Club Z CurriculumPeoplehood, Zionism, Advocacy

Club Z Institute introduces students to foundational topics germane to understanding Jewish history, peoplehood, and Zionism in order to address the Arab-Israeli conflict. Our curriculum rests on three pillars: Peoplehood, Zionism, and Advocacy. From these three posts, students are taught to not only see themselves as playing a major part in Jewish history, but also as advocates for the Jewish people.

Each lesson is carefully designed to reflect one or more of our core values and/or topics. By exposing students to the complexities, tensions, and various narratives that surround the Jewish State, our hope is to inspire students to be able to articulate their position and ultimately, to own the skill to have a mature and in-depth conversation on Israel, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and antisemitism. Our long-term goal is for students to be able to advocate and act as ambassadors for themselves as Jews and the State of Israel.

Peoplehood

Central to any conversation on antisemitism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and Jewish history is to understand what it means to be part of the Jewish people. At Club Z, our philosophy is to teach students that Jewish is an ethno-religious category and that we are indigenous to the Land of Israel.

Zionism

Although we recognize that Zionism is a 19th century political movement, Club Z treats Zionism as integral to Jewish identity. Our program teaches students that the idea of tsion is ancient and as such, Zionism is the Jewish people’s heartbeat.

Advocacy

Today’s sharp rise in antisemitism and attack on Zionism reveal that Jews cannot afford to only educate. Club Z strongly believes that education and advocacy must be taught together in order to effect change. We do this by telling our teens that advocating for Israel and/or Zionism is no more and no less than advocating for yourself as a Jew.

Major Topics Covered at Club Z:

  • Framing and Language: Conflict 101

  • Jewish Values

  • Peoplehood: Jews are from Judea

  • Pre-State Palestine and the Jewish World: 1800-1930s

  • British Mandate Period

  • San Remo Resolution

  • War of 1948

  • Refugees

  • 6-Day War

  • Roadblocks to Peace

  • Media Bias

  • Viral Antisemitism: from Old to New

  • Israel Within: the Democratic Jewish State

  • Islam and the Middle East

Course Breakdown:

  1. Zooming in/ Zooming Out
  2. Langue and Bias
  3. Framing the conflict: land, religion, ideology
  1. Israel Inside
  2. 6 Jewish Values: a pyramid of a perfect world
  1. 5-Legged Jewish Table: Jews are not a religion
  2. Indigenous to Israel
  3. Shrinking Map of Palestine and Judea (advocacy)

1. Antisemitism and the rise of political Zionism
2. Zionism: From proto-Zionism to Political Zionism

1. Fall of Ottoman Empire and rise of nation states: history and actors
2. San Remo Conference and Montevideo Convention
3. The Yishuv: Jews and Arabs

1. U.N. Partition 1947
2. Framing the conflict: land/ religion/ ideology?
3. Arab Liberation Army and Haganah
4. Nakba: Advocacy Training

1. Palestinian Refugees +UNWRA
2. Jewish Refugees

1. 1967 War
2. Judea Samaria/ West Bank
3. Gaza

1. Peace Negotiations
2. America-Israel Relations
3. Oslo
4. Intifada