Volume 5, No. 3 (Winter 2003) -- Special Issue on Tolerance

Read The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate by Janice Cohn, which describes how residents of Billings, Montana, united to fight a series of hate crimes committed against a Jewish family.

"A life is not important, except in the impact it has on others." - Jackie Robinson

Objectives:

• To learn what a bully, victim, and ally are and how and why they act as they do.
• To learn how families and a community stand together against bigotry and acts of hatred.

Vocabulary:

• Hanukkah - a festival celebrating the Jewish people's fight for religious freedom
• anti-Semitism - prejudice against Jews
• reluctantly - unwillingly
• bullies - people who find strength in hurting or frightening others
• solution - an answer to a problem
• prejudice - dislike of people just because they are of another race or religion
• Menorah - a candlestick with eight branches and a center candle holder, a symbol of the Jewish religion and Hanukkah
• bigotry - stubborn prejudice
• Billings, Montana - the place where this story takes place
• violence - force used to cause injury or damage
• ally - an individual who stands by a friend in need

Pre-assessment:
Find out what children already know about prejudice, bigotry, bullying, anti-Semitism, and Hanukkah. Preview each vocabulary word by asking students to suggest their own definitions. Use vocabulary cards as visual aids. Have students work in pairs.

Read the book:
The Christmas Menorahs: How a Town Fought Hate, by Janice Cohn

Suggested Comprehension Questions:

• What was the loud noise that Isaac and Mrs. Davis heard? Describe what they saw.
• When Isaac's parents came home, what did they decide to do? Do you agree or disagree with their decision? Explain.
• What was the reason Chief Inman gave as to why someone threw a rock at Isaac's window?
• What did Chief Inman want the whole town to do?
• Why did Isaac want to put away his Menorahs? What would you have done? What did Isaac's mother decide to do?
• What was Ms. MacDonald's idea?
• Retell the story of the Danish King Christian in your own words.
• Why does a Menorah have nine candles?
• What did Teresa and her family decide to do?
• As Isaac and his mother drove through the neighborhood at night, what did they see in house after house.
• What did you think of the Hanley family's window display?
• Who made a difference in this story?

#1 Retell a part in a skit!
In small groups, dramatize part of the story.

Procedure:
In a large group, talk about the story, characters and setting. Assign (or let small groups choose) parts to enact in a play. Practice each scene and perform play for another class.

#2 Write a Letter to Isaac
Children can write a letter to Isaac telling him how they felt listening to this story.

Procedure:

• Elicit from children favorite or most memorable parts of the story. Ask children to state why a part stood out in their minds.
• Tell aloud favorite or most memorable parts to a partner. Model friendly letter writing. Write, share and revise letters.

#3 Create an anti-hate poster
Decorate a "picture window" to show support of Isaac.

Procedure:
With a partner, children plan a discussion they would have with their family to show their support of Isaac. Sketch, brainstorm, and plan a poster that shows support and anti-hate sentiments.Use poster board, large construction paper or other materials to make the poster. Share with the class. Ask children to evaluate the effectiveness of the poster in terms of its anti-hate messages and support of Isaac's family. Post in the hall or hang in a classroom window.

#4 What is an "ally"?

Materials:

• Markers and chart paper with matrix shown below.
• Picture books that have allies: Fat, Fat Rose Marie, Teammates, Thank You Mr. Falker, I Hate English, Passage to Freedom (you may know others).
• Printed copies of the matrix, pencils.

Procedure:

• Draw the matrix shown on page 5 on a piece of chart paper.
• Share ideas and develop class definition of the term "ally."
• Apply this new definition to The Christmas Menorahs.
• Summarize the book and complete the matrix.
• Divide class into equal groups with one "ally" book per group.
• Assign the following roles: reader, recorder, and speaker(s).
• Read the book and complete a group matrix. Each group's speakers report to the class what they have learned.

For more activities, visit the Web of Respect site at hastings.ci.lexington.ma.us/Library/Yes/Lessons/Community/communit.htm. It has a link to a video clip from Not in Our Town, A PBS special describing the events in Billings.