Civil Rights lessons
Labor lessons
Jewish texts
Hillel Gamoran, Slide Collection No. 3487, The Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, 1963.
A Jewish Social Justice Education Project
Central Conference of American Rabbis at the March on Washington
Living the Legacy (LTL) uses primary sources and personal narrative to explore the roles of American Jews in the Civil Rights and Labor Movements. Through art projects, text studies, role-playing opportunities, and more, these lesson plans encourage learners to grapple with questions about identity, society, and social justice through a distinctly Jewish lens. For use with students in grade 8 and up.
Living the Legacy Civil Rights Lessons
Explore identity and activism through 16 lesson plans highlighting the stories of Jewish involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. Investigate the motivations and experiences of American Jewish activists, experiment with models for civil disobedience and community organizing, and unpack the complex relationship between Jews, African Americans, and social justice activism.
Living the Legacy Labor Lessons
These eight lesson plans weave stories of immigration and collective action together with traditional Jewish texts to create a rich investigation of Jewish involvement in the American Labor Movement. Identify the connections between human needs, work, and community, examine real-life examples of how to create social change, and look closely at contemporary labor issues through a Jewish lens.
Lesson Groupings
Quickly find a selection of lessons to meet your setting and program needs. Browse LTL lesson plans in suggested groupings for service learning programs, adult education, MLK day celebrations, and more.
Introductory Essays
The 22 introductory essays in Living the Legacy provide important historical context for the questions, ideas, and sources explored in each lesson. They are also an excellent resource for getting a quick overview of Jewish involvement in both the Civil Rights and Labor Movements.
Traditional Jewish Texts
In collaboration with Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the Jewish Women's Archive has developed traditional Jewish text studies to complement the primary sources and activities found in the Living the Legacy lesson plans. Browse by text to find related lesson plans and resources.
Biographies of Jewish Labor Leaders
These biographies introduce unsung Jewish heroes and leaders of the Labor Movement.
Browse LTL lesson plans by keyword to quickly find resources on your subject of interest.
Explore an extensive list of resources used to create Living the Legacy and recommended for further exploration on the topics covered in the lesson plans.
Jewish Women's Archive. "Living the Legacy." (Viewed on January 20, 2020) <https://qa.jwa.org/teach/livingthelegacy>.