VaYakhel and P'kuday

Please take a look at a new blog just begun this week.
You can find it at http://parshakids.blogspot.com/
Its target audience is kids in 5th through 8th grades who are interested in what their peers are thinking about parshat hashavuah.

Big Ideas:

• Studying Torah can create a Jewish lens through which to see the world
• Every parasha has important ideas that learners can integrate into their worldview
• One can apply critical thinking skills to study of Torah
• Sharing ideas is a wonderful way to build understanding

Essential Questions:

• How are the ideas in this parasha meaningful to you?
• How do these ideas relate to your life?
• In what way does using a Jewish lens impact the way you understand the world around you and interact with it?

Learning Activities:

• There will be one or two statements of ideas from the parasha articulated on the blog
• Participants will be invited to read the post, discuss the ideas with a friend or in class (optional), and post their own thoughts in the comments section of the blog.
• Learners can read the thoughts of others and react to them by posting comments

Assessment:

• Participation on a regular basis will be a marker of engagement
• Teachers will read the posts and comments and may use them in class discussions

I encourage you to try this out with your students if they are in the appropriate grades.  I will be reading the comments before posting them publicly to avoid inappropriate language.  

Why I chose Jewish Education as a career

Recently I was waiting for a plane and happened to be sitting with someone who, it turns out, holds a pretty high position in a government educational agency.  In the course of conversation I half-jokingly suggested that she use her influence to limit the number of high-stakes tests students are obligated to take.  Her answer, more or less was this:  'You know, don't you, that educators aren't running the system these days - business people are.'

Here are two articles you may enjoy reading:

1. Business principles won't work for school reform, former supporter Ravitch says - This article has received a great deal of attention, for good reasons
2. Where the Bar Ought to Be is an op-ed by Bob Herbert in which he describes Deborah Kenny, creator of charter schools in Harlem.  I am not necessarily a fan of charter schools, but I agree wholeheartedly with this statement she made:

“I had five core things in mind for my kids, and that’s what I want for our students,” she said. “I wanted them to be wholesome in character. I wanted them to be compassionate and to see life as a responsibility to give something to the world. I wanted them to have a sophisticated intellect. I wanted them to be avid readers, the kind of person who always has trouble putting a book down. And I raised them to be independent thinkers, to lead reflective and meaningful lives.”

In most settings of Jewish learning we are not bound by the strictures of the general educational world.  We can set our own priorities.

• What are the five core things you have in mind as what you want for your students?
• Does the constituency (clergy, teachers, parents, kids) in your school share your core ideas?
• What are you doing to support these ideas?
• How does the curriculum in your school align to these ideas?
• How does the structure of your school further them?
• How does the staff nurture their development?
• How are those other than students involved in supporting these ideas?
• How can everyone involved do a better job?

Ki Tissa

Big Idea:

• Some phrases from the Torah have become well-known, even to people who don't know their origin

Important Questions:

• What words and phrases stand out for you when reading this parasha?  (i.e. 31:16-17; 32:9; 33:3; 33:5; 33:19; 34:6-7; 34:9; 34:20)
• Why do you think you know these words and phrases?

Learning Activities:

• Listen to this rendition of Adonai, Adonai, El rachum v'chanun and read the English translation of the words.  Why do you think this is part of the Yom Kippur service?
• Why, in your opinion, are these same words part of a traditional Bat Mitzvah observance in the Italian tradition?
• Read this article about Selichot in Jerusalem.  How does it relate to what we have been learning about?
• How does a teen understand this parasha?  Here is a d'var Torah from a young person
• What does it mean to "make Shabbat?"  Here is a short article you may want to read, from the Chief Rabbi Emeritus of the Great Synagogue in Sidney, Australia
• I had never heard of David Kronemyer, and may never again, but in his blog he asks some interesting questions about the idea of Jews being am k'she oref - a stiff-necked people.

...exactly when did God find out the Jews were stiff-necked? Did he know it before the Golden Calf incident, or is he attributing this characteristic to them on the basis of the Golden Calf incident? While the text is unclear on this point, I think God’s use of the term “behold” at 32:9 means he just now is finding out. This raises the question, though, of whether God would have made the Jews his Chosen People, if he had known they were stiff-necked, before designating them as such.

What do you think?


Assessment:

• Which of the ideas you studied in this parasha is most meaningful to you personally?  Be prepared to support your choice in a discussion
• Create a visual representation of one of the segments in this week's parasha that expresses your feelings about it.
• Write a short reflection of your reaction to this week's parasha

Purim - Did It Happen?

The question is raised about the story of Purim, and also about every story we tell our students:  "Is it true?  Did it really happen?"

Recently I read an interesting book:  A Voyage Long and Strange, by Tony Horwitz.  Horwitz (who happens to be married to Geraldine Brooks, the author of People of the Book, a wonderful historical novel about the Sarajevo Haggadah) took it upon himself to investigate European settlements in the Americas before the arrival of the Pilgrims at Plymouth Rock in 1620.
What he discovered contradicted much of what he remembered learning as a child.  In fact, at the end of his travels he came to believe that much of what we learn about early American history is not accurate.  And still most of us celebrate Thanksgiving the way we always did, ignoring the inconsistencies.

I believe that his conclusions are pertinent as well to how we understand our own history as Jews, and our Jewish texts.
Here is what he says at the end of his book:

Myth is more important than history.  History is arbitrary, a collection of facts.  Myth we choose, we create, we perpetuate.

The story here may not be correct, but it transcends truth.  It's like religion - beyond facts.  Myth trumps fact, always does, always has, always will.

Perhaps that is why the Texas Board of Education is working so hard to influence the social studies textbooks that are published in that state and used all over the country, as described in this article in the NY Times Magazine on February 14:  How Christian were the Founders?

As Frances FitzGerald showed in her groundbreaking 1979 book “America Revised,” if there is one thing to be said about American-history textbooks through the ages it is that the narrative of the past is consistently reshaped by present-day forces. Maybe the most striking thing about current history textbooks is that they have lost a controlling narrative. America is no longer portrayed as one thing, one people, but rather a hodgepodge of issues and minorities, forces and struggles. If it were possible to cast the concerns of the Christian conservatives into secular terms, it might be said that they find this lack of a through line and purpose to be disturbing and dangerous.

 I think these two issues are related, in the following ways:

• How we tell a story determines its meaning
• Deciding how to tell a story tells more about the teller than about the actual story
• As educators we need to think carefully about how we construct stories - considering how they affect the listeners
• What we learn from a story may or may not reflect historical accuracy, but it certainly will reflect and create attitudes in powerful ways.

Purim Today

There are those who believe the story related in Megillat Esther happened as described.
Others believe the story is fantasy.
I think it doesn't really matter who is right.
According to The Jewish Study Bible

...The setting of the Persian court is authentic, but the events are fictional. 

It goes on to say

The book does have a serious side, and an important function as a Diaspora story, a story written about and for (and perhaps by) Jews of the Diaspora.  As such, it promotes Jewish identity, solidarity within the Jewish community, and a strong connection with Jewish (biblical) tradition.

... 

It addresses the inherent problems of a minority people, their vulnerability to political forces and government edicts, their lack of autonomy, and their dependence on royal favor and on the sagacity of their own leaders.

... 

The book succeeds in putting a serious message in a comic form. 

So what might that mean for our students?

Big Ideas: 

• As Jews we are part of a group with at least some shared experiences
• As members of a group we have responsibilities to the other members of the group
• Appearances do not always reflect reality

Important Questions to Ask and Answer:

• What groups are you part of?
• What threats exist to those groups?
• What are our responsibilities toward the other members of these groups?

Learning Activities:

• Reading Megillat Esther in language the learners can understand should be a core part of the learning activities
• Brainstorm the different groups students are part of and the threats facing each.  Threats can be physical, but need not be.  For example, disappearance of the group can be a threat.
• Discuss ways to address these threats (or challenges, if you prefer)

Assessment:

• Prepare an action plan to address challenges that have been identified

NOTE:  Linking to popular culture is a wonderful way to engage learners

• In the movie Avatar, what group(s) does Jake belong to?
• Which of these groups is threatened?
• How does Jake decide which group to support?
• How was his choice personally threatening?
• Compare and contrast Jake (in Avatar) and Esther (in the Purim story)
• What Jewish values are expressed in the movie?

 

Tetzaveh

Big Ideas:

• How we perceive people is often affected by their appearance.
• Certain peoples' behavior may honor or dishonor the group they belong to.

Important Questions:

• How do you decide when to wear certain clothes?
• When you see someone 'dressed up' what do you think?
• Why do you think people wear uniforms?
• What responsibilities do public figures have to their 'public'?

Learning Activities:

• Watch this video about the uniforms worn at the Olympics in Vancouver - 
•  G-dcast posted a video last year about this parasha that explained the uniform of the High Priest in an interesting way
• Aish.com has an article which explains why, when, and which head coverings are traditionally worn by Jews 

Assessment:

• Do you think a person wearing a certain uniform has an obligation to behave in a particular way?  Explain why or why not.
• In what way do the actions of a person dressed in a way that identifies him or her as a member of a certain group (e.g. Catholic priest, soldier in uniform, Jew wearing a kippah) reflect on the group?  Is this fair?  Explain why or why not.
• Public figures often behave in ways that bring criticism not only on themselves but on the institutions and individuals they represent (e.g. politicians, athletes, religious leaders).  Choose two people you believe fall in this category and recommend what you think they should do.

NOTE:  Take a look at the other post that refers to Tetzaveh by clicking on that label in the list of labels 

Terumah

Last week - lots and lots of laws about any number of things, most of which were instructions for interpersonal behavior - what are called in Hebrew mitzvot bein adam l'chavero - how to treat your friends, your slaves, your enemies, your animals.
And this week what seems to me a huge change of direction.

Big Ideas:

• Some important things have to be done voluntarily
• Some of our ideas about God may have changed over time

Questions:

• What is this parasha about?
• How do you think it relates to last week's parasha?
• What seems to you important in this week's parasha?
• How are the builders to assemble the materials they need to build the mishkan?
• For whom are the instructions in this week's parasha intended?
• What ideas about the way we live today do you think can be learned from this parasha?

Learning Activities:

• Look at the pictures at the links here to see what the mishkan may have looked like:
• The Desert Tabernacle Blog
• Picture of the Mishkan
• In chapter 25, verse 22 there is a reason given for building this structure.  

"And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the cover of the ark, from between the two k'ruvim which are on the ark of witness, of all the things which I will command you - the children of Israel."

1. What is the reason according to the text?
2. How does this compare with what you believe about God?

• Look around your own synagogue.  Compare and contrast your synagogue with the description of the mishkan that you have read about in this parasha. 

Assessment:

•  Last week's parasha was called "Mishpatim", which means Laws.  This week's parasha is called "Terumah", a kind of offering to be set aside, in this case, voluntarily.  Explain why you think the laws given last week are obligatory, while the offering described this week is voluntary.
• Why do you think the rabbi in this commentary says this parasha is a favorite of rabbis in the middle of a capital campaign (a fundraising effort concentrating on improving the synagogue building)?  If you were such a rabbi, how would you use this text in planning a sermon for your congregation?

Mishpatim

Just a few questions to get you started thinking about this week's parasha:

• What is familiar in this week's Torah reading?
• What is disturbing in this week's reading?
• What do you find meaningful in your own life about this reading?
• What do you think about the relationship between this week's parasha and last week's?
• If you were forced to choose, which do you think is the most important law in this list of laws for humanity in general?  For the Jewish people in particular?  Explain your answers.
• Create a "top ten" list of laws in this parasha, as if you were writing for Dave Letterman.  Explain your choices
• Create a "bottom ten" list - explain your choices
• Choose one of the commentaries from those here at My Jewish Learning that you find particularly relevant and bring it to the table for discussion with your group.

Clothes Make the Man?

A blogpost at the Lede Blog, at the NY Times, is entitled "An 'Israeli Remix' of a Palestinian Scarf".  It is the story of the creation and marketing of a keffiyeh, traditionally worn by Arab men, with Jewish and Israeli motifs.  It started me thinking about the role of clothing in expression of identity.

Big Idea:

• People choose their clothing for many different reasons
• First impressions of others are often based on appearance

Questions You Will Want to Ask

• How do you decide what to wear?
• What is your response when you see someone wearing a keffiyeh?  Why?
• What message do you expect your appearance to convey?
• How does  your Jewish identity influence what you wear?

Learning Activities:

•  The Kohen Gadol wore very elaborate clothing as a symbol of his status and role in the community.  You can read about this clothing here in a commentary on Parshat Tetzaveh
• An interesting article about Jewish clothing in the Middle Ages can be found here at My Jewish Learning
• At Aish.com you can read a history of the kippah, including an explanation of the term 'yarmulke' that may be new to you.
• Some Jewish clothing is really bizarre - 5 pages of Jewish dog clothes?
• There is a holiday coming up on which costumes play a big part. 

Assessment:

• Keep a log in which you describe how what you choose to wear each day for a week expresses your identity
• Keep a log in which you describe how something you choose to wear each day for a week expresses your Jewish identity.  How did it make you feel to do this?
• Create a display of traditional Jewish clothing from different times and places in history
• Make a video in which you explain items of Jewish ritual clothing (kippah, tzitzit, tallit or other) to someone unfamiliar with them
• Design a Purim costume for yourself that expresses an aspect of your Jewish identity (you don't have to wear it, just design it!  In the U.S. it is common to wear costumes on Purim that reference Jewish heroes.  Not necessarily so in Israel.)
• Describe your reaction to the blogpost on the 'Jewish' keffiyah. 
• What do you think about it? 
• Would you wear it? 
• Do you think it is problematic to adopt another group's dress?
• What is your thought about the reaction of others to this?

Haiti and Tzedakah

No one can be unmoved by the tragic outcomes of the recent earthquake in Haiti.  There is no questioning the hardships that exist and continue to affect the inhabitants of this country.  During the past few weeks millions of dollars have been collected from people all over the world who feel they want to help fellow human beings who are in trouble.

What guidance can we derive from Jewish wisdom?

Big Ideas:

• Tzedakah is an obligation.
• There is Jewish thinking that can help us decide when to give, to whom to give, what to give, how to give.

Essential Questions:

• When should I give?
• To whom should I give?
• How much should I give?
• What is my obligation to determine if the money I am giving is being put to good use?

Learning Activities:  Choose as many as you feel you have time for.  Or, divide your learners into groups and let each group select the aspect it wants to investigate, sharing results with the rest of the class.  Be sure to include at least one site describing Jewish wisdom about tzedakah and either scambusters.com or CharityNavigator.org.

• A traditional and detailed explanation of Jewish thinking about tzedakah is at this link, Just Tzedakah.  The site appears not to be maintained currently, and the links may not be active, but the information is well-cited and clear
• My Jewish Learning has a brief presentation of the rules governing tzedakah, and includes the question of how to determine if a claim is honest
• Maimonides described 8 degrees of tzedakah, which you can read about here
• Read the information at www.scambusters.com/ and http://www.charitynavigator.org/, two websites that evaluate the authenticity of groups collecting money for various causes, including disaster relief in Haiti
• A Conservative perspective on tzedakah is given in this post
• URJ has responded to the earthquake in Haiti in the following ways: Earthquake in Haiti
• USCJ has the following opportunity to give to Haiti:  Disaster Relief Fund - Give to Haiti
• The Orthodox Union has a Facebook page you can access concerning Haiti relief
• JRF has a page with links to a number of different reliable organizations which are accepting donations and aiding Haiti

Assessment:

• Learners will make informed decisions about donating to disaster relief in Haiti
• Learners will be able to explain how Jewish wisdom and thought guides decisions they make in their lives
• Learners will use what they have learned in regard to Haiti to guide their tzedakah in other areas.

Note:  There are legitimate differences among Jewish authorities as to one's responsibility for determining if someone who asks is honestly needy.  Some say you give first to whomever asks, and investigate later.  According to Rabbi Benjamin Yudin of Congregation Shomrei Torah, in Fairlawn, NJ, one gives first to whomever asks, since God is "rav hessed v'emet:, and the hessed of giving preceeds the emet of investigation (I heard this from a valued colleague, Emily Amie Witty, who shared the thoughts of her Rabbi with me as I was preparing this post).  Others say that one has the responsibility to be sure the tzedakah is going to a reliable cause.  In order to do this one should investigate the legitimacy of the recipient individual or group before giving. 
You may want to have this discussion with your students, and perhaps invite a member of the clergy in your school to participate in the conversation.
Part of our job as Jewish educators is to empower our students of all ages to make responsible decisions guided by Jewish thinking, and responding to the tragedy in Haiti can help us do just that.

Yitro

Big Ideas:

• A person's position often affects the way in which that person is perceived.
• The way in which one understands the events at Sinai is fundamental to one's religious beliefs.
• Mainstream Jewish thinkers understand Sinai differently.

Some Questions:

• In chapter 18, almost every verse has a reference to Yitro.  In each case Yitro is identified as "Hoten Moshe", Moshe's father-in-law.  Do you have any thoughts about why this label is repeated over and over?  Wouldn't it be enough to identify him by name after the first time?
• How do you understand the event that occurred at Sinai?  What Jewish thinker shares your understanding?
• How does your understanding of Sinai affect the way you are Jewish? 

Learning Activities:

• Read chapter 18 carefully.  How many times is Yitro referred to as "hoten Moshe"?  How do you understand this?
• Find information that describes these Jewish thinkers' beliefs about revelation.
• Joseph Soloveitchik
• Abraham Joshua Heschel
• Eugene Borowitz
• Mordecai Kaplan

Assessment:

• Choose one of the people you learned about and prepare a presentation for the rest of the group explaining why this understanding of revelation is meaningful for you.
• Create a chart that compares and contrasts the various ways in which Jews understand the events at Sinai
• Find evidence in the popular culture of the world around you that a person's position affects the way in which he or she is heard and understood.  Who do we listen to?  Who do we ignore?  

Avatar and Jewish Education??

You can enter the words "Avatar" and "Jewish" in a search engine and find numerous discussions of the content of the movie and its Jewish underpinnings (or not!).  It is of no concern to me whether James Camaron had Jewish thoughts in his head when he created the movie or not.  It simply is not an issue for me as a Jewish educator.  What does matter is how the viewer understands the movie.  Our learners are going to see this movie.  Is Jewish thought a factor in how they  understand it?  That's my issue.


Big Idea:

• Everyone sees and understands the world through his or her own perspective.
• Most of our students have already or will soon see the movie Avatar.
• As teachers we have an obligation to be familiar with the culture within which our students live.
• As Jews we have a Jewish lens with which to understand the world.

Questions to guide your thinking:

• What did you see in the movie that appeared to you to reflect Jewish thought or wisdom?
• What did you see in the movie that seems to contradict Jewish thought or wisdom?

Learning Activities:

• The Talmud says the following:  "We do not see things as they are.  We see them as we are."  How does this statement relate to your ideas about Avatar? (Note:  I've seen this quotation many times (even here!), but don't have a proper source.  Perhaps a reader can help me.)
• There is a website, Jewish Wisdom Quotes, that lists dozens of sayings with Jewish origins that you are welcome to visit.  Choose a topic that interests you from their list of possibilities, and explain how it applies in your life.

Assessment:

• You may want to encourage your students to choose a wisdom quote each week and find examples in the news of its application in the world
• When this idea of using a Jewish lens to see the world is learned, you can challenge your learners to apply Jewish wisdom to any and all issues that arise in class.
• A personal note:  I love reading comics.  Most days I can find a comic strip that either reflects or contradicts Jewish thinking.  Suggest this to your students.

Rewards in Education

Every teacher in every school has faced the challenge of motivating students.  Some of our learners are easy - they seem to motivate themselves.  Others are not so easy - seeming to "dare" us to make them care about what they are learning.  The problem is perhaps even more visible in congregational religious schools.  We are asking our students to learn things that by no stretch of their imaginations add any value  to their lives (aside from the value of Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebrations and presents).

What are we to do?

According to a recently published book - "Drive" - by Daniel Pink, we have good reason to think carefully about how we respond to student effort and achievement.  According the the research he describes, rewards may be counterproductive - students come to value the reward over the accomplishment, and to demand ever bigger and more costly rewards for their work.  An article in the NY Times about the book explains his thinking.

This is not a new idea.  Alfie Kohn, a well-known educational thinker, has long been writing about the negative aspects of reward, as you can see by reading his articles about the subject on his website.

For those who struggle with motivating a group of students, or with responding to disruptive classroom behaviors, this may sound at best idealistic and at worst impossible.  After all, what's wrong with a few chocolate kisses if they lead to better performance and improved behavior?

Here are a few links to articles which may suggest alternatives:

• Education World Professional Professional Development Channel provides links to a variety of resources on reward
• One Question a Day is an article that describes one school that decided to experiment with making reward more intrinsic than extrinsic by inviting students to answer questions about their behavior in different situations.
• Rewarding Systems is an examination of the advantages and disadvantages of both intrinsic and extrinsic rewards, and concludes that there are points to be made in favor of each, but with cautions about both that should be noted.

As usual, the challenges are many, the solutions varied, and the decisions to a certain extent personal.  The most important thing is to learn as much as we can - from both research and experience - and to use what we learn thoughtfully and responsibly.  

B'Hatzlachah.

Beshalach

Big Ideas:

• It takes repeated experiences to internalize learning.
• People need to learn to take an active role in their fate, not depend totally on intervention of others - even when the "other" is God.
• In some situations people are unable to solve their own problems - they require the assistance of others

Questions to Think About and Try to Answer:

• How is it possible that the Israelites were still complaining after what God had already done for them?
• Why would God choose a route for the escaping Israelites that avoids confrontation with potential enemies?
• What do you think God expects of these former slaves?  Is God's expectation reasonable?
• In your opinion, do the Israelites live up to God's expectations?  Explain why you think they do or don't.
• What is Moshe's role at this point in the story?  Do you think God is satisfied with Moshe's actions?  What is your evidence?
• What are the implications for our lives today?
• Is there anything in this parasha that can help you make sense of the tragedy in Haiti?

Learning Activites:

• G-dcast.com has an interesting focus for this week's parasha.  Watch the video for a thoughtful explanation of why the Israelites complain so much, and a perspective about the nature of their complaints.
• The New York Times had an article about Israel's response to the earthquake in Haiti.  You can access the article by typing "For Israelis, Mixed Feelings on Aid Effort" in your search engine (Google or other.  Be sure to use the quotation marks around the title to find the article easily).  On the one hand there is praise for the speed and expertise that was evident in the way the Israeli team is working to save survivors of this tragedy.  There is also reference to a criticism within Israel - why is it that Israel can respond to the suffering in Haiti and not in Gaza?  Compare and contrast the situations by answering the following questions about each place:
• What is the nature of the problem?
• What are the causes for the problem?
• Who is responsible for the problem?
• Who is able to solve the problem?
• Who is responsible for the solution?
• What are the obstacles to a solution?
• There is a midrash that says Yam Suf only split after the Israelites stepped in and the water came up to their nostrils.  What do you think that midrash wants us to understand?

Assessment:

• Learners should be able to summarize the parasha
• Learners should be able to apply the Jewish wisdom in this lesson to their own lives
• Learners should be able to articulate some of the complex issues in the relationship between Israel and Gaza.

Note:  This parasha and others make a good case for the idea that everything - both good and bad - is intentionally caused by God.  The thought that our One God is responsible for everything has been an issue that Jews and those who follow religions based on Judaism (Christians and Moslems) have struggled with for as long as these religions have existed.  The issue is called "theodicy", a Greek term summarized by the following question:  If God is all-powerful and also good, why is there evil in the world?  You may want to read more about theodicy and how different Jewish thinkers respond to this tension.  I particularly recommend the book Sacred Fragments, by Dr. Neil Gillman.

Bo

It's always a challenge to find new ways of seeing familiar text.  Parashat Bo is well-known as one of the foundation texts for our celebration of the Pesach seder - the questions, the matza and maror, the Pesach itself.  Here are some things you may not have thought about before:

• According to Rambam, this whole experience was really a test for those Israelites who were living as assimilated people in Egypt.  How was it a test?  What made it a challenge?  What do you think this felt like to the Israelites?
• Many of the traditional commentaries refer to the idea that only 20% of Israelites chose to leave Egypt with Moshe and Aharon.  In fact, there is an opinion (Torah.org, paragraphs 7 and 8, referring to Rashi's interpretation) that the 80% who were not willing to leave were killed during the plague of darkness.  I did not see a reference to this in any of the liberal commentaries I read.  Why do you suppose the more traditional commentaries talk about this and not the modern, liberal commentaries?
• According to Dr. Eliezer Diamond, in his commentary from February 2006, it is challenging to think of ourselves as obligated to God's service - especially in our individualistic culture.  Where is our autonomy if we are obligated to God?  What does it mean to be free?  Is there a purpose to the ending of Egyptian slavery beyond the immediate release?
• This section of Torah coincides with the celebration of Martin Luther King Day.  There is a wonderful photographic essay on the Jews and Blacks in America that illustrates the roles Jews played in the civil rights movement in the United States.  The last few pages also highlight some of challenges to the relationship between Jews and Blacks that have developed over time.  Your students might be interested in seeing this article.
• Here are some customs you may not be familiar with (from Answers.com).  How do they express the big ideas of Passover?  Which of these customs might you want to incorporate into your own celebration of Passover?

"The Samaritans in Erets Israel observe the Passover rites on Mount Gerizim near Shechem. To this day, the slaughter of the paschal lamb is the climax of their ceremony. A number of sheep are set aside on 10 Nisan. On the eve of the 14th they are slaughtered, roasted for six hours in ovens dug in the earth, and distributed to the families to be eaten in their homes with bitter herbs, to the accompaniment of song and dance. 

"The Ethiopian Jews (Beta Israel) cease to eat leaven three days before the festival, consuming only dried peas and beans until Passover eve. Then they fast until their high priest slaughters the paschal lamb on an altar in the courtyard of the synagogue. The blood is sprinkled around the entrance to the building. 

"In the Caucasus, the Jews wear clothes of "freedom" with wide, loose sleeves, some with a dagger or even a pistol in their belt. They reenact a drama in which one of their number goes out, knocks on the door and pretends he has just arrived from Jerusalem. All the others ask him for news of the Holy City and whether he has a message of liberation and redemption.

"Certain Sephardim and Oriental communities also enact a drama, eating hastily, standing, with loins girded and staff in hand, like the Israelites in Egypt. Some wrap the afikoman in a cloth which they put over their shoulder and leave the room saying, "This is how our ancestors left Egypt."

"The secret Jews of Spain and Portugal, the Marranos, observed the festival on 16 Nisan in order to avoid suspicion on the previous day. They clandestinely baked unleavened bread on that day and held a secret Seder at which they consumed a whole roast sheep while wearing traveling shoes and holding staffs in their hands. Marranos in Mexico smeared their doorposts with the blood of lambs, like the ancient Israelites, and beat the waters of a stream with willow branches to symbolize the crossing of the Red Sea.

An afterthought:

This parasha happens to be my own Bat Mitzvah portion.  Interestingly, as my Bat Mitzvah observance was held on a Friday night I never actually studied the Torah portion - only the Haftorah.  In retrospect, what a shame I missed the opportunity to be aware that this powerful text was to be read the following morning!!  On the other hand, perhaps when I was younger the power of the words would not have been as impressive to me as it is today.  And here is one of the challenges I believe is at the heart of the Jewish educational system as it is today, particularly in pre-Bar/Bat Mitzvah settings.

How do we find the opportunity to support mature understanding of Jewish wisdom, thought and experience if the only people we encounter in our educational programs are children?

It's a big question.