The Lev Tov of Indigenous Peoples’ Day
When many other schools have the day off, why is Schechter open on Indigenous Peoples’ Day (formerly Columbus Day)? We have school on this holiday because we believe it’s a chance to learn and bring our values to life. Rabbi Berger recently noted that the power of Indigenous Peoples’ Day is that it represents noticing and respecting people who had previously been sidelined. This coincides with Schechter’s core values of Lev Tov (good heart) and Klal Yisrael (community).
Here are some of the ways that Schechter students recognized the holiday:
Rimonim (grades 2-3) read the book Encounter by Jane Yolen. Then, a fantastic teaching moment: third grade students had the opportunity to talk about “who discovered America” following a mini unit about the impact of word choice and a discussion about the common phrase describing Columbus’ “discovery” of a land that had already been found. Rimonim will be learning more about Native American culture later this year during social studies.
Parparim and Tsiporim (grades K-1) joined together to do a read-aloud followed by their written/drawn responses and a discussion about what Indigenous Peoples’ Day is, why it is a holiday, and if they think the day should still be called Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ day, and why. Students framed their discussions around kindness, what it means to be kind to others, and acknowledging cultures and differences.
Gesher students (grades 4-5) worked on a guided research project about the topic: Should the United States celebrate Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples’ Day?. They read articles, infographics, voices from other students, and the book Encounter. After exploring this topic, students formed their own opinions and wrote a short opinion essay supporting their claim.
Middle School approached this topic during Spanish class. Sixth graders learned about the Aztecs and their capital city of Tenochtitlán, which is present day Mexico City. Grades 7-8 compared and contrasted the achievements and characteristics of three pre-Columbian civilizations (Mayans, Aztecs and Incas).