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Menachem Begin Heritage Foundation |
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Junior Knesset Program The Asper Foundation supports the Junior Knesset (legislature) program, a civics educational program formulated and developed by the Menachem Begin Heritage Center upon the initiative of Ann Kirson Swersky. The program seeks to teach middle school students (grades 7 – 9) about democratic parliamentary activity in Israel and explain to them in a simulation environment how the Knesset works in Israel. The project emphasizes the theme of parliamentary democracy in Israel and proper public discourse. The program was reviewed by Israeli Ministry of Education supervisors dealing with civic education and was conceived to be appropriate for the weekly civic education lesson plan. It is the only program that specifically teaches parliamentary values. As well, it is a modular program allowing teachers freedom to use it in sections appropriate to their specific needs. Junior Knesset program students gain insight into the reality of coalition politics, cooperation between Members of the Knesset, consensus-building and representative democracy at work. The teachers’ guide binder includes sections dealing with debates on dilemmas related to the topic being learned in class. The instruction is less frontal and mainly involves the pupils in simulated situations comparable to the actual parliamentary activity. Classroom discussions are followed by a five-hour Model Knesset session in which the students role-play at being legislators. “Prime Minister Begin’s most outstanding life achievement was the signing of the Peace Treaty with Egypt. It proved that Israel was willing and able, as difficult as it was, to withdraw from land that it had acquired through defensive measures. It also demonstrated that Israel supported the establishment of Palestinian autonomy in exchange for peace. The Menachem Begin Heritage Center will celebrate the vision of a man who was courageous to know the importance and meaning of sacrifice.” ~Israel Asper
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