Source: JETS Blog
In September 2014, JETS Israel initiated a new course on Modern Israel at Yeshivat Kadima in St. Louis. The students are currently studying the first unit of the year, which focuses on Tzuk Eitan – the Defensive Edge campaign -- that Israel waged this summer in Gaza. Using Tzuk Eitan as a jumping off point, the JETS course guides the students towards a deeper understanding of the background, events and consequences of this summer's military conflict with Gaza.
In the first component of the unit, the students examine "Morality in Warfare" as they consider the issues and questions that force them to grapple with the same dilemmas and predicaments that the Israeli government and military did over the summer of 2014. The central question is: "How do you wage a moral war against an enemy that uses civilians as human shields?"
After discussing the issue of Morality in Warfare, the students, grades 9 - 12, will go on to compare Tzuk Eitan with other Israeli wars as they think about moral dilemmas and how to stand with Israel in her hour of need. In the coming months the class will expand to study Israel's History, Israeli Democracy, Medical Ethics and the students' conception of an ideal Israel.
Each subject involves in-depth learning and reinforcement through a variety of edtech methodologies. Students pose questions, answer each other's questions and create projects that cement their own understanding of the issues while providing learning material for their peers. Some of the projects involve comparing and contrasting the 2014 Tzuk Eitan with other Israeli conflicts, while others give the students a taste of how Israeli citizens managed to live their lives under fire during the war.
Read more on the JETS Blog.