I Said, I Heard, I Want.
Prep for the Session
Overview
This resource engages with the current crisis in Israel through the value of Presence.
Note for facilitator:
This resource was created by the Values in Action team, in response to the horrific terror attacks on Israel by Hamas. 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.
- Pen and paper and/or journal for free-writing exercise and prompts
- Copies – digital or hard copies – of the poem Wanted by Admiel Kosman
- A way to collaboratively share responses – poster board and markers, Jamboard, Google doc, etc.
Let’s Get Started
OPENING PROMPT
Read the following opening lines from the poem “Wanted” by Admiel Kosman:
“Wanted, a quiet place to rest the soul.
Just for a few moments.
Wanted, a place to rest the feet.
Just for a few minutes.”
Facilitator prompts the group:
- When you read these lines, how do you feel?
- Share your feelings with the group.
EXPLORE THE VALUE
Facilitator reads for framing:
Presence is a state when your brain is fully engaged in a particular moment, and you are an active participant with what is happening around you. At the present moment with emotions running high, with non-stop news cycles playing in loops on our feeds, and with tension about our loved ones and the collective fate of the Jewish people growing each day, it can be nearly impossible to find a moment of presence to gather emotions. And with good reason – the care and concern for others overwhelms us. Holding onto the value of presence for a few brief moments allows us to anchor ourselves in the moment we are in, so that we can move forward.
Facilitator prompts the group:
- Over the last week/s, month/s when was a time that you felt present? Describe the moment and what you were doing.
ACTIVITY
PART I– Free Journaling: (5 minutes journaling + sharing)
- To collect their thoughts, emotions and to start to make some order from overwhelming chaos, each participant should spend five minutes free-writing in their journal or on paper. Facilitator should set a timer and encourage participants to write whatever comes to mind, continuously. Participants should try not to have their pen lift the paper and just keep writing. Participants are guided to release all self-critical judgments about the content of their writing. (Content of writing will not be shared.)
- Participants are invited to review the content of their writing taking note of any trends or themes.
Facilitator prompts:
- How did that feel?
Participants are encouraged to share their reflections on how that felt with one another – either verbally or in writing. (Use Jamboard, google doc, poster board, etc.)
PART II– What have you said? What have you heard? (7 minutes writing + sharing)
Facilitator shares the following prompts with the group and gives them seven minutes to respond to all of them in personal reflective writing, then encourages sharing with the group.
- What have I said too often during this last week?
- What have I not said enough during this last week?
- What have I heard too much of this week?
- What have I not heard enough of this week?
Facilitator encourages sharing, and the group listens and captures points of commonality and contrast.
ANCHOR IN JEWISH WISDOM
Read together the following poem –מבוקש– “Wanted” – by Admiel Kosman (b.1957)– an Israeli poet and professor of Talmud.
(Depending on the group read in Hebrew and/or in English.)
Facilitator prompts the group:
- Spend a few minutes analyzing the poem together as a group.
- What are some key words that leave an impression on you?
- Considering the value of presence as introduced above:
– What is hindering our being present right now?
– What other values get in the way of presence?
– What makes being present difficult right now?
Prompt action
Facilitator prompts the group: What do you want right now?
- Based on the poem above what is one thing that you “want” right now? (It can be personal or communal, immediate or long term, close by or far away. The parameters are broad.)
– I want ….
Participants are encouraged to write their answers on a shared document or Jamboard, where answers can be captured anonymously. Each person reads out loud the response of another.
Facilitator prompts the group to make commitments:
- In this challenging moment, how can we help ourselves be more present? What tools do we have at our disposal?
- What is one commitment you can make to try and stay in the moment, at least for some part of your day?
Facilitator invites participants to spend 2-3 minutes writing their answers to the prompts above.
Close with intention
Facilitator prompts the group:
- As you made space for some presence in this difficult moment we are in, what is one word you are taking away with you from the conversation today?
- Why that word?
Back to I Said, I Heard, I Want. 
