Approaching Israel During Staff Week

URJ Camp Newman

Overnight

Shayna Dollinger

Staff will explore the camp’s goals for Israel education, Zionism and Reform Zionism in both a historical and current context.

Zionism, Reform, history, values, David Cards, values

Staff Training/Programming

Staff will:

• Explore the diversity of opinion and connection to Zionism at camp
• Be able to articulate the URJ’s stance on Israel and Zionism
• Recognize and be able to conduct conversations about Israel with the same sensitivity as issues like American politics, sex, and drugs
• Know how and when to escalate conversations about Israel so that they can be facilitated by professionals  

Adult/staff

All staff (can be broken into smaller groups if needed)

PowerPoint presentation Zionism research guides from Unpacked

David Cards (for purchase)

Paper for all participants

Pencils for all participants

• Head of Israel Education and/or other lead professional overseeing Israel education
• Camp director

Large enough space for the entire staff

Screen and projector for PowerPoint Tables of 8 (round tables preferred) 8 sets of materials (research guides, paper, pencils) on each table David cards on each table

I.    Introduction - 10 minutes 
II.    Sharing our personal stories - 15 minutes
III.    Our Goals for Israel Education - 10 minutes
IV.    Exploring Zionism: Goal #3 - 35 minutes
V.    Reform Zionism (your camp’s Zionism) - 10 minutes

VI.    Expectations and Questions - 10 minutes  

• I. Introduction      10 minutes
  • Set the tone for the session
  • Share outcomes
  • (See Slide #2 of PowerPoint)
• II. Sharing our personal stories      15 minutes
  • Read the single-story quote (Slide #3)
  • Explain instructions and give example –
    • We are now going to have a chance to share a bit about our own personal relationship with Israel - we understand that everyone in this room has different experiences of and relationships with the place. You can share or not, you can share as much or as little as you are comfortable with. (Slides #4-5)
    • Share David Card example
    • Pick a card on your table that best describes your relationship with Israel
    • One at a time, explain why you each chose the card that you did.
  • You will have ten minutes to share
• III. Our Goals for Israel Education      10 minutes

  Camp Director and Head of Israel Education lead this pare

  • Articulate the role Israel will play at camp. (Slide #6)
    • It’s not something that is forbidden to talk about, rather we are leaning into healthy conversations and discussions about the topic.
    • Our parents are sending their kids to Camp Newman because they are expecting a certain type of Israel education
  • Share the Goals of the Reform Movement or your organization (Slides #7-9)
  • We will engage with Israel in a myriad of ways: programs, relationships with members of the mishlakhat, Yom Yisrael, etc.
• IV. Exploring Zionism: Goal #3      35 minutes

  One core goal for this summer is: Learners can interpret and engage with the depth and breadth of Zionist thought as they seek to articulate their own personal understanding of the term.

  • In order to have these conversations about Israel and its role at camp, it’s vital that we understand what Zionism is and was and that people might have different understandings of what Zionism is. As much as we might want there to be, there is not a single story of Zionism.
  • Today we are going to explore some of the stories.
  • Instructions (Slide #11):
    • Each group has been assigned a type of Zionism that they will be learning about for the next twenty minutes. Research sheets are on your tables.
    • Read about your assigned type and make a list on your poster board of 3-5 bullet points describing your type of Zionism
    • Select one representative to present your list (or do gallery walk – see below)
    • Each group shares their poster board. (Depending on the size of the group, you can hang them up and have staff do a “gallery walk”.
    • After the presentations or gallery walk, take a few moments to share similarities and differences between the different types of Zionism.
• V. Reform Zionism (your camp’s Zionism)      10 minutes
  • (Slides #18-19 or add your camp’s perspective on Zionism)
  • Briefly share those elements of Zionism that are most important for your camp.
• VI. Expectations and Questions      10 minutes

  Led by Camp Director: (Slide #20)

  • We do not expect you to be experts in Israel education, but we do expect you to know who to go to when issues come up.
  • XXXX (HIE) is your primary point of contact for all things Israel – she will help get you or your camper where they need to go, whether that’s an Israel-related Torah Lishmah or a one-on-one with a faculty member or a meeting with Nefesh
  • We expect you to treat Israel conversations with the same care as other sensitive topics
  • Respond to any questions, if there is time. (Slide #21)