The History
of Israel
Teacher’s Guide
by David Bianco, Micah Streiffer,
and Joel Lurie Grishaver
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manufactured in the united states of america
The
History
of
Israel
David Bianco
The History of Israel
An Instant Lesson Series
Teacher’s Guide
David Bianco, Micah Streiffer, and Joel Lurie Grishaver
Grades: 6-Adult
Format: 12 Lesson Folders—each lesson is
either four or eight pages long
Timing: Lessons can take between 1 and 4
hours
The History of Israel Instant Lesson
Series is a resource for teaching about the evolution and development of the State of Israel.
• Each of these units allows for one to four
hours of teachings.
• They cover an arc of time starting with the
foundations of political Zionism in Europe,
include a portrait of the five major Aliyot, and
move through the founding of the State to
the wars and situations that have followed.
• A wonderful Israel course can be built out
of these lessons as a group, or individual lessons can be used as part of a framework for
teaching about Israel. That choice is yours.
• We have evolved this material as a sequence
of stand-alone lessons rather than as book on
purpose. In this way, you, the teacher, get to
adapt these materials to the way you want to
teach. You get to choose the number and the
sequence of the materials you will use. You
can mix them and match them and evolve
your own way of using them.
The Format
The lessons are constructed of two essential elements:
1. At the core is an essay that would be the
equivalent of a chapter found in a good his-
tory text. This essay is surrounded with highquality historical photographs and quotations, which offer a second layer of learning
opportunities.
2. In addition, each of these lessons contains a
classroom activity that uses the information
taught in the chapter and that asks students
to apply that information to develop a deeper
understanding.
The Lessons
These lessons allow for a chronological teaching of the history of Israel. That is, of course,
not the only way that this material could be
presented. There are all kinds of thematic structures that work as well. Your job as a teacher
is to find the structure that will work for
you. other materials and resources can easily
be interwoven with these lessons. The lessons
include:
Theodor Herzl—herzl was the founder of
Political Zionism. In 1891 he was a reporter at
the Dreyfus trial, and that experience of antiSemitism triggered his Zionism. In many ways,
his biography provides an opportunity to trace
the roots of modern Zionism as a response to
European antisemitism. This lesson uses herzl’s
biography to give students a chance to think
about issues of identity and Zionist history and
apply some of those concepts to their own lives.
The Balfour Declaration—In 1917 the
British government issued the Balfour Declaration, which declares that “his Majesty’s governhistory of Israel Teacher’s Guide—3
Rav Kook—Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook was
ment views with favour the establishment of
a national homeland for the Jewish people in
Palestine.” It was a turning point, a moment
when the actualization of the Zionist ideal, the
realization of a Jewish State, for the first time
seemed possible. This lesson not only teaches
that moment, but helps to define the political
struggles that emerged as the Jewish settlement
in Israel grew after WWI.
the founder of Religious Zionism, the first
modern Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel, and
one of the first Orthodox rabbis to support the
idea of a Jewish state. This lesson is biography
that helps students explore Kook’s life and
ideas. It also allows you to introduce the problem of Israel being both a secular state and a
religious place.
The Five Aliyot—Israel is a country that
David Ben-Gurion—Ben-Gurion was Israel’s
was built in layers. Each of these layers is an
aliyah, a wave of immigration. These include
a Russian aliyah of pioneers starting around
1881; a second Russian wave that came in
response to a wave of pogroms between 1903
and 1905; a third wave, mainly of Russian
Socialists, that came between 1917 and the mid1920s; a fourth wave of more middle class,
urban Jews, who came in the mid-1920s; and
a fifth aliyah, a wave trying to escape Nazi Germany, which came in the 1930s. This lesson
both helps students understand the impact of
world history on the foundation of Israel and
describes the diversity of motivation and ideology of the settlers who came.
The Kibbutz—The kibbutz is one of Israel’s
unique institutions. This lesson starts with the
history of the kibbutz and its creation by early
settlers. It ends with a simulated kibbutz meeting that struggles with the compromises that
are facing the modern kibbutz movement, the
changes that may be ending the viability of kibbutzim as a way of life. This lesson moves from
the history of the kibbutz to its possible futures.
Henrietta Szold—Henrietta Szold was born
in 1860 and died in 1945. She was part of the
pioneer process that helped to create the state.
Her role in the creation of Hadassah and Youth
Aliyah are both significant parts of the story of
how Israel came to be. Szold’s life story is also
important because it tells the story of a woman
who came to major leadership and influence.
This lesson fits into both contexts.
—History of Israel Teacher’s Guide
charismatic and eccentric founding father, first
prime minister, and the nation’s conscience and
guide through its first fifteen years of statehood.
In many ways his story is the story of the state.
He was one of the pioneers who moved from
Russia and helped to establish a kibbutz; he
fought in the Jewish Brigade during WWI and
then was active in the political process that
moved out of the Holocaust and into the creation of Israel. His story takes us through the
political events that shaped Israel.
Birth of Israel—This lesson picks up the
story at 1945. It includes illegal immigration,
the formulation of the underground movements, the public political process and the Partition Plan, the British Mandate, and the War
of Independence. This lesson also provides an
opportunity to study the Declaration of Independence of the State of Israel.
A Land of Jews from All Over the
World—Since its founding in 1948, Israel has
seen wave after wave of Jewish immigration
from every corner of the world. This instant
lesson exposes students to the different sources
of aliyah to Israel and the unique challenges
that each group of olim has faced. Students also
have an opportunity to consider whether aliyah
might be a part of their future.
The Six-Day War—The Six-Day War was
a key historical turning point that forever
changed Israel’s status with regard to security,
diplomacy, and world sympathies. This instant
lesson introduces the history of the 1967 war,
along with its many consequences. It also
teaches how Israel’s map has changed and gives
students a chance to reflect on the particular
importance of Jerusalem’s reunification in the
Israeli psyche.
Golda Meir—Although Golda Meir is
undoubtedly the most important woman in
Israeli history, today’s students were born after
she died and never knew her as a Prime Minister or a political personality. This instant lesson
begins with an essay about the obstacles she
faced and her contributions—both positive and
negative—to Israel (including the Yom Kippur
War fiasco). It concludes with an opportunity
for students to analyze several of Golda’s cleverest and best-known “quips.”
The West Bank—The West Bank is one of
the most difficult—and most important—issues
in the Middle East today. The fate of the West
Bank will likely determine the future of Israel’s
relations with the Palestinians and with her
neighbors. This Instant Lesson provides your
students with some historical background on
the conflict by using the Baruch Goldstein massacre and the city of Hebron as a case study.
History of Israel Teacher’s Guide—
Theodor Herzl
Overview
This lesson contains a biography of Theodor
herzl. It narrates his transformation as his
exposure to the antisemitism of the Dreyfus
trial created within him a sense of Jewish identity. It follows his creation of Political Zionism as
a result of that experience, and then his creation
of the World Zionist Congress. As part of his
story we read about the creation of the Israeli
flag and of the uganda plan. In this lesson
a crossword puzzle serves as a review activity,
gathering together the key information.
Goals
1. Students will understand the ideas behind
political Zionism and their importance in
Jewish history.
2. Students will be able to explain the argument
over the uganda Plan and take a stand on
what they felt the Zionist movement should
have done.
3. Students will discuss herzl’s willpower and
perseverance and will apply the concept of
working toward a dream to their own lives.
Instructions
1. Begin by looking at herzl’s phrase “ImTirzu
AinZoAgadah—If you want it, it is not just
a legend.”
Some suggestions:
• Sing Debbie Friedman’s song “ImTirzu.”
You can use your school’s songleader or a
6—history of Israel Teacher’s Guide
tape or CD. [The song is found on the “Ani
Ma’amin” album.]
• Discussion points:
A. The word “Tirzu” is plural. Singular
would be “Tirzeh” or “Tirzi.” Students
may recognize the root dvx, from “Ani
Rotzeh—I want. What was herzl saying
about the goal of a Jewish state by
saying “If y’all want it” instead of “If
you want it”? Why is it important that
herzl saw this as a national, collective
struggle instead of just his own dream?
B. What is Agadah? It is a term for
those pieces of rabbinic literature that
are not really laws, such as stories
and advice. It also means fable or fairytale, although it is often translated
as “dream.” Which translation do
your students think is the most appropriate in this particular sentence—
dream, story, fantasy, fairytale?
C. In 1902, herzl wrote a “fantasy” novel
called Altneulandor Old-NewLand. In
the book he envisioned a future Jewish
state that would develop the land of
Israel using the latest technologies and
social trends (equality, Socialism). The
idea of a Jewish state was a sort of
legendfor him. Why did he say that “it
is no legend”?
D. What are some ways that this phrase
could apply to your students’ own
lives? herzl was a model of hard work
and strong beliefs. Who are some
other people who believed in a seemingly impossible dream and worked
to make it come true? What are some
situations where “sticking it out” and
working hard toward a dream were
important in your students’ lives or
their friends’ and family members’
lives?
2.Read the essay. This can be done out loud
in class, quietly at student desks, or as a
homework assignment due the day of class.
The questions in the sidebars are meant
to emphasize some of the most important
issues in the essay. You may want to have students write their answers down, discuss the
questions as a class, or discuss in pairs and
then share their answers. Use the answers
that they come up with as a basis for further
discussion of the ideas.
Key Discussion Issues:
•Have you ever had an antisemitic experience? How did it effect your feelings about
being Jewish?
• When you hear about anti-Semitism on
the news, how do you feel? Do you
become more or less Jewish at those
moments?
• If the Jewish State was not in Israel, would
you feel the same about it?
3
Students can work on the crossword
puzzle alone or in pairs. The solution is below.
Suggested Activities
1. This instant lesson hints at several issues in
Zionist history. Any one of them could be an
interesting discussion.
•Historians argue all the time about the
importance of individuals in history. Some
say that broad forces like nationalism
and war lead to great changes in history,
and that although some people become
famous, their contributions are often exaggerated. How does this apply in the case
of Herzl? Would we have a Jewish state
without him?
•Herzl died at age 44, which may seem
old to your students (shudder) but is still
just over half a normal life span. Imagine
if Herzl lived to age ninety (1950). What
might he have thought about the events
in Jewish history from 1904-1950? Here’s
a timeline.
1889-1939: Hundreds of thousands of
Jews make aliyah to Palestine.
1917: The Balfour Declaration—a statement
from the British government in favor
of the establishment in Palestine of a
national home for the Jewish people.
1922: Great Britain takes control of Palestine after World War I.
1939: The British White Paper severely
restricts the number of Jewish immigrants allowed into Palestine.
1939-45: The Holocaust—six million Jews
murdered.
1947: The United Nations votes to partition Palestine into a Jewish state and
an Arab state. The Jews accept the plan
but the Arabs reject it.
1948: State of Israel founded. War of Independence begins.
1950: The Law of Return says that all Jews
have the right to settle in Israel. Jews
from Middle Eastern countries make
their way to Israel.
• There are arguments over whether Zionism was a fully developed nationalist
movement or simply a response to antiSemitism in Europe. Some historians say
that Zionism developed because other
groups—the Italians, French, Hungarians—
were establishing independent states, and
the Jews felt that they too were a national
History of Israel Teacher’s Guide—
group that deserved a state. Others say it
was mainly a way to get the Jews out of
the danger in Europe. What evidence can
your students find in the essay to support
each side? What side does each of these
events support?
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• The impact of the Dreyfus Affair and
other antisemitism on Herzl’s philosophy
It shows that he dreamt up Ziomisn as a
response to antisemitism.
• The rejection of the Uganda Plan
Shows that Zionism was nationalist. The
Jews were thinking in terms of creating a
state in THEIR OWN land, and not just
settling Jews anywhere but Europe.
2.Role-play the Sixth Zionist Congress and
debate the Uganda Plan. Assign students
roles such as Herzl, a Jew from Russia, a
Jew from Britain, etc. Let them prepare position papers based on the instant lesson and
their own ideas about where the Jewish State
should be, and then conduct a debate.
3.The instant lesson mentions Old-New Land,
Herzl’s science-fiction novel fantasizing what
a Jewish state would look like twenty years in
the future. Have students write a few pages,
with illustrations, from what they imagine
Herzl’s book might have looked like. Or have
them come up with their own science fiction
work of what they think Israel will be like
twenty years from now.
Further Resources:
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Across
1.
3.
6.
8.
9.
11.
13.
14.
Loyalty to one’s land and people.
Booklet written by Herzl that outlined his ideas
Herzl’s great skill that enabled him to take action with his ideas
1903 proposal by the British government allowing the Jews to
settle in an African country
Russian city where a wave of anti-Jewish attacks broke out in
1903
Herzl’s most famous statement: “If you will it, it is no _______”
Herzl’s country of birth
Land where Herzl’s coffin was reburied 45 years after his death
Down
2.
4.
5.
7.
Hostility toward Jews
Herzl’s occupation early in life
Political movement advanced by Herzl
Herzl’s novel about a successful Jewish homeland twenty years
in the future
10. Austrian capital where Herzl lived and was buried
12. Swiss city where Herzl and his followers met annually
After the puzzle has been completed, rearrange the letters
in the circled squares to spell out something that Herzl
never did:
Finkelstein, Norman. Theodor Herzl: Architect of
a Nation. Lerner Publishing Group, 1991.
Herzl, Theodor. The Jewish State.
Herzl, Theodor. Old New Land.
Shimoni, Gideon (Editor), Theodor Herzl: Visionary of the Jewish State. Herzl Press, 1999.
—History of Israel Teacher’s Guide
M A K E
A L I Y A H
Balfour Declaration
Overview
This lesson centers on the effect of World War
I on the founding of the State of Israel. It
tells the story of the Zion Mule Corps and of
the impact of Chaim Weizmann on influencing
British attitudes. It also tells about the actual
political process that yielded the Balfour Declaration and the Arab reaction. The activity at
the end of this lesson allows students to compare four different drafts of the Declaration
and discuss the importance of seemingly minor
changes made to the document.
Goals
1. Students will understand the importance of
the Balfour Declaration in Zionist history.
2. Students will be familiar with the evolution
of the Balfour Declaration and the ways in
which seemingly small changes in its language were actually very important.
Instructions
1. read the essay. This can be done out loud
in class, quietly at student desks, or as a
homework assignment due the day of class.
2. The question in the sidebar is meant to
emphasize some of the most important
issues in the essay. You may want to have students write their answers down, discuss the
questions as a class, or discuss in pairs and
then share their answers. use the answers
that they come up with as a basis for further
discussion of the ideas.
3. Do the “four drafts” activity on the back
page.
• have four different students read the four
drafts of the Balfour Declaration out loud.
• Students should underline key changes as
each draft is read.
• have students answer the questions at the
bottom of page 4 alone or in pairs.
1. What is the difference between
“Palestine...as the national home of the
Jewish people” and “the establishment
in Palestine of a national home for the
Jewish people”? Why do you think that
change was made?
Thefirstimpliesthatall ofPalestine
wouldbecometheJewishnationalhome.
ThelaterdraftimpliesthataJewish
nationalhomewillbein Palestine—not
necessarilyalloftheland,andnotnecessarilyanindependentstate.
2. What do you think was the most
important change in the drafts of the
Balfour Declaration?
Whydoyourstudentsfeelthewaythey
do?
4. Discuss the other changes your students
found. What is the probable significance of
each change?
history of Israel Teacher’s Guide—9
Suggested Activities
Further Resources
1. There are several issues in Zionist history
hinted at by this instant lesson. Any one of
them could be an interesting discussion.
John, Robert. Behind the Balfour Declaration.
Legion for the Survival of Freedom, 1988.
• Zionism was by no means a consensus
philosophy in the Jewish community in
the early 20th century. Why were so many
Jews opposed to Zionism?
Orthodox Jews believed that only the Messiah
could return the Jews to Israel—Jews could
not do it themselves. Some very Western Jews
believed that the Jews are only a religion, not
a nation. They believed that Jews should be
citizens of the nations of the world (a Frenchman of the Jewish persuasion) and not try
to separate themselves out in their own state.
Other reasons are given in the essay.
• Which of Britain’s reasons for the Balfour
Declaration seem reasonable to you?
Which seem far-fetched?
The reasons are listed in the essay on page 3.
2.Have students use encyclopedias, history
textbooks, and the Internet to investigate
World War I. What were its causes? Who
fought? Who won and why? What role did
the Middle East play in that conflict?
3.Role-play some of the following conversations between British Jews, British officials,
and Palestinian Jews as the decision on the
Balfour Declaration approached:
• A Zionist British Jew and a British official
discussing the text of the declaration. (Use
the four texts on the back page—why does
each want it to say what he wanted?)
• A non-Zionist British Jew and a Zionist
British Jew arguing over whether a Jewish
homeland is needed and why.
• A Palestinian Jew and a British Jew right
after the Declaration is released, discussing their next steps after Britain wins the
war.
10—History of Israel Teacher’s Guide
Malcolm, James. Origins of the Balfour Declaration. Legion for the Survival of Freedom, 1983.