History Through Maps and Anti-Semitism: 10/26/2014

Parents,

On Sunday, 10/2614, we began to review a number of maps, as a first run to get again a better understanding of the history, geography, various proposals for the Israel/Palestine states, and various events from the book entitled, The Atlas of Jewish History.  Please see Martin Gilbert's description of his book and his approach, as you scroll down the page a bit at this link http://www.amazon.com/Atlas-Jewish-History-Compl-Updtd/dp/0688122647 if interested.   I will send a link to the maps when I come across it again for your reference as well. 

We made our way through a good part of these particular maps which are illustrated in an engaging, visual and tactile sense, offering a different experience in learning about all this, which we will continue to review:

Mapping Out Palestine/Israel

• Jewish Settlements in Palestine 1880 - 1914
• Arab - Jewish Conflict under Turkish Rule 1882 - 1914
• Frontier Proposals for Palestine 1892 - 1922
• Britain and the Jewish National Homeland 1917 - 1923
• The Palestine Mandate 1922 - 1948
• Jewish Owned Land in Palestine by 1942
• The UN Partition Plan November 29, 1947
• The Return of Jews to Israel 1948 - 1964
• The Arab - Israeli Conflict 1948 - mid 80's

Some of our discussion centered around the Caliphate of  the Ottmoman Turks as we discussed the ISIS or ISIL situation as well.  Zach drew a map on the board of the Middle East, which was both impressive and appreciated!  We reviewed the maps and noted where there had been Jewish settlements different plans and proposals put forth via European colonial (British and French) powers, as well as those put forth by various Arab representatives and Jewish organizations.  We discussed the years of Arab liberation, independence, and statehood.  We noted the concerns about population increase of Jews, whereby Jews were prohibited from immigration, and buying land.

We also held a discussion on Anti-Semitism:

*Where did it stem from?

*Beliefs

*Events

*Personal and Family Experiences

The students didn't have much to report in terms of direct experiences from other non-Jewish friends and acquaintances.   However, we did discuss the roots and causes.  Some of the comments as to "why" were as follows:

• the Jews are viewed as being different
• they are smart  - education is important
• the Jews are strong
• there are a disproportionate number of contributions to the world though the Jewish population is relatively small from a small group to the world
• why would there be anti-Jewish sentiment from Christians, when the first Christians were Jews?
• for killing Jesus - but he was Jewish!
• But the Romans killed Jesus, not the Jews!  (We discussed how the Jewish hierarchy, government, and Sanhedrin, the priests, were involved as well.)
• the blood libel (christian children's blood) at Passover
• the Jews were accused of poisoning the wells during theBlack Plague, surviving moreso due to handwashing, keeping kosher, and hygiene)
•  devil like, horns on head 

I shared a story of my father, nearly 89, who when stationed down in Biloxi, MS. in 1944 was approached by a fellow soldier, from the south, who had learned my father was Jewish. This man had never met a Jew, and said, "Where are you horns?"  My father wasn't sure he heard correctly, and assured him he had none.  He then did something that I consider to be very courageous and bold, and let the man feel my father's head for himself.  Upon feeling no horns, he couldn't believe there were none!  My father told him, that's right, there are no horns.  That he understood that this came out of absolute ignorance, rather than malice, and sized up the situation, to give this fellow soldier a tactile, interactive lesson, in feeling his head, to provide his own experience, was a great response, in my view.

We then went to Art at 11:30 and Music at noon.

More to come!