In Morah Shira Greenspan’s seventh grade class in Yeshivat Noam, students are closely analyzing the text and commentary of the narrative of the meraglim, the twelve spies, in Parshat Beshalach. The class seeks to understand the mission goals of the spies when entering Eretz Canaan. This is part of a greater project-based-learning (PBL) unit about how the clothing we wear expresses our values and objectives.

Students are applying their work by designing a uniform for each of the twelve meraglim to wear on their journey, one that reflects the goals of the mission. This will lay the groundwork for learning about the mitzvah of tzitzit at the end of the parshah. The message to the students is the beauty of how our religious dress expresses our communal objectives and values.