SAN DIEGO — What do Queen Esther and Natan Sharansky have in common? Courage!
How about Isaiah and U.S. Supreme Curt Justice Ruth Bader Ginzburg? Fairness!
Maimonides and Amit Goffer? Curiosity.
King David and Steven Spielberg? Creativity.
Doña Gracia Nasi and Henrietta Szold? Kindness.
These comparisons are made in the five-pamphlet series, “The Hero in Me,” written by Emma Carlson Berne and published for Jewish 4th and 5th graders by Behrman House.
Each 8-page pamphlet contains biographies of several paragraphs about the people being compared, followed by biographical sketches of contemporary figures who have exhibited similar “hero” qualities.
There follows in each of the pamphlets questions and exercises intended to help students discover similar qualities within themselves.
For example, in the Kindness pamphlet, it is recommended that students “stand in a circle with your friends and take turns throwing a ball to one another. Call out an everyday act of kindness each time you catch the ball (such as smiling at someone). Once everyone has had a turn to catch the ball twice, pick one of the acts of kindness that was called out and commit to finding opportunities to perform that action over the next week.”
In the Creativity pamphlet, it is suggested that students “with a partner, write a short joke, and take turns telling that joke aloud three different ways (for example, slow, fast, or using different voices.)
Those learning Curiosity are shown photos of six people of different genders: a grey haired grandfather type, a toddler, a ballerina, a doctor, a basketball player, and a rock n’ roll guitarist, and are asked which person would be hardest to learn from, which the easiest, and why for both. Further, “Do you agree with Pirkei Avot that wise people can learn from all people?”
The Fairness pamphlet suggest students choose two or three organizations that work to make conditions fairer, “such as relieving hunger or fighting anti-Semitism” and then put their names and goals on sticky notes and post them around the room. “Then walk around the room, read each note, and draw a check mark on the causes you think best help bring fairness to the world.”
The Courage pamphlet poses three questions to students with possible answers: 1) You see a classmate getting made fun of, so you … 2) You’re afraid of heights and your friends are going on a super high roller coaster, so you … 3) Your baseball team is losing a big game, so you …
Along with the pamphlets, Behrman House maintains an Internet site which it stocks with explanatory and supplemental materials.
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Donald H. Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com