Teaching Towards Mutual Responsibility

The Pedagogic Introduction provides an overview to the principles of a pedagogy for exposing students, in all settings and ages, to Jewish Peoplehood. As described in more detail in the introduction the pedagogy consists of three components:

1. Engagement with the Jewish People – Connecting with the Heart
2. Developing Peoplehood Commitment through knowledge – Connecting with the mind
3. Motivating Action-oriented expressions of belonging to the Jewish collective enterprise – Connecting with the Hands

The Education Toolkit is a tool for the world-wide community of Jewish educators. We are committed to sharing resources across the field, and encourage educators to share their own resources and lesson plans, allowing us to create a user-driven program bank.

Click here to submit a resource idea or lesson plan.

Back to top

Ideas for Sparking Engagement

Designed to focus on emotional engagement, motivation to learn more, pride, solidarity and connection.

• Ask students about the responsibility they feel to their families, friends and communities. Discuss the different types of responsibility they feel to different groups of people (their family, friends, members of their town/city etc., ).
• Meet with people who have demonstrated high levels of commitment to others, both Jews and non-Jews. Use these people as role models and discuss what can be learned from them.

All of this should be presented and introduced in the context of the role current generations decide to play in contributing to the Jewish present and future, with an emphasis on the fact that the future of the Jewish People is in the hands of the individual members of the people.

Back to top

Ideas for Strengthening Commitment

Designed to provide students with more knowledge that will help them understand what Jewish Peoplehood is and why it is important.

Content areas related to the concept of “Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh La’Zeh” include:

• Examples and models of how individual Jews and their communities shouldered the responsibility for K’lal Yisrael (the whole Jewish community) at various points in history and in diverse locales.
• Examples of ways in which Jews and Jewish communities campaigned for other Jews around the world, including texts and materials that tell those stories.
• Jewish texts that discuss the nature of responsibility, the levels and types of obligations that Jews have demonstrated.

Back to top

Ideas for Motivating Action

Designed to give students concrete outlets for their motivation and connection, and to strengthen their Peoplehood consciousness through action.

• Research the needs of Jewish communities in other parts of the world and develop a campaign or plan to help address those needs.
• Volunteer in a local old-age home, hospital, synagogue or other community institution.

Back to top