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Activity 1: Guests for the Summer
The song “Orchim LaKayitz” (known as “Etzelnu BaChatzar”) by Naomi Shemer serves as an experiential gateway to different cultures around the world.
The song mentions names of countries, among them France, from which children come to say “hello” (“Shalom”, in Hebrew).
In this activity (by Dr. Omri Ruach Midbar), we will use the power of music and the story of the song to open a conversation about similarities and differences between cultures.
Through drawing and discussion, we will explore the different places mentioned – including France – and discover how children from all over the world share common experiences of friendship and fraternity.
The Activity
- Sing together with the children.
\(\space\) - After becoming familiar with the song, you can suggest that the children draw it, and ask them, how do you think the song can be drawn?
During the conversation about the drawing “In Our Yard,” attention can be drawn to the details of the song, the characters, the situations, and the places, while letting them, of course, decide which of these details will be expressed in the drawing.
\(\space\) - Talk with the children about what they think is similar and different between children from different places in the world.
Help the children pronounce the names of the countries participating in the song.
Summer Guests
Lyrics and Music: Naomi Shemer
In our yard
In the shade of the olive trees
There usually come
A lot of guests for the summer
Each of them has
A language of his own
And a way of his own
To say hello.
Ben from Italy says buongiorno
Bat from France says bonjour
Ken from Japan says ohayou
When he comes to visit
Kai from Hawaii says aloha
Tanya from Britain says hello
Everyone who comes to our house
Has a hello of his own.
We painted the fence
We mowed the lawn
The children of the entire world
Will now be able to approach
To open wide
The green gate
And bring a blessing
From far, far away.
Junya from Kenya will say to me jambo
Yiannis from Greece will say kalimera
Chin from China will say ni hao ma
And will stay until tomorrow
Gil from Brazil will say bom dia
Kuku from Morocco will say ahlan
And the blessing he will bring me
Is the most beautiful of all.
In our yard
In the shade of a blooming tree
The children of the entire world
Come to visit
In our yard
The children of the whole world
Dance in a circle
And say hello.