Hineini Curriculum Resource Guide
Part A: Tools for Change
Core Lesson/Group Activity
2. Being the Change You Wish To See in the World
Description: Using small group work and class discussion, students will learn about basic community
organizing principles and apply them to issues they want to address in their own lives.You may want to open
with the “Leadership Shuffle” exercise at the beginning of this unit.
Time: 60 minutes
Recommended Age Range: grades 7 – 12
Objectives:
n Students
will learn about basic community organizing principles and apply them to their own surroundings.
Materials:
n Optional:
Four guiding quotes (You can hand out the “Social Change: Guiding Quotes” sheet, copy the
quotes in large letters on the board or easel, or post the quotes around the room for all to see.)
n “Map
of Power” handout (one per student)
n “Steps
to Change” handout (one per student)
n “Organizing
for Change” worksheet (two per small group)
n Easel
paper
n Markers
n Stickers
– colored dot stickers, such as those used for filing, will work fine, or you may want to buy some fun
ones (three for each student).
Suggested Film Clips:
Title
Length
Map of Power
1:53
Rainbow Keychain
2:05
Shula on the Line
3:06
Raising Your Voice
1:34
Instructions:
1. Optional: You may want to set the stage for this lesson by displaying the quotations from the “Social Change:
Guiding Quotes” sheet in the room, asking for comments about them, or sharing them with the students
in some other way.You could open with a brief discussion of different texts that demonstrate the Jewish
tradition’s commitment to social change, using the Jewish textual quotes on the “Guiding Quotes” handout
as examples.
2. Introduce the core lesson by reminding students that Shulamit was a high school student who wanted to
change her community so that she and other GLBT students and faculty would feel included and accepted
at her school. She took different steps to achieve her goals and used basic tools of community organizing to
create change.
Then tell students, “Today you are going to think about what it takes to be an activist for change and how
one person can really make a difference.”
page | 82
This lesson plan is hosted at www.on1foot.org, a project of American Jewish World Service
Hineini Curriculum Resource Guide
3. Ask the full group to brainstorm issues they might want to address in their school or community. These issues
may be related to sexual orientation or gender identity but they do not have to be. Some examples might
be: more student input about elective courses; social justice programs for youth at the synagogue; supporting
a community campaign for affordable housing; or other larger issues that affect more than just the school,
camp, or youth group.
Write the list on a large piece of easel paper. Try to combine any similar items.
4. Give each student three stickers. Ask students to come up to the easel paper and put a sticker next to the
three items on the list that are most important to them.
5. See which item gets the most votes. (If there is a tie regarding the most popular issue, hold a run-off to
choose just one.) Now tell the group that they’re going to imagine how they would take action on that issue
using some of the same strategies used by Shulamit.
6. Distribute the “Map of Power” and “Steps to Change” handouts and give students a minute to review them.
Then, form small groups and, using the handouts as models, ask participants to design maps of power for their
own communities related to the issue chosen by the group. Instruct them to be sure to include youth and
parents in the map.You should give the students about ten minutes to draw their maps.
7. Now ask each group to report back the major elements in their map of power. Record these on easel paper.
You may want to refer to this record at a later date.
8. If you have done the previous lesson, “Shulamit’s Map of Power,” remind the group of the supports, obstacles,
objectives, and goals that they discussed regarding Shulamit’s campaign in Hineini. If you haven’t done these
activities, read the following to your students to help them think about how change happens and to identify
objectives for their goal(s).
Lasting change rarely happens because of just one person. A person who wants to create change needs to be able to work
with other people. When people want to organize for change they usually have one or two long-term goals and some
short-term objectives. The objectives help bring about the goals. For example, let’s say you want to raise $1,000 to support
the Jewish anti-hunger organization, Mazon.Your goal is to raise the money and support the work of the organization
Mazon. What are some of the objectives that might help you reach your goals?
Then ask students for some examples of short-term objectives, such as organizing a bake sale, soliciting
parents and friends for donations, and publicizing your campaign.
9. Form small groups again and give each group two “Organizing for Change” worksheets (one for a rough
draft; one for a final).
10. Have the students work in their small groups to fill out the goals, objectives, supports, and obstacles for
the issue they identified. Remind them that their supports and obstacles can be people, ideas, or groups of
people. For example, in the case of a student service club, an obstacle could be perceived apathy among
students. Ten minutes should be enough time for this activity.
11. Ask each group to report back its responses. Each group should report its views on which individuals or
groups seem to have the most power and who (individual or group) is most likely to be able to influence
that person or group.
12. Brainstorm effective action steps given their analysis of the situation.
page | 83
This lesson plan is hosted at www.on1foot.org, a project of American Jewish World Service
Hineini Curriculum Resource Guide
Social Change: Guiding Quotes
You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
—gandhi
How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
—anne
frank
It is not upon you to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it.
—pirke
avot
2:16
We have to keep pursuing justice, knowing that we have not yet attained it.
—rabbi
yehuda leib alter of ger, the sefat emet,
on deuteronomy, parashat shofetim,
639
page | 84
This lesson plan is hosted at www.on1foot.org, a project of American Jewish World Service
Hineini Curriculum Resource Guide
Map of Power
page | 85
This lesson plan is hosted at www.on1foot.org, a project of American Jewish World Service
Hineini Curriculum Resource Guide
Steps to Change
Following is a list of the key steps Shulamit took toward her goals:
1. Found books at the library to help her understand her feelings
2. Came out to herself and her parents
3. Found Keshet – an organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Jews
4. Interned at Keshet
5. Met GLBT student activists at other schools
6. Learned about Massachusetts state laws regarding Gay/Straight Alliances (GSAs) in public schools
7. Found the rainbow keychain and an ally in her teacher Gina Fried
8. Studied Jewish texts and talked about change in Judaism with Bonna Haberman, her Talmud teacher
9. Created a “Map of Power” with help from Keshet
10. Called other students at her school to ask for support
11. Formed an informal student support group
12. Met with Rabbi Lehmann
13. Wrote letter to school paper
14. Organized the Beit Midrash (school assembly) on Homosexuality and Judaism
15. Submitted proposal for GSA to the school’s Religious Policy Committee
16. Gave a speech at the Jewish Women’s Archive “Women Who Dared” award ceremony
page | 86
This lesson plan is hosted at www.on1foot.org, a project of American Jewish World Service
Hineini Curriculum Resource Guide
Organizing for Change Worksheet
Long–Term Goals
Interim Objectives
Supports
Obstacles
page | 87
This lesson plan is hosted at www.on1foot.org, a project of American Jewish World Service