<HTML>I am looking for some advice from more seasoned educators. I hope to
spend the week of Yom ha'Atzmaut tourguiding twenty five high school
juniors and seniors from the States around Israel. These students (a
cross section from major cities in North America) are motivated kids from
your typical yeshiva high school that will be coming to Israel as week #2
from the March of the Living.
As I prepare for the trip, I question the extent to which I should
describe the history of Israel (and the yishuv) from 1933 until present
times. A significant agenda of the trip discusses Yishuv history until
the formation of the State. There are some very ugly episodes (not to
mention complicated) that occurred during that era. Do I discuss the
havaara agreements with Nazi Germany, the debates between Ben-Gurion and
Jabotinsky's Revisionist movement, yishuv reaction to the atrocities in
Eastern Europe, Arlosoroff's assassination, the Altalena affair, The story
of Arab refugees, the Kastner trial? On the one hand, I would like to be
intellectually honest and describe the history of Israel honestly and
without reserve. On the other hand, perhaps the primary purpose of the
trip is to inculcate in these students an emotional bond to the State/Land
of Israel. I am worried that high school kids will not be able to
compartmentalize the intricacies of some of the more sordid events of
Yishuv history. A friend has advised me on this dilemma that for high
school juniors and seniors, no matter how advanced, it is more important
to make fervent Zionists of these students than it is making them aware of
every element of yishuv history. Should the growing trend towards
"post-Zionist" history and historiography encourage me to teach these
subjects to counter the growing trend, or is it too early to introduce
these concepts to students who (likely) haven't even heard about them?
I would appreciate any advice
Thank you
David Tesler</HTML>
