Part Four

"For Man is as a Tree in a Field"

Activities - Full Sessions

Design the Jewish Community as a Forest

In order to run the activities below successfully, you will need to prepare a wall exhibition reflecting the essential elements of the discussion, which can be used to conclude the series.

Synopsis

An arts exercise on clarification

Aims

Define and build the ideal community in a free environment Clarify ideas as individuals and in groups Enhance relationship to the community

Suitability:

Early teens

Materials:

Sheets of coloured paper, white paper, Bristol paper, crayons, scissors, glue, slides.

Procedure:

1. Individual activity - each participant prepares a tree from the materials at his/her disposal. The tree can be of any form, size, and color.
2. Group organization - on the floor are about 5 sheets of white Bristol paper. Each participant places his/her tree on one of the sheets. If another tree has already been placed there, he/she decides whether to put his/her tree together with that tree, or to seek another environment for his/her tree.
3. Group work - each group forms a forest from the trees on the sheet, and builds it an external environment. Each group gives a name to its forest.
4. Discussion - each group presents its forest in relation to the following questions:
   • Is there a common denominator for all the trees in the forest? If so, what?
   • How do the trees relate to each other? (Make way for each other, shade each over, differ from each other).
   • What is the name of the forest? Why did they decide upon this name?
   • Let us suppose that the forest is a Jewish community -
     1. What is the nature of the community?
     2. What distinguishes between the community and its surroundings?
     3. How does the community relate to its environment: contributed to/contributes/cut off?
     4. Does the community have enemies? Who are they?
     5. What impression does the community make on people who view it/visit it?
     6. Is the community attractive/repulsive/indifferent to visitors?
5. Group activity Each group introduces a factor of change into the environment, using the materials at its disposal. Following the change, a group discussion is held on the influence of the change on the forest.
6. Each group decides how to "solve" or react to the change in the environment, using the materials at its disposal.
7. Wind-up debate - each group presents:
   1. The change.
   2. Its results.
   3. The solution or reaction to the change.

In an analogy they analyse the different ways in which a Jewish community reacts to events in its environment.

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