Exile
or Diaspora
• How do the students see the place where they live? Make
a list of associations and put them on a board.
• Now put two other words up. DIASPORA and GALUT or EXILE.
Work out the differences between them.
Is it just an issue of persecution?
• Divide the associations that have been put up into two
lists, according to whether they fit the word Diaspora or Galut.
Which is the longer list?
• What would Zionism say about that?
Why?
• Is there any way in which the students feel that they
live in Galut? Discuss.
• Divide the students into two or more small groups. One
of the groups come up with a scenario about themselves living in a state of
exile, while the other half comes up with a scenario about living in Diaspora.
• Act the scenarios out and discuss them.
• Finally ask each group to adjust its scenario so that
it keeps the same basic plot and characters but moves it over to the other
definition. Those who talked of exile should play out their scene as Diaspora
and vice versa.
• Finally discuss, whether and in which circumstances, Diaspora
can slip into a situation of Galut.