Synagogues and Languages
In this lesson, students will investigate visual images and word samples to learn more about how Jews have lived as a part of and apart from their host communities.
About
Summary: In this lesson, students will investigate visual images and word samples to learn more about how Jews have lived as a part of and apart from their host communities.
Essential Question(s)
- How have Jewish migrations impacted the expression of Jewish culture,
including language? - To what extent have Jewish communities integrated culturally into the
host cultures of the countries to which they have moved? - What languages have Jews spoken?
Objective:
In this lesson, students will:
- Understand that Jewish communities have experienced tensions
between integration and distinctiveness. - Learn that Jews live and have lived in diverse locations throughout the
world. - Learn that Jews speak and have spoken languages that are both similar
to and distinct from the languages spoken by their non-Jewish
neighbors.
This resource is a part of a larger curriculum: Beyond the Family Tree: Jewish History and Diversity through Family Names and Languages. Within this resource is the singular lesson plan that can be used individually or alongside the rest of the curriculum, as well as handouts that accompany it. The entire curriculum can be found here: https://www.sepharditoolkit.org/jewish-language-project/
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