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Dear Friend,
We’re quickly approaching Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut, two days that ask us to hold memory and hope, grief and celebration, all at once.
This year, that tension feels especially real. We're navigating loss, complexity, and questions about what it means to stay connected to Israel when the answers aren't simple. But maybe these days can remind us Israel has never been one story. It's always been a collision of visions, values, and dreams.
Throughout the email below, we guide you through a collection of our resources, Yamim 2026: Visions and Values, breaking it into ready-to-use sessions. We invite you to use these sessions for Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut programming, Israel education curriculum, or discussions about values and identity.
Click on any image to open its PDF. Inside each PDF, you’ll find QR codes you can scan with your phone or click to access the content directly.
Start with a Song
Every good conversation needs an anchor. Ein Li Eretz Aheret ("I Have No Other Country") reminds us that even when the land is "aflame," the connection can remain. Discuss with your learners: What does "I have no other country, so I stay in the relationship" mean to you right now?
Meet the Visionaries. Find Your Own.
Before Israel was a state, there were debates. Should it be a cultural center or a political refuge? A place of spiritual renewal or physical labor? A fortress or a sanctuary open to the world? This resource introduces your learners to four figures whose competing ideas shaped the state:
Ahad Ha'am: Zionist thinker and essayist
A.D. Gordon: Philosopher and laborer
Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel: First Sephardic Chief Rabbi of Israel
Henrietta Szold: Founder of Hadassah
Make History Personal
The Figurine Council uses tactile, hands-on learning with historical character figurines. Learners meet these figures, decode their visions, and then articulate their own. The question shifts from "What did they believe?" to "What do you believe?"
Access the Figurine Council Facilitator Guide and Materials >
Map Out Your Commitments
In The Intersection of Ideals, students use a replica map of Tel Aviv to explore how different visions for Israel compete in real scenarios. The lesson ends with participants naming their own street, identifying the personal crossroads they'll face as they follow their own commitments.
Access The Intersection of Ideals Facilitator Guide and Materials >
This Year, Make Space for the Hard Questions
Israel has always been a story of people wrestling with competing values, holding onto hope while navigating harsh realities. Your learners are living in that tension right now. These resources give them permission to ask the hard questions, explore diverse perspectives, and find their own place in the story.
May this Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut be a time of remembrance, reflection, and renewed connection.
Warmly,
The M² Team
Looking to explore values and competing commitments with your learners? M² Crossroads Cards and our Israel Edition are now available for purchase.
Are you an alum of one of our programs? Join the M² Alumni Broadcast WhatsApp group to stay informed of future opportunities and updates.
