Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Eimatai
Advisor
Packet
Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-923-3745 • eimatai@yu.edu
www.eimatai.org
Schedule
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-923-3745 • eimatai@yu.edu
www.eimatai.org
Monday, November 10, 2008
Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-923-3745 • eimatai@yu.edu
www.eimatai.org
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Have a safe drive home, and make sure you stay in touch with your advisors!!!
C ont a ct U s!
E i m a t a i Le a de r sh ip D e v e l op m e nt Pr oj e ct
5 0 0 W . 1 85t h S t .
CJF S t o refro nt
N e w Yo rk, NY 1 0033
( 2 1 2) 9 6 0- 526 1
e i ma t a i @y u. edu
Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-923-3745 • eimatai@yu.edu
www.eimatai.org
Buzz Group #1
Fall Conference 2008
Goal:
Materials:
• 1 Set of Activity Posters
• 2 Packs of different color Post-it Notes
• 1 Deck of Motivation Cards
• Poster board with Venn Diagram
• Markers
• 1 Deck of Western/Jewish Values Cards
• Blank Index Cards
• Pens
Process:
Trigger (8 minutes):
Place posters on the ground around the group depicting approximately ten different ways
a student may spend their time. Examples are: watching tv, learning torah, doing
homework, playing an instrument, talking on AIM, talking on the phone, spending time
with family, hanging out with friends, playing sports, doing chesed, shopping, and
anything else you can think of.
Once you have the posters lying around, pass out 2 post-it notes of the same color to each
student. Tell the students to write a 1 on one of them, and a 2 on the other. Then tell them
to place the post-its on the posters based on how they think they spend most of their time
ranking 1 and then 2.
Once they have completed the first part, reconvene the group and give out 2 of the other
color post-its to the students. Mark them again 1 and 2, and tell them to place them on the
posters which represent the most important things they think they could be doing.
Once this is completed, move the group back into a circle and begin the discussion.
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Fall Conference 2008
Before I begin, keep in mind that the visuals which can be used in this discussion are the
posters that should be very clearly marked with the two colors of post-its. You can trigger
the discussion at any time by asking questions about patterns in the color distribution.
Every cluster of questions has a common theme and is a little different than the rest. If
you find one is going well, stick with it. If you’re not getting good responses, move to
another cluster.
Clustering
• What does it mean if there are some posters with all of one and some posters with
all of another?
• Did anyone in the group put both colored post-its on the same poster?
• What does it say about that person?
• Should we all be striving to have our post-its on the same posters?
Extra Colors
• What if we were to place a third color of post-its which reflected what we think
our parents would want us to do, how do you think it would compare to the colors
we already used?
• What if we had another color post-it for what our teachers would want us to do?
• What about one for what our friends think we should do?
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Fall Conference 2008
Each advisor will be given a deck of cards, on each card there will be a different
motivation—what drives a person to make a specific choice over another, or uphold
certain values over others.
Examples of cards are: interested in reward/ approval from G-d, interested in reward/
approval from parents/ teachers, avoiding punishment from G-d, avoiding punishment
from parents, I do it because my friends do, I just feel like I should…. Etc.
Spread the cards out on the floor, and give the students a minute or two to read them and
think about them. Once they have a chance to read the cards, have each student pick a
card they feel speaks to them.
• Which card represents a motivation that you take into account when making
decisions?
• Which really don’t come into consideration for your decision-making?
• Stress to the students that it’s ok if they don’t all have the same motivations.
Different things motivate different people!
3
Fall Conference 2008
Show the students cards that have different values written on them. For each card, discuss
with the students and have them decide where they think each value belongs: in the
"Western Values" circle, in the "Jewish Values" circle, or in the "shared values" space
(where the circles overlap).
A lot of the discussion can and should ensue as you present each value. Some of the
values listed below have suggested discussions that might enhance the conversation and
participation.
4
Fall Conference 2008
Examples of Values:
Charity Appreciation Happiness
Freedom of speech Camaraderie Honesty
Honoring parents Control/Power Education/Knowledge
Achievement Conviction Leadership
Basis of Values
• Choose a value that the Eimatai-ers decided is in the "Shared Values" sections:
• When they exercise that value in their life, do they do it because it is a Jewish
Value or as an Western Value?
Dual Identities
• Do you act one way with a teacher in school and another way with your friends?
• Do you think that is hypocritical?
• Is that necessarily a bad thing if it is hypocritical?
• Maybe it is ok to have a Hybrid identity (not having one consistent identity). If so,
Why?
• What does the phrase "Lakol Zman V'et" mean?
• How might this phrase excuse or explain certain behaviors we may be less proud
of?
5
Fall Conference 2008
• Does it pervert or corrupt our Judaism by incorporating Western values into our
religious lives?
This will be a working definition for their American and Jewish Identity.
They can address how they balance the two roles, which they consider more important, if
they think one is more important than the other? Encourage the students to carry this card
around with them throughout the conference and refer back to it. You can ask if anyone
wants to share what he or she wrote.
6
Buzz Group #2
Fall Conference 2008
Session #2
Goal:
Materials:
• Aaron’s Getting to Know Me Sheet
• Blank Getting to Know Me Sheets
• Community Institution Sheets
• UJA Mission Statement Sheets
• One Vote Tally Oak Tag
• Markers
• UJA Conflict Cards
• Pens
• Blank 5x8 index cards
• One sheet with all 10 scenarios
Process:
Explain to the group that you are going to do a little icebreaker. Tell them that they will
have up to 25 seconds to describe themselves however they want to the rest of the group.
The only requirement is that they give their first name, and some other information.
Hopefully the students will have described themselves in different ways. At the very least,
each advisor should give some information that goes to a deeper level of who they are,
and the various associations they have.
Give the example sheet of Aaron’s Getting to Know Me Sheet, and then hand out the
blank sheets for the students to think of many different ways they could use to define
themselves.
1
Fall Conference 2008
Session #2
Influence of Groups
• Are we influenced by all of these different groups we are a part of?
• Do we act differently when we are in different groups?
• How can we be a part of so many communities without changing our identities to
fit in each one?
Break the group in two, and tell them that they are each going to have to create their own
Jewish community from scratch with limited resources.
Give each group 5 minutes to decide the 3 things they would build if they had the option.
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Fall Conference 2008
Session #2
Have each group present to the other which three items they chose, and on what basis
they made those decisions.
• Did the groups come up with similar for the same resources?
• Were the groups’ rationales for choosing similar, but the final decision different?
• What would have happened if the two groups had to make one decision – would it
have been easy?
Now that we have identified what the core values of a community are, the next activity
will question and test these values when they are faced by US society. Now that we've
established what is important to us as Jews in our community, how do we reconcile those
values with the American community's values?
“Congratulations! You have been elected to be on the board of your state’s UJA
federation– part of the United Jewish Communities – an organization that gets thousands
of dollars from different donors to be used for many different projects, locally and
globally.”
3
Fall Conference 2008
Session #2
We take action, as a community, to help Israel during these challenging times. Through
gifts made to our Annual Campaign we support social, educational and health care
programs throughout Israel, provide meals, after school programs, medical care and
other vital services. We help resettle emigrés from around the world who seek a new life
of freedom and opportunity. And, wherever else Jews are in need — from Belarus to
Buenos Aires, in a total of 60 countries — we help with social services, training,
medicine, and other assistance.
“Several cases have already sprung up that need immediate attention. As part of an
American state (and receiving some funding from the U.S. government), you feel the
desire to give money to American causes. Still, you are a Jewish federation, and of course
you want to help out your own brothers first. Caught in this American-Jewish tension,
your council needs to decide: in each instance, how will you distribute the money you are
given?”
For each case, each council (2-3 groups of 4-5 students each) will confer and decide. The
votes will be marked or noted on a poster board. After each of the ten cases (or however
many you choose to do), discussion should take place explaining why each group voted
the way they did.
1. Conflicting Rallies
A local human rights group is organizing a march on the state capitol to demand that the
state divest from companies that cooperate or benefit the Sudanese government. You
have already been informed that three local churches will be attending, along with other
religious groups. You have been approached to encourage the Jewish community to
attend this rally.
Scheduled for the same day is a visit from the secretary of state to a local University.
Members of the Jewish community are interested in using this opportunity to demand that
the US put pressure on Hamas to free Gilad Shalit. The UJA has been asked to sponsor
and attend this rally.
2. Blood Drive
You have been approached by Magen David Adom, and were informed that they now
have the resources, WHO permission, and customs permission to transport donated blood
from the United States to Israel. They would like to partner with you for semi-monthly
blood drives in your JCC.
4
Fall Conference 2008
Session #2
For the last 8 years, the Red Cross has been running a regularly scheduled blood drive in
your community, and many members of the Jewish community donate at this drive.
Do you partner with MDA, or direct your community members to the Red Cross?
The UJA has budgeted 5% of its annual expenditures to supporting the Arts. Should the
money be used only to support Jewish artists, or are all artists eligible for funding?
Should preferential treatment be given to artists who explore Jewish themes regardless of
their personal religion?
Should money be spent opening a gallery in the JCC to host local Jewish artists, or
should it be sent to the city’s Art Museum to keep its exhibits up to date?
Due to the recent economic downturn, a number of members in the Jewish community
have had difficulty providing basic necessities to their families. Considering the scale of
this problem, there are also rising poverty and homeless rates among the general
population as well.
You could open up a kosher soup kitchen/pantry in a location near the JCC, and
hopefully people would feel comfortable coming to get food for their families.
You also know that the downtown homeless shelters are in desperate need of expansion.
The increase in the number of people sleeping on the streets over the last 6 months has
been starkly noticeable.
You can only afford to fully fund one of these programs. What do you do?
U.S. President Bill Clinton is about to leave office, and has the power to pardon anyone
he wishes before he goes. A group of Jews were jailed two years ago due to involvement
in some illegal business dealings. There is a member of the UJA Board who is close to
President Clinton, and some members of the board want him to plead with the President
to grant these men clemency.
The Board member was troubled: on one hand, these men broke the law and deserve a
prison sentence. On the other hand, how can he refuse to help his fellow Jews?
He has asked the board to help him make the decision. What should he do?
5
Fall Conference 2008
Session #2
The local newspaper is ranking all of the local high schools, private and public, according
to how environmentally friendly they are. Your neighborhood just began building the
first Jewish high school and are faced with a dilemma:
The school will look bad and rank poorly if they don’t install $10,000 in solar panels on
the roof that could generate 1/3 of the school’s overall energy- an amazing environmental
and economic coup. However, the school badly needs a Sefer Torah for prayers in the
morning (the Torah itself along with increased insurance and security costs come to
$10,000).
The solar panels will end up saving $10,000 in electricity bills, but not for another 5
years. Should the money go towards the solar panels, pushing off the Torah purchase, so
that the Jewish school is looked upon favorably, or should they buy a Sefer Torah now so
that they have proper Torah reading every week?
7. Missing Child
A local girl goes missing after a school trip to Montana’s Helena State Park. The girl’s
church is holding a candlelight vigil in the center of the town at 7pm to unite and hope for
her safe return. The weekly Tehillim (Psalms) group that meets at the same time is also
specifically praying for the girl this week. Which event should the UJA endorse?
8. Hatzalah
While Hatzalah will respond to any call it receives, and will never ask whether the person
in need of help is Jewish, the Hatzalah phone number is not posted in community-wide
publications. It is distributed through phone number magnets at synagogues and the JCC.
Should Hatzalah be publicizing its emergency number to the entire community, or limit
its scope to the Jewish community?
9. A New Community
30 Jewish families are moving into a new part of town to start a Jewish community there.
A new complex is being built, and that they have the opportunity to cluster themselves on
one or two blocks, or to spread themselves out throughout the development.
The town is organizing a little baseball league for kids in the area. Observant Jews make
6
Fall Conference 2008
Session #2
up 15% of the town’s population. Should you request a separate team that consists only
of Jewish kids, and for the team’s schedule to be such that they won’t play on Shabbat or
holidays? Or is it better to promote good neighborly relations, and have the kids be
integrated into the other teams, and have to miss a few games if necessary?
Discussion Questions:
• Which scenario did you feel the most conflicted about, and what led you to your
final decision?
• What were some of the conflicting values you dealt with in making your
decisions?
• Do you feel that the conclusions you came to were ideal solutions?
• Were your decisions purely based on your values, or did you also factor in how
others would react?
• Did the desire to prevent a chillul Hashem or create a Kidush Hashem affect your
choices?
• What do you feel are some of the responsibilities of a Jewish community, and
how do these relate to the decisions you made?
Give them a few minutes to collect their thoughts and write down their responses. Have
students share their thoughts with the group if they feel comfortable.
7
Buzz Group #3
Fall Conference 2008
Session #3
Goal:
Materials:
• Sheet with outline of speech talking points
• Eagle and Menorah Cards
• Copies of the Prayer for the Welfare of the USA
• Letter writing paper
• Envelopes
• Pens
• Ballots
Process:
The session is going to begin with a debate between two fake candidates for a seat in the
House of Representatives in a very Jewish area. The debate will take place before the
session begins.
After the students hear from the two candidates, they will then break up into their buzz
groups to begin talking about what it means to be patriotic. At the end of the session, they
will have to vote for the candidate they would choose.
Patri-O-Meter
The “Patri-O-Meter” is a tool you will use with your buzz groups to determine where our
feelings lie with regards to a number of issues. The students themselves make up the
Patri-O-Meter. Each student is given two cards: one with an eagle, and one with a
menorah.
You can ask the students if they think an issue reflects Western or Jewish values. They
can hold up the eagle, the menorah, or both cards.
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Fall Conference 2008
Session #3
Flag/National Anthem
• What are our motives for putting up the American flag?
• Do you feel like you should sing the national anthem at sporting events?
• Is it pure pride or is it out of an obligation?
• Obligation vs. Pride?
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Fall Conference 2008
Session #3
• Both?
Religious Events (Hand out the prayer for the welfare of America)
• Do you think we should say a prayer for the state of America on
Shabbat/holidays?
• In analyzing the actual prayer, do you identify with it’s perspective on America?
• What is it we are praying for on behalf of America?
• Do you give priority to the prayer for Israel and captive soldiers over the prayer
for America?
• Is it appropriate to mention US or Israeli soldiers who have been killed during
prayers?
National Holidays
• Yom Ha’Atzmaut
• Yom Ha’zikaron
• Yom Yerushalayim
• Yom Ha’Shoah
3
Fall Conference 2008
Session #3
The students in the group should be broken up into two groups, each arguing one of the
following points:
The students should not be allowed to choose the side of the debate they are on, and it
might even be better to make sure they are on the opposite side of what they believe in.
The idea is to encourage them to think about a perspective that is not their own.
Use the following questions to pose to the groups, and they have to answer based on the
group they have been assigned to.
The point of the debate is to force the students think about the issue from another
person’s perspective. In the middle of the debate, you have the option to switch the sides
and have them argue the opposite way.
After the debate, you can continue with some of the following questions.
• Would your opinion change if support for Israel as the main factor of your voting
decision translated into looking out for Israel’s best interest and going against the
best interest of America?
• What about if the candidate’s credentials were best for issues relating to Israel but
his credentials were not best for the welfare of America?
4
Fall Conference 2008
Session #3
Israel Current Events
• What is our awareness about Israel issues vs. other issues that come up in a
campaign?
• How does this reflect on our priorities of what we care about?
• Should we take America’s best interest into account?
• Do you necessarily consider it a bad thing, or is it ok because this is what is
important to us?
• Do Jews get more involved for Israel issues than they do for general American
issues?
• Are Jews fighting for the rights of the homeless, better education and security for
America the same way they protest against Iran or lobby for American
involvement in the Mid-East peace process?
• Is that only natural? Wrong? Ok?
Tell the story of the soldier fighting for the American army against another country and
he comes face to face with a Jewish soldier from the other army.
5
Fall Conference 2008
Session #3
• What would you do?
• Does your reaction show how loyal you REALLY are to fighting for America?
(How your Jewish identity is superior?)
• Is it feasible that there could be a Jewish President who would have strong
connection to Jewish values and Israel?
• Would he/she be able to balance these two sets of values?
• Is it morally ok as the President of the United States to care so much about
another country’s best interest?
• Shouldn’t he have America’s best interest as the ultimate focus?
• As Jews, Would we be ok with the fact that if these policies would overlap, this
Jewish president would push his Jewish values to the side?
• Doesn’t he serve as our representative?
• If we had to choose, would you rather have a secular Jew in government or a
Religious Jew in government?
Each student should be given a piece of paper and an envelope, and told that they can
now write letters to the President-Elect.
The students may wish to cover the following issues in their letter:
• Their expectations from the President Elect for the next four years.
• An explanation of their feelings towards America.
• What they feel America’s mission should be.
• Their perspective on the relationship between church and state.
• Their perspective on the relationship between the US and Israel.
After they write their letter, they can address them as follows:
6
Fall Conference 2008
Session #3
The last part of the program consists of a mock election. The students will have the
choice to vote for one of the two candidates. You may want to cover the following
questions with them before they vote:
7
Beit Midrash
Session
Page 1
Jew-conomics
Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-923-3745 • eimatai@yu.edu
www.eimatai.org
Page 2
• Were there winners and losers in the Experiment? Who were they?
• How realistic was the soda experiment to how the actual economy works?
• In what ways can we find connections between Judaism and the economy?
• Can you think of any stories in the Bible, or any Jewish Laws, that relate to
economics?
• What does halacha tell us about our business dealings and other financial issues?
Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-923-3745 • eimatai@yu.edu
www.eimatai.org
Page 3
Capitalism:
Socialism:
Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-923-3745 • eimatai@yu.edu
www.eimatai.org
Page 4
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When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your
field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather
the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I the Lord
am your God.
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And when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your
field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest; you shall leave them for the poor and the
stranger: I the Lord am your God.
Source
Questions
• Why did the Torah require everyone to give charity?
• Shouldn’t the Torah say that giving charity is good, and allow people to choose if they want
to give charity or not? Why does it have to require specific amounts?
• Shouldn’t people have complete ownership over their property? Why must they allow others
to come onto their fields?
Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-923-3745 • eimatai@yu.edu
www.eimatai.org
Page 5
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When you sell property to your neighbor, or buy any from your neighbor, you shall not wrong
one another.
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Summary
6 The rabbis of the Talmud used this as a basis for a series of specific laws on the subject. They
ruled that if the price charged was more than one sixth above the accepted price, the sale is
null and void and the seller must return the buyer’s money. If it was exactly one sixth more, the
transaction is valid, but the seller must return the amount overcharged. If it was less than a
sixth, the transaction is valid and no money need be returned.
Questions
• What was the reasoning behind setting market prices?
• Why couldn’t storeowners charge as much as people were willing to pay?
• Wouldn’t competition between di!erent stores keep the prices reasonable?
Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-923-3745 • eimatai@yu.edu
www.eimatai.org
Page 6
Interest-Free Loans
Source
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If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, do not act toward them as creditor;
exact no interest from them.
Summary
Explanation
9 HETER ISKA
In a heter iska, the "lender" and the "borrower" turn into "investor" and "businessman." Thus,
it is noted that all the documents mentioning the terms "borrower" and "lender" actually mean
"investor" and "businessman." The investor gives money to the business, and the businessman
is supposed to invest the money in a business that yields profits. The profit and loss derived
from the money is divided equally between the investor and the businessman, except for the
small salary that the businessman takes for his work.
The important point in the agreement is that the investor cannot know exactly how much the
businessman profits from the business, and so the parties agree among themselves that the
businessman is required to prove the truth of the figures presented by him. If the businessman
is unable to prove to the investor how much money he earned, he must pay him demei
hitpashrut, at the rate of interest. Practically speaking, the businessman (i.e., the borrower) is
unable to prove how much his business profited or lost, and therefore he must pay the investor
(the lender) the agreed upon demei hitpashrut.
Questions
• Why would the Torah prohibit charging interest on loans?
• What would be the motivation for someone to loan if there was no interest involved?
Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-923-3745 • eimatai@yu.edu
www.eimatai.org
Page 7
Land Distribution
Source
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The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Among these shall the land be apportioned as shares,
according to the listed names: with larger groups increase the share, with smaller groups
reduce the share. Each is to be assigned its share according to its enrollment.
Questions
• On what basis was the land given to the Jewish People when they entered the land of Israel?
• Why didn’t the stronger or more powerful tribes get a larger portion of the land?
• Was this designed only to make sure the country began with each person equal, or was it
designed as a model for always keeping people as equal as possible?
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Every seventh year you shall practice remission of debts. This shall be the nature of the
remission: every creditor shall remit the due that he claims from his fellow; he shall not dun his
fellow or kinsman, for the remission proclaimed is of the Lord. You may dun the foreigner; but
you must remit whatever is due you from your kinsmen.
Source
And the Rabbis instituted the release [of debt] in honor of the 7th year. Hillel saw that the
nation had ceased lending money, one to the other, so he arose and established the pruzbul.
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Page 8
Source
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Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield; but in the seventh you shall let it rest
and lie fallow. Let the needy among your people eat of it, and what they leave let the wild
beasts eat. You shall do the same with your vineyards and your olive groves.
Questions
• Why did the Torah mandate all loans to be excused on the Shmita Year?
• What problem arose that cause Hilel to institute the Pruzbul?
• Similar to the Heter Iska, how can our Rabbis make rules that seem to ignore explicit laws
of the Torah? What was so bad that made them do this?
• Is it possible that the rabbis were concerned that the ideal nature of man as outlined in the
Torah was not something the Jewish people could live up to at that time?
• What was the reason to leave the land fallow?
• Why don’t we have the right to do with our land as we please?
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Page 9
Conclusion Discussion
• Are the laws in the Torah that “look out for the little guy” an endorsement of
Socialism? Would it be so bad if they were?
• Does Jewish Law have socialist or capitalism leanings?
• Is there a presentation of two di!erent sets of values for Jewish economics: one that
is idealistic and one that is realistic?
• With these ideas in mind, what application is there from Jewish Law to speak to the
American Economy? Is America’s economy Socialist, Capitalist, Both or Neither?
• What are the other attitudes that the Torah takes on Money? What role should
money play in the lives of the Jewish people?
• Do we have Jews view financial matters the same as other people? Do we serve as an
example to the world?
How does Rabbi Blau present the concept of property ownership in Jewish
culture?
How much of a right do Jews have to own their property?
Is it a better system to have private ownership, or public ownership?
Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-923-3745 • eimatai@yu.edu
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School
Initiative
Planning
Sessions
Project Planning Sessions
Goal: To provide participating students with a basic understanding of the science of
planning projects/events and some strategies to plan effectively.
Goal Objectives:
• Teach planning effectively.
• Practice brainstorming and creative thinking.
• Conduct a needs assessment.
Supplies Needed:
• Flipchart
• Markers
• Handouts
• Scratch paper
1
Part 1 - How to Plan (35 min) - Sunday 7:30pm
Students will break into school groups led by Eimatai Advisors. The How to Plan
program will take place in school groups
As always, your group may come up with many more, and that’s great!
Now that we have identified a number of different parts of planning, lets explore
some of these more in depth:
Advisors should hand out tip sheets on planning events. Each topic should be introduced
with, “Why is X an important part of planning”
Plans
• Think of every piece of the program
o Go into every level of detail possible. For every piece that you don’t
prepare, it’s possible that it may not work out. Walk through your program
from start to end including both large and small parts of the program.
• Think of what can go wrong
o Advisor will give an example of an event like a party or a concert and will
ask students what they think could go wrong (Example: the sound system
isn’t working, there isn’t enough food, the band is stuck in traffic etc.)
• Thorough planning and contingency plans
o This is done by trying to come up with as many ideas of what could go
wrong and planning your event in a way that could exclude potential
mishaps. (Example: order extra food. Its always better to have too much
then too little)
• Don’t stress, something will go wrong
o No matter how many contingency plans one has, not everything will run
as smoothly as one would like it too. The best way to combat this is to roll
with the punches and tackle the issues head on to the best of one’s ability.
Setup
• When possible, don’t let your participants see you setup
2
o Setting up while your participants are arriving shows a lack of preparation.
• Always be there ahead of time
• Calculate how early you will have to be at the program based on what needs
to be done
o Always add in a little more time just to be safe and to give yourself a
chance to breathe before the event begins (Example: if you need to set up
chairs or food and all of that will take an hour, get there an hour and a half
before the event)
Attitude
• Attitude is one of the most important elements in planning and executing an
event: it has the potential to make or break a program.
• The team leader spreads the attitude
o The more optimism and positive attitude one has, the more confidence one
builds into their team, thereby setting the stage for a good working
environment and a great program.
• Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm - if you generate excitement about an idea or an
event, other people will follow suit.
• Do something to get people out of their boxes and shells
o By acting really excited or even quirky or silly you allow people to feel
comfortable with themselves and the program. (If it’s appropriate – yom
hashoa program might need a different approach) People loosen up when
certain rigid barriers are removed by relaxed and exciting behavior.
(Example: by doing a funny ice-breaker like the games we played at our
first session, people loosen up.)
3
Part 2 - How to Brainstorm (20 min) - Sunday 8:00pm
Advisor should ask the bold questions
Now that we learned about how to prepare the logistics of a project, how do you
come up with a creative project idea?
• What is brainstorming?
• Why do we brainstorm?
Brainstorming is an activity used to generate many creative ideas that have no right or
wrong answers and are accepted without criticism
Brainstorming Challenge
Split group by schools and pose the following challenge:
You are part of a team of engineers that is stuck on an island in the middle of a lake.
There are 5 members of your team. You have run out of food, and everyone must get off
the island. In 10 minutes how many ways can your team think of to get off the island and
make it to the shore? The island is 1000 ft from shore.
You get 1 point for any solution, 5 points for a solution that the other team does not have.
Creativity Counts!
4
o Let people have fun brainstorming. Encourage them to come up with as
many ideas as possible, from solidly practical ones to wildly impractical
ones. Welcome creativity
o Ensure that no train of thought is followed for too long
o Encourage people to develop other people's ideas, or to use other ideas to
create new ones
o Appoint one person to note down ideas that come out of the session. A
good way of doing this is to use a flip chart. This should be studied and
evaluated after the session.
Now that we have learned about brainstorming lets begin to brainstorm about some
of the different areas of need in our schools
5
Part 3 - School Brainstorming (40 min) - Sunday 8:20pm
Schools should brainstorm about some of their needs of their schools
Advisors will hand out the Needs Assessment handout. Encourage the students to use the
strategies for brainstorming you just reviewed.
It’s not always easy to come to a consensus, so recognize that sometimes there will be
people unhappy with the choice that is made. There will need to be compromise, and
students should figure out what idea is best for the group, not which one they thought of.
6
Part 5 - Action Plan (60 min) – Monday 5:00pm
Schools will explore Action Plans
Using a blank action report as a guide, advisors should ask the bold questions.
Your school group should now begin to work on an appropriate Action Plan for
their project. Make sure that the Action Plan is realistic. It is the key to success
for the program
7
Part 6 - Preparing Presentations (60 min) Monday evening and
Tuesday morning
Schools will explore how to make an engaging presentation
Now the schools should work on their presentations together to make sure they are ready
for the school initiative fair on Tuesday morning.