This, or indeed, any other similar activity is important if your group has not done much previous work on the theme of Jewish identity.
Preparation
Posters to hang round the room:
NATIONAL
RELIGIOUS
CULTURAL
OTHER
UNDECIDED
paper, pencils; tape or drawing pins.
Procedure
1. The moderator asks all the group to write down in 2 sentences at most how each defines their own Jewish identity (allow 5 minutes).
2. Whip round the group for some answers, then: put up the posters on the walls and ask the participants themselves to go to the spot with the sign that they feel most closely corresponds to their definition and tape their piece of paper to the wall (5mins.).
3. Participants now have 5 minutes to 'tour' all the statements and then sit down. No changes can be made at this stage.
4. The moderator helps the group review these definitions by counting how many there are for each spot and asking whether the group feels that the statements were taped up in the appropriate place - or why not; what were the ranges of opinion in the group; did the undecided come to any decision? What did people write under the heading, "other".