Celebrate Israel & Research the State's Symbol

Background to Lesson

• Duration:
  • 60 minutes
• Grade and Levels:
  • 5-12th graders and their families
• Teaching Context:
  • Stand-alone
• This is part of a special pre-Yom Haatzmaut program (can substitute Chanukah), in which students and families are encouraged to study this material together at home over Shabbat, or at a special family/communal program. If the latter, it would be printed and distributed for family group study. Where appropriate, teachers or even advanced students can help to facilitate the learning groups.
• Learning Targets:
  • TLW will appreciate the value of learning at home with family, not just in school with teachers and peers.
  • TLW will deepen his/her attachment to the State of Israel.
  • TLW appreciate the importance of Tanach for Jewish self-understanding.
  • TLW enter Yom Haatzmaut with a deeper appreciation for the historical background and symbolism of the Israeli flag. (This can in turn generate greater emotional attachment to Yom Haatzmaut celebrations, e.g. Daglanut (choreographed flag dancing to music), lowering and raising flags, etc.)

Above you see the official symbol of the State of Israel.

• Describe the emblem's different components.

• What do you think the different parts of the emblem symbolize?

• Why might Israel's founders have chosen this particular image?

Next, we’ll look at the “backstory” to the actual design of the emblem. As you read, discuss the following questions:

• What is interesting to you about the process of designing the emblem?

• In what ways was the Shamir brothers' idea fully accepted, and in what ways was it modified?

• What symbolisms did the Shamir brothers seek to capture in their design?

There is another source, the 4th chapter of Sefer Zechariah, which we read as part of the Haftarah for Shabbat Chanukah, which, even though they didn't mention it in their interview, seems to describe almost exactly the design developed by the Shamir brothers.

The background is that the Jews have returned to Judea (Jerusalem and surrounding areas) after the destruction of the First Temple, and the leaders Zerubavel and Yeshua Kohen Gadol have led the Jews in setting the Second Temple's foundation. Still, the people fear their powerful enemies in the land and are scared to continue the project. Hashem offers the prophet Zechariah a supportive message.

As you read the verses, ask yourself:

• What is Hashem's message to the people of that time? What do you think He means by the phrase, "Not by might, not by power, but by My spirit - says the Lord of Hosts?"

• What does the Menorah symbolize? What do you think the "eyes of God" refer to?

• How does the navi explain the symbolism of the two olive branches on either side of the Menorah?

• Do you think the Shamir brothers had these pesukim in mind when designing the emblem? Either way, what might Zechariah's prophecy teach us about the emblem's deeper significance?

In his discussion of the story of Noach and the ark, Professor Nahum Sarna offers the following explanation for the symbolism of the olive branch that the dove brought back to Noach as proof that the flood waters were receding. Read his explanation, taken from his book Understanding Genesis, and consider the following:

• What do we generally see as the symbolism of the olive tree?

• How might ancient people, including those living at the time of Tanach, have seen its symbolism differently?

• How might Professor Sarna's approach offer an additional layer of explanation for the modern Israeli emblem?

"The olive tree, one of the earliest to be cultivated in the Near East, is an evergreen. It is extraordinarily sturdy and may thrive for up to a thousand years. Thus it became symbolic of God’s blessings of regeneration, abundance, and strength, which is most likely the function it serves here. In the present context the olive branch is invested with the idea of peace and reconciliation, and for this reason it was incorporated into the official emblem of the state of Israel."

• The source sheet is promoted on the school website and social media as part of its lead up to Yom Haatzmaut, as well as in the school’s weekly newsletter to families.

• The event can also be run in partnership with local synagogues, who can print copies of the paper and help to organize study programs over Shabbat.

• After the Shabbat learning/at the event, families can be encouraged to add content (e.g., suggested questions, additional sources, etc.) to the sheet in real time.

The learning event can be followed in a host of different ways. Here are some ideas to get you thinking:

• Follow up by providing more engaging family learning resources/events.

• A school or community-wide event might include art projects in which students seek to replicate the Israeli emblem and highlight its meaning.

• Students can paint a huge emblem to hang in the school for Yom Haatzmaut. if there are Israeli shelichim/Bnot Sherut in the school, they can be actively involved in this part of the project.

• The emblem study can be part of an interdisciplinary in-school day of of learning, in which students look at early Israeli history, the structure of parliamentary government, the idea of national symbols and pride, the centrality of Tanakh, the balance between peace and self-defense in Jewish thought and Israeli life, the mission of Tzahal, artistic creation and discussions about aesthetics, and more! These can all be houses on Sefaria.

• During or after learning, families can be encouraged to add their own comments and sources to the page.

• Students and/or families can create videos/vlogs (or can be invited to sit with the school's videographer), in which they offer their own favorite explanation for the emblem's deeper significance, and why learning about it in depth as a family was such a powerful experience, and how it speaks to the school's core mission. This can be shared on social media and used in the future for marketing purposes. [A separate Sefaria sheet can be created to house those reflections. Alternatively, they can be embedded in this sheet, to create a personalized source sheet for the school community.]