Crisis in Israel: Resources for Teachers

Helpful Shiurim for Teachers

The people of Israel are facing difficult times. Many Jewish students in classrooms around the world are struggling to understand what is happening. Herzog Global’s top lecturers are giving live webinars to assist teachers in answering their questions. 

Parsha and Purpose: The Ongoing Relevance of Torah in Good Times and Bad by Dr. Yael Ziegler

Teaching Tefillah in Troubled Times with Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

Source Sheets for Topical Classes

Lesson Plan for Samuel 1, Chapter 30:

Dealing With Crisis – David Hamelekh as a Model

Mesha, king of Moav, believed that he had destroyed the nation of Israel, even carving his “victory” into a celebratory stone that survived to this day (the “Mesha Stele”). But the people of Israel are eternal. They have survived through the ages while their enemies have been destroyed and forgotten.

Click here to download the PDF 

Lesson Plan for Kings 2, Chapter 3 and Psalms Chapter 83:

Mesha, King of Moav and the Mesha Stele

Mesha, king of Moav, believed that he had destroyed the nation of Israel, even carving his “victory” into a celebratory stone that survived to this day (the “Mesha Stele”). But the people of Israel are eternal. They have survived through the ages while their enemies have been destroyed and forgotten. This lesson plan by Rav Amnon Bazak, lecturer in Tanakh at Yeshivat Har Etzion and Herzog College, connects today’s reality with the history of the Moabite and Israelite nations.

Click here to download the PDF

Lesson Plan for Joshua Chapter 10:

The Secret Formula That Helps Israel Win its Wars

Is there a “secret formula” that helps Israel win its wars? One of the most successful wars fought by the Jewish people is recorded in Chapter 10 of the book of Joshua, where we learn about the war fought by Joshua and his army against the Southern Kings. This lesson plan uses Tanakh Mapping Tools on Herzog College’s HaTanakh.com and the AlHaTorah.org website to discover the secret formula.

Click here to download the PDF

Lesson Plan for Genesis Chapter 14:

Because We Are Brothers!

What is the relationship between Avram and Lot, and why does Avram risk his life to save Lot from danger? This lesson plan explores the text (Bereishit 14: 1-16) and the geography and moral commitments underlying this story. Your students can explore the places referred to using the map feature at https://www.hatanakh.com/en/map. We also discuss why Avram decided to risk his life and the lives of hundreds of his men to go to war, with little chance of success, when Lot had chosen to separate from him?

Click here to download the PDF

Listen to a Hebrew summary by Rav Shuki Reiss here.

Lesson Plan for Chanukah:

The Maccabees & the IDF

How can we engage our students with the historical parallels between today’s war in Israel and the story of the Maccabees? This lesson outline features an English-subtitled video of Lieutenant Colonel Rav Maoz Schwartz speaking to his soldiers, comparing them with Jewish soldiers throughout history – ancient and modern.

Click here to download the PDF

Israel News for Children (3-11)

Our friends from UnitED have prepared these videos for parents and teachers to show and discuss. Their newscasts are designed for children (ages 3-11) and explain the situation in a way children will understand and with an underlying message of hope. (Similar videos are also available in French and Spanish).

Subscribe to the United YouTube Channel here.

Episode 1, October 25, 2023

Episode 2, October 30, 2023

How to Talk About Trauma in the Classroom

Many students have heard about what happened in Israel, which raises their fears, anxiety, concern – in addition to the religious questions that they undoubtedly have. As educators, we must consider our students’ emotional well-being. We present a very short (5 minute) video from Dr. Naomi Baum, a psychologist who specializes in trauma and resilience.

You can find the free Resilience Workbook and Teachers Guide referred to in the video here: https://www.ohelfamily.org/resources

A Short Video for Teachers by Dr. Naomi Baum

Solidarity with Israel

Mizrachi Schools Department: Letters for Israel

Mizrachi Schools Department has launched an international letter-writing campaign for children around the world to send letters and pictures to Israeli schoolchildren in frontline communities – details shown here ->

They have also created a page on their website called “Unite With Israel” with resources for schools, including inspirational videos, lists of names of soldiers and injured people to daven for, a memorial page for those who have been killed, useful information and links, etc.

 

Mizrachi letter writing campaign

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