This document outlines a lesson plan for teaching group leaders how to facilitate Jewish text studies. It includes an introduction explaining the value of text studies, as well as sections on different text study methods like chavruta (paired learning), close reading, and bibliodrama. The lesson aims to help group leaders understand key concepts about Jewish texts, measure the success of text studies, and feel confident leading text studies themselves.

1. Rotation: Text 101
Lesson 8e Included in GLTI Combined Training Resources
Length: 65 minutes • AJWS’s The Reasonably Intelligent Person’s Guide to Jewish Texts
• Three classic texts (Gittin 61a, Pirkei Avot 1:2 and Genesis 22:1-14)
• Tools for Facilitating Jewish Text Study
Materials Prepare before Session
• Manuals • Measures of a Successful Text Study poster
• Chart paper – one per 8-10 people • Guidelines for Chavruta poster
• Tape • Post-It Notes (for Shabbat Adaptation of Close Read)
• A copy of a page of Talmud
• Prepare word cards for the ‘close reading’ activity from Pirkei Avot (1:2): “The
world depends on three things: on Torah, service (of God) and acts of
lovingkindness.”
•
Established Outcomes
• GLs can explain to participants four reasons—succinctly and in their own words—why traditional Jewish texts are used on Jewish
service-learning programs.
• GLs know where to find reference material in their curriculum to name and define Jewish text source materials.
• GLs measure the success of their text study sessions based on the six indicators of success presented.
• GLs can use at least two different methods for facilitating text study with participants on Jewish service-learning programs to achieve
the six indicators of success.
• GLs can facilitate successful text studies with participants on Jewish service-learning programs to achieve the six indicators of
success.
Flow
!" Introduction
#" The Basics
$" Chavruta
%" Close Reading
&" Bibliodrama
'" Closing
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and BBYO Panim
Institute with support from Repair the World.

2. Rotation: Text 101
Lesson/Activity Plan
Time/Materia
ls Content
Introduction 1. Begin by indicating that the study of text (whether in the original language or in translation)—from the Bible,
Talmud, codes or modern Jewish philosophy—is held in high esteem by Jewish tradition. As indicated by the
10 min. moniker “people of the book,” Jews spend a lot of time focusing on words and texts, their meanings in context
and applied to our own lives. (Note: depending on the background of the GLs, more explanation may need to be
given regarding what text study is and why it is esteemed in Judaism.)
Measures of
a Successful 1. Ask: “What is the value/purpose of doing text study on our programs?” If not mentioned, include:
Text Study a. Bringing Judaism’s perspective into the conversation can enrich or even challenge our understanding
poster of our work. Judaism has much to say about social justice, ranging from charitable giving to how
we do business ethically;
b. Anchoring the conversation in Jewish text and tradition allows for participants to share a language and
conceptual framework not only with each other, but also with generations of past and future Jews.
In this way, they contribute to the Jewish community’s ongoing, sustainable commitment to justice
and service.”;
c. Jewish text study expects learners to wrestle and debate. Jewish values and laws have been shaped
and argued over centuries. We may feel like children listening at the little table on Pesach. When
we grow up, it is time to contribute to the conversation. In a sense, this experience is like voting”
we may hear our parents talk about it for years, and then finally it is one day our turn. Text study
may be that experience for some of our participants;
d. Our program is a Jewish program, and just as an environmental studies program would be
dramatically incomplete without text from environmental research, so too would our program be
lacking without Jewish texts.
2. Ask: “How do we define and measure the success of a text study experience in the context of our program?”
If not mentioned, include:
a. Stimulates discussion;
b. Maintains engagement;
c. Allows for diverse opinions;
d. Involves everyone;
e. Has a beginning, middle and end;
f. Spurs a conversation connected to the program experience and themes.
g. “Enriches understanding of the issues at hand in the host community;
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and BBYO Panim
Institute with support from Repair the World.

3. Rotation: Text 101
h. Fosters a sense that Judaism offers a valuable moral/ethical perspective on complex issues of social
justice.”
The Basics 1. Say: “Let’s review some Jewish text basics.”
a. Review AJWS’s Reasonably Intelligent Person’s Guide to Jewish Texts Review Torah/Tanach/Bible,
15 min. Babylonian/Jerusalem Talmud, Mishnah, Shulchan Aruch, Aruch HaShulchan, Midrash, Rashi, Rambam.
b. Note the following:
AJWS’s The
Reasonably i. Modern, historic, classic, alternative texts are all legitimate sources for study.
Intelligent ii. You don’t need to know the entire Torah to interpret a verse or lead a text study. Judaism is
Person’s very democratic in this way: everyone can access meaning of text through personal
Guide to interpretation.
Jewish Texts
iii. The Talmud as a corpus serves as a model for dynamic discussion and debate: often there is
no ‘right’ answer. Text study can therefore be seen as a loving argument, an overlapping and
iterative discussion that creates meaning over time.
2. Say: “We are now going to discuss and practice common methods for making text study active and varied.”
Chavruta 1. Discuss Chavruta (”paired learning”):
a. The word chavruta comes from the root chaver—Hebrew for friend.
10 min.
b. It is a common method that is easy to learn. It is essentially social learning.
Text study c. Traditional chavruta guidelines:
sheets, i. Read the text—Gittin 61a—aloud in a language both people understand.
Poster –
chavruta ii. Work together to be sure you understand what the text is trying to say. Focus here on the
guidelines, “objective” meaning of the text, not on your “subjective” personal response to it.
manuals iii. Interpret the application or consequences of this meaning.
iv. Share subjective personal responses, feelings and perspectives. Partners should bring their
knowledge of the text or related areas to the table in a respectful and thoughtful way.
v. Chavruta pairs rejoin a larger group and share highlights and unresolved questions from their
discussion.
vi. Guiding questions can be helpful for those newer to text study or if you want a particular
interpretation to be considered, but they are not required.
vii. Chavruta study is grounded in a value of healthy, respectful debate. The goal isn’t to reach
consensus but to challenge yourself and your partner to think deeply and complexly.
viii. As opposed to a single teacher leading a discussion or lecture, chavruta study is decentralized and
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and BBYO Panim
Institute with support from Repair the World.

4. Rotation: Text 101
egalitarian—a great social justice model!
2. Pair up participants and have them engage in the method described above with a text.
3. Regroup to discuss the following:
a. What they found in the text.
b. The impact of using the chavruta model and guidelines.
c. Questions and thoughts about using this model.
4. Also raise the following issues:
a. How can you feel most authentic as a leader of a text study?
b. If there is resistance to text study, where might participant resistance come from? How about our own
resistance? How might you, as a group leader, address and manage this resistance?
Close (Note: In advance of this lesson, prepare the word cards for this activity. Take the Pirkei Avot (1:2) text: “The world
Reading depends on three things: on Torah, service (of God) and acts of lovingkindness,” and write each word [combining
articles with their nouns] on a single sheet of paper.)
15 min. 1. Discuss close reading:
a. Show a page of Talmud and explain the visual structure of commentary, with the core text of the Mishnah
Jewish text in the center and the rabbinic commentaries surrounding it.
quote w/
each word on b. Say: “This type of ‘talmudic’ commentary can also be done on a very short text, even a single sentence, to
separate emphasize the power of interpretation as opposed to just reading.”
piece of c. Give each participant an identifying writing utensil (different colored marker, pencil, pen, etc.).
paper,
Post It notes d. Lay the word cards in order along the floor with enough room for people to walk and sit between them.
prepped for e. Ask one person to read the whole quote aloud.
Shabbat
adaptation, f. Everyone will now visit each paper and write a comment or two. Comments can refer to how this word
Manual connects to the quote, a question about the word choice, your personal association with the word in
general or anything else relevant. Instruct participants not to talk during the activity.
g. Ask participants to read others’ comments and comment on their comments or give answers to their
questions. Comments should add or ask something new, not just state agreement or disagreement.
h. Rearrange the papers in a circle (words facing inward) and have the group sit around the circle.
i. Debrief: What new ideas and/or connections are found in this text that we didn’t originally see?
i. Based on our own commentary, what is the main message of this text?
ii. Based on our commentary, how do you think we are interpreting it differently today than the
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and BBYO Panim
Institute with support from Repair the World.

5. Rotation: Text 101
author maybe intended?
iii. How does our lens/culture/perspective change our interpretation?
j. Meta-Debrief:
i. How does this method impact your learning?
ii. How would you tie this discussion back to the larger picture or your program or our daily lives?
k. Shabbat adaptation: Create the word cards before Shabbat. Do not ask participants to write their
responses on the word cards. Instead, they should have time to silently reflect before sharing their
responses with the group. Alternatively, participants can walk around in pairs and share their responses
and questions.
l. Larger group adaptation: Create two sets of word cards so the group can be divided.
Biblio-Drama 1. Discuss physical engagement / bibliodrama:
a. Improv theater exercise, adopting the role/perspective of a person in the text or the author.
10 min.
b. Energize the text and engage with it in a physical, dramatic way.
Manual, Text c. Ideal for a character and action-laden/story-based text.
2. Introduce a text (Genesis 22:1-14 is available in the manual) to the group by having a volunteer read it aloud.
3. Either assign or ask volunteers to play different roles (Note: you can even assign people to be objects that are
important to the story).
a. If there are not enough parts, you can split the group in half and have them prepare skits for two different
texts that relate well to each other.
4. Give actors several minutes to plan and rehearse.
5. Ask GLs to perform the skits.
a. Alternative: Do not give any planning time. Assign one person to be the narrator and the others must
perform on the spot as their actions are described.
6. Possible debriefs (Note: you may debrief this exercise any way you like, but you should discuss each of these
debrief processes with the GLs):
a. Ask non-actors to ask the characters questions about their motivations, feelings, etc. Ask the actors to
answer the question from the perspective of their character.
b. The facilitator may highlight specific themes and guide questions to explore them.
c. The drama can also be set as a courtroom scene. The performance is presented as video evidence,
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and BBYO Panim
Institute with support from Repair the World.

6. Rotation: Text 101
characters are questioned and then the jury decides guilt or innocence.
7. Meta-debrief: How does this method impact your learning?
Closing 1. Ask participants to share how confident they feel leading text study and what they think would make them more
confident.
5 min. 2. Address statements about what would make people feel more confident (e.g., resources, support).
3. Refer GLs to “Tools for Facilitating Jewish Text Study” in the manual for additional ideas about how to lead text
Manual study.
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for Justice and BBYO Panim
Institute with support from Repair the World.

7. UbD, Lesson 8e: Rotation: Text 101
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Outcomes
• GLs can explain to participants four reasons—succinctly and in their own words—why traditional Jewish
texts are used on Jewish service-learning programs.
• GLs know where to find reference material in their curriculum to name and define Jewish text source
materials.
• GLs measure the success of their text study sessions based on the six indicators of success presented.
• GLs can use at least two different methods for facilitating text study with participants on Jewish service-
learning programs to achieve the six indicators of success.
• GLs can facilitate successful text studies with participants on Jewish service-learning programs to
achieve the six indicators of success.
Concepts to be Covered During the Session Key Questions to Ask Learners
Big Ideas presented: 1. What is the value/purpose of doing text study on
1. Chavruta our programs?
2. Close reading 2. How do you define and measure the success of
3. Bibliodrama a text study experience?
Specific ideas/concepts to learn/remember: 3. How can you feel most authentic as a text study
leader?
1. Four reasons we use Jewish texts on Jewish
service-learning programs: 4. How does each method affect the learning?
a. Relevant themes appear.
b. Why Recreate the Wheel.
c. Jewish Program.
d. Educational tool.
2. Measure the success of a text study based on
the following six indicators:
a. Stimulates relevant discussion.
b. Maintain authentic interest/engagement.
c. Allows for diverse opinions.
d. Involves everyone.
e. Has a beginning, middle and end.
f. The conversation is connected to the
program, experience and themes.
Predictable misunderstandings:
1. Facilitating text study means that you know the
text and know its context.
2. The purpose of text study is to figure out what is
meant by the text/author.
3. Text study is passive, sedentary and quiet.
4. Participants will not want to do text study.
Stage 2 – Assessment
How Will We Check for Understanding at GLTI Field Work/Performance Assessment Methods
Discussion: 1. GL Post-program report
1. Reasons for Using Text Study 2. Program debrief with supervisor
2. Defining Qualities of a Successful Text Study 3. GL log book or in-field tracking
4. Co-leader debrief
Direct Questions: 5. Cohen Center report
1. What groups/conditions/topics/texts call for 6. Participant survey
which methods?
Stage 3 – Lesson Plan Checklist
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for
Justice and BBYO Panim Institute with support from Repair the World.

8. UbD, Lesson 8e: Rotation: Text 101
• Materials and pre-session prep list. • Use 2-3 different modalities (not just
• Each part of lesson has an assigned time limit. talk/listen/discuss; reflection/writing, small group
presentations/poster making, theater games,
• The presentation is significantly different from partners/smaller groups, art).
past versions in order to maintain returning GL’s
interest. • Check for understanding (e.g., ask direct
questions, use group discussion to gauge, have
• Taps into learners’ previous learners practice/demonstrate.
knowledge/experience.
• Provides new content/information.
This material was developed by American Jewish World Service, Bend the Arc: A Jewish Partnership for
Justice and BBYO Panim Institute with support from Repair the World.