Blog Jewish Studies
March 7, 2012
On Tuesday, 28th February, the TY class, accompanied by Ms. Kenny and Ms. Finnegan, went on a day trip to London. The day got off to a gruelling start with a 4.00am wake up call (to be at the airport for 5.20am) but we knew it could only get better! Pumped up with caffeine and hot chocolate from Butlers in the airport, we swanned through to the Imperial War Museum, via Gatwick airport, almost missing the fact that Michael O'Leary himself checked our boarding passes!
The Holocaust Exhibition was fantastic- filled with artefacts and real life accounts. It was both harrowing and fascinating and it really tied together the module we'd just completed in CSPE class. We had a little time in the other exhibits- notably in the lifelike trench replica which showed us the ghastly reality of life in a pit, knee deep in water.
After lunch, we took a whistlestop tour of London, seeing the main sights - Buckingham Palace, Westminister Abbey, Big Ben and the Tower of London. I think the highlight was finding out that we'd unknowingly spent the morning in the old Bethlehem mental aka Bedlam!
We arrived home around 11pm and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we all slept soundly, having had a wonderful day.
Click on thumbnail to open an enlarged version of image. Look at more London photos in the 2011-2012 Gallery.
Alice Murphy (TY)
[Photo: Ms. Finnegan]
Categories: Classics/CSPE/History, Jewish Studies, Transition Year.
Tags: 2011-2012, Imperial War Museum, Imperial War Museum's Holocaust exhibition, London.
February 21, 2012
Terenure Public Library are holding a display on "Dublin Jewish Traditions - Photographs and Maps" from Tuesday, 6th March to Saturday, 31st March. Ms. Melanie Brown will give a talk on the exhibition on Wednesday, 14th March at 6.45pm to 7.45pm.
There will also be a display of books on the Jewish Community in the adult library.
This is a map of Portobello, Dublin from the 1840s - the heart of the Jewish community in Dublin.
[Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portobello,_Dublin]
Categories: Classics/CSPE/History, Jewish Studies, Library.
Tags: 2011-2012, Dublin Jewish Traditions - Photographs and Maps, Exhibition, Terenure Public Library.
February 14, 2012
Tu B’Shvat is 15th of the Hebrew month of Shvat. Tu B’Shvat is the ‘New Year for Trees’, or the beginning of spring in Israel. Some customs of Tu B’Shvat are to: Plant trees (at home or sponsor plantings in Israel); eat fruits that grow in Israel; have a Tu B’Shvat ‘seder’ during which fruits are eaten and Biblical and other passages about spring are read.
" . . . a land of wheat and barley, of vines, figs, and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey . . . When you have eaten your fill, give thanks to the L-rd your G-d for the good land which He has given you."
(Deut. 8:8, 10)
Ms. Charry
[Image: Google Images]
Categories: Jewish Studies.
Tags: 2011, Tu B’Shvat.
February 10, 2012
Holocaust Education Trust Ireland (HETI) are offering a study trip to Berlin (10th - 13th April) and a number of teacher training programmes in July and August, including a one year Certificate in Holocaust Education. These programmes are aimed at teachers and educators to help them teach this complex subject in the classroom.
The trip to Berlin includes:
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Topography of Terror Museum
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Walking Tour of Jewish Berlin
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Memorial for the Murdered Jews of Europe
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House of the Wannsee Conference
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Grunewald site of deportations
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Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp
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Otto Weidt Museum
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Silent Heroes Memorial Centre
Teacher Training Programmes:
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Irish Seminar at Yad Vashem International School, Jerusalem, Israel. July 2012
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Teaching the Holocaust. 20th - 22nd August 2012
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Certificate in Holocaust Education. August 2012 - August 2013
Contact HETI for more details. Telephone: + 353 1 6690593. Email: info@hetireland.org. Website: www.hetireland.org
[Image: www.hetireland.org]
Categories: Classics/CSPE/History, Jewish Studies, Parents Association.
Tags: 2011-2012, Certificate in Holocaust Education, Holocaust Education Trust Ireland, Yad Vashem International School.
December 20, 2011
Hanukkah commemorates the events in the Land of Israel around 135 BCE when the ruling Syrian Greek King Antiochus 1V attempted to impose a wholly Greek way of life on the population. Whilst some people were willing to embrace Hellenism (acting and thinking like Greeks), others objected to the loss of Jewish identity tat this entailed. Maters came to a head when a statute of Zeus was placed in the Temple in Jerusalem and animals forbidden by Jewish law were offered as sacrifices.
Matityahu, a man of priestly family, and his 5 sons: Judah, Simeon, Jonathan, Jochanan and Eleazar who together were known as the Maccabees, led the rebellion. After several months of fighting, they regained control of Jerusalem and the surrounding areas.
When the Temple had been cleansed and was ready for rededication as the Jewish place of worship, it was discovered that there was only one day’s supply of oil for the golden candelabrum. It would take eight days to receive the new supply. The candelabrum was lit anyway, and burned for the eight days.
To commemorate this miracle, each evening we light another candle on the family hanukkiyah (8 light candelabrum) and eat food fried in oil e.g. potato fritters and doughnuts.
Ms. Charry (Jewish Studies/Hebrew)
Categories: Jewish Studies.
Tags: Hanukkah.
