Introduction
This five-part lesson plan is ideal for a summer camp or other informal educational setting but can also easily be adapted to the classroom. These lessons, which teach students about the plight of Soviet Jewry, were originally written and implemented prior to 1980. Some aspects of the original lessons have been updated below, but all original materials are also included.
Lesson 1
Learning Objectives
- Develop a deeper awareness and appreciation of our freedom to be Jewish.
- To understand the ease with which we are able to freely practice our Judaism.
- Create an awareness of the prominence of Jewish materials available to us in a free country.
- Begin to recognize the basic geography of the Soviet Union.
Click here to preview the lesson. The original lesson plan was written by Enid L. Wurtman prior to 1980. You can view the original lesson here.
Lesson 2
Learning Objectives
- To develop an understanding of Russian history, as it relates to immigration to America and our ancestors.
- To help students realize that many of them have ancestors who immigrated to America from Russia.
- Create an awareness of the prevalence and effects of Anti-Semitism.
Click here to preview the lesson. The original lesson plan was written by Enid L. Wurtman prior to 1980. You can view the original lesson here.
Lesson 3
Objectives
- To introduce students to Russian history from the Revolution until 1967.
- To recognize the importance of the Holocaust and how this affected the plight of Soviet Jews even after so many were killed
- To understand that the establishment of the State of Israel created a haven for Jews around the world who needed refuge.
Click here to preview the lesson. The original lesson plan was written by Enid L. Wurtman prior to 1980. You can view the original lesson here.
Lesson 4
Learning Objectives
- To familiarize students with the history of the Soviet Emigration Movement, beginning in 1967 and continuing through the 1980s.
- To help students understand the struggles, personal tragedies, and sacrifices that many Soviet Jews went through in order to fight for their right to live freely as Jews in their homeland.
Click here to preview the lesson. The original lesson plan was written by Enid L. Wurtman prior to 1980. You can view the original lesson here.
Lesson 5
Learning Objectives
To recognize that responsibility is on us all when there is injustice in the world and that even a small action can cause a ripple that might eventually lead to results.
Click here to preview the lesson. The original lesson plan was written by Enid L. Wurtman prior to 1980. You can view the original lesson here.