Stories of Genesis

Week 21--4/15/18: We reviewed Joseph's journey to Egypt and further discussed Joseph's brothers' journey to Egypt and Joseph's deception when he hides his identity from them. In particular, we played a specially designed Mad Libs game about Joseph, first filling it in with silly answers, then with responses describing the actual story.

Make-up Work: Read this description of Joseph's time in Egypt from Aish and answer the questions below in 1-2 sentences apiece:

"...Pharaoh also has a dream, and Joseph is brought out of jail to interpret it. His interpretation of the impending famine is well-received, and Joseph is placed in charge of the preparations. He becomes the prime minister, marries, and has children.

When the famine begins, his brothers come to purchase food from Egypt, unaware that it is actually Joseph. Now is his chance to turn the tables! However, after ascertaining that they had truly repented for what they did to him, he reveals himself to them.

Joseph arranges for the entire family to descend to Egypt, and provides for them throughout the famine. Even when the famine ends, they remain in Egypt. Jacob and all his sons pass away, and the period of Egyptian exile begins."

1. Why might Joseph forgive his brothers for selling him into slavery?

2. Why might Joseph's brothers not recognize Joseph?

Week 20--3/18/18: We began to discuss Joseph's brothers journeys to Egypt to find food and Joseph's efforts to fool them, the next chapter of the Joseph saga which runs throughout much of the latter part of Genesis. We started with a game of charades/Pictionary about the incidents, and then continued with an interesting video describing the events, before students retold the story in their own words based on what they had just learned. We also began to discuss the reasonableness (or lack thereof) of Joseph's ruses, and this moral ambiguity will play a key role in coming weeks.

Make-up Work: Watch this video and answer the following questions in 1-2 sentences apiece:

1. Why do Joseph’s brothers need to go to Egypt? What are pros and cons of the journey?
2. Why does Joseph trick his brothers? Does he have a good reason?
3. If you were one of Joseph’s brothers, how would you react to his actions in this story? Would you be mad at him?

Week 19--3/11/18: We resumed the discussion of the Joseph saga, continuing with Pharaoh's dreams and their interpretation. We watched a couple videos providing different perspectives on the topic (including some more of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, comparing it with the text of Genesis), and we strategized about the best way to respond to the upcoming seven years of famine in the story. We then talked about the story in which the Egyptians sell their land to Joseph for food by means of a fun "Would You Rather?"-style activity.

Make-up Work: In Genesis 33, Joseph interprets dreams by Pharaoh [king of Egypt] that say that Egypt will have seven years of lots of food growing and then seven years of no food growing. In a few sentences, think of and explain a plan that Joseph might suggest to Pharaoh for how to make sure everyone has food in the years with no food growing, then read the passage below, and answer the question that follows in 1-2 sentences.

After you’ve thought of your plan, read this passage in which Joseph recommends a plan:

³⁴And let Pharaoh take steps to appoint overseers [supervisors] over the land, and organize the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty. ³⁵Let all the food of these good years that are coming be gathered, and let the grain be collected under Pharaoh’s authority as food to be stored in the cities. ³⁶Let that food be a reserve [extra supply] for the land for the seven years of famine [no food] which will come upon the land of Egypt, so that the land may not perish in the famine.”

Question: What does Joseph recommend? Compare and contrast your plan and Joseph’s. Are there any major differences? Similarities? (Answer in approximately 2 sentences.)

Week 18--3/4/18: We continued to discuss the story of Joseph, picking up from his time in prison after he is falsely accused. Continuing the activity from last time, we explored the dreams of Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker, who are also languishing in jail with Joseph, and how Joseph correctly interprets their dreams. We particularly focused on the symmetry between the dreams and the prevalence of the number three. Pharaoh's dreams about the seven fat and seven skinny cows as well as about the seven fat and seven skinny ears of grain began to be discussed.

Make-up Work: Watch this video about a dream that Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, has, and answer the following questions in 1-2 sentences apiece:

1. What happens in Pharaoh’s dream?
2. What might the dream mean?

Week 17--2/25/18: Continuing along with the saga of Joseph, we picked up with his time in Egypt after being sold into slavery, discussing his master Potiphar and Joseph's role as head of Potiphar's house. Through a fun drawing activity, we explored his experience as a slave rising through the ranks and then the seeming hopelessness of his time in prison after he is falsely accused of betraying his master's trust. Particular attention was paid to Joseph's meticulous and seemingly virtuous behavior during this time.

Make-up Work: Shortly after Joseph is sold into slavery in Egypt, he is put in charge of his master Potiphar's house, but then he is falsely accused of betraying his master and is put in prison. Either: draw a picture of Joseph in one of the situations described above; OR write a short diary entry from the perspective of Joseph in prison describing how you feel.

Week 16--2/11/18: We continued discussing the children of Jacob, building familiarity with their very important names via a word search. Continuing the story, we then looked at Joseph’s dreams and his brothers’ reactions through the lens of the song “Joseph’s Dreams” from the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. We then acted out some of the dreams to better be able to picture them and feel what the characters in the story are thinking, and concluded with a mock debate among the brothers about how to respond to Jacob.

Make-up Work: Watch the following video of the song “Joseph’s Dreams” from the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. In this song, Joseph, a son of Jacob and Rachel, describes dreams that he has in which he seems more powerful than his brothers and parents. (In the video, Joseph is the figure with the book; his brothers are the other men; the woman is a narrator, who is not in the story in Genesis. Click here for the video, and then answer the questions below in 1-2 sentences apiece.

1. What happens in Joseph’s dreams?
2. Why are the brothers upset?
3. What do the brothers decide?

Week 13--1/21/18: We explored the story of Jacob wrestling with a divine being through a different lens. First, we thought about and shared what we struggle with in our lives, and then we discussed the actual story via Pictionary, thinking about key terms in the story that have bearing on the whole Jacob narrative and what those terms mean to us inside and outside the context of the story. Finally, we thought about why Jacob is an important figure and how we can relate to him today.

Make-up Work: Read Genesis 32:27-29 and answer the two questions below in 1-2 sentences apiece:

²⁷Then [Jacob] said, “Let me go, for dawn is breaking.” But he answered, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” ²⁸Said the other, “What is your name?” He replied, “Jacob.” ²⁹Said he, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven [struggled] with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.”

1. What does Jacob do to deserve the blessing? Is it right for Jacob to ask for the blessing?
2. How might Jacob’s experience relate to the struggles in our lives today?

Week 12--1/7/18: We delved into the story of Jacob's interactions with his relative Lavan and how Lavan tricks Jacob into first marrying Leah when Jacob really loves Rachel. We mainly looked at the tale through the lens of honesty and dishonesty, thinking about (based on Lavan's justification of his actions at Genesis 29:26) what reasons we might have for dishonesty and whether they're valid. We played a variant of Go Fish that allows for lying to catalyze thoughts about what it feels like to lie for our benefit, and students also acted out the story, taking on the roles of Jacob, Leah, Rachel, Lavan, and community members.

Make-up Work: In the story of Jacob, his relative Lavan tricks him into marrying Leah instead of Rachel because he says it is customary for an older daughter to be married before a younger one. Jacob then has to agree to work seven more years in order to marry Rachel.

Write a short paragraph (approximately 5 sentences) on the following topic:

Think about a time when you were tricked and what it felt like. Why are we dishonest with other people? Do we sometimes have good reasons?

Week 11--12/17/17: We discussed the classic story where Jacob "buys" Esau's birthright. We first focused on hasty decision-making and rushing with a game of Red Light Green Light, and then we acted out roleplays based of inheritances to illustrate the differences between our current inheritance system and the ancient one, so the students could really understand what the word "birthright" means. We then went over the details of the story itself, with students telling most of it.

Make-up Work: Read the following passage and complete the assignment below:

²⁷When the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob was a mild man who stayed in camp. ²⁸Isaac favored Esau because he had a taste for game [hunted animals]; but Rebekah favored Jacob. ²⁹Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the open, famished. ³⁰And Esau said to Jacob, “Give me some of that red stuff to gulp down, for I am famished”—which is why he was named Edom. ³¹Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright [privileges for being oldest child].” ³²And Esau said, “I am at the point of death, so of what use is my birthright to me?” ³³But Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴Jacob then gave Esau bread and lentil stew; he ate and drank, and he rose and went away. Thus did Esau spurn [give away] the birthright.

Pretend you’re a lawyer in court at a trial about whether Jacob cheats Esau. Write a short paragraph saying why Jacob is guilty or not guilty.

Week 10--12/10/17: We discussed the story of Rebekah and the chain of events by which she becomes Isaac's wife, particularly focusing on her generosity and perseverance in choosing to water all of Abraham's servant's camels (no small task!). We began with a group activity to show the value but potential boredom of persistence even in repetitive activities, and then we explored the story from the Torah through a combination of charades and Pictionary, concluding with a telling of the story itself and a discussion of Rebekah's character.

Make-up Work: Using a standard deck of cards (or anything with a numbered order), thoroughly mix it and then scatter the cards face-down. Pick them up and put each suit in numbered order, then answer the following questions in 1-2 sentences:

1. What was it like to put the cards back in order? What would it be like if you had to do that 50 times?

2. In Genesis, Rebekah does a simple and boring yet helpful task, getting water for a lot of camels, and she is praised. What about her action is good or bad, and why?

Week 9--12/3/17: We discussed the story of the Akeidat Yitzchak (binding of Isaac), focusing on the acute moral ambiguity of the incident. The story provided an opportunity to discuss tough decisions and the sorts of choices that we have when we make them. Students saw, through an activity modeled on "Four Corners" as well as by examining text from the Torah, that all of us have different instincts about what actions are right and that Abraham's actions, as well as many of the actions we take on a daily basis, are not as clearly right or wrong as we often think.

Make-up Work: Read this passage:

¹Some time afterward, G-d put Abraham to the test. He said to him, “Abraham,” and he answered, “Here I am.” ²And He said, “Take your son, your favored one, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the heights that I will point out to you.”... ⁹They arrived at the place of which God had told him. Abraham built an altar there; he laid out the wood; he bound his son Isaac; he laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰And Abraham picked up the knife to slay [kill] his son. ¹¹Then an angel of the Lord called to him from heaven: “Abraham! Abraham!” And he answered, “Here I am.” ¹²And he said, “Do not raise your hand against the boy, or do anything to him. For now I know that you fear G-d, since you have not withheld [kept] your son, your favored one, from Me.”

Imagine you’re Isaac in this story and you’re live-tweeting what you’re thinking during it. In a series of 5-7 “posts” (1 sentence each), describe what is happening, why you think it’s happening, and how you feel.

Week 8--11/19/17: We continued discussing the stories surrounding Abraham, focusing on the relationship in the Torah between Sarah and Hagar. We played a fun Reverse Musical Chairs game to show how much nicer inclusion can be as opposed to exclusion, and we pondered how to apply that mindset to other situations in life. Then we played a Pictionary game related to key words in the story and discussed the story itself. Finally, we finished by watching a video with a slightly different account of the story and discussed how we read into others' motives, particularly when we make important decisions, and how to think about inclusion more.

Make-up Work: Watch this video and answer the following questions in 2 sentences each:

1. What happens in this story?
2. What might Sarah have done instead of making Hagar and Ishmael leave? How can you apply the lessons of the story to your daily life?

Week 7--11/5/17: Having finished the preliminary stories in Genesis, we reached the account of Abra(ha)m, the first Jew. Since G-d tells Abra(ha)m to leave home (and he complies), we particularly focused on the concept of home: what it means, represents, what it entails, etc. To that end, we drew what home means to us and also acted it out. Then we discussed Abra(ha)m and his difficult decision and play Telephone themed around Abra(ha)m to represent how Abra(ha)m's revolutionary monotheism has been carried down to our present day.

Make-up Work: Read the following passage (Genesis 12:1-3):

¹The Lord said to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.

²I will make of you a great nation,

And I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

And you shall be a blessing.

³I will bless those who bless you

And curse him that curses you;

And all the families of the earth

Shall bless themselves by you.”

In approximately 2 sentences each, answer the following questions:

• Why might Abram (Abraham’s original name) have decided to follow G-d?
• Do G-d’s promises here seem good? What might have held Abram back from following G-d?

Week 6--10/29/17: We focused on the story of the Tower of Babel, which comes in Genesis just after the story of the Flood. Students built structures out of cards and tape, first being able to work together with free communication, then with no words, and finally with only gibberish. We discussed the meaning and importance of communication and the team dynamics that emerged in the three different scenarios, then related the activity to the story, where G-d punishes humans by creating different languages. We finished by reviewing key terms in the story in English and Hebrew.

Make-up Work: Find a friend or family member and ask them a question normally. Then try to ask them another question while only saying nonsense words (for example, ftgh grabf tra hwan). Then answer the following questions in about 2 sentences each:

1. What was it like trying to ask a question with words the other person didn't understand? How did you feel?

2. In the story of the Tower of Babel, humans do not respect G-d and G-d punishes them by making them not understand each other. Does this punishment seem fair? What would it be like if we all spoke the same language?

Week 5--10/22/17: We proceeded to the next main story in Genesis, of Noah and the Flood (timed conveniently with yesterday morning's Torah portion!). We discussed the basic story of the Flood through the game Two Truths and a Lie, pointing out subtleties in the text of the Torah that are often easy to miss, and covering the whole process of building and then using the Ark. We then, using frisbees, reenacted the flights of the scouting birds Noah sends out in the story (a raven and then a dove three times, each of which acts differently). We concluded by discussing the symbolism of the different birds, in particular how doves and olive trees have come to represent peace.

Make-up Work: Read Genesis 8:6-12 (below) and answer the following questions with 2-3 sentences apiece:

1. Why might Noah send out two different birds?
2. The dove and the olive leaf have come to represent peace. Why might that be, based on this story?

⁶At the end of forty days, Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made ⁷and sent out the raven; it went to and fro until the waters had dried up from the earth. ⁸Then he sent out the dove to see whether the waters had decreased from the surface of the ground. ⁹But the dove could not find a resting place for its foot, and returned to him to the ark, for there was water over all the earth. So putting out his hand, he took it into the ark with him. ¹⁰He waited another seven days, and again sent out the dove from the ark. ¹¹The dove came back to him toward evening, and there in its bill was a plucked-off olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the waters had decreased on the earth. ¹²He waited still another seven days and sent the dove forth; and it did not return to him any more.

Week 4--10/15/17: Having discussed Adam and Eve in the last class, we moved on to their children, Cain and Abel, and the first story of violence in the Tanakh. Students acted out and/or drew various words and phrases connected to the story, creatively breaking down some tough concepts into smaller actions. We then put those same words and phrases in order to recreate the story of Cain and Abel and broached the topic of how devastating violence can be and how punishment for it in the Tanakh, as in real life, is swift and severe.

Make-up Work:

1. Read these biblical verses (Genesis 4:2-12), then follow the instructions below:

2 ...Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil. 3 In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil; 4 and Abel, for his part, brought the choicest [best] of the firstlings [first-born animals] of his flock. The Lord paid heed to Abel and his offering, 5 but to Cain and his offering He paid no heed. Cain was much distressed and his face fell. 6 And the Lord said to Cain,

“Why are you distressed,

And why is your face fallen?

7 Surely, if you do right,

There is uplift.

But if you do not do right

Sin couches [waits] at the door;

Its urge is toward you,

Yet you can be its master.”

8 Cain said to his brother Abel ... and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and killed him. 9 The Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 Then He said, “What have you done? Hark, your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground! 11 Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 If you till the soil, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. You shall become a ceaseless [eternal] wanderer on earth.”

2. Put these words and phrases in order based on the story in the passage above:

• Brother
• Shepherd [one who watches sheep]
• Farmer
• Sacrifice
• Fruit
• Sheep
• Favorite/playing favorites
• Disappointment
• Death
• Wandering
• Curse

Week 3--10/1/17: We began by reviewing the days of the creation story from Genesis Chapter 1, once again enjoying some of the amusing ways of acting them out, and then proceeded to Genesis Chapters 2 and 3. We discussed the layout and important features of the Garden of Eden and creatively envisioned it in drawings. Then students explored the concepts of good and bad introduced in relation to the tree of knowledge by acting out scenes from everyday life but with one character not having any sense of good and bad/right and wrong. We then discussed Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden and whether it is justified.

Make-up Work: After Adam and Eve have eaten from the Tree of Knowledge and gained knowledge of good and bad (right and wrong), G-d decides how to punish the two. Read the following quote from Genesis 3:22-23 and answer each of the questions in about 2 sentences: And the Lord G-d said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and bad, what if he should stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever!” So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden, to till the soil from which he was taken.

1. Why is it bad that humans would have knowledge of good and bad? Be creative! Do you agree with the text’s interpretation?
2. Is the punishment of having to leave the Garden of Eden fair? Does it fit the crime? Would there have been a better punishment?