H o lida y f ea t u re
L E S S O N
“Zionism
Without Zion?”
Q U O T E S & Q U E S T IO NS
MOTZKIN: Yes, the pogrom in Kishinev shocked us
all. Forty-five Jews dead, 86 wounded, and over
1,500 homes and businesses destroyed. Terrible!
ZANGWILL: …I believe that a chosen people is really
a choosing people. We can choose a dream—or we
can choose to save lives.
ZANGWILL: Why are you shocked? You’re from
Russia. This is certainly not the first pogrom you’ve
heard of.
Do you agree with his definition of “chosen”?
M agazine pages 12–14
Before Israel was established
as the Jewish state, Zionists
considered a different location—Uganda. This article is
a dramatization that explores
why the Sixth Zionist Congress dealt with this proposal
and the merits and drawbacks of the Uganda plan.
In this lesson, students will
do a dramatic reading of the
play and enter into the same
debate that the Zionist leaders from the Sixth Congress
argued over a century ago.
They will also study Jewish
texts that explore the role of
Zion within Jewish thought.
OBJE CT I VE S
L Students will simulate the
debate from the Sixth Zionist Congress exploring the
arguments for and against
establishing a Jewish state in
Uganda.
L Students will discuss Jewish
texts about the role and
understanding of Zion as
a physical and/or spiritual
place within Jewish thought
and tradition.
VOCAB U L A R Y
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delegate
delegation
debate
problem
solution
Have your students visit
babaganewz.com to read
bios and see photos of
delegates of the Sixth
Zionist Congress.
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BABAGANEWZ
TEACHERS’ GUIDE
I YA R 5 7 6 6
P L A N
B Y
A bigail
U hrman
What does Zangwill mean?
MOTZKIN: Sadly, no, but it’s 1903 now. You’d think
that the world wouldn’t tolerate such irrational
hatred.
WEIZMANN: Thank you. I was born in the Russian
Pale, and I understand how badly our people need
refuge. Yet I must still oppose this plan. I grew up
praying daily for God to return us to Zion, and I
can’t easily ignore these powerful traditions.
What is a pogrom?
What was the Russian Pale of Settlement?
How do you feel about Motzkin’s response to
Zangwill? [Introduce the term “dramatic irony”—
when the audience possesses knowledge that the
characters do not—if your students are unfamiliar
with it.]
When in tefillah do we pray to return to Zion?
To which prayers do you think Weizmann was
referring?
HERZL: Let me finish. We all heard of the atrocities that took place in Kishinev. I myself visited the
area and witnessed the desperate conditions of our
people there. To where can these refugees flee? And
how many more pogroms must we endure before
we put an end to Jewish hatred once and for all?
I’m convinced that the only way to rid ourselves of
antisemitism is by establishing a Jewish state.
Why do you think that we still say these prayers
even after the establishment of the State of
Israel?
ACTIV ITY: Reen actin g Hi story
1. Before class, set up the room with rows of desks
in a U-shape with a podium or desk in the middle.
What is Herzl’s rationale for presenting the
Uganda plan?
Begin class by posting the text from birkat hamazon cited below on the board. Ask students what
they think the text means. Explain that you would
like them to think about the text as they perform a
play from an important moment in Jewish history.
VOICES FROM THE FUTURE: (from the audience on
the left) Listen to reason! We are the voices from
the future, the souls of millions of Jews who will
perish in countless pogroms and the Holocaust.
Without the Uganda plan, we have no hope.
Give each student a script from BabagaNewz and
a sticker/nametag with his or her part written on it.
If there are more students than parts, prepare stickers with the word “delegate” on them to distribute
to the students without named speaking parts.
What are the Voices from the Future warning
against? What is their fear?
2. As a class, do a dramatic reading of the play,
“Zionism Without Zion?” on pages 12–14 of
BabagaNewz. Stop immediately before Nordau
calls for a vote on page 14.
Do you agree with their perspective? Why or
why not?
Rewrite this part from YOUR perspective. What
would the Voices from the Future say now?
Explain your reasoning.
VOICES FROM THE PAST: (from the audience on the
right) Listen to history! We are the voices from the
past, the blood and tears of the Jewish people exiled
from our Holy Land, forever yearning to return. We are
the Ninth of Av, the broken glass at every wedding, and
the endless prayers that beg for return to Jerusalem.
With the Uganda plan, our dreams are dashed.
What are the Voices from the Past warning
against? What is their fear?
Do you agree with their perspective? Why or
why not?
Rewrite this part from YOUR perspective. What
do you think the Voices from the Past would have
said? Explain your reasoning.
3. Discuss the Quotes & Questions above to ensure
students’ understanding of the historical context
for the plan and the specific arguments for and
against the proposal.
4. At this point, divide the class into two groups:
those for and those against the Uganda plan. They
should stay in character as much as possible. Any
students who are delegates can choose which side
they would like to join.
Each side has 20 minutes (more or less, time permitting) to write a short speech advocating their
stance, create a slogan, and design a poster or banner supporting their position.
Instruct each side to present its speech and poster.
Students will then have a few minutes to discuss a
rebuttal, and each group will be given two minutes
to share its counterargument.
This article is avail
Hebrew at www.babagaable in
ne
and in your teacher’s wz.com
pack!
5. Finally, all students will vote. They do not need
to vote in character. They should vote for whichever
side they feel has a more compelling argument.
6. Once the class total is determined, finish reading
the play and see what actually happened with the
Uganda plan.
7. To conclude the lesson, explore the Jewish texts
below.
How would the different sides in the Uganda
debate have understood the birkat hamazon
text?
Plan to perform this play at your school’s or synagogue’s celebration of Yom Ha’atzmaut. Have students explore the biographies of the major characters
in the play (available online at www.babaganewz.com)
to learn what happened to these personalities after
the Sixth Zionist Congress. Display their research on
posters to create a gallery of Zionists for the performance. You may also have students display the Zionist texts on posters.
JEW ISH TEXT S
From Birkat Hamazon
May the Merciful One break the yoke from around our
necks and lead us in dignity to our land.
What is a yoke? To what yoke, or burden, do
you think this prayer refers? [the yoke of exile or
oppression] How does the end of the prayer hint
to the meaning of the burden?
What land is mentioned in this prayer? How do
you know?
Theodor Herzl
If you will it, it is not a dream.
Notice how many times the word “dream”
appears in this play. What does Herzl mean by
this statement?
What is the dream to which Herzl is referring?
Use evidence from the article to support your
argument.
Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook
Eretz Yisrael is not something apart from the soul of the
Jewish people; it is no mere national possession serving
as a means of unifying our people…. Eretz Yisrael is part
of the very essence of our nationhood; it is bound organically to its very life and inner being.
Based on this passage, choose one word to
describe the Jewish people’s connection to
Israel.
israel gpo
For the remaining texts, focus on the concept of
Zion in Jewish thought and history as a physical
and spiritual idea.
What does Rabbi Kook mean when he says that
the relationship of the Jews to Israel is “organic”?
In what ways does the Jewish tradition reflect
Rabbi Kook’s statement?
Hatikvah
As long as deep in the heart, the soul of a Jew yearns,
and towards the East, an eye looks to Zion, our hope is
not yet lost, the hope of two thousand years, to be a free
people in our land of Zion and Jerusalem.
For background information about the composition
of Hatikvah, visit www.babaganewz.com/teachers.
What is the hope that is referred to in this
song?
Why do you think this is the hope?
Do you think the hope has changed? If so, what
is the hope now?
Write a few lines expressing your own hope for
Israel and the Jewish people.
Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Zion is not a symbol, but a home, and the land is not an
allegory, but a possession, a commitment of destiny.
According to Rabbi Heschel, what is Zion?
What does it mean that the land is “not an alle­
gory, but a possession”?
What is the destiny that Rabbi Heschel
addresses?
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