BaDerech L’Eretz Yisrael
Session 2 – Israel and Me (45 Minutes)
Tziyud required:
1. Photocopies of Appendix III – two groups will each receive one of the pages
of this Appendix (one copy per group member).
2. Photocopies of Appendix IV – one for every two chanichim (if you decide to
include this part in the session).
3. Paper (to serve as poster paper), crayons, markers, other arts and crafts
supplies (if you decide to include this part in the session).
Procedure:
 Part A – Preparation
• Ensure every madrich/a has reviewed the program and knows how to
discharge his/her responsibilities.
• Acquire and prepare tziyud.
• Liaise with the yoetz/et and Rosh Chinuch to discuss any potential issues that
may be raised by chanichim.
• 

 Part B – Text Study and Discussion
• The edah will be divided into eight groups of no more than five chanichim. (If
there are more than 40 chanichim, the edah can first be split into two groups,
before each of these groups divides into smaller groups.) 


• Each group will be given two of the texts contained in Appendix III. Group
members should read and discuss each of the texts, and compare and
contrast the similarities and differences between them on the question of why
Israel is important. (Trigger questions are included for all texts.) Specifically,
they should ask themselves whether the text offers an appropriate model for
them personally for answering the question of why Israel is important.
• The group should re-convene and a sicha should take place.
• Suggested sicha questions might include:
o Which of the two texts that you read, about why Israel is important,
was most relevant to you? Why?
o Is it important to have a relationship to Israel? Why/why not?
o If yes, is it important to be able to describe this relationship to Israel in
words? Why/why not?
o 




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BaDerech L’Eretz Yisrael
 Part C – 2nd Activity
• Each chanich/a should draw a small poster which represents (without words)
why Israel is important to him/her. These can be later hung up around the
camp.
• If there is time, chanichim should also read the article in Appendix IV. 








•
This session can be extended and you can do both.
 Part D – Sikkum
• Ramah as an institution does not believe in any one particular justification for
its Zionist ideals (i.e. it is not a Labor, Revisionist, Religious, etc. Zionist
organization), and as such, allows its members to really find their own path in
regard to their relationship to the Land, People and State of Israel. As part of
your preparation for participating in Seminar, you should start to think about
how and why (and whether) Israel is important to you.
• 





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BaDerech L’Eretz Yisrael
Appendix III
Why do I have to have a relationship with Israel?
Why am I a Zionist?
(All texts from Dershowitz, A., What Israel Means to Me: By 80 Prominent Writers, Performers,
Scholars, Politicians, and Journalists)













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









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


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
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-10-
BaDerech L’Eretz Yisrael
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
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







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



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
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

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


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
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

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BaDerech L’Eretz Yisrael
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










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

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
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


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









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

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BaDerech L’Eretz Yisrael

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

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







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


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

               
              
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








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


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


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


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Appendix IV
Daniel Blas,“What can you do for the country” in DaSH, The Jerusalem Post Ltd.
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