Glossary of Key Terms in Summaries

This may include drawing, collages of images from the media, photography, or other expressions of the visual arts that are used as an entry point or throughout the activity.

This refers to journaling, free writing, creating stories, or other uses of writing activities to provide an entry point for a topic or as an activity within the program.

The discussions mentioned in many of the curricula and programs are used as entry points as well as ways of synthesizing the material. Group conversations can be started by questions on prompts from the facilitator or educator. Discus- sions can be guided by the facilitator or started by the participants.

This is a way into a conversation on a specific topic. An entry point can also be a resource that helps engage the learners in the topic. It can include books, films, art projects, or other media.

This is a question that helps to develop the overall theme of the unit. It is a not a question that will be answered with one specific answer, but instead used as a guide throughout the unit.

Jewish text is used in this work as a broad term that refers to many aspects of Judaism, such as Torah and other explicitly Jewish texts (i.e., Talmud, legal codes, Midrash, etc.), modern Jewish short stories and poetry. It can also include music or art with Jewish themes or created by a Jewish artist. This term is used broadly to help learners realize that Jewish text is not a static creation, but rather a group that is constantly growing.

This term refers to issues such as gender, sexuality, sex and other issues that may provoke divisive arguments. For example, in several curricula, sexuality is a major point of learning and discussion.

Several programs in this guide use ritual as a way to develop a bond and sense of trust within the group. Ritual may include lighting candles, singing a song, saying a prayer or reciting affirmations. Ritualized meetings include ritual, whether they have a religious basis or not, and use that ritual as a way to create a connection or produce a liminal (sensory) moment within the group.

These are drama activities that allow participants to imagine themselves in perspectives other than their own. Role-plays are used throughout many of the curricula.

An activity typically used as an entry point. Text studies can be about Jewish texts, books or magazines of which the learners are reading, song lyrics or scripts from a play.

A formal curriculum that has been developed by the authors or organization, which includes goals and objectives for a unit, estimated time needed for each part of a lesson, as well as detailed prompts and instructions.