Your Left Or My Rights? Rockdale Temple. Matt Wagner

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1 Your Left Or My Rights? Rockdale Temple Matt Wagner Touchstone Text: "You shall not hate your kinsman in your heart. Reprove your neighbor, but incur no guilt because of him. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your kinsfolk. Love your neighbor as yourself: I am Adonai." (Leviticus 19:17 18) Goals: Participants gain a deeper understanding of civil rights Objectives: Participants can distinguish the difference between the teaching of the torah and civil rights Materials: Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix E Appendix F Scissors Bag to draw from Cut out terms for charades People: PPs 4 GLs

2 PL Space Needed: Social Hall Time Table: 00:00-00:07-Intro 00:07-00:27-Group Activity 1 00:27-00:28-Switch 00:28-00:48-Group Activity 2 00:48-01:00-Sicah and Closing Detailed Procedure: 00:00-00:07-Intro - PP enter. GLs and PL get PPs sitting and quiet. PL explains the activity and splits the PPs into two groups (Group 1 or Group 2). 00:07-00:27-Group Activity 1 - Group 1 meets with GLs 1 and 2 and begin activity that is on Appendix A. Group 2 meets with GLs 3 and 4 and begin the activity that is on Appendix B. If time allows after the activity, GLs discuss and reflect on the activity with PPs. 00:27-00:28-Switch - The groups meet with the GLs that they haven t met with (Group 1 with GLs 3 and 4, Group 2 with GLs 1 and 2). 00:28-00:48-Group Activity 2 Once the groups are settled the GLs should begin the same activity that they conducted with the last group (GLs 1 and 2 use Appendix A, GLs 3 and 4 use Appendix B). After 20 mins the GLs should bring the two groups together to begin sicah. 00:48-01:00-Sicah and Closing - GLs will conduct the sicah questions for 10 mins. GLs can use Appendix C for starting questions but they aren t required to follow Appendix C. After the sicah, PL and GLs should get the PPs ready for their next program.

3 Appendix A Civil Rights Movement Of The 1950s Activity: In this activity the PPs will learn about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s by participating in a group discussion about key rights that we argued for and the way that people fought for them (definitions for the terms is in Appendix E). No longer than 10 mins for the discussion. After the discussion the PPs will participate in a game of charades that reflects the discussion that they just had (the rules for charades are in Appendix A and cut out the terms in Appendix F to use for charades). Tell the PPs that the terms in charades are the exact terms they just defined. GLs should try to get all group members involved in the game, but if a PP doesn t want to after being asked they don t have to as long as they are actively participating in the groups (answering questions during the discussion, guessing in charades, or any other involvement that is constructive). If every group member that wants to participate has a chance to play and there is still terms that are left, GLs can start choosing PPs that have already participated go again. After all the terms are guessed (or not guessed) the GLs should lead a reflection on the activity and what the PPS have learned about the civil rights. Terms that should be defined in the discussion:

4 Rights, Civil Rights, Right to vote, Right to use public facilities, Right to legal counsel, Right to a fair trial, Freedom, Freedom of Religion, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of opportunity, Equal opportunity (for employment, housing, education), Equality, Discrimination, Segregation, Strike. Rules for Charades: One person draws a term from a bag. That same person will have to act out that term without talking while the audience has to guess the term that the person is acting out. If the term requires another person to act it out the person may select a partner to help. If the audience guess the term within 45 seconds the group will earn a point. If the team doesn t guess it in 45 seconds they will not receive a point. Once the 45 sec. is over the person acting should hand the term back to the GLs so it can be used for the next group.

5 Appendix B Jews Role In The Civil Rights Movement Of The 1950s Activity: In this activity PPs will be learning about Jews that were involved in the Civil Rights Movement of 1950s. GLs will pass out Appendix C to all the PPs to reference. GLs should ask PPs to read sections of the paper but if no one volunteers then GLs should read the section(s). After the paper is read GLs should lead a discussion about the Jews in the Civil Rights movements (sample questions are in Appendix B). GLs are not required to use the sample questions. Discussion Questions: How did Jews affect the Civil Rights Movement? How were Jews affected by the Civil Rights Movement? Can Jews relate to relate to the Civil Rights Movement and what African Americans had to deal with? How did these readings make you feel? Did anything surprise you? Did you already know this? How does this affect you?

6 Appendix C Jewish involvement in the Civil Rights Movement: Judaism teaches respect for the fundamental rights of others as each person's duty to God. "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor" (Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 31a). Equality in the Jewish tradition is based on the concept that all of God's children are "created in the image of God" (Genesis 1:27). From that flows the biblical injunction, "You shall have one law for the stranger and the citizen alike: for I, Adonai, am your God" (Leviticus 24:22). American Jews played a significant role in the founding and funding of some of the most important civil rights organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). In 1909, Henry Moscowitz joined W.E.B. DuBois and other civil rights leaders to found the NAACP. Kivie Kaplan, a vice-chairman of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (now the Union for Reform Judaism), served as the national president of the NAACP from 1966 to Arnie Aronson worked with A. Philip Randolph and Roy Wilkins to found the Leadership Conference. From 1910 to 1940, more than 2,000 primary and secondary schools and twenty black colleges (including Howard, Dillard and Fisk universities) were established in whole or in part by contributions from Jewish philanthropist Julius Rosenwald. At the height of the so-called "Rosenwald schools," nearly forty percent of southern blacks were educated at one of these institutions. During the Civil Rights Movement, Jewish activists represented a disproportionate number of whites involved in the struggle. Jews made up half of the young people who participated in the Mississippi Freedom Summer in Leaders of the Reform Movement were arrested with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1964 after a challenge to racial segregation in public accommodations. Most famously, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marched arm-in-arm with Dr. King in his 1965 March on Selma.

7 The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were drafted in the conference room of Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, under the aegis of the Leadership Conference, which for decades was located in the RAC's building. The Jewish community has continued its support of civil rights laws addressing persistent discrimination in voting, housing and employment against not only women and people of color but also in the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and the disabled community. This information was provided by the Religious Action Center of Reformed Judaism.

8 Appendix D Sicah Questions GLs should lead the sicah questions. GLs can use the sample questions, but aren t required to use the questions Sample Questions What was the purpose of this activity? What did you learn from this activity? How were the Jews involved in the Civil Rights Movement? What terms were you not familiar with? Was it hard to act out the terms during charades? How does this relate to you?

9 Appendix E Terms that should be defined in the discussion: Rights- a moral or legal entitlement to have or obtain something or to act in a certain way. Civil rights- the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality. Right to vote-any citizen of voting age can vote Right to use public facilities-any citizen can use; bathrooms, water fountains, or any public facilities Right to legal counsel- a defendant has a right to have the assistance of counsel (i.e., lawyers), and if the defendant cannot afford a lawyer, requires that the government appoint one or pay the defendant's legal expenses. Right to a fair trial-a Fair Trial is the best means of separating the guilty from the innocent and protecting against injustice. Without this right, the rule of law and public faith in the justice system collapse. Freedom- the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint. Freedom of Religion- the right to practice whatever religion one chooses. Freedom of Speech- the right to express any opinions without censorship or restraint. Freedom of Press-The right to circulate opinions in print without censorship by the government. Equal opportunity for employment- an employer who agrees not to discriminate against any employee or job applicant because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, physical or mental disability, or age.

10 Equal Opportunity for housing-an equal chance of obtaining the housing regardless of your race, religion, socio-economic status, sexual orientation or things of this nature. It provides protection for people that are diverse in their background. Equal opportunity for education-an equal chance of obtaining an education regardless of your race, religion, socio-economic status, sexual orientation or things of this nature. Equality- the condition of being equal Discrimination- the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. Segregation- the enforced separation of different racial groups in a country, community, or establishment. Strike- a refusal to work organized by a body of employees as a form of protest, typically in an attempt to gain a concession or concessions from their employer.

11 Appendix F Terms for charades (should be cut out): Strike Rights Discrimination Segregation Freedom Freedom of religion Freedom of speech

12 Freedom of press Right to vote Right to use public facilities Right to legal counsel Right to a fair trial Civil rights Rights Equality Equal opportunity for housing Equal opportunity for education Equal opportunity for employment

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