Goals:

• Pupils will analyze JNF posters, say what their characteristics are, and try to understand what they stand for.
• Pupils will experience creating a modern banner, addressing a topic related to Jerusalem.

Activity order:

1. Opening game – communication.
2. Familiarity with JNF posters.
3. Experience in public diplomacy on the subject of Jerusalem.
4. Discussion.
5. Summary.

We will play a game where there is a lack of communication, demonstrating why public diplomacy is needed at all.

Option A – Broken Telephone – recommended for young children

Option B – Israeli game – Tabou – recommended for older children

As a connecting factor between  the Jews of the Diaspora and Israeli Jews.

We will divide the pupils into groups. Each group receives one-JNF banner and answers the following questions:

1. Who do you think the banner is intended for?
2. What is the subject of the banner?
3. What is the purpose of the banner in your eyes?
4. If there is time left, each group can be asked to hand over the banner to the other participants and explain it, in brief.
5. The JNF’s explanation about the banners as a tool for Israeli public diplomacy can be summarized as follows:

The production of banners began in the 1940s, as another way to publicize Zionist efforts and reach the heart of the Jewish people in Israel and around the world. The goal was to recruit people to assist the fund in its diverse activities and to donate funds for the purpose of purchasing land. From the beginning of its establishment, the JNF members understood the importance of the visual message in conveying ideas to the people through images capturing the landscapes of the country, its inhabitants and the activities that take place there.

The use of banners is intended, as stated, to promote defined ideas: fundraising, an invitation to participate in tree planting ceremonies of Tu B’Shvat, an invitation to participate in the ceremonies of bringing the first fruits and more.

We have seen that banners were once used to convey a certain message to all the Jews of the world. Even today we have many tools to convey messages that are important to all Jews. In the next part we will experience this type of public diplomacy, using tools from our daily lives.

Divide the pupils into groups of 4-5 children.

Each group receives a topic for public diplomacy along with a text related to the topic.

The topics will expose the pupils to the sources of the Jewish people’s connection to Jerusalem.

Their mission is to convey the message to residents in their specific location outside the State of Israel.

Through one of the following means:

• YouTube
• Facebook
• Newspaper
• Twitter
• Tiktok
• A poem
• Advertisement on TV

At their disposal are: sheets, markers, cell phones, you can add as many suitable items as possible.

This part is allocated about 15/20 minutes, after which each group presents what it has prepared to the other members.

We will ask the pupils to compare between ‘old times’ banners and what they have prepared and ask them whether they think the impact of things today is greater or smaller?

• If in the past digital content would have been available for use, do they think the connection between Israel and the Diaspora would have been better or less so?
• Would it be a good idea to go back in time and use banners?
• What other ways can we use now to strengthen the unity among the people of Israel?

What other ways can we use now to strengthen the unity among the people of Israel?