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10

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Bureau of

Jewish

Education,

Bay Area,

California.

2

Shalom!

The booklet which you are now holding has been created to cater to the needs of Bay area

Judaic and Israel-studies teachers. Tu Bishvat is a wonderful opportunity to get your students

involved with Israel issues and instill in them a love for the land of Israel, its trees and its fruit.

The nine lesson plans in this booklet are geared towards that purpose.

Throughout Jewish history Tu Bishvat has known many transformations, from a minor

agricultural holiday in Talmudic times, to a holiday of longing for the sunny land of Israel in

wintery Europe hundreds of years ago. In the sixteenth century it was transformed into a

mystical holiday celebrated with symbolic Tu Bishvat ‘Seders’, and much later it received the

added meaning of a Zionist “Arbor day” where Israeli nature is celebrated by planting new trees,

as part of the Zionist ideology of foresting the land of Israel and beautifying it. Recently, Tu

Bishvat is also celebrated as “Jewish Earth day”. Thus do ideological issues affect our relations

to trees, marking Tu Bishvat with ongoing relevance and obliging us to revisit time and again the

question of what this holiday means for our students and us. This is why new educational

materials are so pertinent for Tu Bishvat, and it is this rationale that guided our choice of updated

and topics in this booklet. We address several of the Tu Bishvat traditions in the following pages

but concentrate on love of the land of Israel, its plants and its fruit, a value which is really at the

bottom of many of the different manifestations of Tu Bishvat.

For this reason, the theme “Trees in Israel” was chosen for this booklet. Trees tell many

stories: Some are joyous, such as the story of the almond tree which blooms earlier than all other

fruit trees in winter, festive as a bride in white and pink. Others are sad, such as the struggle over

Palestinian olive harvesting or the tragedy of the forest fire in the Carmel hills, but all are

meaningful to us humans no less than to the trees themselves.

The lessons in this booklet are organized by age-groups in three categories: Grades 1-4,

grades 5-8 and grades 9-12. Obviously, a fifth grader and an eighth grader are not at the same

level and in any case each class has its own level of Hebrew knowledge. For this reason most

lesson plans contain more materials than are necessary for one 40-minute class, enabling you to

pick and choose from the sources and methods, and adjust them to the needs of your class.

We welcome your comments and suggestions for future editions of these lesson plans.

Enjoy reading and using the materials and have a wonderful Tu Bishvat!

Avi and Nurit Novis Deutsch

Lesson OverviewLO

Learning objectives

Materials needed

Some background

The almond is a winter tree with serrated and elongated leaves. The almond

flowers precede the foliage which comes with the end of the flowering. Almond

fruit is placed inside a hard shell and has great nutritional value, containing about

60% oil. The almond takes an important place in early and current culture although

it is not among the seven species for which the Land of Israel is known. In the Bible it is first

mentioned in conversation between Jacob and his sons before their second visit to buy food in

Egypt. "Take of the best fruits in the land …a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds."

(Genesis 43:11)

The almond tree is also mentioned in the book of Jeremiah as a symbol for the God’s

industriousness. This is because of how the almond tree hurries to bloom and because the word

“Shaked” in Hebrew sounds like the word “Shoked” which means “works hard”.

Almond trees are special to people in Israel as they are the first to bloom there, long before other tree

begin to bud. As this happens during the season of Tu Bishvat, almond trees in blossom are one of

the most beautiful and prominent symbols of the holiday. Although the famous children’s song is

about a “Shkedia”, the real name of the tree is “Shaked” …so the song in this sense is misleading!

Lesson 1: The almond tree is blossoming!

In this lesson the class will take a look at one of Israel’s favorite Tu

Bishvat trees, the almond tree, which blooms in pink and white in

winter, through art, Midrash, song and photos. Mix and match the parts

of this lesson to adapt it to the age group you work with.

· The almond tree will be recognized as a symbol of Tu Bishvat, and

the tree parts will be learnt in English and in Hebrew.

· The students will learn an adapted Midrash about the almond tree.

· Students will be able to sing the Israeli children’s song: "Hashkedia”

(The almond tree”) and understand it.

· The “almond tree” PowerPoint presentation (attached).

· Copies of the source sheet – one per student.

· Cotton wool balls – white and pink (or white cotton balls + pink

water color or red food coloring).

· Crepe paper – brown, green, white and pink.

· Crayons or markers for all the students.

· White glue, sticky tape.

· A bag of almonds (make sure no one is allergic to them).

1-4

Getting started

Exploration

Wrapping it up

GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGst

:

If you can screen a PowerPoint slideshow in class, present to the class the

slideshow of almond trees and their parts. If you can’t, print out some of the

almond pictures from the file and pass them around.

As you show it, ask the students: Does anyone know what tree this is? What

does this tree remind you of? How would you describe it?

Tell the kids that in Israel, just before the holiday of Tu Bishvat, the birthday

of the trees, all the almond trees all begin to bloom. People say they look like

brides getting ready for a wedding or like children getting all dressed up for

their birthday party. Ask the kids what they do to get ready for a festive

event.

Remind the children that in winter, many trees lose their leaves and stand

bare. In spring, trees begin to grow leaves and blossoms again, but the

Almond tree is unique: It blossoms early, at the end of winter.

Read the adapted Midrash about almond trees. Ask the students:

· Why is God likened to an almond tree?

· Why is it sometimes important to hurry and work extra hard? Have you

ever worked really hard on something? How did you feel?

· Are there times when it’s good to slow down? (The example of Shabbat

can be given and discussed).

For an arts and crafts project, give each student a copy of the bare almond

tree and help them dress it up with colorful crepe papers crunched into little

balls and with cotton balls; make sure they understand where each color goes.

If you have some almonds, they can glue those on too. Tell the kids that

flowers and fruit don’t really grow on the tree at the same time, as the flowers

eventually turn into the fruit. This can be a good riddle for the parents:

“What’s wrong with this picture?”

When the pictures are done, discuss the parts of the almond tree. Depending

on the group’s Hebrew proficiency, you could introduce some of these terms

in Hebrew. You will find them at the bottom of the source-sheet. The

children can draw connecting lines between them and the parts in the picture.

Teach the children how to sing the song “the almond tree blossoms”. If

you’re unfamiliar with the tune, you will find it at the following link:

http://www.zemereshet.co.il/song.asp?id=244. You may also find the musical

notes, translation and transliteration on the source sheet.

To sum up, ask the children if they understand why a song about Tu Bishvat

tells about the almond tree and not about other trees.

The class can end by everyone tasting some almonds. Yum!

5

השקדיה

,השקדיה פורחת

.ושמש פז זורחת

גג צפרים מראש כל

:מבשרות את בוא החג

!האילנות חג –ו בשבט הגיע "ט

.חג האילנות –ו בשבט הגיע "ט

Hashkediya

Hashkediya porachat

V'shemesh paz zorachat;

Tziporim merosh kol gag,

M'vasrot et bo hechag.

Tu bishevat higiya

Chag ha'ilanot (2x)

The almond tree is growing,

A golden sun is glowing;

Birds sing out in joyous glee

From every roof

and every tree.

Tu Bishevat is here,

The Jewish Arbor Day

Hail the trees' New Year,

Happy holiday!

The almond tree source-sheet

Our Sages wondered: What is unique about

the almond tree? What is most special

about it? This was a difficult question to

answer.

Then they noticed that of all the trees, the

almond tree is the first to bloom, and they

said: “The almond tree is the most hard-

working of all trees! It doesn’t waste any

time in getting its job done”.

In this, the almond tree is comparable to

God. When God spoke to the prophet

Jeremiah he showed him an almond branch

and said: “like the almond, I work hard to

fulfill my promises” (Jeremiah 1:12).

In Hebrew the word for Almond is

Shaked, and the word for working hard is

Shoked. Can you see how similar they are?

6

Help the almond tree prepare for Tu Bishvat!

ענף

branch עלה

leaf

פרח

flower

שורש

root

גזע

trunk

פרי

fruit

7

Lesson OverviewLeO

Learning objectives

Essential questions

Materials needed

Some background

We will be looking at what an oasis is in this lesson, so here is some

geographic and biological background on what an oasis is and how it

is formed:

An oasis is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a

water source. Oases also provide habitat for animals and even humans if it is big enough. The

location of oases has been of critical importance for trade and transportation routes in desert

areas. Groups of travelers had to travel via oases so that supplies of water and food could be

replenished. Thus, political or military control of an oasis has in many cases meant control of

trade on a particular route. Oases are formed from underground rivers or aquifers, where water

can reach the surface naturally by pressure or by man-made wells.

Lesson 2: Tree, how shall I bless you?

In this Lesson we will look at the bi-directional relations between trees

and humans, focusing on hot climates and desert oases where trees can

truly be life-savers. Students will imagine themselves in the position of a

weary traveler chancing upon a tree in a desert, then they will read a

Midrash telling of the blessing a traveler once gave such a tree and

finally they will reflect upon the importance and meaning of trees to

people, so much so that the Torah itself was likened to a tree.

· Students will learn and discuss a Talmudic Midrash (or two)

· Students will get to design their own commentary as an alternative

ending to a Midrash.

· Students will be introduced to the natural phenomenon of oases and

reflect upon the importance of trees to human beings.

· The source sheet “Oh, tree, how can I bless you?” – One copy per

student.

· The attached PowerPoint presentation “Oases” or a print-out of its

slides.

· Paper and drawing materials.

1-4

· Can trees and people be have a relationship?

· How can we bless trees?

· How can we make these blessings come true?

8

Getting started

Exploration

Gs

Begin this class with a fun guided-imagery exercise:

Ask all the kids to close their eyes for a moment, to inhale and exhale

deeply, to relax. Now they’ll be going on a journey of the imagination.

First, ask them to imagine they’re in a dessert. Ask kids to share what

they see. They’ve been walking in this dessert for many hours. It is hot, dusty. How do they feel?

The view is very monotonous, it seems like the sandy hills will never end.

Then, all of a sudden they see a tree. What do they feel? They approach the tree. It is tall and

leafy – a palm tree. It has some sweet dates on it. There is a water spring at its roots. They rest in

its shade.

Now they want to say something to the tree. Ask the kids what they’d say. How would they

thank the tree? How would they bless it?

There is a touching Midrash (a legend in the Talmudic sources), that

tells about a person in just such a situation. Distribute the source

sheets to the class and study the Midrash with them. If the level of

Hebrew in the class is proficient, have the kids read the lines in

Hebrew and then in English (the text is organized in parallel form). Ask them to recognize words

and explain them. Otherwise, study the Midrash directly in the English translation. Here are

some questions to guide your discussion:

· In what ways was the tree good to the traveler?

· When do we bless others? Does it make sense to bless a tree?

· Why didn’t the traveler just bless the tree with more fruit or more shade than he already

had? What’s special about blessing future generations?

· If the traveler’s blessing were to come true and he were to visit that tree 30 years later,

what do you think he’s see?

· What do we call a tree and a river in the desert? Why is this a very special place?

9

Wrapping it up

Explain to the children that in climates with hot weather and uncertain rainfall, there are desserts.

Deserts have few plants and animals who can survive the harsh conditions. For humans, crossing

a dessert can be extremely difficult. Once in a while in a desert one can find places called oases.

An oasis can save the life of a weary traveler or a tribe of nomads. In fact, when the people of

Israel left Egypt, they moved from one oasis to another in order to traverse the Sinai desert and

reach the land of Israel. To show the children what an oasis looks like, use the attached

PowerPoint presentation “Oases” which has pictures of some of Israel’s most beautiful oases and

some of others throughout the world. If you can’t screen the slideshow in class, print the pictures

out beforehand and show them.

Trees were so valued in ancient Israel, that the Torah itself was compared to a tree. This is the

second source which you can study, on the source sheet.

Here are some study questions to guide your study of this source:

· Why did the sages think the Torah is likened to a tree in the first place?

· How did one of the sages explain the similarity between the Torah and a tree?

· What can teachers learn from students? Why does the verse say that the teacher learnt

more from his students than from all of his own teachers?

· How convincing did you find the explanation that Torah and trees are similar because

both enable the older to be influenced by the younger?

The children may find that although the comparison of a tree and the Torah is meaningful to

them, the reason the sage offered for this (the way a small tree kindles a larger one) is not

convincing enough. Invite them to become commentators of their own and to write their own

explanation: “The Torah is like a tree because….”

To wrap up the lesson, you can ask the children to draw an oasis and in

it a person facing a tree. Have a speech bubble come out of each. What

does the person say? What does the tree reply?

10

,אדם היה מהלך במדבר

. והיה רעב ועייף וצמא

, ומצא אילן שפרותיו מתוקין וצלו נאה

. ואמת המים עוברת תחתיו

אכל מפרותיו ושתה מימיו

. וישב בצלו

: וכשביקש לילך אמר

? במה אברכך, אילן, אילן

–אם אומר לך שיהיו פירותיך מתוקין

–שיהא צלך נאה , הרי פירותיך מתוקין

שתהא אמת המים , נאההרי צלך

הרי אמת המים - עוברת תחתיך

אלא יהי רצון שכל . עוברת תחתיך

.נטיעות שנוטעין ממך יהיו כמותך

)ב:ה, תענית, בבלי ברכות(

A man went into the desert,

and he was hungry, tired and thirsty.

He found a tree bearing sweet fruit good shade,

and underneath which there was a spring of water.

He ate of the fruit, drank of the water,

and rested beneath the shade.

When about to leave he said:

'Tree, tree, how can I bless you?

That your fruit may be sweet-

it is already sweet; that you should offer good shade –

your shade is good; that a spring

may be near you--even that you have.

I will wish for you that all trees

planted from your seed may be as fruitful as you are.'

(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Taanit, page 5b)

כעץלמה נמשלו דברי תורה

עץ חיים היא "שנאמר

?"למחזיקים בה

מה עץ קטן : לומר לך

מדליק את הגדול

חדדים את אף תלמידי חכמים קטנים מ

:חנינא' והיינו דאמר ר. הגדולים

הרבה למדתי מרבותי

ומחבירי יותר מרבותי

ומתלמידי יותר מכולן

)א:בבלי תענית ז(

Why are the words of the Torah compared to a tree,

as it is written "A tree of life is it

to those that lay hold on her”?

To teach that just as a small piece of wood

kindles a larger one,

so a beginning scholar sharpens the wits of the

greater by his queries, as Rabbi Hanina has said:

"I have learned much from my teachers,

more from my colleagues,

and most of all from my students."

(Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Taanit, page 7a)

Tree, How shall I bless you?

11

Lesson OverviewLO

Learning objectives

Essential questions

Materials needed

Some background

As we will be considering fruit in terms of their nutritional value, here is

some information on this topic:

Fruit have many nutritional advantages: They contain on average 80%

water, which hydrates us. Fruit have vitamin C which helps our body heal

cuts and bruises and fight infections, vitamin A, which helps see in the dark and keeps our skin

healthy, a lot of fiber which helps us digest our food, and anti-oxidants which protect us from

diseases. Fruit are cholesterol-free, additive free (and organic ones are also pesticide-free!) and

are very easily absorbed by our bodies. The sugar energy fruit contains (called fructose) is

digested in 30 minutes and produces no toxic waste products that are difficult to remove from the

body. This is a very different situation form consuming candy! In short – fruit are really a

wonderful group of foods. It is no wonder we are recommended to eat 5 portions of fruit and

vegetables a day! And if you’re wondering which fruit is the most nutritious, the answer is:

Guava. More info on the five-a-day concept at the following site:

http://www.nhs.uk/livewell/5aday/pages/5adayhome.aspx/

Lesson 3: Fun with fruit and the seven species

One of the most important ways in which trees impact human lives is

through their fruit, which we eat. In this lesson we’ll consider the

nutritious value of fruit, take a look at the fruit with which the land of

Israel is blessed, think of how they were particularly important in

ancient times, and then either take a trip to a fruit market or use pre-

brought fruit to create edible art.

· Students will learn about the seven species, focusing on the five

fruit among them: dates, figs, grapes, pomegranates and olives.

· Students will get to express their creativity through making edible

art.

· Students will learn about the nutritional value of fruits.

· The source sheet “Land of many fruit” – One copy per student.

· Tooth-picks, cotton wool, crepe paper and popsicle sticks.

· Safe knives and scissors.

· Plates, forks and spoons.

1-4

· Fruit and candy are both sweet and yummy – why are the former so

much better for us then the latter?

· Why were fruit so important for people many years ago? How are they

still important for us today?

12

Getting started GGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGesta

Begin with a game: Divide the class into small groups. Each group has

five minutes to come up in writing with a list of fruit for each letter of

the alphabet. (e.g.: Apple, Banana, Clementine, Dates…). Then hold a

competition: The first group names a fruit beginning with A, the next

one continues with one beginning with B, and so on. If a group can’t think of a fruit they are out

of the game. It gets very difficult by the time you reach Xigua (a melon), Yellow watermelon

and Zucchini!

Keep these lists for later use.

Now, tell the children that two kids, Danielle and Josh, were having an argument at recess: Who

has the better snack? Josh had a box of fruit-gums, Danielle had a ripe pear. Ask the kids what

they think and why. Why are fruit better for us than candy?

Have the class list some nutritious advantages of fruit over other kinds of food. Ask the kids

which is their favorite fruit and in what form they enjoy eating it. Make sure they end up with a

wide variety of forms for eating fruit that are both healthy and fun (whole, cut up, grated,

squeezed, frozen and crushed…these are the best. Cooking, steaming, or turning them into

desserts makes them lose some nutritious value but is still better than store-bought desserts).

Ask the kids how long they think fruit have been around (For longer than humans have…). Do

they know what role fruit played in ancient times? As an example we will look at the fruit of the

land of Israel. Ancient Israel was famous for its luscious fruit and therefore is known as the land

of the seven species. Five of these are fruit. Have the class read source 1 from the source sheet

and discuss why it was so important for God and Moses to tell the children of Israel about the

fruit of the land and not, say, about the animals that roam the land or the flowers that grow in it.

Fruit trees fulfilled many of the needs the people in ancient times had. Read source 2 with the

class. It tells of the many functions of a date tree, likening it to the people of Israel in that every

part, every person, has a role in the community. Ask the children to try to imagine what it was

like living in a time when nothing was wasted: From top to bottom the date tree provided people

with housing, clothing, material for dishes, religious artifacts and food. People not only ate the

dates fresh, they also dried them, turned them into honey and even turned them into drinks. Ask

the students: How are fruit important to us today? Are they as important as in ancient times?

For the next part of this lesson (or it can also be split into two sessions at this point) you will be

using fruit in creative ways.

If possible, organize a trip to one of the lovely fruit markets in the area. For example, the

“Berkeley Bowl” or “Monterey market” have a wonderful selection of fruit. The children will

shop for fruit to use in creative ways such as making sculptures or dried fruit pictures, and

13

Wrapping it up

making fruit salad and carved fruit (instructions for all these projects follow). In the store, have

the children team up and shop for as many different fruit as can be purchased for a particular

sum, or find fruit by the letters of the Alphabet (use the lists the class generated earlier for this),

have them find samples of fruit in as many colors as they can or fruit in a variety of sizes and

textures. Make sure you have some dried fruit among them and try to find the five species of

fruit (of the seven species) that Israel is blessed with!

If a trip to the market is not possible, ask each student to bring a few pieces of fruit to class.

Distribute requests for different kinds of fruit to students in advance.

With the fruit you have, you can either organize all of the children to make one sort of project or

have them move from station to station and complete four different projects. There are two

important rules to be followed in all of these activities:

1. Safety first! No raised knives, no hurting each other with utensils or fruit and no fruit to

which anyone in class is allergic.

2. Think green! We do not want to waste fruit so at the end of the class, in the following

class or at home, the creations will be eaten. The children have to make sure that their art

projects are edible and that no fruit are destroyed in the process.

Here are four projects you can make with fruit, but by all means use your creativity and invent

some of your own as well!

Sculpting with fruit – using toothpicks to hold fruit together and cotton wool, crepe paper and

Popsicle sticks as props while ensuring that the fruit are not damaged in the process, students can

try to put fruit together to make sculptures of people, animals, and objects. Dried fruit can

furnish small details such as eyes.

Creating dried-fruit pictures – Supply each student with a piece of heavy foam cardboard.

Have them plan a three dimensional picture made entirely of dried fruit. The pieces can be

connected to the backing with halves of toothpicks.

Carving peels – Watermelon shells are especially good for carving, but you can also use orange

peels or melon peels too. Carefully, using knives or scissor blades, carve the top layer of the peel

off to reveal the white underlayer. You can carve geometric shapes, animals, and even plants. If a

group of children each work on one watermelon half, it can be used for the next activity as a fruit

salad container.

Making a creative fruit salad – have a cooking competition: Each group must make the most

delicious and creative fruit salad. Think of different sizes or shapes of fruit pieces, of unusual

combinations of fruit, of containers made of fruit peels or of yummy dressings (bring some

lemons and honey to class for this).

There’s only one way to wrap up an activity like this: Sit down with

plates and spoons and have a feast!

14

ה ער ארץ חטה וש

ה וגפן ותאנ

זית ורמון ארץ־

שמן ודבש׃

For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land,

a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing

forth in valleys and hills;

a land of wheat and barley, of vines and

fig trees and pomegranates, a land of

olive oil and honey;

a land where you will eat food without scarcity, in which

you will not lack anything; a land whose stones are iron,

and out of whose hills you can dig copper. When you

have eaten and are satisfied, you shall bless the LORD

your God for the good land which He has given you.

(Deuteronomy 8, verses 7-10)

אלא תמריה , מה תמרה זו אין בה פסולת"

סיבים , חריות לסכוך, ולולבים להלל, לאכילה

שפעת קורות , סנסינים לכברה, לחבלים

כך ישראל אין בהם -לקרות בהן בתים

מהם בעלי , אלא מהם בעלי מקרא, פסולת

, מהם בעלי מצוות, מהם בעלי אגדה, משנה

מדרש בראשית רבה . (מהם בעלי צדקות

)א"פרשה מ

Israel is like the date palm, of which none is

wasted; its dates are for eating, its lulavim are for

blessing (We shake a lulav on Sukkot); its fronds

(dry leaves) are for thatching (making a roof of a

home); its fibers are for ropes; its webbing for

sieves; its thick trunks for building - so it is with

Israel, which contains no waste: Some know the

Bible, some know the Mishna, some know

legends, others fulfill commandments, and others

do good deeds. (Genesis Raba 41)

(Bereshit Rabbah 41)

The seven species - source sheet

15

Lesson OverviewLeOv

Materials needed

Some background

Essential questions

Learning objectives

Israel's Mediterranean climate is typified by warm, dry, rainless summers. When

temperatures are high and hot, dry winds blow, and when wildflowers have

dried up and the hills are covered with yellow dry grasses, fires start easily

and are hard to extinguish. In Israel these fires usually result from arson or

negligence. When a forest fire breaks out, fire trucks and helicopters are sent to put

it out, but they cannot always help quickly enough, and so the most important weapon against forest fires

is prevention: building forest roads and firebreaks, removing pruned foliage, organizing educational

campaigns to avoid lighting fires in forests and fire spotting.

Once a wildfire spreads, it can destroy thousands of acres of forests and woodlands. Rehabilitating the

burnt areas is a complex, extended process – even after the trees grow back, it can take many more years

for the ecosystem to recuperate and return to its former state. When trees burn, entire ecosystems are

destroyed. Plants and the animals that feed on the trees, small wildlife that burrows under leaf litter, birds

that nest on trees, rodents in the ground – the list goes on and on. (Based on JNF material).

Lesson 2: Danger, Forest Fires!

· How can people act responsibly towards trees and forests?

· How can wildfires be prevented, contained or limited?

· Students will learn about what took place at the Carmel Fire in Israel

and about the large forest fires in Oakland in 1991.

· They will learn about various causes, man-made and natural, for

forest fires and about the dangers and preventative measures of

forest fires.

· Source sheets – two different ones per student.

· PowerPoint slides or printed out photos on the Carmel fire.

This lesson is the first out of two pertaining to the tragic Carmel Fire in

Israel. In this lesson the students will learn what exactly happened

during this fire, and then they will learn about the terrible fire that took

place in Oakland and Berkeley in 1991. Through these examples they

will discuss the danger of forest fires, and create a list of rules or laws

which could help Israel ensure that such tragedies at the Carmel fire will

not be repeated. The class can choose to send this list by e-mail to the

JNF (Jewish National Fund - Israel’s forestation agency).

6-8

16

Getting started

Exploration

Wrapping it up

Have the class read the attached article about the Carmel fire. You can invite

them to read it silently, take turns reading it aloud in paragraphs, or have each

pair prepare part of the article and tell/act out what it says.

Have them share their feelings upon reading it with the class. What were the

worst parts of the tragedy in their eyes?

An important question being raised is: Whose fault was this? It seems the fire began from a 14 year old

boy who smoked a pipe and didn’t properly put out the embers. Ask the students if the world “fault” is

appropriate here. Can a thousand-acre fire be one boy’s “fault”? Would the word “responsibility” be

better? Who are those responsible for the tragedy? Try to list multiple responsible groups.

Now, in some ways closer to home, have the class read the article about the 1991 Oakland fire.

Ask the students if they see any parallels in the way the fire began and developed. Were there some

differences too? (e.g., the Oakland firestorm was more of a naturally-initiated disaster)

Have the students make a chart: On one side list all the risk factors for wild-fires and on the other list what

can be done about them. Have them mark separately the natural and human causes of large fires. Can

people do anything about natural fire causes? (Yes; limit their damage)

Ask students to consider the forest as an eco-system: Who gets hurt directly by the fire? (Plants, animals,

people) Who get hurt on a secondary basis (animal and human homes in forest and around damaged area,

food supplies lost, damage to plant through smoke, loss of oxygen-wielding trees, loss of recreational

trails and forests).

Finally, prompt students for ideas about how to avoid wildfires or limit their damage in future. One way to

do this would be to write a suggested legislation for how to combat the danger of forest fires. For example

– How near forests may people be allowed to light bonfires?

You may want to end on this positive note:

In response to issues about firefighting equipment during the disaster, Oakland city firefighters now carry

more extensive wild-land firefighting gear and fire shelters. Water cisterns and a new hills fire station

were added, and radio communications were improved. On June 12, 2008, a brush fire ignited in almost

the exact location of the starting point of the 1991 fire, but owing to a rapid response as well as the

preventative measures implemented after the 1991 disaster and the lack of significant winds, the fire was

confined to 2 acres with no damage to any structures, and was extinguished within 90 minutes.

Show the class the pictures on the attached PowerPoint file “Carmel fire”, or

print out the pictures and pass them around. Ask them if they know what these

slides depict. What recent tragedy happened in Israel that is concerned with

trees? How do they feel about this?

Tell the class about the Jewish National Fund which is in charge among

other things of Israel’s forest and of planting trees. Consider either

organizing a fund-raiser to raise money to help Israel recover from the

devastating Carmel fire, or writing e-mails to the JNF and sending them

your list of class suggestions for how to avoid wildfires in Israel in the

future. You can share with them some of Oakland’s fire lessons too.

The e-mail JNF branch of in Northern California is: hellis@jnf.org

17

Read the following NY Times articles:

Facing Fires, Israel Appeals for Help

By ETHAN BRONNER

Published: December 3, 2010

JERUSALEM — A fire that killed 41 people in

the parched north of Israel continued to rage on

Friday, turning into the worst natural disaster in

the country’s history with thousands of acres

burned, thousands of residents evacuated and a

dozen countries rushing planes, helicopters and

personnel to offer aid.

The Carmel Forest around the port city of Haifa,

normally rolling hills carpeted in pine, was an

apocalyptic scene, with rows of blazing trees,

the sky crimson from flames soaring dozens of

feet, and embers flying for miles, smacking the

car windshields on nearby roads. Relief

workers, overcome by smoke, lay sprawled on

the ground.

“We are in a very harsh event,” Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu said at an emergency

cabinet meeting in Tel Aviv. “We have more

than 40 dead. People are missing. People are

injured. Many perished in admirable courage

and sacrificed themselves in order to save

others.”

Israel, which often provides doctors and aid

workers for disasters abroad, had never before

solicited such international help. Aid arrived

from across the region on Friday, and may have

even led to a slight opening in the diplomatic

standoff between Turkey and Israel. Turkey was

not alone in pitching in despite diplomatic

difficulties with Israel. The Palestinian

Authority, which cut off American-sponsored direct

peace talks with the Netanyahu government two

months ago, sent fire trucks.

In addition, Bulgaria sent about 100 firefighters, and

Egypt, Jordan, Spain, Russia, Romania and Azerbaijan

sent equipment. The

United States made

available 20,000

liters of fire

suppressant

chemical, its

embassy announced.

President Obama

offered condolences

and more help,

saying, “That’s what

friends do for each

other.”

As night fell, pilots

had to interrupt their missions of dumping water and

fire retardants until daybreak, said Mickey Rosenfeld,

a police spokesman. He said 17,000 people had been

evacuated and 7,000 acres destroyed. The blaze,

whose cause remained unclear, broke out at midday

Thursday and spread with an unpredictable and

ferocious speed, witnesses said, fed by strong winds

and the driest conditions in years. It quickly

overwhelmed Israel’s 1,400-member firefighting force

and raised difficult questions about preparedness in a

country that likes to think it is ready for anything.

Re

An official called the blaze the

biggest and deadliest in Israel’s

history

18

15th Anniversary of the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire

October 10, 2006

On the morning of October 20, 1991, what became the costliest wildfire in U.S. history ignited in the hills outside Oakland, CA. Before it was finally extinguished, the Oakland Hills fire burned 1,600 acres, destroyed 2,900 structures, displaced 10,000 people, and killed 25. The fire caused more than $1.5 billion in insured losses.

The fire started in the wildland-urban interface of Temescal Canyon, near the western entrance to the Caldecott Tunnel. Oakland fire department personnel were actually on the scene dealing with hot spots left from a small grass fire that had ignited the previous day. Eyewitness accounts testify that while the firefighters were working the wind rose, sending sparks into an area of dry brush outside the burn area. The brush burst into flames, and the resulting fire spread quickly, fanned by increasingly strong winds.

By noon (about an hour after the fire started), fully forty percent of the area eventually affected by the fire had burned. In that short time, the fire consumed 790 structures, igniting a home every few seconds. Within two hours, it was burning out of control on five fronts. Finally, at around 5:00 P.M. the winds died down, giving firefighters a chance to get a handle on the blaze, though full containment was not achieved until October 22.

According to after-action report written by FEMA, years of drought had desiccated underbrush and groves of Monterey pine and eucalyptus-neither of which are native to the region, but which are very effective fire fuels. Weather conditions were also prime for fire spread: hot, dry Diablo winds (the Northern

Aircraft dropping retardant

(Source: San Francisco Chronicle)

California-equivalent of the Santa Ana winds) were blowing downhill from the east with gusts up to 65 mph, and temperatures were unusually high, reaching into the nineties. Perhaps the single most important contributor to the disaster were the acres of parched, cedar-shake roofs in close proximity to each other and to highly combustible vegetation. Previous attempts at banning wood shingles-the earliest in 1923 following a similar fire-were never passed into law.

Four hundred engine companies and over 1,500 personnel from 250 agencies were called in to fight the Oakland Hills fire. Steep local terrain complicated fire suppression efforts, as did the winding, congested local roads, the presence of numerous switchbacks, communications difficulties, and problems with water supply. The rate of fire spread and the difficult access to the fire area meant that firefighters arriving to combat it were largely ineffective and in extreme danger.

19

Lesson OverviewLeOv

Learning objectives

Essential questions

Materials needed

Some background

In this lesson we will talk both about the Halachic concept of “Bal

Tashchit and the environmental concept of sustainability, so here are

definitions and some information about each:

Bal Tashchit is an ethical Jewish principle which forbids wastefulness and destruction.

Maimonides summed it up clearly, and here is what he says:

“It is forbidden to cut down fruit-bearing trees outside a besieged city, nor may a water channel

be deflected from them so that they wither. Whoever cuts down a fruit-bearing tree is flogged.

This penalty is imposed not only for cutting it down during a siege; whenever a fruit-yielding

tree is cut down with destructive intent, flogging is incurred. It may be cut down, however, if it

causes damage to other trees or to a field belonging to another man or if its value for other

Lesson 5: Bal Tashchit: Do not destroy!

· Are trees to be used by human, protected by them, or both?

· How are “Bal Tashchit” and sustainable living connected?

· Does the Torah have anything to tell us about tragedies such as the

Carmel fire?

· Students will practice reading Biblical and Talmudic passages and

learn about the commandment of “Bal Tashchit”

· Students will understand what the concept of sustainability is.

· Students will translate both concepts into practical changes in their

daily lives.

· The “Bal Tashchit” source sheets – one per student.

· Optional: The Carmel fire PPT slides or pictures printed from it.

· Recommended: A setup to view a short internet video-clip on “Bal

Tashchit”.

5-8

This lesson is the second of two pertaining to the terrible human and

ecological tragedy that hit Israel at the beginning of December: The

Carmel Fire. In this lesson the students will learn about the fragility of

trees where humans are involved, they will become acquainted with the

Halachic principle of “Bal Tashchit” (Do not destroy) and its connection

to sustainable living, and consider ways in which they can transform

their own daily behavior to emulate the principle of “Bal Tashchit”.

20

Getting started

purposes is greater. The Law forbids only wanton destruction... Not only one who cuts down

trees, but also one who smashes household goods, tears clothes, demolishes a building, stops up

a spring, or destroys articles of food with destructive intent transgresses the command "you must

not destroy." (Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kings and Wars 6:8,10)

A good definition of Sustainable development is one that meets the needs of the present

without compromising the needs of future generations to meet their own needs. Living in a

sustainable manner means using environmental resources in a way which will not cause them to

deplete irrevocably. For example, if too many members of a species are killed, there may not be

enough to reproduce and the species may become extinct.

Various contemporary Jewish thinkers have made the connection between Bal Tashchit and

sustainability. Consider for example Rabbi Dobb’s words: “Bal Tashchit […] suggests that all

needless waste is an affront to God. In a 13th century text (Sefer Hahinukh 529), righteous

people grieve when even a mustard seed is wasted. Does our waste -- greenhouse gas emissions,

non-composted garbage, vacuous TV programs -- pass "the mustard seed test?"

If you haven’t taught lesson 4 on the Carmel forest fire, you may want to

begin by passing around the pictures on the PowerPoint file attached to

lesson 4, or showing the slides to the class. Ask them if they know what

these slides depict. What recent tragedy happened in Israel that is concerned

with trees? How do they feel about this?

If you’ve covered lesson 4 already, begin with the following grabber, by telling them this story:

Jacob Levin and his family moved into a new house in Jerusalem. This house had an old and

leafy fig tree in the back yard, full of sweet figs. Jacob loved it more than anything else in the

house. Unfortunately, about a month after moving in, Jacob’s parents felt the house was too

small and decided to cut down the fig tree to make space for another room. Jacob was terribly

upset and tried to think of every reason to convince his parents not to cut down the tree.

Divide the class into two. One half represents Jacob and has to make as many claims as possible

to save the tree. The other half represents Jacob’s parents and has to come up with as many

counter arguments as possible. After five minutes have the students vote on what they would do

if they were the parents. (By the way, the Halachic answer may be found in Maimonide’s

summary in the Background” section of this lesson).

21

Exploring the texts

Read Source 1 (Deuteronomy) with the kids: the Biblical

commandment in Deuteronomy. Ask students to try to explain what

the rationale might be.

Try to think of some ways in which this commandment might

impact the lives of people who observe it. (Would it influence Jacob’s parents in the fig tree

story?)

Next, explain that the Rabbis in the Talmudic period expanded this commandment to include

many kind of destruction. In the Middle Ages one Rabbi included the destruction of a single

mustard seed in this category! Read the sources 2 and 3 with the students to understand this.

Note that the Bible could have mentioned any kind of destruction but it chose to speak

specifically of trees. Why the focus on trees? Here are some questions to discuss about this:

· Are trees more susceptible to human damage than other forms of life? (They can’t run

away, cry out in pain or attack back if people decide to cut them down or burn them. Also,

a single match can cause an entire forest to be consumed by fire). Source 4 demonstrates

this movingly.

· Do we have any particular duty towards trees? (They give us so much, perhaps we owe

them something in return; If we don’t care for them future generations won’t have them).

Read source 5 to help drive home this point.

· Are trees given to us to

protect or to use for our needs?

What do we do when our rights

and duties to trees conflict, as in

when we need timber to build or

heat our homes?

At this point, introduce the

concept of Sustainability: One

way of using plants as well as

preserving them is adhering to

the principles of sustainable

development: We may use trees

and plants as long as we make

sure we don’t overuse them to

the degree that they cannot

regenerate. Sustainability also

means we are responsible to

future generations – they too

have the right to enjoy trees.

22

Wrapping it up

Would we like our grandchildren to have to go to a tree-zoo to see what a tree looks like?

Now, ask the class how sustainability and “Bal Tashchit” are connected. Some say that “Bal

Tashchit” is actually Judaism’s way of teaching sustainability. There are other ways that Judaism

preaches sustainability too, such as the law of Shmita – letting the earth rest every seventh year,

so it can regain its productive powers. Source 6 is another interesting example of sustainable

thinking in our sources.

If you have the technical ability to screen a short animated film in class, please follow this link to

the “Bal Tashchit” clip on MyJewish Learning.com and show it to your

class, as it is a great review of the material:

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/beliefs/Issues/Nature_and_the_Envir

onment/Traditional_Teachings/Bal_Tashit/going-green.shtml

Watch it before to make sure that it’s suitable for your class. (It’s funny and informative but

flippant…).

You may end by having the class make some personal resolutions about adding “Bal Tashchit”

to their lives. Specifically, ask them how thinking about trees has been transformed by the fire

and by the sources we read. They can turn their personal resolutions into cartoon strips and hang

them in class as a reminder to themselves.

23

1. Deuteronomy 20:19-20

"When in your war against a city you have to besiege it a long time in order to capture it, you must

not destroy its trees, wielding an ax against them. You may eat of them, but you must not cut them

down. Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you into the besieged city? Only the trees that

you know do not yield food may be destroyed; you may cut them down for constructing siege works

against the city that is waging war on you, until it has been reduced."

2. Maimonides, Mishna Torah, Hilchot Melachim 6:10

Not only the trees, rather whoever breaks vessels and rents garments, destroys a building and

obstructs a wellspring, or wastes food in a destructive way transgresses the mitzvah of “Bal

Tashchit” (“don’t destroy”).

3. Rabbi Aaron Halevi, Sefer Hachinuch, Mitzvah 529:

This is the way of people of good deeds who love peace, rejoice in the good of creation and bring

everyone close to the Torah. They do not destroy anything—even a mustard seed—and it troubles

them to encounter any destruction or harm. If they can act to save anything from destruction, they

use their entire strength to do so.

4. Pirkei D'Rabbi Elazar, 34:

When a fruit-bearing tree is chopped down, a voice is heard from one end of the world to the other

but it is not audible.

5. Kohelet Rabba, 7:19:

When God created the first man he took him and showed him all the trees of the Garden of Eden and

said to him, 'See my works, how beautiful and praiseworthy they are. And everything that I created, I

created it for you. Be careful not to spoil or destroy my world--for if you do, there will be nobody

after you to repair it.'

6. Rashi, commenting on Genesis ch. 2:

Originally, the sources tell us, trees were meant to be entirely edible, with the trunk and branches

tasting like fruit. Since trees were meant to be the main source of food for man, the entire tree could

be consumed for immediate benefit. Consuming the entire tree, however, would destroy its

productive capacity. Alternatively, the tree could be left intact to produce edible fruits which could

be continuously consumed without destroying the tree itself.

“Bal Tashchit” source sheet

24

Lesson OverviewLO

Learning objectives

Essential questions

Some background

Materials needed

The book of legends is a collection of Midrashic (homiletic) materials

edited and organized by topic, which was compiled by Chayim

Nachman Bialik and Yehoshua Ravnitzky at the beginning of the 20th

century. The Talmud and Midrash contain a lot of different kinds of materials:

Laws, discussions, and legends too. The work of Bialik and Ravnitzki was one of extraction and

organization: Using the book of legends you can look up stories about Moses, for example, and

find at once stories from many different sources. It is likely that Bialik and Ravnitzki chose to

create this book at the beginning of the 20th century (1903) as a Zionist act. They wanted to say

that Jews should make room for their ancient tradition as part of the revival of coming to

Israel. This identifies them as part of the school of cultural Zionism led by Ahad Ha'am.

Lesson 6: The tree of knowledge

This lesson will discuss the story in Genesis about the tree of knowledge

and its companion, the tree of life. Different Rabbinic traditions will be

used to interpret this story. In the first stage students will explore the

Biblical text about the tree of knowledge. Next, they will study in pairs

(“ Hevruta”) and read different Midrashim as they are presented in the

Book of Legends. In the summary the teacher will present the book of

Legends and its Zionist concept.

· What does the ability to distinguish good from evil mean?

· When do people tell legends and create myths and for what purpose?

· Students will be able to recount the Biblical story of the Adam, Eve,

and the tree of knowledge, along with some of its commentaries

· Students will get to know the important “Book of legends" ( ספר

.by Bialik and Ravnitzki (האגדה

· Students will consider various answers to the question: What tree

was the tree of knowledge?

· Source-sheet and work-sheet – one of each per student.

· If you could get a copy of the Book of legends either in English or in

Hebrew that would be good. Also, try to obtain a copy of Midrash

Bereshit Rabbah.

6-8

25

Getting started

Exploration

You can begin the lesson by asking the class to do a simple task: Draw the

tree of knowledge. Give the students five minutes for this and then ask them

to identify the tree they drew. It is likely that many drew an apple tree.

However, as this lesson will show, there is little reason to think that this is

what was meant in the Bible. Equating the tree of knowledge with an apple

tree is a late Christian idea, and it results perhaps from the fact that a red

apple was seen as a symbol of desire.

Read the section form Genesis about the trees of life and knowledge (source

1), and ask students to write on the board questions that the text brings to

mind. One of the questions should be: What kind of trees were these two?

Divide the class into pairs and explain about the method of studying in

“Hevruta” (reading out loud, asking the text questions, raising difficulties

with explanations the partner suggests and entering into dialogue).

The students will explore part of a page from "the Book of Legend" (a scan

of it appears as source-sheet 2): They will be studying sections 90 and 91

which pertain to the tree of life and to the tree of knowledge.

They should then fill in the work sheet which will help them go through

these sources.

The text presents two Midrashim from the early Midrash Bereshit Rabbah

(4th century). Midrash 90 offers an explanation of what is the tree of life and

explains that is extremely large, so large that it would take 500 years to

circle it. It sounds like it is a tree with a lot of life to it.

The second Midrash (91) offers five suggestions of what the tree of

knowledge may be: some say it is wheat, others – a vine, an etrog or a fig

tree. Each of the Rabbis explains his opinion: wheat is because man needs

bread for knowledge. Grapes are because it is tree that caused bitterness just

like wine, an etrog because it is the only tree whose bark as well as fruit are

fit to be eaten, and fig because it was used to cover Adam and Eve’s

nakedness.

Each of the Rabbis relied on a different part of the Biblical text to justify

his choice. For example, it says Adam and Eve used fig leave for cloths, or

it is intimated that the whole tree of knowledge was fit for consumption and

not only the fruit.

The fifth explanation is that we should not try to guess the identity of the

tree. This tree might exist among us today and God spares its dignity and

keeps its identity hidden. Emphasize the fact that the Rabbis in all their

speculations suggest that this was a known tree and not a magic tree.

26

Wrapping it up

Towards the end of the lesson you may want to dwell for a moment on

the Book of Legends from which you have been studying. You could

point out footnotes 6 on page 21 and 2 of page 22 showing that this book

is actually a collection of different ancient Jewish text arranged according

to topics.

You could discuss the Zionist context of this book and speak of its

importance. An interesting question to ponder is: What is the importance

of such collections in a period where so much can be found on the

internet? (Well, for one, the internet doesn’t organize all the material by

content).

Back to the three of knowledge you could also end by having the students

fill in their answer to the following two sentences and then sharing them

with the class:

“If I could obtain knowledge from the tree of knowledge what I would

most like to know is…”

“If I could live eternally with the help of the tree of life, I would use all

the extra time to…”

Bialik and Ravnitzky preparing the Book of

Legends

Cover of the Book of Legends in Hebrew

27

Genesis 2,8-9 ט-ח, בראשית פרק ב

א/הים מן האדמה כל עץ נחמד ' ויצמח ה: א/הים גן בעדן מקדם וישם שם את האדם אשר יצר' ויטע ה

:עלמראה וטוב למאכל ועץ החיים בתו3 הגן ועץ הדעת טוב ור

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man

he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees

that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the

tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 3, 1-8 ח-א, בראשית פרק ג

א/הים ויאמר אל האשה אף כי אמר א/הים /א תאכלו ' והנחש היה ערום מכל חית השדה אשר עשה ה

ומפרי העץ אשר בתו3 הגן אמר א/הים /א : ותאמר האשה אל הנחש מפרי עץ הגן נאכל :מכל עץ הגן

ביום כי ידע א/הים כי: ויאמר הנחש אל האשה /א מות תמתון: תאכלו ממנו ו/א תגעו בו פן תמתון

ותרא האשה כי טוב העץ למאכל וכי תאוה : אכלכם ממנו ונפקחו עיניכם והייתם כא/הים ידעי טוב ורע

ותפקחנה עיני שניהם : מה ויאכלהוא לעינים ונחמד העץ להשכיל ותקח מפריו ותאכל ותתן גם לאישה ע

א/הים מתהל3 בגן לרוח ' וישמעו את קול ה: וידעו כי עירמם הם ויתפרו עלה תאנה ויעשו להם חגרת

:הים בתו3 עץ הגןא/' היום ויתחבא האדם ואשתו מפני ה

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made.

He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the

garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,

3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden,

and you must not touch it, or you will die.’” “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to

the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you

will be like God, knowing good and evil.” When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree

was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she

took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate

it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so

they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. Then the man and

his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of

the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

The tree of knowledge source-sheet

28

The tree of knowledge - Work sheet

Read sources 90 and 91 about the tree of life and the tree of knowledge.

What does source 90 tell us about the tree of life?

__________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Can the fruit of the tree of life be eaten, according to this Midrash? How do you

think this Midrash understands the expression “tree of life”?

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Look at the first paragraph of source 91.

What kind of tree was the tree of knowledge according to Rabbi Meir?

_________________________________________________________________

What is the problem with that explanation?

_________________________________________________________________

Why did Rabbi Meir think that the tree of knowledge is wheat?

_________________________________________________________________

The second paragraph describes R Judah Bar Ilai’s opinion on what kind of tree the

tree of knowledge was. What did he think? _____________________________

Why?___________________________________________________________

Who is the Rabbi in the third paragraph? _______________________________

What is his opinion? _______________________________________________

Why?___________________________________________________________

What is the fourth opinion?__________________________________________

29

What part of the Biblical text does it relate to?____________________________

_________________________________________________________________

What is the fifth opinion? ___________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

According to the fifth opinion, can the tree of knowledge be wheat, an etrog,

grapes or a fig tree?_________________________________________________

Why?

_________________________________________________________________

Fill in this table (each line should reflect one paragraph):

Rabbi What kind of tree

Why

R. Meir Wheat Because bread is needed for understanding

R. Judah Ben Ilai

30

Lesson OverviewLeO

Learning objectives

Essential question

Materials needed

Some background

During economic depressions, especially in national-socialist countries,

governments sometimes initiated employment for large segments of the

unemployed population by offering low-paid menial work such as

foresting, road-building or rail-line laying. This is sometimes referred to as

“make-work jobs” or “pump priming”. Israel in the 1950’s was in such a situation with a

substantial immigration from Islamic countries and very little employment to offer them. Thus,

initiated foresting was conceived and this is how much of the JNF forests in Israel were planted.

Today, this practice is not common in Western countries, although India has an entire bureau

devoted to such projects. In Western countries, “workfare” is used - an alternative model to

conventional social welfare systems. Under workfare, recipients have to meet certain

Lesson 7: Salach Shabati - workfare forestation

“Salach Shabati” is an iconic Israeli film about the Aliya (immigration)

from North Africa to Israel. The following two lessons focus on an

episode in which the new immigrant Salach, while working as a

government-initiating planter in the forest, is exposed to the complex

relationship between Israelis and American Jews, who are asked to

donate money for forests in Israel. Forestation and fundraising for Israel

are discussed.

What is society’s obligation toward immigrants regarding employment?

· Students will learn about the time in Israeli history when new

immigrants in the fifties and sixties were employed in government

initiated work ( עבודות יזומות( and workfare )עבודות דחק( .

· Students will learn about the seeding of JNF forests in Israel.

· The issue of treating the other with compassion and taking care of the need for jobs will be discussed .

· Students will learn about Jewish immigration from North Africa to Israel

· The film Salach Shabati (Attached to the lesson plan materials –

Use the VLC media player to play it on a computer, or borrow a

DVD copy from a video store).

· The handout – one per student.

9-12

31

Getting started

Exploration

Wrapping it up

participation requirements to continue to receive their welfare benefits. These requirements are

often a combination of training, rehabilitation and work experience and unpaid or low-paid work.

Begin the lesson by introducing the students to the importance of work and to the

obligation to find work. Raise the question: Is work and the ability to support oneself a

right or a duty? Can a person morally choose not to work and to be supported by

welfare? What part of finding work is the responsibility of the state? Should the state

be required to offer enough jobs for all its citizens?

You can use the quote from the Talmud and / or Maimonides (sources 1 and 2 on the

source sheet) to make it clear how imperative the right to work was seen to be, and

how the sages stressed the duty of those more fortunate to provide working

opportunities.

Now, present the film you will be watching, as focusing on the immigration to Israel

in the 1950 and introduce the scene that deals with the need for employment of the

new immigrants. (More information on this in the attached PPT presentation on

immigration to Israel in the 50’s). Salach Shabati was produced and directed by

Ephraim Kishon in 1963. It was the first Israeli film nominated for an Oscar, but it

was also very controversial and remains so today. Some say it depicts the plight of

Eastern Jewry’s Aliya to Israel with compassion. Others say it is bigoted and Europo-

centric. After watching parts of it, students may want to join in the controversy.

Have the class watch some of the opening scenes of the movie to introduce them to

the main protagonist, Salach.

Now, fast-forward to minute 25, and watch the next four minutes of the film (25 to 29)

In this scene we see Salach going to the employment agency and being sent to work in

foresting. He is guided (quite patronistically) on how to plant trees and begins to

work, reluctantly.

Facilitate a discussion (or give out a hand-out with these questions) around the

following:

· Why were the new immigrants sent to work in foresting?

· Why do you think Salach does not work enthusiastically?

· What do you think about this kind of initiated labor? See if the class can list as

many negative and positive sides to initiated labor as possible.

· Do you justify the choice to put the immigrants to work in foresting? Why do

you think foresting was so important to the young state? Why might it have

been a problematic decision despite this?

The students should end the lesson with two main conclusions: the

importance of making sure all those who are able to work have

options to do so, and the difficulties involved in making such a

system work.

They should also be able to tell the story of the Israeli forests, their

importance and their problems. To sum up, read source 3 about the

massive effort to fill the land of Israel with trees and ask the students

how they feel about this. Mentioning the Carmel forest fire tragedy in

this context might be a good idea too.

32

Source 1: Babylonian Talmud, Baba Metzia 112a

The verse (in Deuteronomy 24) states, “And for it, he risks his life” Why did this worker climb a

high ramp to work or suspend himself on the tree to collect its fruits, placing himself in mortal

danger? Was it not for his wage? Another explanation translates the verse as follows: “On it he

stakes his life.” Whoever withholds the wages of an employee is considered as if he took his life

from him.

זה בכבש ונתלה באילן מפני מה עלה, ואליו הוא נשא את נפשו, )ד"דברים כ(ואידך ההוא מיבעי ליה לכדתניא נוטל כל הכובש שכר שכיר כאילו -נפשו ואליו הוא נשא את: דבר אחר? לא על שכרו -ומסר את עצמו למיתה

.נפשו ממנו

Source 2: Maimonidies, Hilchot Matnot Aniyiim, 10,7

The highest form of charity is to help sustain a person before they become impoverished by

offering a substantial gift in a dignified manner, or by extending a suitable loan, or by helping

them find employment or establish themselves in business so as to make it unnecessary for them

to become dependent on others.

מעלה גדולה שאין למעלה ממנה זה המחזיק ביד ישראל שמך ונותן לו מתנה או הלואה או עושה עמו שותפות .יצטרך לבריות לשאול ו עד שלאאו ממציא לו מלאכה כדי לחזק את יד

Source 3: Why Forestation? From the Website of the JNF (Jewish National Fund)

Israel is one of only two countries in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its

number of trees. But Israel was not blessed with natural forests; its forests are all hand-planted.

When the pioneers of the State arrived, they were greeted by barren land. To claim the land that

had been purchased with the coins collected in JNF blue and white pushkes, the next order of

business was to plant trees among the rocky hillsides and sandy soil.

Since it was established in 1901, JNF has planted more than 240 million trees all over the State

of Israel, providing luscious belts of green covering more than 250,000 acres. JNF national forest

development work creates “green lungs” around congested towns and cities, and provides

recreation and respite for all Israelis. While the forests of Israel belong to the people, JNF

ensures their environmental soundness and is focusing on diversification, planting trees

indigenous to the Middle East such as native oaks, carob, redbud, almond, pear, and others.

Salach Shabati – source sheet

33

Lesson OverviewLO

Learning objectives

Essential questions

Materials needed

Some background

The first twenty years in the history of the state of Israel were a period

of foundation-laying. The population of Israel doubled itself within a

mere three years. Refugees from Holocaust-stricken Europe and from

Islamic countries came with almost nothing and the fledgling state could

not support them. Understanding their crucial role in the survival of the state, Jews of the world

put massive efforts into supporting Israel. The United Jewish appeal in the U.S. raised billions of

dollars and “Bonds” of the state of Israel were sold, raising more than 25 billion dollars.

Supporting the survival of Israel became part of the lives of Jews everywhere, often a source of

pride and belonging. In the ‘50s and ‘60s many Jewish homes had a “blue box” – the JNF

collection box – almost a ritual object. One of the most beloved projects in which Diaspora Jews

were involved was tree planting: They would donate money to have a certain number of trees

planted in their name. When they visited Israel they got to plant their own trees or visit the ones

they planted. This contributed greatly to the forestation of the land (although it was sometimes

This second lesson around the film “Salach Shabati”, begins with an

introduction of the issue of Tzedakka and the relations between Diaspora

Jews and Israeli ones. The students then watch a segment of the film

which deals with the “American-Israeli” relations, through donating

money for planting trees. The lesson ends by focusing on what is ideal

charity and what constitutes suitable behavior on terms of the receiver.

· What is the appropriate relationship between donor and receiver?

· When you donate to an organization, what should you expect of the

organization? How should donors be involved in the cause to which

they are giving?

· Students will learn about one of important sources of the seeding of JNF forests – Diaspora Jewry and the “Blue box” donations.

· Students will learn about Israel in its first years, and of the urgent need for money in Israel in the fifties.

· The film Salach Shabati, minutes 29 –

32 (see attached).

· Class source-sheet and class work

sheet – one per student.

· For teacher: PPT presentation about

life in Israel in the 50’s.

Lesson 7: Salach Shabati – The overseas donors 9-12

34

Getting started

Exploration

Wrapping it up

taken advantage of, as you can see in the film). Despite the cooperation, there were ideological

disagreements, especially about how involved American Jewry should be in the allocation of

their funding. Thus, from the 1990’s onwards, new models of giving were formed, focusing on

cooperation and partnership, in which there was more direct involvement. Organizations such the

New Israeli Fund, initiatives such as “partnership 2000” and programs for American youth such

as “Taglit” and “Masa” embody this new style of relationship: reciprocal, egalitarian and less

traditionally philanthropic. If you’d like to read more (in Hebrew) turn to the following link:

http://lib.cet.ac.il/pages/item.asp?item=19200

You can begin by introducing the students to the importance of Tzedaka (charity

giving) in Judaism. Tzedaka comes from the word “Tzedek” – justice. Giving is

seen more as a duty than as a right. Then raise the question:

· When you or your family gives money to an organization what are your

expectations? For example when your parents donate to their synagogue, the federation,

etc. what do they expect from these organizations?

Tell the students that in this lesson you will be thinking about a time in Israeli history where

assistance from world Jewry was urgently needed. Give the students some background about life

in Israel in the 1950s (you can use the attached PPT presentation to enrich your own

understanding of this period). Emphasize the challenges Israel faced during the ‘50s and its dire

financial situation. Most of the immigrants to Israel came with no resources and the country

needed huge amounts of money in order to build its infra-structure.

Screen the film between minute 29 and 32 (assuming you already watched

minutes 25-29 in the previous lesson. If this is your only lesson using

Salach Shabati, show the first few scenes of the movie to increase

identification with the characters, and then screen minutes 25-32).

Now, divide the class into two groups: One group will support the Israeli behavior in this scene

and the other will condemn it. To do this, the students may use the texts on the source sheets.

Some of the texts support this sort of behavior and others condemn it. Hold a debate on the issue

of lying for some greater good. Take a vote: Can this behavior be understood? Condoned?

Facilitate a discussion on the role of American Jewry towards the state of Israel. Try to present it

is a multi-perspective issue, and to discuss the problems it raises as well as the great good that

comes of it.

Remind the student that this is a film and that we don't know if this

actually happened. We should also assume that the money was given for

foresting but that the actual forest was not there at the time. On the other

hand the scene can teach us that a better relation between a donor and an

institution is an ongoing reciprocal relation when the donor can trust the organization and the

organization need not put a show up for the donor.

35

Answer these questions after watching the movie clip:

· What is this scene about?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

· What do you think about the behavior of the donor? can you recall one of his acts?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

· What do you feel about the behavior of the Israeli host?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

· What is Salach Shabati’s argument?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

· Can you justify the decision to change the plaques?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Salach Shabati work sheet: Donating to plant trees S

36

Maimonides, Mishne Torah, Matnot Aniyiim 9,7:

The inhabitants of a city have permission to give the donations given to the kupah (the charity

box) to the tamchui (the soup kitchen) and those given for the tamchui to the kupah. Similarly,

they may exchange [these donations] for any communal purpose that they desire even though a

stipulation to that effect was not made when they were collected. If there is a great sage in that

city dependent on whose judgment all collections are made and he is the one who allocates the

funds to the poor according to his assessment, he is permitted to use these funds for any

communal purpose he sees fit.

Babylonian Talmud, tractate Pesahim 113b

The Holy One, blessed be He, hates a person which says one thing with his mouth and another in

his heart.

Mishnah, Bava Metzia 4:10

As there is wronging in buying and selling, there is wronging with words. A man must not ask:

‘How much is this thing?” if he has no intention of buying it.

Genesis 11,10-13

Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while

because the famine was severe. As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I

know what a beautiful woman you are. When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his

wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated

well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”

Radak (R. David Kimhi, 12th- 13th centuries, Provence) accepts this as a request to lie, not

for material benefit, but to save his life. He understands the statement "that it may be well with

me" to mean that Abraham would be left alive. Based on the concept that one is not permitted to

rely on a miracle in order to save his life, and Radak's opinion that preservation of life prevails

over the competing moral imperative of not lying, Abraham was permitted, perhaps even

required, to lie in order to save his life.

Babylonian Talmud, tractate Yevamot 65b:

It was said in the name of Rabbi Eleazar ben Simeon that "one may deviate from the truth for the

sake of peace".

Source-sheet: philanthropy and lying