Final Paper for MJEd

Advisors: Professor Miller-Jacobs, Sandy

And Rachel Raz

Hebrew College

Newton, MA

The Reflection of Israeli Society Through the Cinematic Portrayal of its Soldiers –

An Adult Education Curriculum

By Eran Alexander Shorr

June 01, 2010

Abstract

Film is an excellent tool to introduce adults to the culture of a nation with its conflicts, frustrations, hopes, and dynamics.  This paper explores the use of film as a tool to follow the changes that have taken place in Israeli society since its birth.  This paper proposes a curriculum intended for a Jewish adult education program, with the goal of following changes in the portrayal of the Israeli soldier in film through which one can appreciate the changes in Israeli society and culture.

Table of Content

1. Introduction  (4-6)

2.    Using Film as a Learning Tool  (8-9)

3.    The Target Learners-Adult (10-11)

4.    Suggested lesson structure (12-13)

5.    The Israeli Soldier and the Israeli Society  (14-16)

1. Lesson one:  Hill 24 Does not Answer  (17-24)
2. Lesson two:   Masa Alunkot   (25-33)
3. Lesson Three:  The Troupe  (34-36)
4. Lesson Four:  Avanti Popolo  (37-40)
5. Lesson Five:  Late Summer Blues (41-43)
6. Lesson Six:  Time of Favor  (44-47)

12.  Lesson Seven: Yossi & Jagger (48-54)

13.  Lesson Eight:  Close to Home  (55-56)

14.  Lesson Nine:  Beaufort (57-59)

1. Lesson Ten:  Waltz With Bashir (60-63)
2. Conclusion (64-65)
3. Appendix 1(66-69)
4. Appendix 2 (70)

The Reflection of Israeli Society Through the Cinematic Portrayal of its Soldiers – An Adult Education Curriculum:

Introduction

There is a famous saying: “to know a people, go to their songs.”  I would add “films” too.   Film is an excellent tool to introduce the learner to the culture of a society, its conflicts, frustrations, hopes, dynamics etc.   Israeli films are certainly a medium through which we can follow the changes that took place in the Israeli society since its birth.  The early years of the film industry in Israel is characterized by Zionistic, heroic and propaganda movies.  Through the years the stories become more complex. They deal with different aspects of the Israeli community and examine and focus on principles, dilemmas and conflicts experienced in the land. The movies become more and more critical of its society and show the strength as well as the weaknesses of Israel.

This paper is a curriculum for adults, focusing on ten Israeli movies since 1955 till 2008.  These movies are reflection of the Israeli society throughout the years; in particular the focus will be on cinematic portrayal of its soldiers.  The choice of the movies for the paper is based on films that represent a turning point in the Israeli culture.

The movies show how the image of the soldiers changes from the handsome (יפה הבלורית והתואר (, strong, Zionist, to the soldier who has doubts, has weaknesses and can even cry.

The objective in this curriculum is to show how the changes in the image of the Israeli soldier in the Israeli film reflect the changes in the Israeli society.  The Israeli army is known as “צבא העם”, the people’s army, therefore following the changes in the portrayal of the Israeli soldier, can help us understand the changes in the Israeli culture and society.

Israeli culture has changed from being purely Zionistic to a country that allows itself to doubt, to ask questions, and to criticize itself.  This can be seen as a sign of maturity and confidence not necessarily a weakness.

The curriculum highlights the changes in the attitude towards Zionism, Arabs, occupation, The First Lebanon War, government, army, entertainment, and homosexuality.

The ten Israeli movies selected for the curriculum discusses are:

1.    Hill 24 Does Not Answer, 1955

2.    Masa Alunkot,  1977

3.    The Troupe, 1978

4.    Avanti Popolo, 1986

5.    Late Summer Blues, 1987

6.    HaHesder, 2000

7.    Yossi and Jagger, 2002

8.    Close to Home, 2005

9.    Beaufort 2007

10.  Waltz With Bashir, 2008

To the above list, other movies can be added or substituted, depending on the interest of the adult group. The other possible movies include:

1.    Bannot, 1985, which discusses problematic issues between the Ashkenazim and Sepharadim

2.    Echad Mishelanu, 1989, which discusses unity and treatment of Arabs by Israelis.

3.    Lo Sam Zain, 1997,  which discusses the injured soldiers in the Army- wars.

4.    Kippur, 2000, which discusses the  “balagan” chaos  in Israel and the Army during The Yom Kippur War.

The curriculum includes key information about each of the ten movies, lesson objectives, film synopsis, analysis – key points to consider, proposed discussion questions, and references.

Using Film as a Learning Tool

William Bernedict Russell III, and others agree that the use of film is a great tool in teaching social issues.  The visual aspect of the film adds another dimension and  is considered a best practice and an effective strategy for social studies issues.  (Russel III, 2009; Holmes, Russel, & Movitz, 2007;Russel, 2007a; Paris, 1997)

Movies can help the learners to better understand the content in a number of ways:

1)    They use visual images (Russel III, 2009)

2)    They bring learners closer to the topic (Russel III, 2009; Matz and Pingatore 2005)

3)    They are effective communicators,  and can arouse emotions (Russel III, 2009; McPherson, in Russel, 2008), and feelings (RusselIII, 2009)

4)    They are natural for learners who are digitally savvy and the average student spends over seven hours a day using media. (RusselIII, 2009; Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005)

5)    They are used by students who normally spend about 50% of their media time on film.  (Russel III,2009)

6)    They are very popular and accessible to teachers.  According to research:

a)    100% of social studies teachers are reported to be using film in their classes once a month.(Russel III, 2009; Russel 2007b)

b)    In 2006, a study conducted by Stoddard and Marcus concluded that 92.9% of social studies teachers used film once a week.  (Russel III, 2009; Leming, Elington, & Schung, 2006)

c)    In 2006, a national survey of social studies teachers  concluded that 63% of eighth grade social studies teachers used a movie in their last class.  (Russel III, 2009; Leming, Elington, & Schung, 2006)

d)    A national study of teachers concluded that 69% of teachers teaching the Holocaust use film in class. (Russel III, 2009; Donnelly, 2006)

The Target Learners-Adult

This course is geared for adults in a synagogue adult education setting.  It is not suggested for teenagers because of the many nudity scenes seen in Israeli film.    The teacher needs to be tuned into the experiences and needs of the adult learner who can adjust the course accordingly.  An adult class needs to be flexible. For some adults, this event may be seen as an evening out, doing something interesting and meeting other people.  Adults come with years of life experience and knowledge.  Adults go to learn for different reasons.  They are not coming for a degree, and are not expected to be tested on what they are learning.  They are coming because they want to learn, and they will leave the course if they do not like it.  They do not want to be too committed in time, money, and energy.  (Kail V. , Robert, Caranaugh C., John, (2010), Human Development A lifespan View, Fifth Edithin, Wadswrth USA)

According to Malcolm Knowles, (http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-knowl.htm) there are four assumptions that characterize adult learners.

1.    Self concept – An adult is self directed.

2.    Adults come with life experience which becomes a resource for learning.

3.    Readiness to learn -  An adult is ready to learn things relevant to his age and interests.

4.    Orientation to learning – An adult is ready to learn and immediately apply what he has learned.

Therefore, in planning this curriculum for an adult class, I would suggest that on the first meeting, the teacher introduces the course and the movies to be discussed.  The teacher should also leave time for students to suggest other appropriate movies.

Suggested lesson structure

The lesson structure is suggested.  Although this curriculum has some references for the teacher, it is not intended for a teacher with limited knowledge of Israeli history and culture.  Each class is a two hour session.  Some movies are longer than others and require more than two hours.  The teacher can choose whether to break class time into two parts, or when possible to ask the learners to watch the movie at home.  Each session is divided into three activities:

A.   Introduction and probing questions about the movie. – It is suggested to give the learners some historical background about the era that the movie was made.  This is to be followed by some probing questions to invite the learners to be involved and to get them focused on the lesson’s objective/s.

B.   Movie screening. –  Some of the movies take two hours, and are too long for a two hour class session.  In this case, the teacher may want to divide the class time to two sessions.  If the teacher chooses to ask the learners to watch the movie at home, it  will save time for class discussions, however:

a.     It may be expensive for the learner because he/she will have to buy the movie.

b.    The movie may not be available.

c.    It may also detract from the social experience of watching the movie in a group.  Many adults participate in the adult education programs, in part, for the social experience.

C.   Discussion – In this paper there are some suggested key points that the teacher may choose to raise in class.

The Israeli Soldier and the Israeli Society

The Israeli army is known as “צבא העם”, the people’s army, therefore following the changes in the portrayal of the Israeli soldier, can help us understand the changes in the Israeli culture and society.

Since Israel’s creation in 1948, until after The Six Day War, 1967, Israeli society looked down at Jewish exile, and saw in it weakness, helplessness, and desperation . Instead, it viewed itself as strong, united, and heroic.  Israelis believed that there is no other choice “ein braira”, and valued self sacrifice as “it is good to die for our country.”  Some of these views are an expression of Jewish collective memory that is derived from the early twentieth century, and much of it elevates the period of antiquity to reflect national heroism.  This is explained in Yael Zerubavel’s book, Recovered Roots about the Israeli collective memory (1995) of the heroic Jew, who became embedded in the Israeli culture:

1.    Bar Kokhba is described as a “giant” figure in Jewish history.  He fought against the Romans and became a Jewish symbol of heroism, readiness for self sacrifice, and strength.  To commemorate his heroism, schoolchildren sing and dance around a bonfire at Lag B’omer.

2.    Masada became a site that commemorates Jewish heroism and a symbol for self sacrifice if needed to die for the country.

3.    In the battle of Tel Hai, 1920, eight Zionist were killed defending the settlement.  This became embedded in the Israeli culture, commemorating Jewish heroism and the willingness to die for the country.

4.    The Maccabees are celebrated as heroes who fought and liberated the Jews from Greek oppression.

5.    On Pesach, the Jews are reminded when they read from the Hagada, “For it was not only one who stood up against us to destroy us; in every generation they stand up against us to destroy us and the Holy One Blessed be He, saves us from their hand.”  This holiday is celebrated as liberation and revival of a nation, lead by Moses and Ahaaron.

6.    Purim is celebrated as salvation of the Jewish people from the Persian threat, making Mordechai and Esther the heroes.

7.    Israel Independence Day – Israelis celebrate victory over Arab aggressiveness against Jews. Israelis believe that Arabs want to throw them into the sea.

8.    Tish’a be-Av – Destruction of first and second Temples.  In both cases, Israelis learn and remember that others wanted to destroy them (The Jewish people).

9.    Yom Hashoa V’hagvura– Commemorates the holocaust and the Jewish heroes who faught against the Nazis.

After the War of Attrition, 1968-1969, events like the Yom Kippur War in 1973, both Lebanon Wars, the Intifadah and questions like the future of Palestinians, of the West Bank and of Gaza affected Israeli culture. Over the years, Israeli culture began to shift from self-sacrifice to “kidush hahaim” the sanctity of life. Israeli self-perception of strength, and heroism changed to self-critic.  This is reflected in events such as “michtav hashministim” the letters of the twelve graders, 1970, in which a group of twelve graders wrote to Prime Minister Golda Meir a letter asking an ending of hostility, and for peaceful negotiations. During those years, the concept of “sarbanoot” not willing to serve in the army began, and pacifism became more common.
Lesson One

Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer

גבעה 24 אינה עונה

(1955)

Directed By:  Thorold Dickinson

Produced By:  Margot Klauzner

Written By:  Zvi Kolitz and Peter Frye

Color:  Black and white

Length:  120 minutes

Language: English

Cast:  Israeli and foreign actors:Edward  Mohler, Michael Wagner, Aric Lavi, Margalit  Oved

Lesson Objectives

To reflect upon the Israeli society through the portrayal of the Israeli soldier.

1.    The idea of the new Jew – strong, handsome, heroic, willing to die for his country who deserves a homeland, is connected to his history, and is compassionate. He has no other choice but to fight the Arabs, because they want to throw him into the sea.  They are aggressive and hostile and not connected to their history.

2.    To show that through the movie we can see that Israelis wanted to maintain a good relationship with the West.

3.    To show that although there is a woman among the soldiers, her story is not told.  On one hand she participates and fights with them but on the other hand, her status is not defined.  This reflects on the problematic issue of women’s status and role in Israeli society.

Film Synopsis:

Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer is a movie about the narrative of Israeli heroes who fought for Israel’s independence.  It tells the story of four soldiers, a woman and three men, who were killed fighting in a battle for a strategic hill near Jerusalem.  The male soldiers, an Irishman (a Christian), and American Jew, and a Sabra describe what brought them to Hill 24, and by doing so, tell aspects of Jewish history that provide an understanding for the fight of the state of Israel.  The story of the woman is not told.

Analysis – key points to consider.

1.    Historical background

a.    On May 14, 1948, Israel proclaimed independence

b.    Five Arab countries attacked Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Iraq.

c.    May 11, 1949, Israel was accepted as a member of the United Nations.

d.    During the early years many Holocaust survivors and Jews from Arab lands who faced persecution immigrated to Israel.

e.    September 10, 1952 , Israel signed an agreement with Germany  (Heskem Hashelomim)

f.     1950s, Israel was frequently attacked by Palestinian Fedayeen.

g.     The Sinai Campaign,(1956)  In a joint venture, Israel, Great Britain, and France conquered the Sinai Peninsula.

From 1948 until the mid 60’s, the genre of Israeli film was national heroic, with images and narratives based on Zionistic ideology. The movies were used as a Zionist propaganda tool within and outside Israel.

(שוחט, אלה, מתרגם נזרי, יגאל. (2005). הקולנוע הישראלי מזרח/מערב והפוליטיקה      של הייצוג. רעננה: בית ההוצאה לאור של האוניברסיטה הפתוחה.עמ. 68)

The movie begins and ends with the death of the four Israeli soldiers, and thus points to the strong Israeli motive “it is good to die for our land.”

ארצנו”) (“טוב למות בעד (Trumpeldor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Trumpeldor ) and at the same time, the death of the soldiers allows us to live in the land,

(“במותם ציוו לנו את החיים”) – death and independence are intertwined.

(שוחט, אלה, מתרגם נזרי, יגאל. (2005). הקולנוע הישראלי מזרח/מערב והפוליטיקה של הייצוג. רעננה: בית ההוצאה לאור של האוניברסיטה הפתוחה. עמ’ 70. )

Below are descriptions of the three Israeli soldiers portrayed in the movie:

The Sabra

The Sabra is shown fighting in the Negev against the many Arabs.  When he captures a wounded Egyptian he is portrayed as a compassionate fighter. He offers to help him, only to discover that the” Egyptian,” is a German Nazi.  Despite the Sabra’s attempt to help the Nazi, the German tries to release the safety-catch of a grenade. The Sabra jokes about it and tells the Nazi that it is expensive.  (He cares about cost and lack of equipment.  The economic hardship in Israel caused Israelis to be very sensitive about waste.) This scene reflects the Israeli mistrust of the Germans.  (In the sixties in Israel there was a whole debate about the German reparation.)   Fighting against the Nazi suggests that the Israelis see the fight against the Arabs as “never again”.

The Irish Christian Israeli soldier

The Irishman began as a British officer, trying to stop Jewish immigrants from entering the country.  He falls in love with an Israeli Jew, and he ends up as a soldier fighting for Israel.  This symbolizes the good relations of England and the West with Israel.  The real enemies are the Arabs and not the British.  (Israel and Britain went to war together against the Egyptians in 1956.)  At the end, the Irishman dies, ending his relationship with the Israeli Jew. This reflects the Israeli/Jewish attitude towards intermarriage between Christians and Jews.

The American Jew, Israeli soldier.

The American comes to Israel as a tourist and ends up as a soldier in the Israeli army.  He is a Zionist who wants to live in the country as a Jew.  His experience expresses the desire of the Israeli society to encourage immigration.   In Israel, the American witnesses Arabs throwing stones on the travel agency, and is later thrown by an Arab into a pool. The British, who was present at the scene, does not interfere to help the American Jew.  These two incidences reflect the Israeli view of the conflict between the Israelis, the Arabs and the British – the Arabs want to hurt the Jews and to throw them into the water, and the British do not help.  The Israelis have no choice “אין ברירה”   but to fight the Arabs and to defend themselves because no one will do it for them. The American Jew is portrayed in the movie as connected to his heritage and history, and in his conversation with the Arab, he knows how to articulate the right of the Jews to exist in the land.  On the other hand, the Arab is portrayed as someone who is very shallow and has nothing to defend.  The movie omits any Arab history and legitimacy to the land.

The third incidence is when the American is wounded and encounters a Rabbi.  At this point the American/Israeli soldier dismisses with frustration all religious sentiments and asks where is God when he is needed reflecting the feeling of many Jews after the Holocaust.   Later the American is seen remembering some of the prayers he learned as a child. This is a reflection on many secular Zionists who made an effort to distance themselves from religious practices and wanted to create the new Jew, but yet kept a connection to Jewish heritage.  In secular kibbutzim, for example, the kibutzniks did not observe Halachic laws, but on Friday nights they enjoyed singing Hasidic melodies.  Aharon Meged, an Israeli writer expresses this dilemma in his writing.

(מגד, אהרון. (1981). יד ושם. הוראת הסיפור הקצר. מהדורה 2. תל אביב. אור עם, עמוד 176-169.)

In one of Meged’s early stories, “Yad Vashem”, it is expressed as a conflict between a grandfather and his granddaughter and her husband who refuse to name their child after the grandfather ‘s grandson who perished in the Holocaust .  There, the grandfather criticizes the youth who think that they can create a new Jew without the connection to the past.

When the American is evacuating the Old City of Jerusalem, he is seen holding hands with the Rabbi, symbolizing the unity of the Jewish people at the time of sadness and their hope to return and unite with the city again. This became the collective dream of the Jewish people.

The Arab soldiers

The movie portrays the Arabs in a negative way.  They are aggressive and their sole mission is to attack the Israelis. The Arabs are many, and always shown with a gun in their hands.  Their map is shown with arrows pointing at Israel.  This reflects the Israeli mistrust of the Arab.   A famous expression that I remember from that time is הוא ערבי מת  ערבי טוב  (A good Arab is a dead Arab).

However, we do not know anything about the Arabs as individuals.  The camera is mostly focusing on the Israeli soldier, portraying him as a human being with a personal story.  He is a hero, he is aware of his national history.  He wishes for survival and desires and deserves a homeland.

The metaphoric idea of standing “Dom” (Amod dom in English “At attention”)

The movie shows Israeli soldiers stand in attention (דום) before they attempt to capture the Old City of Jerusalem.  The metaphoric idea of standing “dom” refers to the Jewish people doing nothing after the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans.  Entering the walls of the city symbolizes the return of the Jewish people to history, but now, after a moment of attention they are active again– the Jewish nation is reborn.

Suggested Discussion Questions

The order of the questions is not necessarily the order in which the discussion should take place. These are suggested questions and not all have to be asked.  These questions can be asked before the movie to help the learners focus while watching it.  They may also be used in the discussion following the movie screening.

1.    In what way do the individual stories meet together?

2.    How do the soldiers reflect the fabric of Israeli society? Which character do you identify with?  Why?

3.    Four soldiers died on Hill 24, but only the story of the woman soldier – Esther- was not told.  What does that project on the Israeli society?

4.    In what way does the role of the American soldier, Alan Goodman’s, project the American Jews role in Israeli life and culture?

5.    Goodman’s encounter with the rabbi suggests religious issues that are reflected in the Israeli society.  What are they?

6.    Amir, for a moment, when facing the Nazi, imagines himself as a weak traditional Jew in the Diaspora.  How does this reflect on the struggle of the identity of the new Jew and the connection or the disconnection between past and present?

7.    How does the Israeli see the Arab?

References

1.  Avisar, Ilan. (2002). Visions of Israel: Israeli filmmakers and images of the Jewish State. The Jewish Media Fund.

2.  גרץ, נורית (1993). סיפור מהסרטים סיפורת ישראלית ועיבודיה לקולנוע. רעננה: בית ההוצאה לאור של האוניברסיטה הפתוחה.

3.  מגד, אהרון. (1981). יד ושם. הוראת הסיפור הקצר. מהדורה 2. תל אביב. אור עם, עמוד 176-169

4.  שוחט, אלה, מתרגם נזרי, יגאל. (2005). הקולנוע הישראלי מזרח/מערב והפוליטיקה      של הייצוג. רעננה: בית ההוצאה לאור של האוניברסיטה הפתוחה.

5.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel
6.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reparations_Agreement_between_Israel_and_West_Germany

Lesson 2

Masa Alunkot- אלונקות מסע

(Also known as Journey of the Stretchers, Paratroopers, Stretcher Drill)

1977

Directed By:  Yehuda Ne’eman

Produced By:  Yehuda Ne’eman, and Dani Tracz

Written By:  Zvi Kolitz and Peter Frye

Color:  In color

Length:  90 minutes

Language: Hebrew

Cast:  Yair Rubin, Gidi Gov, Ezra Kafri, Doval’e Glickman, Ami Traub, Michael Warshaviak, Dalik Volonitz, Jetta Monte, Yael Pearl, Noni Moshonov

Lesson Objectives:

1. To show how the change in the image of the Israeli soldier by the Israeli society changed from being heroic to being weak and untrustworthy.

2. To reflect the breakdown of the Israeli public trust in their political leaders and their military leadership.

Film Synopsis

The movie is about a soldier in the Israeli Army. It shows the obsession of the Israeli society with the paratroop unit within the IDF and criticizes it.   In this movie, the soldiers are Paratroopers, an elite military unit, to which one has to volunteer, and go through a process that decides whether he is accepted or not.  To belong to this unit is considered an honor in the eyes of Israelis.  In the movie Weisman raises his military (medical) profile so he can be admitted to the paratroopers’ unit, and he is stubborn to stay there although he is clearly not fitted to it.  He is afraid that he will become a warehouse man, and his officer threatens him to make him into a chef.  The Paratroopers’ red shoes and their red beret are idolized.  When the commander wants to compliment the weak soldier, Weisman, he does not just tell him how he has improved, rather, he tells him that now, he begins to justify wearing the red shoes. To wear them one must be able to show his manhood, Zionistic attitude, and personal success.
Weisman, who is incompetent to survive training, chooses to commit suicide.

Analysis – key points to consider.

1. Historical background

This movie was made after the Yom Kippur War (1973), which caught Israel in surprise and had devastating consequences.  There was a lot of criticism on the government and the army. After the war, the Israeli public trust in their government and military leadership was shaken.  There was a protest movement lead by Moti Ashkenazi, and as a result, Moshe Dayan, Minister of Defense, resigned and after him the whole government of Golda Meir (then Israel’s prime minister), resigned.  In the following election a changeover of the government took place and the Likud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Likud) rose to power.  The Agranat commission investigated the military failure ((מחדל, and as a result of their findings the Chief of Staff and other high ranking officers resigned.

2.    The problematic image of the Israeli warrior is a reflection of the Israeli public mistrust and anger at its leadership.

This movie debates the whole image of the Israeli warrior. Its significance is that this is the first Israeli film that portraits the Zionist, the “new Jew,” the Israeli Sabra as non-heroic. He is weak, does not conform and eventually commits suicide.   Unlike the movie  “Hill 24 Does Not Answer,”    where the soldiers die in defense of the country, here the soldier takes his own life, and his death is meaningless and has no national significance.  The concept that it is good to die for the country comes up in the movie when Yair says “Tzvi (Weisman) was a soldier in the Paratroopers… the best youth fall and do not stand up…”  – a clear disconnection from the truth.  Another example that shows a false presentation of the hero who dies for the country is the scene  in which Weisman’s parents are  not informed of his suicide, and are told that he is a hero.  We know that he is not, and this lie, too, reflects the mistrust of the Israelis of its leaders.

In the movie, the paratrooper unit is not for everyone.  Not everyone can become part of the group even if he tries.  It projects a unit that has a very male structure, and serving in it is a test for masculinity.  The soldiers have conversations about women and about having sex with them; they sing and curse. This is very different from the movie “Hill 24 Does Not Answer” in which the soldier is projected as someone who is does not talk about sex, but about Jewish identity, national homeland, etc.

In the movie “Hill 24 Does Not Answer,” the women are seen as fighters, but their story is not told.  In “Massa Alunkot “ the women soldier is projected as a sex object, and the all the officers in the base compete to be with Ofra the secretary. (More about this idea at point number 5)

The movie also shows the loyalty of Yair, the officer, to his unit.  He chooses to go on a mission with his soldiers rather than going with his girlfriend, Maya who is waiting by a car.  Maya says to him: “have fun” suggesting that she does not like his decision and that he could have decided otherwise.  Here we see a duality in the attitude towards the army.  The officer decision is the one that is expected knowing that military life creates oneness among the soldiers, “all for one and one for all.”   Maya who is not a soldier, reflects by her reaction the changes that take place in the Israeli society, that the army is not everything and that the officer could choose otherwise.

3.    False unity in the movie projects the anger of the Israeli public at its leaders.

Unity is depicted in the movie in an ambivalent way, and it shows that the warrior brotherhood is false.  On one hand there is an effort to solidify the soldiers which is a positive thing; and on the other hand, when the group is shown as one, it is shown as a herd of cows which is negative with no individuality.

The officers in the movie are expected to be unified, but they are portrayed by showing confrontation between them. The movie shows confrontation between Eli the second in command who wants to be in command and Yair who is in command, but who is on paid leave, and between Shlomo the base commander and Yair.

The army demands oneness and that everyone belongs to the group.  At the beginning of the movie, Weisman is singled out of the group when he is volunteered to undress and to show blood clots, something that others laugh at.  In one of the scenes, Yair says “we wanted to make him a soldier.”  In other words, we want to make him unified with the group.  The stretcher represents the unification and the dependency of the soldiers on each other.  Four soldiers have to carry a stretcher with a soldier lying on it.  During the hike they rotate between those who carry and the one who is being carried.  If one of the soldiers who carry the stretcher breaks down, the stretcher falls down.  The movie shows the breaking of this unity. The soldiers carry the stretcher with the soldier Weisman, who is a trouble maker, but they do not believe him that he is sick, and therefore torture him.  When Weisman is being tortured, Yair, the officer, tells him “if you will be like everyone else they will not torture you.”  This scene shows that the military leaders do not succeed in unifying the unit resulting in one of its soldiers to commit suicide. One needs to be like everyone else to be accepted, otherwise he cannot survive. In the movie Weisman takes himself out of the group and eventually commits suicide.

Before Weisman’s suicide, Yair, the officer, tries to bring him back into the group, but the way he does it is cruel. He shoots Wiesman’s transistor and silences it when Weisman plays it loudly, ( This is an attack on Weisman’s  personal world), however this does not work because Weisman puts on his earphones and ignores Yair. This is his only way to be alone and away from the group.

In another scene, when the soldiers return from a stretcher hike, they are seen like a herd of cows. They blame Yair for Weitzman’s suicide, and shout “Weisman, Weisman,” as one people, when they pass Yair. Yair  becomes the outsider now. When he is vindicated, and returns to the unit, the soldiers again,  as one people, accept him and his authority.  Here the unity is projected as a group of people who do not think.  It is not the unity of a group of individuals with a mission.

4.    Inability to understand the individual soldier reflects the inability to lead.  This is a projection of the Israeli public anger and mistrust at its leaders.

Individualism in the movie is portrayed as problematic.  On one hand the individual is expected to conform with the others, and on the other hand, being projected as a herd of cows suggests that there is room for individuality.  In the movie, the officers do not know how to handle this individuality, and as a result one of the soldiers commits suicide.  This reflects the Israeli society at that time that was disappointed at its military leaders who, like in the movie, could not prevent the disasters (the War in Israel and the suicide in the movie).

Yair is projected as the good looking Israeli.  He is Zionistic, and loves the army.  However, he cannot see the individual, and cannot see differences among people.  He believes that everyone can become a good soldier.  Yair wants to listen to Weisman, but cannot understand emotional problems.  When Weisman asks for a psychologist, Yair brings him the doctor who asks “What hurts? Do you not feel well?”  Yair does not understand that it is an emotional problem and not a physical one.  Yair also responds that he can do the job.  He wants to be the father, but does not understand that he cannot do the job.

Even Weisman’s death is not a tragic individual event.  Instead, Yair uses it as a tool to teach his soldiers that a soldier was killed and that this is not permitted to happen.  It shows again that Yair is not able to see the individual and his reality.

5.    The portrayal of the women in the movie

In the movie “Hill 24 Does Not Answer,” the woman soldier is a hero.  She is a fighter and dies for her country, but her story is not told.  In “Massa Alunkot,” the woman soldier is portrayed as a sex object.  This is a reflection of the Israeli public’s debate about the place of the woman in the army.  On one hand, the woman is a fighter, and a hero, but on the other hand, there are those who believe that she should not be serving in the military.

Discussion Questions:

1.  How is the Israeli soldier portrayed in the movie?  How is it different from “Hill  24 Does Not Answer?”

2.  “Massa Alunkot” -  “The Stretcher” is used to carry wounded soldiers.  What does it symbolize?

3.  What are the Israeli myths that are broken in this movie?

References

1.      בן אליעזר, אורי) . 1995   . (דרך הכוונת: היווצרותו של המיליטריזם הישראלי 1956-1936. תל-אביב.

2.      בן עזר, אהוד, “על המשמר”, 13.5.1977.

3.      גרוס, נתן ויעקב. (1991). הסרט העברי: פרקים בתולדות הראינוע והקולנוע בישראל.  ירושלים:

4.      גרץ, נורית (1993). סיפור מהסרטים סיפורת ישראלית ועיבודיה לקולנוע. רעננה: בת ההוצאה לאור של האוניברסיטה הפתוחה.

5.      נאמן, יהודה (ג’אד),  “מעריב”, 18.9.1991.

6.      עופרת, גדעון. (1991).  “דהיית החאקי: דמות החייל באמנות הישראלית”, סטודיו 27, עמ’ 11-6.

7.      שניצר, מאיר,( 14.12.1992) הרצאה בקורס “קולנוע ישראלי: היסטוריה ואידיאולוגיה”. אוניברסיטת תל-אביב,.

8.    http://adkidum.com/Apps/WW/page.aspx?ws=4b15e61a-b623-4cef-9b28-5e94a5096120&page=d35ce193-8857-4ffe-aac8-26d419720d41&fol=4303248c-21cd-466c-bf9e-3cf7166d5eee&box=fbb1095c-9721-4a9f-ace1-c4411754043a&_pstate=item&_item=72251196-00d1-41b5-9796-76beb489a681

9.    http://bombsite.com/issues/95/articles/2807

1. http://www.jcpa.org/dje/articles2/electref.htm

11.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_Defense_Forces

Lesson 3

The Troupe- הלהקה

1978

Directed By:  Avi Nesher

Produced By:  Isaac Kol

Written By:  screen-play by: Sharon Harel and Avi Nesher

Color:  In color

Length: 110 minutes

Language: Hebrew

Cast:  Gidi Gov, Meir Swisa, Liron Mirgad, Cheli Goldberg, Gali Atari, Gilat Ankori, Meir Fennigstein, Sassi Keshet, Tuvia Zafir, Daphna Aroni, Toni Chen, Semadar Brenner, Elie goremstein, Dov Glickman, Uzi Essner

Lesson Objectives:

1.    To show that the Israeli society saw in the army troupes a gateway to success in the civil show business.

2. To get the student acquainted with the army troupes which were the leading entertainment groups in Israel at that time.

Film Synopsis

The movie takes place during the War of Attrition (1968-1969).  It tells the story of a military troupe – “Lehakat Hanachal”.  New soldiers join the troupe, and they are greeted by the older members with coldness, distance, and plots against them.

In time, the troupe becomes a candidate for the newly established Israeli TV station. The soldiers will be judged based on quality of their performances.  During those days, there are quarrels among the soldiers who compete for solo parts.  The Troupe’s commanders try to improve the performance by applying hard work and pressure on the soldiers.  As a result, one of the soldiers, Miki, throws “leben” (kind of yogurt) on the officer. She is punished and thrown out of the group.  All the soldiers then become united, Miki is returned to the group, and the TV show goes on.

Analysis – key points to consider.

1.    The songs that are sung are the popular songs of that time.

2.    Many of the troupes singers became very popular in Israel, like Gidi Gov, Meir Swissa, Dafna Armony, Sasi Keshet, and Tovia Tsafir.

3.    The military troupe units were a very good gateway for young actors and singers to break into the Israeli show business.

Suggested Discussion Questions
What in the story of the Troupe reflects on the Israeli society at that time?

What role does the Troupe play in mind of the young Israelis of that time?

References

1.    http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9F05E1DA113BF932A25753C1A967948260 (Need to register – Free)

2.    http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%9C%D7%94%D7%A7%D7%94

Lesson 4

Avanti Popolo

אוונטי פופולו

(1986)

Directed By:  Rafi Bukai

Produced By:  Rafi Bukai and Micha Shagrir

Written By:  Rafi Bukai

Color:  Color

Length:  90 minutes

Language: Hebrew and Arabic

Cast:  Salim Dau, Sohil Hadad, Tuvia Gilbar

Lesson Objectives:

1.    To show the Israeli public’s anger at the government and objection to the First Lebanon War

2.    To point to the change of the Arab image among Israelis

Film Synopsis:

Two Egyptian soldiers are wandering hopelessly in the Sinai Desert at the end of the Six Days War in June1967.   They try to go back home in peace by crossing the Suez Canal.  On their way they encounter, among other things, a dead UN soldier.  In his Jip they find a bottle of whisky  and they get drunk.  Later on, they join an Israeli patrol but end up being killed by another Israeli patrol  before they can cross the canal.

Analysis – key points to consider.

1.    Historical Background

This movie was made after the first Lebanon War (1982), which was understood by many Israelis as unjust and as unjustified.   Arik Sharon lied to Begin and to the country. He told them that the invasion could end at the 20 mile radius, but in fact ended by surrounding Beirut.  The climax was Sabra and Shatila (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabra_and_Shatila_massacre).

Arik Sharon, who was the Defense Minister during the First Lebanon War,  and the Minister of Industry  and Commerce, at the time of making this movie, called the film a self-destructive portrait of inept Jews.

2.    The image of the Israeli and Arab soldiers

Both the Israeli soldier and the Arab soldier are portrayed as victims of war.  They both are individuals who at times think of themselves and at times think of others, including the enemy.  However, the Israeli soldier is portrayed as mean.  He unsuccessfully tries to shoot the Egyptians away as if they were pesky dogs.  The way the Arab soldier is portrayed in the movie is different from the way it is portrayed in the previous ones.  Until now he has been portrayed as anonymous, one among many, terrorist, aggressive, one dimensional while the Israeli has been portrayed as a compassionate fighter, who has a mission and purpose. ( “Hill 24 Does Not Answer).   Now the Arab is portrayed  as an individual with talent, wills etc.  He is shown together with the Israeli as equal, singing the song Avanti Popolo that calls the people to revolt and praises the red flag which represents socialism and equality.  The Egyptian soldier is also being shown attempting a virtuoso performance of Shakespeare’s Shylock from “The Merchant of Venice,” in order to get some water from the Israelis. The irony is that Shylock is a Jewish money landing character in “The Merchant of Venice,” and often he is used by anti-Semites to describe the Jew as a loan shark.

Avanti Popolo is a song of the Italian Labor movement  the words are:
First verse:
Avanti o popolo, alla riscossa,

Bandiera rossa, Bandiera rossa.

Avanti o popolo, alla riscossa,
Bandiera rossa trionferà
Literal Translation:

Forward people, to the revolt

The red flag, the red flag

Forward people, to the revolt,

The red flag will triumph

The red flag represents socialism or communism, and points to equality.

In the movie, both, Israelis and Egyptians sing it without understanding what it means.  They are both soldiers in the desert, victims of the politicians.   This change in the way the Arabs are portrayed in the movie shows a shift in the Israeli attitude towards the Arabs, they are equal and human.

Discussion Questions:

1.  How does the Israeli view the Arab?

2.  How does the Israeli view himself?

3.  What is the significance of the name of the movie?  Avanti Popolo

References:

1.    http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=950DE2D61239F93AA25757C0A96F948260 The New York Times April 18, 2010   Avanti Popolo (1986)  By Caryn James April 1989   ((Need to register – Free)

2.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandiera_Rossa

3.    http://www.ubank.co.il/lib/essay/62_7.html

4.    http://www.ubank.co.il/essay/23111/%FA%F8%E5%EE%FA-%E4%F1%F8%E8-%E0%E5%E5%F0%E8%E9-%F4%E5%F4%E5%EC%E5-%EC%E4%FA%F4%E5%E2%E2%E5%FA-%E4%EE%E9%FA%E5%F1-%E4%F6%E1%F8%E9-%E5%E4%F6%E4-QUOT-%EC%E9.html

5.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shylock

Lesson 5

Late Summer Blues

בלוז לחופש הגדול

(1987)

Directed By:  Renen Schorr

Produced By:  Ilan De-Paris, Renen Schorr, Doron Nesher

Written By:  Doron Nesher, Renen Schorr

Color:  Color

Length: 101 minutes

Language: Hebrew with English subtitles

Cast: Sharon Bar-Ziv, Ada Ben-Nahum, Vered Cohen, Omri Dolev, Edna Fliedel, Amit Gazit, Noa Goldberg, Moshe Havazelet, Miki Kam, Maxi Nesher, Shahar Segal, Yoav Tzafir, Dor Zweigenboim

Lesson Objectives:

1.    To show the beginning trend against the idea that it is “good to die for our country”

2.    To show the beginning of a trend against war and “occupation”

3.    To show the beginning of a trend for “sarbanut” avoiding serving in the military

4.    To show the debates among Israeli youth before they enlist

Film Synopsis:

Late Summer Blues is about seven teenagers who spend their last  summer together, before they  enlist in the army.  During this time they are involved in decision making about their personal life, social/cultural life, and their future to be.

The movie is divided into four parts based on the characters:

1.    Yossi is a naive loving, person who is the first one to be enlisted.

2.    Arale is a pacifist who is doubting whether to be enlisted.  Meantime he is protesting by spraying graffiti throughout the city.

3.    Mosi is a gifted musician whose physical profile does not permit him to be in a military troupe.

4.    Margo has diabetes which does not permit him to be enlisted to the army.   He documents the group of friends with his super 8 camera.

Analysis – key points to consider.

Historical Background

This story was written by Renen Schorr who based the story on his experiences, one of which was “michtav hashministim,”  the letter of the twelve graders in Tel Aviv.  In April 28, 1970 they wrote a letter to Prime Minister Golda Meir disagreeing with the “occupation,” and they wanted her to end the “War of Attrition.”

After the movie was shown, other letters, similar to “michtav hashministim” were written, and through the country the graffiti “, Arale Tsodek” ( Arale is correct)  were painted.

Israelis from the political right, complained that the movie showed Golda Meir smoking marijuana, and also complained about the sarcastic song “tov lamut b’ad artzeny”-  It is good to die for our country.  Israelis from the political left complained that the movie did not go far enough by conscripting Arale the pacifist to the army.   Renen Schorr responded that at that time, in the 60s, “sarbanut” refusal to go to the army was almost nonexistent.

Discussion Questions:

1.    What is significant with the song “tov lamut b’ad artzenu”?

2.    What does the character Arale signify?

3.    How each character in the movie represents certain segments in Israel at that time?

References

1.    http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%91%D7%9C%D7%95%D7%96_%D7%9C%D7%97%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%A9_%D7%94%D7%92%D7%93%D7%95%D7%9C

2.    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092678/

3.    http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%9B%D7%AA%D7%91_%D7%94%D7%A9%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%99%D7%A1%D7%98%D7%99%D7%9D_(1970)#.D7.9E.D7.9B.D7.AA.D7.91_.D7.94.D7.A9.D7.9E.D7.99.D7.A0.D7.99.D7.A1.D7.98.D7.99.D7.9D_1970

April 19, 1989

Lesson 6

Time of Favor

ההסדר

(2000)

Directed By:  Joseph Cedar

Produced By:  David Mandil,  Eyal Shiray

Written By:  Joseph Cedar

Color:  Color

Length:  102 minutes

Language: Hebrew with English subtitles

Cast:  Aki Avni, Tinkerbell, Idan Alterman, Assi Dayan, Abraham Celektar, Amnon Volf,  Shimon Mimran,  Uri Klauzner,  Samuel Calderon

Lesson Objectives:

1.    To acquaint the learner with the Hesdeniks  – religious soldiers  who share their service period between studying at the yeshiva and serving in the army

2.    To show that the movie portrays the ambivalence attitude of the Israeli society towards this group, from admiration to fear

3.    To portray the dilemma facing this religious unit.  Should they follow God and rabbis’ orders or be a loyal and obligated solider. What do they do when there is a conflict between the two?

Film Synopsis:

Ha’Hesder is a movie about a religious unit (Hesder).  One of its soldiers , Pini, misinterprets his charismatic rabbi’s teaching about messianic nationalism.  He masterminds a violent plot to assume Jewish control of the Temple Mount by blowing up the Dome of the Rock mosque.  Menachem is an army officer, the platoon’s leader in the Hesder Yeshiva program.  He is also Pini’s friend and rival for the rabbi’s daughter, Michal, whose father has planned for her to marry Pini.  When Pini’s plot is discovered, Menachem’s allegiances are put to the test.

Analysis – key points to consider.

Historical background to the movie

Joseph Cedar, the director of “Time of Favor” (“Hahesder”), was researching the story for his new movie. Before he finished, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a religious extremist,  which probably affected the movie’s story.

Filming of the movie stopped in May 2000, and the production ended just before Ariel Sharon’s visit to Temple Mount, which lead to the Second Intifada.  The movie shows the fear of these kinds of actions and pleads to solve the problem between the Israelis and the Palestinians in a peaceful way.

The Settlers – a vision from within

“Time of Favor”  looks at the messianic dreams, and the personal price one has to pay for them.  The rabbi lives in the hills, in the West Bank.  His daughter blames him for his wife’s death, complaining that he was too busy with ideology to take care of her mother when she was sick.  His daughter hates living there because the place has nothing to offer her.

The movie shows a rabbi with dreams similar to his father before him, of a new temple rising on the mount.  This he conveys to his young students.  He thinks that his message is non-militaristic and that the way to do it is to build a movement that goes “to pray at the Temple Mount.”  Some of his students take it militaristically, and attempt to change history by blowing up the Moslem mosques on Temple mount.

The movie suggests  a total distrust by some Israelis of the religious community.  These Israelis believe that the danger may not  be coming from a hard core fanatics, but from a more dangerous source, the ones who come from within the “normal” culture – in the movie it was put as: “the line between abnormal and normal has changed.”

Discussion Questions:

1.  How does this movie reflect the Israeli culture and behavior leading to the assassination of Prime Minister Rabin 1995?

2.  How is the mistrust between secular and the religious Israelis portrayed in the movie?

3.  How does the portrayal of the religious soldiers in the movie reflect on the Israeli society?

4.  How does the philosophy of the settlements affect individuals and the country as a whole?

5.  In Israel, is today’s fanaticism tomorrow’s policy?

References

1.    http://www.calendarlive.com/movies/reviews/cl-movie000007953feb01,0,7233026.story by Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times February 1 2002

2.    http://polfilms.com/timeoffavor.html

3.    http://articles.latimes.com/2002/feb/01/entertainment/et-kenny1 Times Article Collections  Kenneth Turan  February 01, 2002  “Time of Favor’ Reveals the Inner State of a Nation”

4.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hesder

5.    http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3757464,00.html “80% of enlisted hesder yeshiva students join combat units”  8/5/09

6.    http://www.tabletmag.com/arts-and-culture/1248/time-of-favor /   “Time of Favor Israeli cinema has finally come into its own” Stuart Klawans  Tablet a new read on Jewish life,  July 3 2008

Lesson 7

Yossi & Jagger

יוסי וג’אגר

(2002)

Directed By:  Eytan Fox

Produced By:  Amir Harel, Gal Uchovsky

Written By:  Avner Bernheimer

Color:  Color

Length:  65 minutes

Language: Hebrew with English subtitles

Cast:  Ohad knoller, Yehuda Levi, Assi Cohen, Aya Steinovitz, Hani Furstenberg, Sharon Raginiano, Yuval Semo, Yaniv Moyal, Hanan Savyon, Erez Kahana, Shmulik Bernheimer, Yael Pearl

Lesson Objectives:

1. To show that there is a form of acceptance of homosexuality in the IDF

2. To show that homosexuality is somehow accepted in the Israeli society

Film Synopsis:

The movie is based on a true story.

Yossi, the commander of an Israeli post, near Lebanon, is secretly in love with his second in command Lior, known as Jagger.

The soldiers seem to know about the homosexual relationship in their base.
One day, the colonel arrives to the base with two female soldiers.  He sleeps with one of them, and the other (Yaeli) is very interested in Jagger.  She refuses the advances of one of the officers in the base, and he tries to make it clear to her that Jagger is not interested.

Jagger is killed in a night ambush.   At the funeral reception, Jagger’s mother thinks that Yaeli is her son’s girlfriend and admits that she does not know anything about him.

Analysis – key points to consider.

Historical background

By the year this movie came out, (2002), Israel already experienced several “pride parades” which have been sponsored by different businesses and supported by the City of Tel Aviv.  In the first “Pride Parade”, which took place in a Shenkin garden in  Tel Aviv,(1993)  a real closet was put there and people literally came out  of the closet. One of the people was a soldier. The newspaper  ”Chadashot,” published the soldier’s picture, and the soldier was punished for it and was expelled from Nachal (a military unit).  Nine years later, this movie portrays some changes in the way Israel treats homosexuals in the army, and it reflects the change in the Israeli society.  Another event that shows the change in the Israeli society on how it views the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual/pansexual, and transgender ) people, is the sending of Danna International, a singer who changed his sex from male to female, to represent Israel in the  Eurovision, (annual European song contest) 1998.

“Don’t ask don’t tell”

For Yossi, “don’t ask, don’t tell,” and “don’t lock lips” in the machine gun bunker, when other soldiers are nearby, was the accepted behavior.  The only time they can spend alone is when they pretend to go out to inspect practice fields.

Soldiers do not seem to mind the homosexual relationship

The soldiers in the unit notice that Jagger and Yossi go to the woods often, and they suspect that there is a romantic relationship between them.  When Yaeli, a woman soldier, is very interested in Jagger, an officer at the base tries to make it clear to her that Jagger is not interested.  It seems that he knows about the homosexual relationship.

The Israeli office of Ministry of Education seems to accept homosexuality

The Israeli education ministry  suggested that teachers show this movie to ninth graders.  The ministry did a workshop for teachers to prepare them for the lesson.  See Appendix 1.

Israeli society has an ambivalent attitude towards homosexuality.

The movie portrays an ambivalent attitude towards homosexuality.  On one hand, the soldiers sense the homosexual relationship in their unit, and accept it, but on the other hand, they joke about fags.  When Jaggar is killed they do not reveal  to his mother that Yossi was his boyfriend, rather, they let her think that Yaeli was his girlfriend.

In the movie, Jagger loved the song “Bo,” by Ivri Lider who reinterpreted Rita’s song “Bo”  as sung to man to man. It became one of 2003′s most popular track on Israeli radio. (See Appendix 2 for the Hebrew lyric of the song.)
The words as translated in the movie:

“Come, let us disperse this veil of fog

Come, let us stand in the light, not the darkness

How long will we keep running away

To these games of control?

You are allowed to cry sometimes

When something breaks inside of you

Tell me about the moments of fear

It’s much easier to fear together

And when the cold winds storm outside

I will send you a warm fire

Maybe one day you will stop running

Among the shadows

In your soul

Come, let us disperse this veil of fog

Come, let us stand in the light, not the darkness

How long will we keep running away

To these games of control?

You are allowed to shiver sometimes

When something wonderful is happening inside

Tell me about the moments of happiness

Until the morning sun is upon us

And when the cold winds storm outside

I will send you a warm fire

Maybe one day you will stop running

Among the shadows

Tell me about the moments of fear

It’s much easier to fear together

And when the cold winds storm outside

I will send you a warm fire

Among the shadows

In your soul”

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the Israeli army’s attitude toward homosexuality?

2.  How does the way the soldiers are portrayed reflect the Israeli society’s attitude towards homosexuality?

3.  What is the soldiers’ attitudes toward girls?  What is it towards sex?  

References:

1.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yossi_&_Jagger

2.    http://www.reelingreviews.com/yossiandjagger.htm

3.    http://www.contactmusic.com/new/film.nsf/reviews/yossijagger

4.    http://i.start.co.il/groups/gay/forum/p/59136/607301.aspx

5.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivri_Lider

6.    http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%9E%D7%A6%D7%A2%D7%93_%D7%94%D7%92%D7%90%D7%95%D7%95%D7%94

7.    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dana_International

Lesson 8

Close to Home

קרוב לבית

(2005)

Directed By:  Dalia Hager, Vidi Bilu

Produced By:  Mark Rosenboum, Itai Tamir

Written By:  Dalia Hager, Vidi Bilu

Color:  Color

Length:  90 minutes

Language: Hebrew with English subtitles

Cast: Smadar Sayar, Naama Schendar, Irit Suki, Katia Zimbris, Ilanit Ben Yaakov, Sharon Reginiaro, Ami Weinberg, Sandra Schonwald, Lana Ettinger, Danny Geva

Lesson Objectives:

To show the challenges of the “occupation” in terms of the human cost

Film Synopsis:

Smadar and Mirit can not stand each other, but they are thrown into the same military unit, and are assigned to a patrol together in Jerusalem as part of their compulsory military service. Their job is to stop Palestinian passersby, to ask for their identity cards, and to write down their details on special forms. Their orders are strict.  They are not permitted to move from this place, sit down, smoke, eat, and to talk on their cell phones.  This is the story of two 18-year-old girls who are busy with their own worlds–falling in love, break-ups, and the volatile relationship between the two–in an attempt to ignore the political reality in a city that slowly makes its way into their lives.

Analysis – key points to consider.

Mirit and Smadar are two female Israeli soldiers who are part of the Israeli police system.  They patrol in the streets of the city Jerusalem and  harass people who seem to them to be dangerous to public security.   (Profiling people who look Palestinians) . Development of the events, and a terrorist attack, lead  to the exposure of the mechanism of the Israeli occupation and of the soul of the conqueror -  an absurd situation that is called the Israeli reality.

Discussion Questions:

1.    How does Mirit reflect Israeli culture?

2.    How does Smadar reflect Israeli culture?

3.    What is the human cost of the “occupation”?

References

http://www.maayanmagazine.com/node/42

Lesson Nine

Beaufort

בופור

(2007)

Directed By:  Joseph Cedar

Produced By:  Moshe Edery

Written By:  Ron Leshem, Joseph  Cedar

Color:  Color

Length:  125 minutes

Language:  Hebrew with English subtitles

Cast:  Oshri Cohen, Itay Tiran, Eli Eltonyo, Hohad Knoller, Itay Turgeman

Lesson Objectives

1.    To show that the soldier in the movie portrays the Israeli culture that believed Israel should and could go into Lebanon in 1982.  Through the image of the soldier,  we then see the decline of that belief, ending with a willingness to get out of Lebanon.

2.    To show that the Israeli culture accepts that it is now ok to be weak and to cry.

Film Synopsis

In the days before the withdrawal from Lebanon,  soldiers who serve in the Beaufort fortress,  find themselves with the difficult task of not returning fire to their enemy, and staying alive .  The platoon leader begins the movie with great belief in his job, but in time doubts in his abilities to conduct the tasks and  he questions their essentiality.

The film takes place in 2000, in the Beaufort, a 12^th century Crusader Castle, just before the IDF withdrawal from the Israeli Security Zone in Southern Lebanon until its withdrawal.  The story is about the daily routine, dilemmas and fears of the soldiers stationed in the fortress.  The story is based on a book written by Ron Leshem, which is based on a real story.
Analysis – key points to consider

In Beaufort, cowardliness is portrayed as a positive value.   To be a war hero and to die is considered to be an absurd, weakness, and stupid.

Liraz begins the story with strong convictions in the task and ends with fear and with lack of belief in the tasks.  Israel began the war 1982 with conviction and belief in its tasks and ended with a feeling that the occupation is worthless and that the soldiers can come home.

Discussion Questions:

1.    How does Liraz reflect Israeli culture?

2.    How are the soldeir’s expresstions and feelings expressed differently from previous movies?

3.    uiWhat are the soldeirs feelings and convictions at the end of the movie?  Is it different from previous movies?

References

אוטין, פבלו.( 2008) קרחונים בארץ החמסינים הקולנוע הישראלי החדש שיחות עם במאים , תל אביב

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_(film)

1.    http://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%91%D7%95%D7%A4%D7%95%D7%A8_(%D7%A1%D7%A8%D7%98)

2.     http://www.4mothers.org.il/mothers.htm

Lesson Ten

Waltz with Bashir

ואלס עם באשיר

(2008)

Directed By:  Ari Folman

Produced By:  Ari Folman, Serge Lalou, Gerhard Meixner, Yael Nahlieli,  Roman Paul

Written By:  Ari folman

Color:  Color

Length:  86 min.

Language: Hebrew with English subtitles

Cast:  Ari Folman, Miki Leon,  Ori Sivan, Yehezkel Lazarov, Ronny Dayag, Shmuel Frenkel, Zahava Solomon, Ron Ben-Yishai, Dror Harazi.

Lesson Objectives:

1.    To show that some in Israel believe that Israelis have no sense of justice and mission

2.    To show that Israelis accept the fact the soldier can be afraid in time of war

3.    To show that some Israelis raise the question whether Israeli soldiers behave like Nazis?

4.    To discuss the historical facts that surrounded the Sabra and Shatila massacare

Film Synopsis

“Waltz with Bashir”  is an Israeli animated documentary film about Folman’s search for his lost memories from the 1982 Lebanon War.  One night at a bar, an old friend tells director Ari about a recurring nightmare in which he is chased by 26 vicious dogs, the same number every night. The two men conclude that there’s a connection to their Israeli Army mission in the first Lebanon War.  Ari is surprised that he cannot remember anything about that period of his life.

Intrigued by this riddle, he decides to meet and interview old friends and comrades around the world. He needs to discover the truth about that time and about himself. As Ari delves deeper and deeper into the mystery, his memory begins to return in surreal images.  The movie ends with actual footage of the aftermath of the Sabra and Shatila massacre.

Analysis – key points to consider

The film emphasizes that the Israeli soldier is not an angel on earth and his behavior is wild and even morbid. This is emphasized by means of highlighted caricatures and disturbed music in the background.

In the Mertzedes seen, the Israeli soldiers do not know where they are and what it is they are shooting at, only to find out that they needlessly have killed an entire family.

On the road to Beirut and back to the “big light,” the Israelis are shown driving, sitting in the halftrack and shooting to all sides without any distinguish what it is they are shooting at.

When the Israelis get to the “big light,” they use the term “שופכים” (spill as in to spill water) when they deliver the wounded and the dead.

In the scene with the Israeli tanks entering Lebanon, the soldiers sing “Lebanon, good morning. May you know no more grief. Let your dreams come true, your nightmares evaporate, your whole life be a blessing.”   And then go on to sing Lebanon “is the love of my life.”  Shortly after we see how the tank levels its way in the built-up area highlighting a lot of destruction caused by the Israelis.

We then see Israelis unable to return fire when they are fired at.  They run away without guns, and with total confusion.  The rest of the unit does not save them and retreats as well.  This is in contrast to past common belief that no soldier is left behind.

The return of the soldiers home show a complete disconnect of the people in Tel Aviv from what is happening in Lebanon.

An Israeli officer is seen watching blue movies in a Lebanese villa, and by the way gives orders to his soldier that a dangerous red Mercedes will come and explode.

This gruesome Israeli behavior concludes at the end of the movie with the Israelis letting the Phalangot  slaughter at Sabra and Shatila.

Discussion Questions:

1.    How is the Israeli soldier being projected in the movie?  How is it different from previous Israeli movies you have seen?

2.    What is the Israeli soldiers attitude towards the war? Lebanon?  The Palestinians?  How is it different from previous Israeli movies you have seen?

3.    The film shows parallels between Nazi Germany and Israel, and compares Sabra and Shatila to Auschwitz.  Is it a valid comparison?

References:

1.    http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/19/arts/19iht-ari.1.13005821.html

2.    http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1065599.html

3.    http://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/the–waltz-with-bashir–two-step-15082

4.    http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1065552.html

5.    http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/waltz-with-bashir-nazi-germany-and-israel/2/

Conclusion

This paper is an adult education curriculum about the reflection of Israeli society through the cinematic portrayal of its solders.  After the introduction, the paper defines why movies are chosen as learning tool, followed by an explanation of why it targets the adult learner.  The lesson structure is suggested, and the information about the Israeli soldier and the Israeli society are brief highlights.  Although the references in this paper may be helpful, a teacher who plans to teach this curriculum should have prior knowledge on the Israeli soldier, society and movies.

There is a trend in the portrayal of the Israeli soldier in the Israeli movies. This can be seen in a larger perspective, of looking at the Israeli culture through the portrayal of its soldiers.  The trend begins with the “perfect” soldier, the “perfect culture,” and continues with movies that highlight on different problematic issues that affect the Israeli soldier which reflects the Israeli culture. The trend in this paper, begins with  the movie  “Hill 24 Does Not Answer,”  in which  the soldier was portrayed as, a good fighter, compassionate, deeply rooted with his history and heritage, who believes he has no other choice but to fight because the alternative is to be thrown into the sea.   In many ways the image of the Israeli soldier portrays an image of a strong, united, and healthy society, with no blemishes.  In following movies, we can see a shattering of this “perfect” image, to one that includes difficulties and challenges. The trend in this paper ends in the movie “Waltz with Bashir”  in which the Israeli soldier is asked about his behavior in the First Lebanon War – did he act like a Nazi?

One can look at this trend and view it as a transformation of the Israeli culture from a very naïve, and unstable one to one that is very healthy, and mature.  Only a very strong culture can permit itself to be open for criticism and ridicule.

Apendix 1

מדינת ישראל

משרד החינוך

המינהל הפדגוגי

השרות הפסיכולוגי ייעוצי

רח’ דבורה הנביאה 2, ירושלים 91911

www.education.gov.il/shefi

סדנה:  נטייה חד מינית

כתיבה: מיכל שביב ונטע ידיד, מדריכות ארציות ביחידה למיניות, זוגיות ומשפחה, שפ”י

ההקשר: קשור לפרק נטייה חד מינית כיתות ט’ שיעורים 5 – 7.

חובה להתנסות בפעילויות למורה בטרם עוסקים בנושא בכיתות. בנוסף מומלץ להתנסות בחלק מהפעילויות לתלמיד אשר מופיעות בכשורי חיים.

רציונל :

הומוסקסואליות היא נטייתם המינית של גברים ונשים הנמשכים לבני מינם. נושא הזהות המינית חשוב במיוחד בגיל ההתבגרות בשלב בו מתגבשת זהותו המינית של המתבגר. מתבגרים הומוסקסואלים עסוקים בבירור היבטים שונים הקשורים לזהותם המינית ומתמודדים עם בעיות ייחודיות העלולות להשפיע על מצבם הנפשי ועל התנהגותם.

צעירים הנמצאים בתהליך הגילוי העצמי של נטייה מינית הומוסקסואלית זקוקים למידע אמין על התופעה וליחס חיובי ומעודד מצד כלל האנשים המשמעותיים בחייהם כדי שיוכלו לקבל את עצמם. כמערכת חינוך מוטלת עלינו האחריות ליצור סביבה המאפשרת ומקבלת את יוצא הדופן והאחר בחברה. על המורים ללמוד ולהכיר את נושא הנטייה החד מינית ולהשתחרר ממיתוסים ודעות קדומות בנושא על מנת שיוכלו להוות דמות משמעותית עבור המתבגרים המתלבטים בדבר זהותם המינית.

מטרות

1. לחשוף את המורים לנושא הנטייה החד מינית .
2. להציף ולאוורר רגשות בנושא.
3. לאפשר התמודדות עם דעות קדומות, מיתוסים וחששות המתלווים לנושא.
4. לאפשר למורים להכיר יותר מקרוב את הנושא ע”י חשיפתם לסיפורים אישיים.
5. ליצור בקרב המורים אווירה מתאימה המאפשרת את העברת הנושא בקרב התלמידים באופן הגון וחף מדעות קדומות.

פעילות א‘ – השלמת משפטים

מהלך:

1. כל מורה יקבל לידיו דף השלמת משפטים אשר מופיע בהמשך.
2. כל אחד ימלא את הדף באופן אישי.
3. המורים יתיישבו בזוגות או בשלשות וישוחחו על התכנים אותם ציינו בדף השלמת המשפטים – כל מורה יציג את התכנים אותם ציין בפני חברי הקבוצה במשך כ-5 דק’.
4. הקבוצה תעלה בכתב מחשבות, דילמות, קשיים , הארות והערות סביב התכנים שעלו בקבוצה.
5. במליאה: המנחה יתייחס לרגשות שעלו בקרב המשתתפים, יבדוק איזו שאלה נגעה במיוחד למשתתפים, מה הנושא עורר בקרבם, מה התחושות הכלליות כלפי הנושא.
6. לסיכום ניתן לשאול מי מבין המשתתפים מעוניין להציג את עמדתו במליאה ולנמק אותה (רצוי ללקט מספר עמדות כך שתוצגנה עמדות של בעד ונגד הנושא)

נטייה חד מינית – השלמת משפטים

1. הפעם הראשונה שנחשפתי לנושא הייתה _________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

1. הומוסקסואליות בשבילי ____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

1. אילו ידעתי שאחד/ת מצוות המורים  הומוסקסואל/לסבית  הייתי________________

_________________________________________________________________

1. אם אדע שמשהו קרוב לי מאד  הומוסקסואל/לסבית אני______________________

פעילות ב‘ – צפיה בסרט “יוסי וגאגר“

הערה – לא ניתן להראות את הסרט לתלמידים ללא צפייה ועיבוד מוקדם של הסרט והפעילות המתלווה אליו בקרב המורים.

הסרט “יוסי וגאגר” מספר על זוג קצינים הומוסקסואלים אשר משרתים ביחד באותה יחידה קרבית בלבנון ונאלצים להתמודד עם סודות ושקרים בכדי לחטוף מספר רגעים גנובים ביחד.

המלצה למנחה: ניתן לצפות בקטעים מן הסרט ו/או לראותו במלואו אבל לעצור ברגעים משמעותיים ולאוורר רגשות בקרב המשתתפים .

עצירות מומלצות: 7:30 דק’,  12:17 דק’,     21:50 דק’,  38:00 דק’,  57:00 דק’

שאלות לדיון:

מה הרגש החזק ביותר העולה בך ברגע זה?

מה המחשבה העולה בך?

מה דעתך על הסיטואציה – האם היא שונה/דומה לסיטואציות הטרוסקסואליות המוכרות לך?.

שאלות לדיון לאחר הצפייה בסרט:

1. מה הרגשות שעלו בך במהלך הסרט?
2. איזה קטע היה לך קשה במיוחד?
3. איזה קטע אהבת במיוחד?
4. האם הסרט שבר בקרבך אי אלו מיתוסים? אם כן אילו מיתוסים הוא שבר?
5. האם מערכת יחסים זוגית אוהבת צריכה להישמר לדעתך בסוד?
6. כיצד היית חש אם היית צריך לשמור על מערכת היחסית הזוגית שלך כמתבגר/ת או כמבוגר/ת בסוד?
7. אילו קשיים מציבה החברה בפני הומוסקסואלים? מה דעתך על כך?
8. מה את/ה חושב/ת כעת על אנשים בעלי נטייה מינית שהיא אחרת משלך?

מסרים:

1. הומוסקסואליות אינה פתולוגיה, אלא אחת מצורות הביטוי של מיניות האדם.
2. אדם הומוסקסואל לא בחר להיות כזה, הוא פשוט כזה!
3. יש להימנע מהדבקת תוויות. למתבגרים התלבטות בדבר זהותם המינית אי לכך יכולות להתקיים התנסויות חד מיניות בגיל ההתבגרות.
4. התנסות הומוסקסואלית חד פעמית אינם הוכחה לנטייה חד מינית. בהומוסקסואליות -  אין הכוונה להתנסות חד פעמית אלא לסגנון חיים ואורח חיים.
5. כאשר תלמיד/ה מעלה את התלבטויותיו/ה בדבר נטייתו/ה המינית בפני המורה המלמד עליו/ה לעזור לו/ה. מומלץ להפנותו/ה ליועץ/צת להמשך תמיכה וטיפול לאחר קבלת אישור מהתלמיד/ה למהלך זה.
6. כאשר נודע למורה שלתלמיד/ה נטייה חד מינית, עליו/ה לשמור זאת בסוד (גם בפני ההורים) כל עוד זה רצונו/ה של התלמיד/ה. (אין חובת דיווח בנושא)!
7. אין למהר ולשתף את ההורים בנושא, הדבר עלול במקרים מסוימים לגרום ליותר פגיעה מאשר לעזרה.
8. יש לעזור לתלמיד/ה שמתלבט/ת או נתקל/ת בקשיים בנושא לאתר גורמים טיפוליים בקהילה המתמחים בנושא .
9. במידה ותלמיד מספר שהוא בעל נטייה חד מינית, יש לידע אותו בדבר חובת השימוש באמצעי מניעה (קונדום).

אתרים מומלצים לפנייה לעזרה

http://www.igy.co.il/content/index.html -   אתר מיוחד לנוער הומולסבי

http://www.worldpride.net/index.php?id=1542 – בית פתוח אתר הקהילה ההומולסבית

http://www.atzat-nefesh.org/an/contact.asp -  יעוץ על מיניות ונטייה מינית לנוער דתי

http://www.opendoor.org.il/ -  דלת פתוחה

http://www.snunit.k12.il/green -  יעוץ להורים ונוער על מיניות ונטייה מינית

Appendix 2

1.      בוא,      ריטה
מילים: מירי פיגנבוים
לחן:רמי קלינשטיין
בוא נפזר את מסך הערפל
בוא נעמוד באור ולא בצל
עד מתי נמשיך לברוח
אל משחקים של כוח
מותר לך לבכות לפעמים
כשמשהו נשבר בך בפנים
ספר לי קצת על רגעי הפחד
קל הרבה יותר לפחד ביחד

וכשרוחות קרות יסערו בחוץ
אשלח בך אש חמה
יום אחד אולי תפסיק לרוץ
בין הצללים בנשמה

בוא נפזר את מסך הערפל
בוא נעמוד באור ולא בצל
עד מתי נמשיך לברוח
אל משחקים של כוח
מותר לך לרעוד לפעמים
כשמשהו נפלא קורה בפנים

ספר לי קצת על רגעי האושר
עד שיעלה עלינו הבוקר

וכשרוחות קרות יסערו בחוץ
אשלח בך אש חמה
יום אחד אולי תפסיק לרוץ
בין הצללים בנשמה

ספר לי קצת על רגעי הפחד
קל הרבה יותר לפחד ביחד