Download the chosen - Actors Theatre of Louisville

Writing Portfolio
1 Personal
the
Reb Saunders teaches his son Danny with silence, just as his father did him.
How does silence affect you? Set a designated block of time to be silent. Reflect on how it makes
you feel, how others react to you, and what is or is not communicated in your silence. Write a
reflection on your experiences.
2 literary
chosen
S t u d y
Getting the Most Out of The
Study Guide
Danny and Reuven differ in their beliefs, but come to settle their differences and become friends.
Write a short play in which the characters differ from each other (ex: an Arab student and an
American student both studying abroad and dorming together). What conflicts arise because of
their differences? Are they able to resolve their conflict? How? Be sure to include a beginning,
climax, and ending, as well as a clear setting, time, and character development.
Our study guides are designed for you and your students. Each
article, worksheet, and activity can be implemented within existing curriculum. Please feel free to copy the study guide for both
your students and other teachers. We hope this material, combined with our pre-show workshops, will give your students the
tools to make their time at Actors Theatre
a valuable learning experience.
3 Transactive
Using the material in the study guide as a start, research Jewish Diaspora and Zionism. Write
an editorial for or against Zionism. Be sure to begin with a strong topic sentence that states your
opinion. Include some background information for the readers. Respond to opposing arguments,
and back up your reasoning with logic and cited sources. Provide a persuasive conclusion.
Before the Performance:
Students will be more engaged in the performance with an
understanding of the play!
The Chosen articles include:
•The life of Chaim Potok and his collaboration with Aaron Posner
•A brief history of Judaism and the influence of American culture
•An overview of Zionism and the creation of Israel
•Worksheets with special emphasis on the play’s themes and language
Or
Choose a character from the play. What role does this character fill in the play? How does the
character drive the action? What does the character believe in? What does he/she value? How
does this character express him/herself? Are there any specific characteristics they have, such as
a way of walking, speaking, or dressing? What would the play be like without this character? Use
these questions as a guide to writing a critical analysis of a character of your choosing. You may
come up with other questions to answer as well as those provided.
After the Performance:
The Chosen matinee and study guide addresses specific
Core Content:
Cross Reference - Modern and Contemporary drama/theatre
•AH-1.3.1: Identify the elements of drama DOK 2
•AH-2.3.1: Analyze how time, place and ideas are reflected in
drama/theatre DOK 2
•AH-3.3.1: Students will explain how drama/theatre fulfills a
variety of purposes. DOK 2
•SS-HS-1.1.1: Students will compare and contrast various forms
of government in the world DOK 3
•SS-HS-1.3.1: Students will explain how the rights of one individual may, at times, be in conflict with the rights of another DOK 2
•SS-HS-2.1.1: Students will explain how belief systems and
behavior patterns define cultures and help to explain historical
perspectives in the modern world DOK 2
•SS-HS-2.3.1: Students will explain reasons why conflict and competition may develop as cultures emerge in the modern world DOK 2
•SS-HS-4.2.1: Students will interpret how places and regions
serve as meaningful symbols for individuals and societies DOK 3
The Hearst
Foundation, Inc.
Fund for the Arts
Members Agency
Actors Theatre of Louisville
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Box Office 502-584-1205
316 West Main Street
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G u i d e
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Louisville, Kentucky 40202-4218
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ActorsTheatre.org
If you have any questions or suggestions for improvements in
our study guides, please feel free to contact Jess Jung, Associate
Education Director, at (502) 584-1265 or [email protected]
Study Guide compiled by Megan Alexander & Cara Pacifico
t h e
chosen
Chaim Potok’s novel paints a portrait of Brooklyn in the 1940s, full of
the particulars of Jewish life- days at the yeshiva, afternoons in the Jewish
Baseball league, shabbas dinners on Friday, arguments between father and
son- as well as the events of the secular world beyond: the United States
had recently joined World War II and Europe was reeling from the attacks
and counter-attacks on its soil. At the heart of The Chosen are two boys,
each growing into manhood, one from an Orthodox Jewish household, one
from a Hasidic one, and struggling to define their relationships to their
fathers and their faith.
Reuven Malter meets Danny Saunders, the son of a Hasidic rabbi,
when they’re sixteen and playing baseball. They’ve lived “five blocks and
a world away” from each other in Brooklyn their whole lives, but it isn’t
until Danny hits a ball into Reuven’s face that their lives intersect. Danny
comes to the hospital to apologize and the two start an unlikely friendship.
It’s Reuven’s introduction to the life and traditions of Hasidism, a strict sect
whose world is both intimately familiar to and very separate from Reuven’s
own Orthodox Judaism. Not only does Danny belong to a different sect,
but he’s being groomed to take over his father’s congregation.
Through Reuven, Danny comes to understand a world that he hasn’t
had access to: Danny’s father never speaks to him except for the time they
spend studying religious texts, but Reuven’s father, a librarian, has been
giving Danny Hemingway, Freud and other secular books to read at the
library, books he could never read at home. When World War II ends and
people start to learn about Hitler’s crimes against the Jews, the push for a
homeland divides the Jewish community and the secular world becomes
impossible for the boys to ignore. As each decides how to respond to the
world around him, they redefine their relationships to each other, their
fathers, and to their faith and the secular world, each sacrificing things
they hold dear and deciding the kind of man they will be.
BRIDGEWORK
A Teacher’s Tool to Building Connections between Stage and Classroom
Core Content Connection - The following activities are designed using the Elements of Drama: Literary Elements, Technical Elements and
Performance Elements. (Core Content 4.1)
AT YOUR DESK Activities
Theme Lines
Choose a character’s line(s) from the script that reflect an important
theme of the play. Write a brief thought of your own that expresses
that theme. What does it mean to you? Read both the script line and
your own thought aloud to the class.
The Interview
Danny and Reuven find their different beliefs stand in the way of their
friendship at the start of the play, but soon find themselves relating
to each other, getting past their differences, and becoming friends.
Group students in pairs (preferably those who know each other least)
and have them interview each other. They may create their own
questions, such as, “Where were you born? When do you eat dinner? What do you eat most often? Do you have any rituals? Do you
go to church? Which one? What do you believe in?” Once they
find a difference, have them explore it. What does it mean to differ
from one another? Are they put off, more curious, or indifferent about
the dissimilarity? Have each student write a short piece about what
they have discovered about their classmate and how it has changed
their perception.
Encourage them to be aware of the space in which they are moving
and to try to use the entire space as they walk. Using a “Freeze” command, have students, group themselves according to eye color. They
CANNOT talk to one another. This must be done in complete silence.
As groups are formed, cue them to “Move through the space” again.
Then, using the “Freeze” command, have students group themselves
according to what they are wearing from the waist up. This repeats
as many times as you like. Some other groupings include: hair type,
shoes, height, alphabetical order, etc. Feel free to create your own.
Notice how students become more focused and accomplish goals
more quickly the longer they play.
Tableaux
Divide into groups of 4 - 8 people. Each group chooses words that
reflect themes in the play (i.e. – friendship, faith). Encourage them
to use words that connect to emotion. Then, have students create a
frozen picture with their bodies (tableau) that depicts each word. The
tableau can be either literal or abstract in its depiction of the word.
Students perform their tableaux pieces for the class. Have the class
guess the words that they see.
Friendship Project
Journal Entry
Choose a character from the play and write a journal entry in this
character’s voice. Your entry can relate to an event before or after
the action in the play or it may be an event that you make up for that
character. Make sure it is an important event in his/her life.
List of Characters
Reuven Malter
A Modern Orthodox Jew who befriends a Hasidic
Jew after being hit in the face at a baseball game.
Danny Saunders
A Hasidic Jew who is studying to take over his
father’s congregation as Rebbe, but who also is
interested in secular studies.
Content Discussion:
1. What are the major conflicts in The Chosen and how do the characters deal with them? Think about physical, intellectual, and emotional
responses. What are Danny and Reuven up against? What do you think
they are thinking about when they are faced with making decisions?
2. Why do you think baseball was the sport chosen to open the play with?
What does baseball mean in American history? What role (literally and/
or metaphorically) does the game have in the play?
Mr. David Malter
Reuven’s father who works at
the library, teaches Jewish studies and is a strong
supporter of the Zionist movement.
ON YOUR FEET Activities
Silent Connections
“You can hear silence, Reuven. It has a quality and a
dimension all its own. It
talks to me. I feel myself alive in it.” - Danny
Rabbi Isaac (Reb) Saunders
A strict Hasidic Rebbe and father of Danny.
Create a Set
Sketch a set design for your own production of THE CHOSEN. How
would it be similar to the set in our production? How would it differ?
Why? Think about style (realistic or non-realistic), levels (flat/raised
areas, upstairs/downstairs, steps?), and color. After you complete the
sketch, build a 3-D model (miniature version) of your design. Use craft
sticks, blocks, toothpicks, paper and anything else at your disposal.
Actors Theater Education Department
Katie Blackerby Weible, Education Director
Jess Jung, Associate Education Director
Lee Look, Playwriting in the Schools Coordinator
Megan Alexander, Education Intern
“A word is worth one coin. Silence is worth two.” - The
Talmud
Silence plays a large role in the way in which Danny is reared. Have
students explore the power of silence. If they are to communicate,
they must rely on methods of nonverbal communication.
This exercise requires a large open space. Have students move
freely about the space while walking at a normal pace, paying attention to other bodies around them, making sure they do not collide.
Malter: The Talmud says that a person should do two things for himself. One is to acquire a teacher. Do you remember the other?
Young Reuven: Choose a friend.
“You think a friend is an easy thing to be? If
you are truly his friend you will
discover otherwise.” – Reb Saunders
1.Have students free write on the theme of friendship. They should not
worry about grammar or spelling and should write as honestly as possible and without censoring themselves. Have them record the images
and words that come into their minds when they think about friendship. After three minutes, ask for volunteers to share their thought.
2.Break students into small groups. Give each group a few minutes
to share their writing and to select a few of the thoughts with which
to create a short scene. Each group will devise an improvised script
that illustrates one or more of the written thoughts.
For example:
•One student confides in her friend that she humiliated herself on a
date. Her friend offers encouraging advice.
•Some “cool kids” make fun of a student while another student
decides to be his friend, risking his own reputation.
(These are only examples. Trust the students to come up with far
better ones!)
3.Have each group perform their scenes for the class.
4.Allow students time to reflect and articulate their ideas of friendship, the play, and what resonates with them.
THE CHOSEN
CHAIMPOTOK
Below are four main themes in Potok’s The Chosen. Themes in literature are dominant ideas that go beyond the relationships of
the characters and reach into elements of human nature, conflict, and behavior. Fill in the boxes first with examples of each
theme from the play. Then think of your own life and how each theme relates to you.
Chaim Potok (1929-2002) was born “Herman
Harold Potok” on Februrary 17 in the Bronx.
His parents were Polish immigrants and
Orthodox Jews. According to Jewish custom,
Herman was given a Hebrew name too: Chaim
Tvzi. Chaim, as he came to be known, grew
up an observant Orthodox Jew like his parents,
but became a Conservative rabbi, philosopher,
and writer who was deeply interested in helping
to promote religious understanding.
As a child Chaim studied in a local Jewish
school called a yeshiva. For half of the school
day he studied secular subjects, and for the
other half he studied the Talmud, the sixty-three
books of Jewish religious and ethical law based
on the Hebrew Bible and the teachings of great
rabbis. Since students in yeshivas studied more
subjects than other American school children,
school began and 8:30 and didn’t end until 6pm.
They also went to school on Sundays.
Chaim showed an early talent for drawing and
painting, but in the Orthodox community the
practice of creating art was considered a waste of
time and perhaps even sinful. Happily, Chaim
discovered writing. He knew that he wanted to
be a writer after reading the work secular modern
novelists like Evelyn Waugh, James Joyce, Ernest
Hemmingway and William Faulkner. Potok
began to consider the possibility of a career as a
writer of fiction in which he could tell the story
of his Orthodox Jewish culture and determine
how it could fit into American culture.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?
THEME
Friendship
-finding a friend in someone
you thought was an enemy
-the effort it takes to be a
true friend
Silence
- communicating without words
- the meaning of silence
Choosing vs.
Being Chosen
-choosing between what you
want, & what is wanted for you
- balancing your beliefs and
faith against curiosity
for secular and/or
scientific knowledge
Tradition in a
Modern World
- valuing customs and traditions
of a community while living in
modern culture
- what is given up to be a
member of both communities
EXAMPLE FROM PLAY
EXAMPLE FROM YOUR LIFE
Potok graduated from Yeshiva University in
1950. In college he had made the important
decision to stop practicing Orthodox fundamentalist Judaism and to follow the more worldly
form of known as Conservative Judaism. Potok
entered the Jewish Theological Seminary of
America in New York City and studied to be
a Conservative Jewish rabbi. He was ordained
in 1954. Many relatives and Orthodox friends
form the Bronx thought that he had betrayed
his faith, and so they shunned him. Potok had
to start a new life. He decided to join the army,
even though it was not required of him. He
served as a combat chaplain in Korea from 1955
to 1957, attending to soldiers of all faiths. While
in Korea, he began his first novel, which would
eventually become The Chosen.
The next ten years took Chaim to many
places. He got married in 1958 and moved to
Philadelphia to attend graduate school. He had
a daughter, Rena, in 1962. In 1963 he took his
family to Israel for a year. He wanted to move
away from the United States to gain perspective
on the American Jewish community he was
writing about in The Chosen. Israel was also
important to Potok because he was a Zionist,
a person who had supported the creation of the
State of Israel in 1948.
In 1964 Potok moved his family to
Brooklyn, geographically close to where he had
grown up, but somehow worlds away. Brooklyn
was the home of a very strict form of Judaism
called Hasidism. With doctrines even stricter
than Orthodox Jews, Hassids must largely separate themselves from American life and from
other forms of Judaism. Potok admired the
ability of the Hasidic community to survive even
with the outside world pressing in.
In 1965 Potok’s second daughter, Naama, was
born, and Potok got his doctorate in philosophy. In 1967 he finally published The Chosen.
This story of the conflict between Hasidic and
Orthodox Judaism in the 1940s is represented
by the friendship between two boys. The novel
won several awards for helping to interpret
American Jewish culture for outsiders, and for
showing how personal relationships can help
to create understanding between very different
people.
Potok would go on to publish several more
works of fiction with Jewish characters. These
included The Promise (the sequel to The Chosen)
and My Name Is Asher Lev, about an artist who
does not fit into his faith community. Potok
spent more time in Isreal but finally settled in
the suburbs of Philadelphia. In the 1990s he
became interested in the plays, and wrote several
of his own. In March 1999 he collaborated with
Aaron Posner to write a dramatic version of The
Chosen. For the rest of his life he thought deeply
and wrote about the moral and ethical dilemmas
in America. Chaim Potok died in 2002.
defined political boundary for Judaism. As Jews
were exiled from Egypt, Europe, Palestine, and
elsewhere, they were forced to start new communities. Their culture and religion gave them
the strength they needed to start a life in a new
land. Many Jewish people have found America
to be a sanctuary of religious tolerance and economic opportunity.
Specifically, in the 15th century, Jews were
expelled from Spain and most immigrated to
Holland or the Americas to find refuge. Later,
in the 18th and 19th centuries the Jewish population was growing rapidly in Central and Western
Europe. Amidst a great deal of anti-Semitism,
(which had begun with the first crusade in the
11th century), and a slowing economy, many Jews
found more prosperous lives in America as peddlers and merchants. Then in 1881, the assassination of Russia’s Czar Alexander II was blamed
on the Russian Jews resulting in the enlistment
of strict governmental “pogroms.” These violent
and economically damaging May Laws caused a
majority of Eastern European Jews to immigrate
to America as well.
The vast immigration to America led to a transformation of the traditional Jewish culture. First
generation Jews that came to
America were predominantly
Orthodox. This meant they
based their daily life on the
writings in the Torah and
Talmud. They adhered to
guidelines of prayer, strict
dietary laws of keeping
kosher, and formal observance of the Sabbath and religious holidays.
In the economically based secular society of
America, many found it difficult to continue this
way of life. Their children, born in the US, were
ashamed of their parents’ foreign accents, oldfashioned clothes, customs, and food. Enhanced
by pressure from the US government to assimilate, this generation was becoming more and
more secularized and followed the Jewish culture
less closely.
The elder Jews saw their culture fading, so in
1912 they established the Young Israel movement on the Lower East Side of New York City
where a concentration of Jewish immigrants
were located. They worked to help young people
feel American while also helping them remain
faithful to Judaism. The Young Israel movement
is a major part of the foundation of Modern
Orthodox Judaism. This denomination -which
took off in the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s- fundamentally believes they can be committed to the traditions of Judaism and still participate in general
American society. They are committed to learning the Torah and Talmud, as well as philosophy,
psychology, history, math, literature, and science. Instead of seeing Orthodox Judaism as a
restriction, they see it as a part of a larger Jewish
culture. Their religion and traditions serve as a
foundation for life in the modern world.
Other Orthodox Jews refused to be assimilated into American culture. A movement was
started in the eighteenth century by a storyteller,
Israel ben Eliezer who was later given the name
Ba’al Shem Tov (Master of the Good Name).
Eliezer believed the Jewish faith can be acquired
not only through the study of ancient texts and
scholarship, but also through prayer, love, piety,
and worship in daily life. He emphasized the
presence of God in everything. He also taught
the value of joy, that one’s suffering and self-denial only wastes God’s gifts, and that quarrelling is
a waste of time. His followers became the leaders
of the Hasidic movement. Ba’al Shem Tov was
the first tzaddik, also called Rebbe (rabbi), and
it was believed he could issue divine blessings
independent of the Torah. Non-Hasidic Jews see
rabbis as teachers who simply know more about
Jewish law than a layperson. The Hasidim have
a hierachy -the Hasidic tzaddik is the central
interpreter of the faith. Each individual congregation of Hasidim follows strongly the words
of their tzaddik. They isolate themselves from
secular culture and envelop themselves in their
traditional European customs of dress and study
in order to reject distraction and change from
the outside world.
Americans. They both live in hyphenated cultures and struggle to find a balance between
their traditions, their environment, and their
own personal wants and desires.
3. The majority of Americans come from
other countries and cultures (Italian-American,
Cuban-American, African-American). This
trend, the hyphenation phenomenon, has
resulted in a very unique country. What
are some ways people have assimilated into
American culture? What are some traditions/customs they have brought with them
that are now in mainstream culture?
The Journey
of Judaism
Judaism is unique in that it is both an ethnicity and a religion. You are born Jewish in the
same sense that you are born Irish, African, or
Hispanic. However, being Jewish also implies
that you are part of a religious community. The
balance between these two aspects of Jewry
changes from person to person; there are many
different ways to be Jewish.
Jewish culture is rich in its history. It is an
amazing story of survival over centuries of exile
and persecution. There is no geographically
From The Text
1. “When I was young, Reuven, my father,
may he rest in peace, taught me with silence.
He did not trust words, words distort, words
play tricks, they conceal the heart, the heart
speaks through silence.” - Reb Saunders
Discuss this quote. What are some ways we
manipulate a conversation with words. How
have you used words to get what you want?
Is Reb Saunder’s father right? What would it
be like if we spoke less.
Discussion
In The Chosen Danny and his father are
Hasidic Jewish-Americans, while Reuven and
his father are Modern Orthodox Jewish-
1. Danny and Reuven are both JewishAmericans. How does this mix of culture and
religion affect them? What does it mean to
be both Jewish and an American citizen? Is
it possible to be both without sacrificing a
part of either one?
2. America has often been nicknamed a
“melting pot” by some and a “mixed salad”
by others. What do these two nicknames
mean to you? Which phrase do you feel
is more accurate? Give examples of how
and why these phrases describe American
culture.
Personal Connections
1. What is your personal hyphenation? Have
you moved here from somewhere else? How
does your ethnicity, religion, and language
influence your daily life? What about your
generation’s differences from your parent’s
generation? What does it mean to be a 21st
century-American?
Yarmulkes, Payos, & Tzitzis:
The Hasidic Dress Code
As a way of marking their humility and their devotion to God, Hasidic Jews adhere to a
unique dress code. Their manner of dress is based upon passages from the Torah, and is
also influenced by the Polish nobility of the 18th century which is where the denomination has
its roots.
A Yarmulke, or skullcap, is worn by all male Jews. It is a requirement when entering
a synagogue or while attending any religious service. Hasidic Jews typically wear a fur hat
called a streimel during Sabbath, religious celebrations, and holidays.
You shall not round the corners of your heads,
nor mar the edges of your beards.
(Leviticus 19:27)
This passage discourages Hasidic Jews from cutting the hair above their ears or
trimming their beards. This results in long strands of hair, or payos. Payos are
often curled and rest along the side of the face. A typical Hasidic boy has payos
at the age of three.
Speak to the children of Israel, and bid them that
they make them fringes on the borders of their
garments throughout their generations...
(Numbers 15:38)
This passage defines the use of tzitzis, long white tassels attached to a
four-cornered garment, usually a prayer shawl. They are worn by all male
Hasidic Jews, and often by non-Hasidic Jews as well. Some wear a similar,
but smaller version on a daily basis, saving the large prayer shawl for Sabbath
and special occasions.
Hasidic males typically dress in black or dark colored coats. One reason dates
back to when black dye was very rare and expensive. Men only wore black to
formal occasions and on the Sabbath. A second and more modern explanation is
to express a lack of ego and materialism by wearing conservative clothes.
The specific style worn by Hasidic Jews distinguishes them as a people. The Jewish
culture in its entirety has ways of setting itself apart through clothes, food, music,
rituals, and celebrations, and by doing so, defines itself with a recognizable
identity and builds a strong community.
Further Reading
Judaism: A Very Short Introduction
By Norman Solomon. Oxford University Press, Inc., Oxford: 2000.
Jews in America
By Hasia R. Diner. Oxford University Press, Inc., Oxford: 1999.
The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words
By Joyce Eisenberg & Ellen Scolnic. The Jewish Publication Society, PA: 2001.
The Jews in America: The Roots and Destiny of American Jews
By Max Dimont. Simon & Schuster, New York: 1978.
Chaim Potok: A Critical Companion
By Stanford Sternlicht. Greenwood Press, London: 2000.
From Shtetl to Suburbia: The Family in Jewish Literary Imagination
Gittleman, Sol. Beacon Hill Press, Boston: 1978.
ZIONISM
Finding A Place to Call Home
Judaism as a religion can survive and prosper anywhere so long as there is a belief and someone who
believes in it. Judaism as a culture needs something more. It needs traditions, narratives, language,
and for many a physical location to ground itself. This notion of a Jewish geographical homeland
is called Zionism.
Zionism is a diaspora nationalist movement that began in the 19th century in response to overwhelming anti-Semitism in Europe. Jews were able to gain citizenship in Western democratic countries, but had no physical place to call their own. The idea for a Jewish homeland originates in the
Bible, where multiple prophets assure the exiles they will be restored to their land in Zion (Israel).
1. The Chosen takes place between 1944 and
1948. How do world issues affect Reuven and
Danny? What do you think it would be like
to be a Jewish-American teenager in a time
of war, the Holocaust, and surrounded by the
buzz of Zionism?
2. Eliezer Ben-Yehuda tried to reinstate a
modern spoken Hebrew as a national Jewish
language to replace Yiddish. How can language unite people? Can language exclude
people? What role does language play in our
identity as Americans? What other factors
can help distinguish a culture?
The idea for a Jewish homeland originates in the Bible
The ideals behind this movement are grounded in the protection, unity, and preservation of the
Jewish identity. However, the support for Zionism ranges across a full spectrum, from extreme religious motives, to secular and political motives. These differences in opinion vary and some Jews, like
Reb Saunders in The Chosen, strictly oppose a forced state of Israel, believing that the Messiah must
initiate and govern the chosen state in accordance with the “true” Torah.
Even if you are not Jewish, Zionism probably plays a direct role in your life. The land Zionists
want to gain control over is within the country Palestine. Palestine, a mostly Arab state, was under
Ottoman Turkish rule up until World War I when it was seized by the British. This caused great
inflation in Palestine’s Jewish population and institutions. Many Arab Palestinians resisted the
change, causing great tension throughout the country. In 1947 the UN split Palestine into two
independent but economically linked states, one Jewish, one Arab, both sharing Jerusalem. With
growing support and nationalism, Israel declared its independence from Britain in 1948. However,
without British protection, Israel was invaded by Arab armies spurring the beginning of decades of
warfare still being fought today.
In 1950, Israel passed the Law of Return allowing all Jews to immigrate to Israel. At the same
time, thousands of Jews, displaced by the Holocaust and refusing to return to countries that had
betrayed them to the Nazis, were in need of a new home. Isreal became a safe haven and a place of
comfort and communal mourning for a community that had just lost six million of its population.
Discussion
From The Text
“A land without a people for a people without
a land.”
-(attributed to) Israel Zangwill
This quote was used as propaganda for the
Zionist movement. The land he is referring to
is Palestine, which was already inhabited by
Arabs in most regions, but is also where the
Jewish nation originated over 3,200 years
ago. What does it mean? Is it true? Have
your class do some research on the changing
geography of the Middle East and how Zionist
mentality affected the region. Using the quote
and maps as an anchor, debate the issue of
who this region “rightfully” belongs to.
Personal Connections
Take some time to watch the evening news,
or read the daily newspaper. What are the
world issues that are affecting you today?
How does the war in the Middle East affect
you? Because of the war is there a heightened
discrimination in America? How does this
relate to what Reuven and Danny go through
in The Chosen?
An
Interview with Loren Bidner
Acting Apprentice and Member of the Jewish Community
Megan: Hi Loren
Loren: Hi
M: So where did you grow up?
L: I was born in Vermont, but have lived in Canada,
Texas, New York, & now here in Louisville.
M: Wow, quite a traveling man!
Next question, if you had to pick one holiday
to be your favorite what would it be?
L: Hmmm, well?... I think I’d have to go with
Chanukah. It’s definitely my favorite.
M: Ok cool. So then what does being Jewish
mean to you?
L: For me it’s about family, you know. It’s
the importance our traditions place on family
and bringing everyone together at special times
throughout the year. Jewish culture really
encourages that.
It is also about connecting to a larger community
for me. You’re not just one person who is Jewish,
you are part of something bigger. Whether
it’s fasting on Yom Kippur or eating matzo for
Passover, I’m part of something bigger, something that other people are doing, just like me,
all over the world. It is a connection to the past,
too, to Egypt and Germany and generations of
Jewish people. I really like being a part of a bigger network, a community.
M: As a Jewish-American, how do you balance
your faith and your culture and the culture
of Judaism?
L: In America you see a lot of assimilation. You
see a lot of Christmas trees in Jewish homes.
And I just don’t get that. Even if you think Santa
Claus and Christmas trees are more commercial
than Christian, they still have their roots in
Christianity. I don’t want to buy into all that.
Judaism is a very vulnerable culture and religion.
We’ve had to really fight to keep our place in the
world, and so if I accept Christmas trees then its
like I am letting go of a piece of the Menorah. I
believe strongly in celebrating our festivals and
rituals. The more assimilation I see, the more I
realize how important it is to continue to practice these traditions. That being said, I do, of
course, participate in American culture too. I go
to movies and have a social life, but I also have
this side of me that is very invested in Judaism.
M: You’ve moved quite a few times. Have
you ever experienced anti-Semitism in a new
neighborhood, or known someone who has?
L: I have to say I’ve been very lucky. We usually
moved into areas that already had large Jewish
communities.
But to answer your question, yes, I have experienced anti-Semitism. But really, it’s just ignorance. I don’t react with vengeance or hatred.
They just don’t know.
M: If you could tell me one thing about the
Jewish people or culture that most non-Jews
don’t know what would it be?
L: Hmm that’s an interesting question. One
thing I would say is that we are a very hardworking people, and I don’t think a lot of people
know how hard Jewish people have worked not
only to maintain their culture, but to prosper in
lands they hardly knew. I think we are a community who sees value in working together for a
larger goal. Israel, for example, was a desert, and
now there is an economy, wineries, and all kinds
of commerce. We’ve also had to work hard to
maintain our culture and religion in the face of
centuries of persecution. I think the strength of
the Jewish community says a lot about how hard
working we are. There is also a general philosophy that everything is a gift and should be
treated as so. We don’t take things for granted.
We have a strong allegiance to our culture. We
respect it and we value it.
Interviewed by Megan Alexander
Vocabulary
Throughout your Study Guide you will find the following terms printed in bold
Diaspora - Any group that has been dispersed, scattered, or has
had to flee its homeland.
Secular – Relating to worldly or temporal concerns. Not overtly or
specifically religious. Not bound by religious rules or doctrines.
Yiddish - Jewish vernacular; a fusion of primarily mediaeval German
dialects, combined with Hebrew, Aramaic, Slavic, Old French, and
Old Italian; written in Hebrew script.
Immigrate - to move to a country of which one is not a native for
permanent residence.
Sabbath - Day of rest and religious observance in Jewish religion.
Kosher - The general term used to describe foods that are acceptable
according to the Jewish dietary laws. The basic laws are listed in the
book of Leviticus in the Torah. In a kosher home pork is forbidden
as well as the mixing of meat and dairy, meaning there must be two
sets of dishes.
Talmud - Written mostly in Aramaic over 1,500 years ago, it is a collection of ancient rabbinic laws, commentaries, and traditions related
to the Torah.
Torah - Consists of the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Also called the Five Books of
Moses, and the Written Law. It is the most revered and sacred book
of Judaism.
Anti-Semitism - Discrimination, hostility, and/or prejudice against
Jews. The hatred arose from misconceptions including the belief that
Jews were money hoarders, made their matza from their babies’
blood, or were an inferior race. Common forms of anti-Semitism
included exile, destruction and declining patronage to Jewish establishments and stores, and in a most extreme case, Hitler and the Nazi’s
genocide of European Jews in the Holocaust.
Assimilation – To absorb, incorporate, and conform to a new environment or culture. To become more like those around you by learning
their behaviors, customs, and language.
Law of Return - Israeli legislation passed in 1950, that allows Jews
and those with Jewish parents or grandparents, and their spouses, to
settle in Israel and gain citizenship. This act was in response to the
conclusion of World War II, the Holocaust, and the Zionist movement.
May Laws – “Temporary” regulations that lasted over thirty years in
Russia in response to the assassination of Czar Alexander III. A form
of anti-Semitism, these laws banned Jews from all rural towns whose
population was less than ten thousand, and set quotas on the number
of Jews allowed into secondary and higher education and many professions. During the years these laws were in effect over two million
Jews left the Russian Empire.
Zionism – A political movement which supports a recognized
homeland for the Jewish people in Israel, located within Palestine. It
is based on the religious tradition that marks Israel as the birthplace
of Judaism, but has evolved into a mostly secular movement due to the
rampant anti-Semitism in Europe of the past three centuries.
Learning Yiddish
In America, Jews use Yiddish vocabulary as part of their culture. Even if you are not Jewish you probably
have spoken Yiddish, or have heard it in mainstream American culture.
APIKOROS(eh-pah-KAY-ress)
an atheist, a non-believer
Below are just a few examples of Yiddish vocabulary. Read the
definitions and use the pronunciation key to help you
say the words correctly. Then find the words in the
puzzle. Circle or highlight them as you go.
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BAGEL (BAY-gull) a hard,
doughnut-shaped roll that is
boiled before it is baked
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GEVALT (geh-VAULT)
“Help! Oh my
Gosh!” exclamation
KLUTZ (kluts)
a clumsy person
BROCHE (BRAW-kheh)
a blessing
KVETCH (k-VETCH)
to whine and complain
CHAIM (KHIGH-um)
life
MAZEL (MA-zull)
luck, congratulations as in
Mazel tov!
CHUTZPA (KHUTS-puh)
gall; nerve
DAVEN (DAH-ven) to pray
DREYDEL (DRAY-dull)
a small toy used
during Chanukah
ECHT (echt)
genuine
FARPUTZT (far-PUTST)
“dressed to the nines,”
“all decked out,”
looking sharp
GAON (GUY-own)
a genius
GELT (gelt)
money
NOGOODNIK (no-GOODnick)
a person to be avoided,
someone who is no good
SCHLEP (shlep)
to drag
SHABBES (SHAH-bus)
the Sabbath
SHALOM (SHAH-lohm)
an offering of peace; salutation “hello” or “good-bye”
SHMOOZ (shmooz)
to make small talk
TZADIK (TSAH-dick)
a pious or holy man
A Jewish Vernacular
Yiddish is a language historically spoken by Jews of Central and Eastern
Europe. In Biblical times, as Jewish people settled around the world,
they acquired new languages like German, French, and Aramaic. Jewish
people made these languages their own by writing them right to left using
Hebrew letters. Yiddish began as the Jewish adaptation of German. As
time went on, it became its own unique language. It was the language that
Jewish people used for everyday business and home life. Scholarly and
religious writing and discussion were conducted in Hebrew, which was
considered a higher language. Since Jewish women were rarely allowed
to study Hebrew, special literature was written in Yiddish for them- like
translations of important Biblical stories, or medieval fairy tales.
Unfortunately, Yiddish helped to separate Jews from their Gentile
neighbors. To make matters worse, German thieves learned Yiddish
words to use as secret codes. Many German Gentiles saw Yiddish as a
language of crime, and distrusted those who spoke it. In the 1770s, one
scholar named Moses Mendelssohn believed that cultural assimilation
of German Jews would alleviate anti-Semitism. He encouraged Jews to
learn German and stop speaking Yiddish. This plan was very effective,
and German Jews came to look down on Eastern European Jews who still
spoke Yiddish.
Eastern European Jews who immigrated to America brought Yiddish
with them. In Chaim Potok’s The Chosen, both Reuven Malter and Danny
Saunders speak Yiddish. Hasidim especially use Yiddish amongst themselves as a way to remain separate. Many Hasidic groups actively oppose
the everyday use of Hebrew (as in modern state of Israel), since Hebrew is
profaned by use for anything other than prayer.
Discussion
Language is an important part of defining a character in a play. For
example, in The Chosen, Danny’s use of Yiddish sets him apart not
only from Reuven, but from other non-Jews of the 1940’s. Language is
also a defining characteristic in real life. The way one speaks and the
vocabulary one uses can tell us where they live, their social status, and
even give insight to their heritage.
In what ways does your own language define you as a person? Do you
use slang that only people from this region would recognize? Do you
integrate another language into English, like “Spanglish”? Are there
words specific to your heritage that you or your family use that others
outside your family would not recognize?