Dear Friends,
In his song, Elohai, Israeli singer-songwriter Kobi Oz wrote about
"This great synagogue called the Land of Israel
Where everyone is welcome to look up at the heavens,
pray for rain, and watch out for missiles."
Oz, like many Israeli artists, was commenting on the existential reality of Israeli life, where
lethal attacks from bombs and missiles can be commonplace, coexisting with the practicalities
of everyday life ("pray for rain") and inspiring spirituality ("look up at the heavens").
"Watch out for missiles" has been all too real for many Israelis living in close proximity
to Gaza, and now, as Hamas rocket power has grown, tragically, for a larger portion of the
population.
After hundreds of rockets were launched from Gaza into civilian areas in southern Israel, the
Israel Defense Forces responded with targeted attacks on Hamas military operations. Hamas
responded to Israel's response with further rocket attacks against Israeli civilian targets. As I
write this, three Israeli civilians were killed when a Hamas rocket hit their home; seven Hamas
military combatants and four Palestinian civilians were killed in Gaza from Israel's response.
Here at Jewish LearningWorks, we have created a space for educators to
share information with each other, and discuss how we can best address these issues in our teaching and with our students.
LearningWorks network. We developed this discussion forum so that educators could share
resources and engage in conversations about teaching strategies and practices; you can also
use it to share information and resources as the situation continues to develop over time.
is intended for educators, anyone can join, as it contains valuable educational resources for
conversations about the current crisis in the Middle East.
conflict. As conditions change and develop, we will be adding to these resources at our
educators discussion forum.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Israel and all peace-loving people in the
region, seeking safety from harm's way.
David Waksberg
