Published: 18 October 2022
Last updated: 5 March 2024
Seeds of hope at an integrated youth movement and in the person of a Muslim student who designed a winning mezuzah for Magen David Adom.
The eighth and ninth graders were sitting on chairs in a big circle with two facing each other in the centre, one marked “agree” and the other “disagree.” The room was full of lively conversation. Something was under intense debate.
It quickly became clear what the raucous excitement was all about: Barcelona or Real Madrid?
More topics followed in debates for-or-against: Everyone should be vegetarian! Mixed gender schools are better! Parents should be able to read everything on their kids’ phones!
Watching from the sidelines, it was clear what was happening. First, the kids were re-aligning themselves, not along national or religious lines but based on their ideas. Second, they were learning tools for engaging in respectful debate. And third, they had a chance to reflect on how it felt to play different roles and engage with each other in different ways.
After the activity, the counsellors led a debrief, posing questions for discussion. How did it feel to sit on the chairs in the middle? How did it feel to sit on the outside? What did it feel like to argue for something you don’t believe? How did the debate change after we added the rules? What would your life be like — what would the world be like — if everyone debated this way?
Later, they broke into small groups to consider various ethical dilemmas they might encounter in their teenage lives: Should you invite your whole class to a party? What do you do if you find money on the street? What to do if a student cheats on an important test?
Again, a thoughtful conversation followed: How did it feel to disagree with people? Was it harder or easier to disagree with someone of your own or a different religion? Do you learn more from people with whom you agree or disagree?
