Extra Curricular Lesson: A Tree My Hands Planted

Lesson Plan by Zion Ozeri Edited by Joshua Feinberg

Farmer, Eastern Galilee, Israel, 1987 © Zion Ozeri

Take a close look at this photograph:

• What mood or feeling do you get from this photograph?  What messages does the photograph convey?

• What does the photograph suggest about the Galilee, the region of Israel where this photo was taken?  (Click here to learn more about the Galilee.)

• How does the photographer use complementary colors in this photograph?  How do they enhance the message of this photograph? (Click here to learn more about complementary colors.)

• What elements create a sense of movement in this picture? 

Read the following text:

אֶל אַרְצִי

רחל בְּלוּבְשְׁטֵיין

עַל פְּנֵי שָׂדוֹת.

לֹא שַׁרְתִּי לָךְ, אַרְצִי,

וְלֹא פֵּאַרְתִּי שְׁמֵךְ

בַּעֲלִילוֹת גְּבוּרָה,

בִּשְׁלַל קְרָבוֹת;

רַק עֵץ – יָדַי נָטְעוּ

חוֹפֵי יַרְדֵּן שׁוֹקְטִים.

רַק שְׁבִיל – כָּבְשׁוּ רַגְלַי

Excerpt from  “To My Country” by Rachel Bluwstein (1890-1931)

I haven’t sung to you, my country. 

I have not glorified your name 

with great heroic deeds, 

or loot from the battlefield. 

My hands have simply planted a tree 

on Jordan’s calm shores. 

My feet have simply formed a path 

through the fields.

For discussion:

• How would you paraphrase the first stanza?

• How would you paraphrase the second stanza?

• The first stanza describes what the poet has not done, and the second describes what

she has done. How do the two compare? How does she feel about what she has not done? How does she feel about what she has done?

• Why do you think the poet uses the word “simply” twice in the second stanza? 

• How do you think the poet would describe her relationship with Israel?

• What do you think this poet would say about the idea of Israel as a homeland? Explain.

Now read the following text:

Ethics of the Sages, 1:15

Shammai used to say: make your study a fixed practice; speak little, but do much; and receive all men with a pleasant countenance.

שַׁמַּאי אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה תוֹרָתְךָ קֶבַע. אֱמֹר מְעַט וַעֲשֵׂה הַרְבֵּה, וֶהֱוֵי מְקַבֵּל אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם בְּסֵבֶר פָּנִים יָפוֹת:

Discuss:

• How does this quote relate to the poem above?

• How does it relate to the photograph?

• Can you think of a situation in your life that compelled you to take action? What happened?  What action did you take?  If nothing comes to mind, try to think of a circumstance in which you would be compelled to take action, and describe the situation.

Follow-up activities: 

• Take and share a photograph of someone doing something meaningful with their hands.

• Consider your connection to the land in the area where you live.  Take and share a photograph that highlights something distinctive about the land and your relationship with it.

• Although Israel is a small country, its land and topography are very diverse - from mountains to deserts, beaches, cities, and agricultural areas.  Choose a region of Israel to research, and create a presentation about that area’s geography, climate, ecology, and history.

  • Historical & Technological Aspects in Development of Limited Water Resources in Israel - Jewish Virtual Library

• Explore the sources of the food you eat.  Create a list of 10 foods in your pantry or fridge.  For each, investigate its source:

  • Where does this particular product come from?

  • How does it get to your table?  What are all the stops along the way?

  • Is there a local source for the same product?