How can I best express my convictions with pride?
Prep for the Session
Overview
This resource engages with our relationship with Israel through the value of Pride.
At-a-Glance:
This resource was created by the Values in Action team, in response to the horrific terror attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7. It is designed by educators for educators as a tool for processing the events of the moment through a values-based approach. It does not engage with politics, history, or religion per se, but rather offers a path for educators to help their learners and community members process the moment we are in, with values as a starting point.
- A digital device (or transcript) to listen to (or read) Dr. Mijal Bitton’s speech
- Pens to fill out worksheet
- Copies of worksheet, linked here
- At moments when it feels hard to express Jewish pride
- For an opportunity for writing and reflection
Let’s Get Started
FRAME THE ISSUE
What does it mean to express your convictions, or firmly held beliefs, with pride?
Break down the sentence:
•When I hear the words “convictions” or “firmly held beliefs” at this moment, I think of _____________________________.
•When I hear the word pride, as it relates to me at this moment, I think of___________________________________.
Facilitator reads for context and framing:
On October 26th, in the wake of a series of anti-Zionist and antisemitic protests that erupted across the United States, particularly on college campuses, Dr. Mijal Bitton delivered an impassioned address at the “Never Again is Now” NYU Rally.
Scan the QR code or click this link to listen to her speech.
You can read the text of her speech here.
| Scan the QR code or click this link to listen to her speech.
You can read the text of her speech here. |
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Facilitator prompts the group:
- What is one reaction you have as you listen to this speech? Describe the emotion.
EXPLORE THE VALUE
Facilitator reads:
Mijal’s words were nothing short of arresting; they carried the weight of an accusation, a prophecy, a call to action, and a prayer all at once. Uniquely universal yet firmly rooted in Jewish identity, Mijal’s speech served as a testament to the unwavering conviction we must all discover, express, and proclaim without hesitation and with immense pride.
We find ourselves at a pivotal moment in history, one that demands our unwavering resolve. For the sake of our families, our communities, our nation, our people, and our future, we must learn to raise our voices, unapologetically and with unwavering conviction, declaring, ‘Hineni’ – ‘This is me.’ This is who I am. This is what I will fight for.
Expressing pride in this way can feel like an ultimate validation of ourselves, our people and our communities. But it can be hard for us to do. How do we cultivate pride when we need it most? What stands in the way and what moves us forward?
Facilitator prompts the group:
- Think of a moment in recent weeks/months when you were firm in expressing your Jewish pride. When was it? What gave you the confidence to do so?
- Name one thing that is standing in the way of your expressing Jewish pride at this moment. Share with the group.
ACTIVITY/JEWISH ANCHOR
Facilitator introduces the activity rooted in the text of the speech:
Now is a moment for you to declare your ‘Hineni.’ For you to stand strong; to articulate and then say out loud what you will fight for. And even to acknowledge what might be hard about doing that.
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Prompt action
Facilitator prompts the group:
Once you have completed your worksheet, join with a havruta/partner and select two prompts that you filled in from part one, and two prompts from part two of the worksheet, and each share your answers.
- What is something new you have learned about yourself in the process of filling this out?
- Share with one another.
Close with intention
Facilitator reads for framing:
The moment we are in is one that activates many different emotions and presses us to step out of our comfort zones as we live according to our values.
- Choose one line that you wrote in the worksheet above that expresses your Jewish pride.
- What is one new place that is outside your comfort zone, where you will now consider sharing it as an expression of your pride?
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