Goals:
To offer a structured entry for Israeli and/or Diaspora youth and adults into ventilation about terrorist attacks;
To enable Israeli and/or Diaspora youth to express, share, and compare their feelings;
To enable participants to express opinions;
To enable the counselor to assess need for support and follow-up;
To direct participants towards outcomes which offer an element of control (advice; action).
 

Guidelines:
1. This is a very sensitive subject. It is advisable to use a professional counselor in this activity, or at least to have one sitting in, should reactions become overly complex.
* Some of Israeli participants may have been victims of or know people who have been victims of terrorist acts.
* Some US participants may have strong reactions after the attacks in the USA, and may also know people who were among the victims; all of the US has been involved in the shock aftermath.

2. This entry activity is for the average group. There are those who are lost for words, there are those who are reluctant to voice their fears - but there are those who may have exhausted what they have to say and should be taken more quickly into productive areas of thought, rather than spending a great deal of time on ventilation.

3. Reactions such as passiveness and anger are to be expected: if passiveness persists in some participants, there should be follow-up counseling; anger should be directed to questions about democratic and Jewish values.
 

Materials:
Newspaper reports in several copies - also, print these Front Pages from the frame on this Commemoration website http://63.208.24.134/Terrorism/gallery/extra1gallery.htm

Numbered "Open Sentence" Cards (2 or 3 sets of 10 cards each). Also: list of all the sentences.
Small sheets of paper, writing materials.

Length: 45-50 minutes

Group size: 20-30

Preparation: Photocopy three sets of the Open Sentence Cards.

Procedure:

As Full Group

1. In order to establish the proper climate for discussion, the facilitator introduces the subject of the activity and pins up or distributes photojournalist reports of the terrorist attacks. (Articles not included.)
2. The facilitator places the same number of Open Sentence Cards as there are participants face-down on the floor or table and a list of all the sentences should also be available.
3. Small sheets of papers and pencils are distributed.
4. Each participant picks up one card at random, but does not show or discuss it with anybody else. If participants wish to choose more than one card, this will mean someone else has no card; ask them to list their choice of second or third cards on a sheet of paper.


As Individuals

5. Working as individuals, each person writes his/her completion of his/her Open Sentence Card on the paper.


In Mixed Small Groups

6. The facilitator divides participants into discussion groups.
7. People having chosen the same number "Open Sentence" Card join in the same small group.
8. If spontaneous discussion occurs during the activity, this should not be prevented. If, however, problems are encountered, intervention by the professional counselor might be advisable.
9. For each number of cards, each participant in turn reads aloud his/her completion of the sentence.
10. When all have responded, the facilitator conducts a discussion of the participants' different reactions (See: Guidelines for Discussion).
11. After the discussion, explain that you will be following through with more depth, after a short break.

1. When I saw news coverage about people killed in the terror attack, I felt ...
2. If I found out that somebody I knew had been hurt in a terrorist attack, I would want to ...
3. When I learned that young people were among those killed I felt ...
4. I expect the reaction of leaders in my community to this terror to be ...
5. I were responsible for a group of people in that area at the time of terror attacks, I would tell them ...
6. When I see crowds of people on television yelling "death to the Arabs", I feel ...
7. I think the Israeli/US government should react to terror by ...
8. I believe that world leaders should act against terror by ...
9. When extremists threaten to carry out terror attacks, I feel ...
10. I think the best way to deal with terror is ...