האם אנגלית היא שפה זרה?
It can become the language of your feelings and prayers. The Haredi students of the English teacher-training program "Navat Israel – Herzog College" analyzed their experience of teaching kids frightened by the sirens, confused by constant disruptions of the learning routine, depressed and uncomfortable in the bomb shelters. Our students tried to think how English can help their pupils cope with the emotional hardships of the war and wrote poetry in simple English within the framework of creative-writing workshops (the course "Teaching Creative Texts", Dr. Shulamit Kopeliovich). The students' love for poetry in English started in the Literature courses of Mrs. Naomi Homnick.
Benny & the basket (a chant)
My name is Benny.
I have a colorful basket.
And inside it I have my blanket
And my teddy bear.
Every time I go to bomb shelter,
I cover my ears and close my eyes very tight.
I hold my blanket and my teddy.
Then, I pray to Hashem
that the boom will be far away from us,
And that all of the Jewish people
Will be happy and safe.
By Rivka Cohen, Efrat Cohen, Elisheva Cohen &Nomi Frei
POEM
Nati is my name.
When war time came,
I was dressed up to a police man
And to the safe room I quickly ran
Because of the Rocket from Iran.
But don't worry, we had fun!
With my friend in the safe room
We watched the teacher from the Zoom.
Together we played
And to Hashem prayed:
Save us in these days
And send our worries far away!
By Shosana, Nomi Sandaka, Shifi, Rivka Elizada
***
Everything can be good and bad:
The phone is ringing.
What can it be?
Maybe it’s a siren, maybe it’s your grandma…
People are running.
What can it be?
Maybe there is a fire, maybe Moshiach is coming…
Someone is screaming.
What can it be?
Maybe it is from hurt, maybe it is from excitement…
By Sara Wasserzog and Odeliya Yosifon
***
The sun is up, the sky is blue,
Sometimes I feel a little blue too.
I may be sad, I may be scared.
But I know my family is always there.
Hashem is with us through the night,
To keep us safe and bring the light.
He hears my prayer, he is so near,
He helps me let go of my fear.
We hold our hands, we stand so tall,
Together, we can win it all.
I’m proud and I’m strong,
This is where I belong.
By Shirel Menashe
Half Full / Half Empty Emotions
The cup is half empty, the cup is half full.
How would you feel if your mom brought home a bull?
When the sirens rang, that's how I felt.
Scared, hot, and squishy, I thought I would melt.
I learnt that Hashem keeps us safe,
And I will always be in the right place.
By Kayla Lefkowitz, Avigail Azulay and Chana Ita Rosenberg
And you can also use activities and worksheets to help schoolchildren write their own pieces of poetry: