All programs adaptable for grades 6-12
What does it mean to be an American, how have immigrants tried to adapt to their new home and why have newcomers sometimes been perceived as a threat? Explore the role language, citizenship, work, faith, and social responsibility play in the immigrants’ transition to American life. Examine the concerns of Jewish immigrants to Cleveland during the great waves of immigration from the 1840s to the 1920s and explore the tensions between ethnic identity, ancient traditions, American citizenship and the ongoing creation of a multicultural nation.
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, S3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7; ELA1, ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA3, FA4, FA5
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, S3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7; ELA1, ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA3, FA4, FA5
Designed to give students an overview of Jewish history, religion and culture, this program can be integrated into a unit on world religions and multiculturalism. Centuries-old ritual objects from over 20 countries are utilized to explain Jewish religious life and important life cycle events. Historic photographs, narratives and artifacts from Cleveland’s rich Jewish history transmit the values and practices that continue to inform the ongoing life of the Jewish people today.
Content Standards: SS2, SS7; ELA1, ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA1,FA3, FA4, FA5
Content Standards: SS2, SS7; ELA1, ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA1,FA3, FA4, FA5
Life in Israel From the Bronze Age to the Computer Age
What can we learn about life in the ancient near east from the artifacts and narratives that remain from that time? How do centuries-old values and practices influence life today in modern Israel? Learn about Jewish life from Babylonian and Roman times through the British Empire to today and see how Israel grew from an undeveloped agricultural society to a leading innovator in biomedicine and computer technology. Students explore the impact of this small nation on the lives of contemporary American Jews and its continuing importance to people of many faiths.
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7; ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA1,FA3, FA4, FA5
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7; ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA1,FA3, FA4, FA5
Art & Artifacts from Around the (Jewish) World
Visit the beautiful Temple-Tifereth Israel Gallery, home to nearly 180 priceless objects from more than 20 countries including Ethiopia, Morocco, Turkey, Kurdistan, Iran, France, Germany, Poland and Lithuania. See how ritual objects play a consistent role in religious and cultural life across generations and continents, yet at the same time reflect the specific artistic traditions of the many nations where Jews have lived. Students will have the opportunity to sketch objects and compare them to cultural objects from their own lives.
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, SS3, SS7; ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA1, FA2, FA3, FA4, FA5
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, SS3, SS7; ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA1, FA2, FA3, FA4, FA5
Common Threads of Judaism and Christianity
Centuries before Jesus was born, the Jewish people were living in the Holy Land, reading the Bible and blessing bread and wine—there were priests, altars and incense, too. Come explore the sacred writings, special places, holiday celebrations and life cycle events that form the basis of both Judaism and Christianity. See how these ancient traditions evolved into Christian practices and explore the ancient Judaic values that inform Christian and American ethical practices today.
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, SS6, SS7; ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA1, FA3, FA4, FA5
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, SS6, SS7; ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA1, FA3, FA4, FA5
What happens when hate is left unchecked? Through artifacts, photographs, and film, including testimony from area Holocaust survivors, students examine the impact of racism and anti-Semitism leading to the Holocaust and the systematic murder of six million Jews. Emphasis is placed on social responsibility, how individuals can make a difference and the need for tolerance in today’s world.
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, S3, SS5, SS6, SS7; ELA2, ELA4; FA1, FA3, FA4
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, S3, SS5, SS6, SS7; ELA2, ELA4; FA1, FA3, FA4
America holds the promise of a being a country where “all men are created equal” yet the reality of life in America has not always reflected this ideal. Learn how racism, ethnocentrism and anti-Semitism have plagued Cleveland and America since its earliest days. See how Blacks and Jews were prevented from living in many neighborhoods, how the Ku Klux Klan interfered in local elections and how Nazis and Fascists openly organized in our city. Hear the story of a young African-American Clevelander who shattered Olympic records and Hitler’s racial bias, how a Shaker Heights teen became a victim of international anti-Semitism and how a Cleveland rabbi fought for justice and civil rights. Learn how citizens have come together to fight against discrimination and hatred to build a more tolerant and diverse culture.
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7; ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA1, FA3, FA5
Content Standards: SS1, SS2, SS3, SS4, SS5, SS6, SS7; ELA2, ELA3, ELA4; FA1, FA3, FA5
Optional Hour-long Survivor Extension Activity
Students meet with a Holocaust survivor living in Cleveland today and hear their personal story of tragedy and triumph (limited availability – please schedule as far in advance as possible). Cost: Additional $2 per student.