That chanichim will understand that the issues between the Israeli’s and Arab’s are very difficult and have to be dealt with fairly. No matter how many israeli’s they kill; it does not mean we can just go say kill all of the arabs. Most arabs are not involved with the attacks + every life is worth something.

Working Against the Prejudices: The Arab-Israeli Conflict

Theme: Israel

Topic: Arab-israeli conflict

Writers: Shanie Glazer, Diklit Cohen, Cleveland

Age: Zach

Suitable for Shabbat

Goal: That chanichim will understand that the issues between the Israeli’s and Arab’s are very difficult and have to be dealt with fairly. No matter how many israeli’s they kill; it does not mean we can just go say kill all of the arabs. Most arabs are not involved with the attacks + every life is worth something.

step 1:

play a not so random version of "Mafia." give out cards that say victim, murderer(mafia), and innocent bystanders. Because the mafia person was already chosen the godfather doesn’t need to choose a mafia person, and make sure the mafia person chooses the victim. After you play a round of this explain to them that when everyone chooses who is the mafia person, they could be choosing the wrong person - it might be just an innocent bystander. Connecting this to Israel - at all costs the Israeli army tries only to capture the enemies, not the innocent, but you can never be sure at least with mafia who is the true murderer.

step 2:

you tell them about the setting free of 500 terrorists for 3 bodies and a live man. you ask them what they would do in such a situation, you can also make it a game. one group will be the family of the live man. one group will be soldiers in the army, that think it is important to make sure that every soldier come back somehow (dead or alive). one group will be a family of someone who was killed by one of the terrorist who's going to be sent free....

try to make a decision what's more important – getting soldiers’ bodies back (not desecrating them, bringing them to burial) or saving someone's life (a potential terror victim, now that many more terrorists are out).

Step 3:

discuss with them about the importance of life in Judaism you're aloud to do certain thingsin order to save someone's life, like eating on yum kippor, chilul shabbat.... (pikuach nefesh)

we as Jews try to solve the problem with Arabs in many ways, we don't go and kill them all. we know the meaning of life, and so the Torah gives us the mitzvah of pikuh nefesh.

Step 4:

if you have extra time after you’re done with the peula just go back and play more rounds of the regular mafia.

Shabbat Shalom