During this two-day workshop, Jewish educators from New York city and across the country, will delve into the Jewish American experience. As they explore the sites of the Lower East Side, they will consider how Jewish identity has evolved during the last 100 years. Participants will also work together to develop curricular materials to support their students' understanding of Jewish identity, past and present.
essential questions:
- What does it mean to be an American Jew?
- How does this identity change over time?
key history content goals
Workshop will increase teacher’s content knowledge, specifically the:
- History of the great wave of Jewish immigration at the turn of the 20th century
- Changing role of Jewish identity within American history
- Differing assumptions held by people across time and place regarding Jewish identity and belonging.
- Development of the Bar and Bat Mitzvah in America and the changing idea regarding its meaning, celebration, and role within American Judaism.
key pedagogy goals
Workshop will develop teacher’s ability to:
- Utilize key events in Jewish history to connect to issues of identity and social justice
- Examine historical evidence from multiple perspectives
- Connect Jewish history to students' lives
- Utilize the Your Stories, Our Stories materials within a Jewish identity curriculum
resources
Participants receive access to a variety of materials that can be integrated into their curriculum and adjusted based on their unique scheduling and curricular needs. These include:
- Primary sources (photographs, oral histories, maps etc.) documenting the Jewish Lower East Side
- Tip Sheets for integrating primary sources, oral history, and personal narrative within their curriculum
- Access to the beta version of the Your Stories, Our Stories online exhibit site where students will be able to add their own family’s story to a collection exploring identity through objects, as well as curricular resources and worksheets to help teachers integrate this valuable identity project into their classrooms.