Lessons
The Most Urgent Problem is Silence: Jewish Participation in the Civil Rights Movement
State standards
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Length: 60-120 minutes | Grades: 6-12 | Themes: Jewish values, democratic values
Lesson Overview
Stories of Black-Jewish solidarity during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s often highlight but overlook internal tensions and differing views within Jewish communities. While many Jewish leaders supported the movement, others hesitated, weighing moral conviction against fears for communal safety. These relationships were shaped by difficult choices, shifting perspectives, and the realities of risk and responsibility.
In this lesson, students examine how Jewish rabbis and other leaders balanced their values with personal and communal risk during the Civil Rights Movement. They will analyze primary texts and discuss the difficult choices these leaders faced.
Enduring Understanding
The relationships that individuals and communities have to social change movements evolve and are determined by the interplay between values, risks, and social context.
Jewish people did not have one fixed or unified position on racial justice during the Civil Rights Movement.
Among Jews who acted in solidarity during the Civil Rights Movement, the Jewish value of justice for all explicitly motivated people’s actions.
Essential Questions
What influences people’s decision to participate in social change movements?
How do values influence people’s actions during times of social change?
Learning Objectives
Students will be able to discuss the multiple ways Jewish people articulated their positions on the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
Students will be able to identify how values influenced people’s behavior during the Civil Rights Movement.
Students will be able to critically analyze a variety of primary source texts in order to evaluate the complex motivations and decisions of Jews during the Civil Rights Movement.
Toolkit
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Jewish Participation in the Civil Rights Movement lesson plan
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Jewish Participation in the Civil Rights Movement slide deck
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Jewish Participation in the Civil Rights Movement handout
