Jewish History: Texts and Commentaries. Ktav Publishing House, 1997.
Bellow, Saul. To Jerusalem and Back: A Personal Account.Penguin Classics, 1998.
Blech, Benjamin. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Jewish History and Culture.Alpha, 1998.
Blech, Benjamin. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Understanding Judaism. Alpha, 1999.
Collins, Larry and LaPierre, Dominique. O Jerusalem!. Simon and Schuster Adult Publishing Group, 1988.
Dershowitz, Alan. The Case for Israel. Wiley, John and Sons Inc, 2003.
Hazony, Yoram. The Jewish State. Basic Books, 2001.
Heschel, Abraham Joshua. The Sabbath.Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 1975.
Hoffman, Lawrence. The Land of Israel: Jewish Perspectives.University of Notre Dame Press, 1986.
Kedar, Benjamin. The Changing Land Between the Jordan and the Sea.Wayne State University, 2000.
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Bibliography
Kukoff, Lydia and Einstein, Stephan. Introduction to Judaism: A Sourcebook.UAHC Press, 1999.
Lewis, Bernard. The Jews of Islam. Princeton University Press, 1990.
Oren, Michael. Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East. Ballantine Books, 2003.
Prager, Dennis and Telushkin, Joseph.
The Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism. Simon and Schuster Adult Publishing Group, 1986.
Rosenthal, Donna. The Israelis.Free Press, 2003
Sachar, Howard. A History of Israel from the Rise of Zionism to our Time.Random House Inc, 1996.
Sharansky, Natan. Fear No Evil. Public Affairs, 1998.
Strassfeld, Michael and Sharon. The First and Second Jewish Catalogs.Jewish Publication Society, 1974.
Strutin, Michal. Discovering Natural Israel. David Jonathan Publishers Inc, 2001.
Troy, Gil. Why I Am a Zionist: Israel, Jewish Identity and the Challenges of Today. BPR Publishers, 2001.
Wertheimer, Jack. A People Divided.Basic Books, 1994.
II
Bibliography
The Many Faces of Israel
The Many Faces of Israel
A project of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles
In cooperation with The Archdiocese of Los Angeles
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