(45 minutes)

1. Prior to the start of class, display the four Jewish texts on the walls of the classroom.
2. At this point, if you have not done traditional Jewish text study before, you may want to provide a brief introduction to the sources and the tradition of text study in Judaism. Feel free to use the information provided in the introductory essay to this module.
3. Have students walk through the text display, giving them time to read through each text.
4. Next, assign students to four groups—one group for each text (you may have multiple small groups working on the same text if you have a large number of students). You do not need to use all of the texts, but it is good to use at least two so you can compare them to one another.
5. In their small groups, have students read the texts and talk through the accompanying discussion questions. The teacher should float from group to group, ensuring that students understand the nuances of each text.
   1. Text 3, Mishnah, Bava Metzia 7:1 might be particularly challenging for some students, and they may need your help parsing the text. The central issue in this text is defining minhag hamakom or “the custom of the land.” In other words, students must identify what the custom was in factories at that time in order to decide if and how Jewish factory owners were following Jewish law. On the one hand, almost all factories had labor practices that would be considered egregious in the US today. On the other hand, if that was the custom—the way business was conducted at that time—this text could be interpreted as supporting factory owners’ continuation of negative labor practices.
6. Once students finish discussing the questions and have a good understanding of their text, they should prepare a short presentation for their peers. During the presentations, it might be helpful to display the group’s text in a way that everyone can see it. Each presentation should introduce the ideas in the text to the other groups and show their understanding of the text in relation to the issues at hand. Ask:
   1. Does this text seem to favor the perspective of the worker or the factory owner, or is it neutral? What makes you say that?
7. At the end of each presentation, ask if any of the other groups have a different interpretation of the text or another perspective on how it could be understood.

Alternative Methods for Traditional Text Study Activities

Method 1: Large Group

If you have a small class, or if traditional text study is new for your group, you may want to read at least one of the texts and discuss the questions together as a large group. Be sure to give as many different students as possible an opportunity to share their ideas. Encourage students to offer different perspectives by asking “Does anyone see/understand this text differently?” or “Does anyone think this text is saying something different?”

Method 2: Ask, Uncover, Explain

If your class has done traditional text study before, or if you are looking for a more interactive activity, begin the same way as the method above.

After students have had a chance to see and read each text once, give each student (or pair of students) three different color markers, sticky notes, or pieces of paper (one each for “ask,” “uncover,” and “explain.”

1. At this point, decide whether students will look at one text or respond to all four.
2. For each text, students should post one response for each of the prompts, as follows:
   1. Identify: Who is responsible in this text? What are their responsibilities?
   2. Uncover: What do you think the author(s) wanted Jews to learn from this text?
   3. Explain: Does this text seem to favor the perspective of the worker or the factory owner, or is it neutral? What makes you say that?
3. When students have commented, come together as a large group and discuss the final question of each text. Ask: Does this text seem to favor the perspective of the worker or the factory owner, or is it neutral? What makes you say that?