Goal:

Understand and explore the characters from a non-Israeli starting point.
Invest a sense of encounter with young Israelis and enable participants to feel at ease with them.

Outline:

Role play with the Israeli character bouncing off the members of your group.

Role sheets [Identity Cards]
Pencils and paper

Mixer

Procedure

·         Divide the group into two. One half of the group is allocated a selection of Identity Cards and each person has to study the role. In the other half of the group, everyone has to jot down a few details about themselves to make a short autobiography.

·         Sit the group in two concentric, facing circles, so that everyone has a partner. Each pair has to get to know each other by asking questions, starting from name, family, hobbies... Allow 2 minutes.
Now ask the inner circle to move around one seat to the left and the outer circle to move around one seat to the right, so that new pairs are formed. There should be a really brief introduction to each other, with partners having to respond to the issue of what Israel Independence Day means to them. Allow enough time to discuss it briefly.

·         Bring everyone together and review how this went - generally, then specifically:
How did people feel playing an Israeli? playing themselves?
How do we get to know others? How do we make friends - what do
we need to have in common?
How did we handle our differences?
Did our reaction to the other person change as we learned more about them?
Did knowledge bring a sense of empathy, closeness or feelings of distance?