Session+3

=SESSION 3 - JULIAN RESNICK= =** The New Paradigm **= // These are based on Nachama's relatively raw notes; feel free to edit on top based on your own notes or understandings. // // Also, the DISCUSSION tab at the top of the page is another place to add your thoughts and reactions to Julian's session. // What do we do when it seems like Israel is keeping us together, and also deep divisions between the Jewish people? __ FRAMING QUESTIONS: __ ** How open is the discussion? What are we allowed to talk about and what can’t be brought into the discussion? **  An example of discussion that never used to happen: On an early NACIE trip, Copeland and Resnick took the group to:  · A preschool for illegal immigrants  · A brothel  · Doctors for Human Rights This had to do with the question of dirty linen. ** Who can participate? Who has the right to determine who can be in on the discussion and who not? [J-Street?] ** **Has something changed or not?** People argue that things haven’t changed. Has there been a paradigm shift regarding Israel, with the younger people being affected? Is this a different Jewish world that means that people are a different population? ** If there has been a change, what do we do? Are we the right people to respond? **  So for instance, the younger people with whom we work wouldn’t respond to the texts that EDN members chose as what speaks to them. ********************   Julian’s stance: Teach Israel as a wonderfully complex society, with things that are great, and things that are difficult. It’s hard to take them apart these days. How do we make Israel relevant to these young people? Julian uses stories and dilemmas – they work well for him. He told the story of him working with a middle school group and telling the story of his first day in Israel. It was the day of the Entebbe raid. He told the story, and stopped along the way and asked questions that brought them into the drama: How do the students think the terrorists divided up the passengers? They went through a variety of guesses: Israeli, non-Israeli; Jewish/non-Jewish. If the students where there and put in the wrong group, what might they have done? Said I’m in the wrong group, or be quiet? The goal is to show the students that they have to tools to get into these dilemmas that are part of Israel. They know about personal pride, about feeling guilty. About being part of a mixed-faith family. **********   Julian read his article/essay: “2006 Cherries and Watermelon – and Lebanon” His goal is to introduce people to Israel as an extraordinary place that is struggling with extraordinary dilemmas. Being a Jew is being involved with a struggle. Israel as a place where you can see an open debate… How can one be Jewish and democratic? Israel through the lens of Jewish values:  · Tikkun Olam  · Hiddur Mitzvah  · Ethical issues Our kids will only connect to Israel if they want to, not because they have to. We want them to choose Israel. They aren’t religious, they aren’t political, so the question is how to bring them in. People in Israel are struggling with issues that are very important and this is a great place to be. Kids feel they can be part of this conversation