Rivky Schramm Krestt is the Chair of Jewish Studies at Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School.
The arts present an excellent way for a teacher to infuse his/her discipline with something that will both enhance and interest the students in a new and unique way. However, it is important to ensure when choosing to integrate the arts into a unit that there are real curricular objectives; it is not enough to simply want to ‘to jazz things up.’ If that is the only motive of the teacher then, at best, the teacher gains the students’ interest only temporarily; at worst the teacher confuses them or loses their interests by the very thing that was supposed to draw them in.
There are a myriad of ways to incorporate the arts into the classroom, in accordance with the school’s overall philosophy regarding art. Artful Thinking, (www.pz.harvard.edu/tc/routines.cfm) has a number of resources available to aid someone in incorporating the arts into the curriculum. Below is a list of different approaches that have been used in a high school Tanakh class.
Anticipatory set
An anticipatory set is a great way to draw students in and foreshadow an idea or concept that will be developed during the lesson. For example, in II Kings 3:15 Elisha the prophet, under pressure from the kings of Judea and Samaria to deliver a prophecy for them about the war of the moment, asks for a musician in order to begin the process of receiving a prophecy. Maimonides uses this as a source for the state of mind that a prophet needs to be in to receive prophecy.
While prophecy and how it works is an esoteric topic for even the most sophisticated students, music as a method of relaxation or inspiration is very relevant. Instead of discussing this with students, let them experience it. Begin a class simulating a stressful situation – a pop quiz, a mad minute from math, or something similar – and then have them repeat the ‘control’ situation with music playing in the background.
Suddenly the students have experience the anxiety of a pressurized situation and the challenge of producing under such conditions and they have relaxed through the music. They can now relate to Elisha beyond just being a character on a page. This, in turns, can be the foundation for making other characters seem more real and to understand the role of music in our lives – in the religious and the secular sphere.
Assessment
The arts are an excellent tool for assessment. Students can identify, explain, analyze, and synthesize a variety of ways when they aren’t confined to a ‘pen and paper. Using music, for example, to assess understanding of different themes covered in the book of Tehillim, ask students to cut a CD of the songs that they think reflect themes covered. Alternatively, let the students choose different recordings of different verses and explain why the rendition captures the meaning of the verse best.
Using art, students can analyze classic works. For example, using the painting below, to the teacher can assess what the students know (or remember) about the plagues. Ask the students to write a headline. As they share, the teacher can ask them to identify different elements of the painting and quickly review the plague of blood. Where are Moses and Aaron, what were their roles, what is Pharaoh doing, and what is the role of the magicians who are represented in the painting.
Interpretation
The interconnection of different passages in Tanakh is obvious to anyone who studies it seriously but is often lost on high school students who are developing a sense of the ‘big picture.’ ’s call to prophecy (Chapter 1) is peppered with allusions to Moshe’s first conversation with God at the burning bush that are clear even to an unseasoned ear. How can one not hear Yirmiyahu’s claim of ‘being a lad’ and ‘not knowing how to speak’ and not think of Moshe’s similar claims of ‘being heavy of tongue’ and ‘who am I?’ The burden of leadership is a common theme in both of these men’s lives. Both stories lead to rich discussions about the burdens of responsibility, and leadership and the role of the people. This is articulated so well by Rembrandt in both his paintings, Moses, Breaking his Tablets of Law, and Jeremiah, Lamenting the Destruction of Jerusalem. Students can compare and contrast the expressions on the faces of these men, the circumstances surrounding both of the paintings, and discuss the message the Rembrandt is commutating through his art. Students can actually see a connection that may have been seemed more arbitrary to a novice reader.
Expression
Akeidat Yitzhak has been a fascination of artists for centuries. There are literally hundreds of paintings, tales, and pieces of music that explore different themes in this complex story. One way to demonstrate the nuances and explore some of the themes covered in traditional commentaries is to do it through art. Ask the students to read the text and brainstorm on all the questions that they have. For example, did Isaac know this was going to happen, how old was he, what was Avraham feeling… Have the students share the questions and then ask them to choose a painting that address their question of choice. Instruct the students to explain their choice, what question they think it is address, and present it to their classmates. Then a teacher can bring in some traditional commentaries that reflect what troubled or interested many in the class. This enables the students to literally visualize the concept of the seventy faces of Torah without trivializing any of the sophisticated, and sometimes unanswerable, questions that are specifically associated with Akeidat Yitzhak.
As teachers we are challenged to think of possibilities beyond the technical language of our lesson. Art is a universal language and it gives us, as teachers, an opportunity to communicate to our students in a fundamentally different way. Thinking about our courses from an aesthetic perspective allows us to add a layer of complexity to our message, draw in students who may not relate to text, and model a way of taking something abstract, an idea, and turning it into something concrete, something tangible.