Role Models of Hope
Grades: 4-6
Length: 30 minutes
Introduction:
In this lesson, students will explore two different role models of hope – Rachel the matriarch, and David Hamelekh. Students will examine their actions and apply the messages to their own lives.
Objectives:
- Students will give some examples of actions/moments in Judaism that demonstrate hope.
- Students will identify the hopeful attitudes of Rachel and David.
- Students will consider modern-day models of hope and the connection between hope and resilience.
Essential Questions:
- Who are role models that can serve as models of hope from the Torah?
- How can others’ examples inspire us to have a hopeful attitude?
Lesson Sequence
Part 1: Recap
If the teacher taught the previous lessons, the teacher should briefly recap (see lesson 1 here and lesson 2 here), explaining that through different prayers, mitzvot, and ritual moments we consistently express our hope. The teacher should reflect on the idea that unity and perseverance are elements of maintaining hope.
The teacher should explain that the class will now look at examples of personal and communal hope from role models in Tanakh. The teacher can ask students to generate examples of individuals that they find to be hopeful in Tanakh and to explain why they might find that character to be hopeful. The teacher should then suggest (or respond to a student’s suggestion) that Rachel and David are examples of this. The teacher can choose to teach about both characters or to focus on one of the characters depending on the time that they have available.
PART 2: Rachel the Matriarch
The teacher should share that there are two moments in what we know about Rachel’s life that demonstrate hope as a part of her character.
- The teacher should read Rachel’s naming of Yosef in Bereishit 30:24. The teacher should prompt students to consider how the name that Rachel chose for Yosef (“Yosef li ben acher, God should grant me another child”) connects to hope.
- The teacher should then read and translate/summarize the nevuah in Sefer Yirmiyahu 31:14-16.
- The prophecy says that Rachel is crying for her children and that she refuses to be comforted as they have been sent out of Eretz Yisrael. God comforts Rachel by telling her that she should stop crying as there is hope for her children to return to Eretz Yisrael as a reward for the fact that Rachel was kind to her sister Leah.
- The teacher should point out that the verse in Yirmiyahu is a prophecy said after Bnei Yisrael has been exiled to foreign lands. The teacher should explain that the Navi says Rachel is always crying for her children and refuses to be comforted. The teacher should prompt the students to think about how this action demonstrates hope as well, and what they can learn about hope from the persona of Rachel. (Rachel’s refusal to be comforted and accept the exile demonstrates her continuing hope that they will return.)
For older students: the teacher can ask students to identify where the word for hope appears in these verses and to consider why the Navi uses the word “hope” to respond to her actions.
PART 3: David Hamelekh
The teacher should explain that David was the ultimate editor of Sefer Tehillim. The teacher should explain that Tehillim has been a primary text for prayer and inspiration for more than 2000 years. Its perakim cover the full range of human emotions from joy and gratitude to fear and despair. There are certain perakim that have become particularly connected with the concept of Hope. The teacher can reference moments in David’s life that were difficult (David and Goliyat, David and Shaul, David and his sons) based on what they think the students are familiar with, and explain to the students that David maintains hope that he will be king even through all of his struggles.
- The teacher should remind students that perek 27 is inserted into the daily tefillot during the month of Elul through the holiday of Shemini Atzeret. The teacher should explain that the main idea of this perek of Tehillim is that David expresses his hope and faith in God as the ultimate protector. The teacher should read 27:14 with students emphasizing David’s hopeful attitude.
- The teacher should ask students to think about how the dynamic between having hope/faith and developing courage is like a cycle. Why is having courage an important component of having hope? How might these two emotions help a person make it through different situations?
The teacher can also point out that David’s hope is linked to his faith in God. The teacher should connect this to the first lesson about Shema Yisrael and explain that David’s belief in God boosted his feelings of hope throughout his life, even in difficult circumstances.
PART 4: Modern Role Models of Hope
The teacher should highlight how there have been many role models of hope since October 7th, 2023. Some examples may include Rachel Goldberg-Polin, Yaakov Argamani, or soldiers who have been injured and continue to persevere through struggle.
The teacher can also choose to emphasize the hope that the Jewish community has maintained during this time. The teacher can ask the students to provide examples of where they have seen this, or the teacher can select his/her own images/videos that demonstrate this.
The teacher should ask the students to consider how having a hopeful attitude is connected to resilience and perseverance.
PART 5: Wrap-Up
Option 1: The teacher should prompt students to think of another person in Jewish history or their own lives who epitomizes hope – a person who has a hopeful attitude, who went through a struggle and emerged hopeful, or who demonstrated hope in a text. Examples include Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Sacks, a particular Holocaust Survivor, etc. The students should free-write as to why this person is a role model of “hope” to them.
Option 2: Students should compose their own hopeful statement – a 6-word expression of hope – that they will look at when they feel that they need a reminder.
Option 3: Students should write a short letter to one of the role models of hope mentioned above sharing how their story inspires them to be a hopeful person.
Students can be asked to share their assignments with the class.