17. Educational Activities
A. Defining Israeli Culture
• Ask the group what the phrase ‘human culture’
means. Suggest the two extremes of direction that have
been examined here: people’s ways of life, and their
creative expression in different media. Suggest that they
are connected, and that one may reflect the other.
• Discuss the widest definition: ‘way of life.’
Ask what is meant by ‘national culture.’ Discuss
whether nations have separate cultures. Suggest that there
are many distinctive aspects to the way of life in a particular
country that make it slightly different, at least, from
other nations. Ask what sort of things might distinguish
the life of one nation from that of another. Mention diverse
factors such as history, language, weather and so on.
• Ask whether, in this case, one can speak of an
‘Israeli’ culture and what sorts of things
may have influenced the way of life in the country? Let
the participants work in pairs or small groups to define
as many factors as possible. They must be able to explain
why they think these elements have affected Israeli society.
Thirteen aspects have been discussed in the essay, but
there are many other possibilities.
• Write all the answers on the board as the students
explain the reasons for their choices.
• When everything is written on the board, ask the
students to divide the answers into categories. Limit
them to a specific number of categories, giving each one
a label. If some elements do not fit into any of these
categories, they can be left out.
• The students should now present their categories
of the Israeli cultural experience. Offer a brief explanation
of each category, introducing the second definition of
culture. Point out that, if the categories are correct,
reflections of these subjects should be evident in Israeli
creative culture.
This will serve as an introduction to a program of several
sessions in which the student’s categories –
and any of your own that they did not include –
are each examined in turn.
B. Israeli Perceptions of Arabs
• Ask the members of the group to read Savyon Liebrecht’s
story Room on the Roof. It is easily accessible: in her
own collection of stories, Apples in the Desert, or in
several of the recently published anthologies of modern
Israeli short stories or collections of Israeli women’s
writing. Let them read the story carefully, marking every
minute mood change that the central female figure undergoes.
• Discuss the story as a group. Examine the various
changes in mood: why do they occur? Finally, list all
of the different ways in which this character perceives
Arabs. It should be possible to find at least ten, if
not more.
• Show excerpts from any of the films mentioned in
section 11. Examine which of the words in the list can
be found in the list.[unclear]
• Close by summarizing the multi-dimensionality of
the Israeli approach to the Arabs, as suggested in section
11.
C. Taking a Dimension of Israeli Culture
• Take any of the thirteen subjects discussed in
the essay and use any of the creative works described
in the second part of that category to shed light on the
general comments made in its first part.
D. Then and Now
• Teach the students some songs that represent the
post-1948 period. There are many CD collections of such
music. While doing this, discuss with them the phenomena
that these songs reflect, listing them on the board.
• Now play a few representative Israeli songs from
the last decade. These, too, can be easily found in CD
collections. Teach these to the students and discuss the
things that they reflect. Make a list of these elements.
Do not look only at the content, but also at the form
of both sets of songs – the instruments used, the
general sound, vocal styles, and so on.
• Try to compare the country as it was then and as
it is now. Discuss what has caused the changes between
the two periods. Have things changed as much in your country
during the same period? If not, why not?
• Try to invite Israelis in your community (teachers,
shlihim, diplomats) to speak to the students on their
way of life. It would be ideal to invite two people from
different generations. Ask each one to bring to the class
his/her favorite Israeli song.
• If you hold more than one session for this subject,
try obtaining the film Late Summer Blues,
mentioned in section 13. This is about a group of youngsters
who want to go their own way but have to deal with society’s
expectations. Use it to reflect on the ‘then and
now’ issue.