The Meaning and Limits of Freedom

Using role-plays and text study, this lesson explores the limits of freedom on different levels and the conflicts that arise when freedoms are restricted in order to safeguard other values and liberties. It begins with concrete dilemmas in the students’ lives at home and school. It then moves to broader questions of what kinds of things limit our ability to be truly free and limit our willingness to fight for the freedom of others. The text study portion of this lesson uses political, philosophical, and Hebrew poetic texts. The Hebrew poetry in this lesson is used to highlight personal aspects of the limits of freedom whereas the political and philosophical texts emphasize society’s role in limiting freedoms and the idea of limiting freedom in Israeli society in order to achieve the nation’s destiny.