Tuesday, November 16, 2010

A Survey of God Names

Please take the survey located at

Click here to take survey

The top vote-getter will be part of the curriculum.

Ms. Schwartz

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Akedah Art Project

Final Project
Akedah Art

We have spent three weeks looking at the Akedah from a variety of perspectives, and the best part of a quarter examining the character of Abraham. This final project will give you a chance to express your feelings on the narrative in a unique and creative way.
This project will have three components – a prospectus, an art project, and an accompanying narrative.
The art project will be an original representation of the Akedah. You may use any medium you like – drawing with any materials, clay, paper, photography, found objects, or anything else you feel you can use well. In constructing the art project, you must consider the following questions:
1. Who is in the scene? Who has been left out?
2. What moment is this?
3. How old is Isaac?
4. Is Isaac willing or unwilling?
5. Is Abraham eager, upset, or some combination thereof?
6. Do you (as the artist) approve or disapprove of God’s command?
7. Do you (as the artist) approve or disapprove of Abraham’s action?
8. What should the viewer understand that is uniquely yours?


The project should be accompanied by a written narrative of the work that makes your artistic decisions clear – just as works of art in museums are.
Before you construct your art project, you will submit a short prospectus of what you are planning to do. This will give me enough time to make sure you are on the right path.
The prospectus is due on Thursday, November 11th. The final project and narrative will be due on Monday, November 22nd.
The grades will be based not on artistic talent, but on how well you have used art to create interpretation, how thoroughly you have answered the questions in both art and narrative, and the effort displayed by the final project.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

A Vocab Question

A question, because I am feeling quizzical. In Georgia, do you call fizzy beverages soda or pop?

Monday, November 1, 2010

Useful Vocabulary to Know

Targum - a translation of the Tanach into Aramaic

meturgeman - the person who translates the Tanach into Aramaic

Targum Onkelos - the first widely distributed, published, Targum

Ba'al Koreh - the person who chants from the Torah

vernacular - the day-to-day language of the people

Mishnah - the first compendium of Jewish law. Compiled by R. Judah ha-Nasi c. 200CE

Tonights Homework

Please write Abraham's prayer on Mt. Moriah. You can choose any moment (on the way, before he ties Isaac up, while Isaac is tied up, after he is stopped) and use your own opinion and best judgement as to content. My requirements are:

1. It must be written in the 1st person.

2. It should be 5-10 well written sentences long.

You will be marked on reasonableness, clarity, and beauty of writing. It is due tomorrow, November 2nd.