How$I$use$JWA$materials$in$a$“Great$American$Jewish$Women”$Class$

Jessica$Kirzane$

Encyclopedia$Ar?cles$

Jessica$Kirzane,$Community$High$School$Teacher,$New$York$City$

Ideas$with$Encyclopedia$Ar?cles$

G I$use$these$for$ideas$of$women$to$present,$and$for$background$research$G They$are$also$great$for$students$to$do$research$for$their$own$presenta?ons.$$(for$instance:$Find$someone$else$in$this$category,$read$about$her,$and$present$five$facts$to$the$class$next$week)$

Jessica$Kirzane,$Community$High$School$Teacher,$New$York$City$$

Go$and$Learn$Lessons$

Jessica$Kirzane,$Community$High$School$Teacher,$New$York$City$$

Ideas$with$Go$and$Learn$Lessons$•  Use$the$texts$with$or$without$suggested$ques?ons$–$and$look$at$

suggested$ques?ons$for$each$age$group$as$a$branching$off$idea$•  Example:$How$I$used$the$Ray$Frank$lesson:$$

My$ques?ons$for$discussion$•  What$does$it$mean$for$her$to$be$a$“Great$American$Jewish$Woman”$if$she$was$

only$in$a$leadership$role$for$five$years?$•  Why$does$she$say$that$it$is$“well”$that$Jewish$women$have$been$in$the$

background$of$history?$$Do$you$agree?$•  How$will$studying$women$be$different$than$studying$men?$$What$kinds$of$

influence$have$women$had?$$What$spheres$do$you$expect$them$to$have$been$influen?al$in?$$Do$you$see$evidence$of$Ray$Frank$being$influen?al$in$tradi?onal$women’s$spheres?$$In$tradi?onal$male$spheres?$$In$both?$

•  Is$she$providing$spiritual$guidance,$communal$leadership,$or$both?$•  What$does$voluntary$work$mean?$$Does$it$have$to$be$unpaid,$or$just$hear^elt?$$

Do$we$value$the$work$of$unpaid$volunteers$as$much$as$the$work$of$paid$employees?$$Does$voluntary$have$to$be$the$opposite$of$obliga?on$(and$does$this$make$it$the$opposite$of$men’s$rela?onship$to$Judaism)?$

•  Do$you$think$that$she$is$speaking$mostly$to$men,$women,$or$both?$

Jessica$Kirzane,$Community$High$School$Teacher,$New$York$City$$

Women$of$Valor$Posters$

Jessica$Kirzane,$Community$High$School$Teacher,$New$York$City$$

Name:$______________________$$Worksheet$for$“Women$of$Valor”$Poster$$Why$is$this$woman$considered$a$leader$in$American$Jewish$history?$$$Name$three$of$the$most$significant$events$in$this$woman’s$life.$What$do$you$think$inspired$her$to$be$a$leader$in$her$field?$$Answer'one'of'the'following'ques1ons'in'the'space'below.$Do$you$agree$that$she$is$important$to$American$Jewish$history?$$To$American$$history?$$To$Jewish$history?$$Why$or$why$not?$$Ray$Frank$wrote$about$the$importance$of$work$to$be$“voluntary$and$sincere.”$Do$$you$think$that$this$woman’s$work$was$voluntary$and$sincere?$$Do$you$think$the$$woman$felt$obligated$to$do$the$work,$or$do$you$think$she$made$a$choice$to$do$the$$work?$$This$poster$is$part$of$a$series$of$posters$on$“Women$of$Valor.”$$Valor$is$defined$as:$$“strength$of$mind$or$spirit$that$enables$a$person$to$encounter$danger$with$$firmness”$$Do$you$agree$that$this$woman$was$a$“Woman$of$Valor”?$$What$other$$adjec?ves$would$you$use$to$describe$this$woman?$$

Jessica$Kirzane,$Community$High$School$Teacher,$New$York$City$$

Guide$to$Performing$Oral$History$

Jessica$Kirzane,$Community$High$School$Teacher,$New$York$City$$

Feminism$Exhibit$

Jessica$Kirzane,$Community$High$School$Teacher,$New$York$City$$

Some$Ideas$with$the$Feminism$Exhibit$•  Explore$a$par?cular$issue:$Art,$Music,$Women$in$the$Rabbinate$

•  Use$specific$documents$(lecers$to$Sally$Priesand)$

•  Work$backward:$have$students$browse$the$collec?on$and$then$come$up$with$a$working$defini?on$of$feminism$

Jessica$Kirzane,$Community$High$School$Teacher,$New$York$City$$