1. Welcome to JST 8-1 Levingston ✤ Leadership, Politics, Justice ✤ Appropriate Speech ✤ War, Peace

2. ✤ Jewish Publication Society Tanakh ✤ Binder, Pen/Pencil, Tanakh, Kippah ✤ Homework on time and in hard copy format ✤ Communicate with me by phone or email when difficulties arise ✤ Rabbi Lev’s Ten Minute Rule ✤ Assessments (some, but not overwhelming); Group work (often) Classroom standards

3. The Books of Samuel ✤ Samuel and the political role of the prophet ✤ “The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Heed their demands and appoint a king for them.’ Samuel then said to the men of Israel, ‘All of you go home.’” ✤ The fall of Saul, the rise of David ✤ Opportunities to develop Hebrew and interpretive skills

4. Inappropriate speech ✤ Sources from rabbinic literature ✤ The limits of free speech ✤ Different ways to confront damaging speech ✤ The Derech Eretz pledge and an anti-gossip project

5. Justice and Judgment ✤ Based on the Mishnah. Explains the Jewish system of justice (three judges for monetary cases, and the sages teach that there should be twenty-three judges for damaging speech because it is equivalent to taking a life) ✤ Court in session: King Saul is brought to trial

6. War and Peace ✤ Texts from the Bible, Mishnah and Mishneh Torah ✤ Different kinds of war ✤ Personal exemptions from war ✤ The impact of war in our day

7. Modern Jewish history ✤ The rise of Zionism ✤ The Sho’a and the Final Solution ✤ The early State of Israel

8. What else? ✤ Current events: the weekly Torah reading (student presentations) ✤ Current events: Jews in the News (2x/year)

9. Staying in touch ✤ Homework website through JBHA ✤ Emails sent to students and to students’ parents ✤ Handouts available at Rabbi Lev’s website: www.rabbilevingston.wordpress.com www.rabbilevingston.wordpress.com

10. Happy new year גמר חתימה טובה