Tikkun Olam
Machane Shishim, Tahlia, Tom, Jordy, Sam, Noah, Gemma, Netzer Australia ‘08
AIM
To expose the Chanichim to a variety of issues where a greater level of Tikkun
Olam is required.
TRIGGER (30 mins)
Listen to and watch the video clips of different songs that explore global issues
relevant to the issues involved in Tikkun Olam. Have the lyrics printed out for
chanichim to follow. Have them identify (with pens/highlighters) the major issues
addressed by the song.
Discuss the following questions:
 What are the issues being brought up in the song?
 What is the message of the song? What is the artist trying to say? To whom?
 Why do you think the artists used the media of song to express their ideas?
 Do you think it is successful in communicating its message?
SONGS:
Black Eyed Peas – Where is the love?(2004)
[What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah
Madness is what you demonstrate
And that's exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y'all, y'all
People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek
Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love
It just ain't the same, always unchanged
New days are strange, is the world insane
If love and peace is so strong
Why are there pieces of love that don't belong
Nations droppin' bombs
Chemical gasses fillin' lungs of little ones
With ongoin' sufferin' as the youth die young
So ask yourself is the lovin' really gone
So I could ask myself really what is goin' wrong
In this world that we livin' in people keep on givin' in
Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends
Not respectin' each other, deny thy brother
A war is goin' on but the reason's undercover
The truth is kept secret, it's swept under the rug
If you never know truth then you never know love
Where's the love, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the truth, y'all, come on (I don't know)
Where's the love, y'all
People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek
Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love
The love, the love
I feel the weight of the world on my shoulder
As I'm gettin' older, y'all, people gets colder
Most of us only care about money makin'
Selfishness got us followin' our wrong direction
Wrong information always shown by the media
Negative images is the main criteria
Infecting the young minds faster than bacteria
Kids wanna act like what they see in the cinema
Yo', whatever happened to the values of humanity
Whatever happened to the fairness in equality
Instead in spreading love we spreading animosity
Lack of understanding, leading lives away from unity
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' under
That's the reason why sometimes I'm feelin' down
There's no wonder why sometimes I'm feelin' under
Gotta keep my faith alive till love is found
Now ask yourself
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
Where is the love?
People killin', people dyin'
Children hurt and you hear them cryin'
Can you practice what you preach
And would you turn the other cheek
Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
'Cause people got me, got me questionin'
Where is the love (Love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Where is the love (The love)
Questions:
In the lines, ‘But if you only have love for your own race, Then you only leave
space to discriminate, And to discriminate only generates hate’, what
perspective is the song taking on the issue of racism and discrimination? From
what context does this come?
‘Makin' wrong decisions, only visions of them dividends’ and ‘Wrong information
always shown by the media, Negative images is the main criteria, Infecting the
young minds faster than bacteria. What attitude do you think the song puts
forward about the government and the media? What is the point it is trying to
make?
Michael Jackson – Heal The
World (1991)
There’s a place in your heart
And I know that it is love
And this place could
Be much brighter than tomorrow
And if you really try
You’ll find there’s no need to cry
In this place you’ll feel
There’s no hurt or sorrow
There are ways
To get there
If you care enough
For the living
Make a little space
Make a better place
Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me
And the entire human race
There are people dying
If you care enough
For the living
Make a better place
For you and for me
If you want to know why
There’s a love that
Cannot lie
Love is strong
It only cares of
Joyful giving
If we try
We shall see
In this bliss
We cannot feel
Fear or dead
We stop existing and
Start living
Then it feels that always
Love’s enough for
Us growing
So make a better world
Make a better world
Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me
And the entire human race
There are people dying
If you care enough
For the living
Make a better place
For you and for me
And the dream we were
Conceived in
Will reveal a joyful face
And the world we
Once believed in
Will shine again in grace
Then why do we keep
Strangling life
Wound this earth
Crucify its soul
Though it’s plain to see
This world’s is heavenly
Be god’s glow
We could fly so high
Let our spirits never die
In my heart
I feel you are all
My brothers
Create a world with
No fear
Together we cry
Happy tears
See the nations turn
Their swords
Into ploughshares
We could really get there
Questions:
If you cared enough
For the living
Make a little space
To make a better place….
Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me
And the entire human race
There are people dying
If you care enough
For the living
Make a better place
For you and for me
Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me
And the entire human race
There are people dying
If you care enough
For the living
Make a better place
For you and for me
Heal the world
Make it a better place
For you and for me
And the entire human race
There are people dying
If you cared enough
For the living
Make a better place
For you and for me
There are people dying
If you care enough
For the living
Make a better place
For you and for me
There are people dying
If you care enough
For the living
Make a better place
For you and for me
You and for me… (repeated)
What does Michael Jackson mean by ‘There are ways To get there’? Get
where? Does he say how?
The chorus, ‘Heal the world, Make it a better place, For you and for me And the
entire human race’ uses simple words but says volumes.
Who is it calling for to take action?
How does it empower listeners?
Which concentric circles does this mainly relate two?
What effect does the young girl speaking at the beginning of the clip have on
the audience? What do you think was the purpose of her speech?
Linkin Park - What I've Done
(2007)
In this farewell
There’s no blood
There’s no alibi
‘Cause I’ve drawn regret
From the truth
Of a thousand lies
[Pre-Chorus:]
So let mercy come
And wash away
What I’ve done
[Chorus:]
I'll face myself
To cross out what i’ve become
Erase myself
And let go of what i’ve done
Put to rest
What you thought of me
While I clean this slate
With the hands of uncertainty
[Pre-Chorus]
[Chorus]
For what I’ve done
I start again
And whatever pain may come
Today this ends
I’m forgiving what I’ve done!!!
[Chorus]
What I’ve done
Forgiving what I’ve done
Questions:
 Linkin Park’s video clip exposes many different things humans have done
to the world for example climate change, war, brutality, hatred, economical
issues and environmental issues. Which ones impact on you personally
the most? Why do you think that is?
 There’s a strong message in the song, it presents us with what we’ve
done to the world and it calls us to action. What is the tone of the lines,
‘For what I’ve done I start again, And whatever pain may come Today this
ends. I’m forgiving what I’ve done!!!’
 It cleverly juxtaposes concepts – like having an image of a starving child
followed directly by a woman with a tape measure obsessing over her
weight. Did you notice any other stark contrasts like this? What do you
think Linkin Park is making a comment on?
Something’s Gotta Give – John Butler Trio (2004)
A little feeling in my gut that I get of late
When I think about these cats running the world with hate
I say: something's gotta give
Got the whole world fighting for the Texas tea
Got a little for you, I got a little for me
But the kettle's leaking like a sieve
There's a puddle on the floor
There's a puddle in the sky
The kettle's leaking so much man it's burning my eyes yeah
Can't you just throw that damn pot out
On the subject of throwing stuff away
I know some deaf men who can't hear a word we say
No matter, No matter how loud we do shout
And I say...
Something's gotta give right now boy
Something's gotta give right now for you
Something's gotta give right now man
Something's gotta give right now
I was reading the newspaper just yesterday
Got the headlines reading God bless the USA
And I thought: God Bless Everyone
God bless the people in New York when they were attacked
God bless the children being bombed there in Iraq
God bless the goddamn junkie with a monkey on his back
God bless everybody under the sun
Cause the world ahead will end if we don’t got love
Do your job and pay attention to God above
But eventually the only guarantee will be that the tea in your tank will run dry
Because without love you know there aint no life
You can duplicate it and bottle it up all you like
But it doesn't mean you're gonna get another try
Get another try boy
Something's gotta give right now boy
Something's gotta give right now P-Yoo
Something's gotta give right now man
Something's gotta give right now
I Said..
Something's gotta give right now boy
Something's gotta give right now (Yeah)
Something's gotta give right now
Something's gotta give right now.....
Questions:
 John Butler says the line ‘I know some deaf men who can't hear a word we
say
No matter, No matter how loud we do shout’ in front of a picture of political
figures. Who are they? What is the point he’s trying to communicate by
contrasting the two?

The song contrasts the line, ‘Got the headlines reading God bless the USA’
with ‘I thought: God Bless Everyone’. He then goes on to ‘bless everybody
under the sun’.
‘God bless the people in New York when they were attacked
God bless the children being bombed there in Iraq
God bless the goddamn junkie with a monkey on his back’
Why does it progress from the large-scale issues such as terrorism and war
to drug abuse? He’s trying to create a particular environment of thought –
what do you think that could be?
METHOD (50 mins)
Split into groups. Read brief information about each umbrella topic concerning
Tikkun Olam – Environmental, Social, Political, Economic etc. Read about the
problems faced and the possible solutions for each issue.
As a group, go through recent newspapers and cut out words, images, headlines
etc that have anything to do with their designated topic within Tikkun Olam. On
butcher’s paper or cardboard, create a collage using the newspaper clippings as
well as hand-drawn contributions from the group. (20 mins)
Present the collages to the larger group, highlighting the trends they found
concerning the pertinent issues of our society. (10 mins)
SIKKUM (10 mins)
Start a discussion about what we can do in response to these problems. Explain
the concept of the Butterfly Effect, highlighting that we are not useless and even
a small difference is an important difference, which can give rise to a significantly
larger change. Outline NFTY’s 3 A’s; Awareness, Action, Advocacy. ‘Now you
are aware. Stand up for what you believe in!’
TZIUD
Laptop & projector
Pens/highlighters
lyrics for each song – 1 copy each
print out of umbrella topic info - 1 per group
recent newspaper – approx 12
large white cardboard x 4
pens/textas
pencils x 4
glue sticks x 8
Scissors x 12
Coloured paper – assorted bright colours