Topic: Dona Grazia

Age:

13-16

Goals:

The student will learn about Dona Grazia as a woman leader .

Lesson structure:

CommentsAccessoriesBasic topicsTimeNum.

Courage10.1

Coins Ap.1Coins5.2Ap.2Dona Grazia's story/

questions discussion .20.3

Metal

paper,

cardboards

, pens

Medal making and

conclusion10.4

Lesson procedure:

1 .Courage:

Write the word "Courage" and ask the students what it brings

to their mind ?

Ask the students to tell one short story of courage from their

life even if they think it's small and irrelevant .

2 .coins:

Ask the students how heroes can be remembered or what is a

good way to remember some famous people ?

( Books, statues, movies, holydays, etc. and at last – coins)

Take coins, or show pictures from Ap.1 of a penny, a dime, a

dollar or any coin with a face on it and ask the students

Do they know who the portraits are?

Why should we put portraits on coins and who may be mint

on it ?

At the end show them the picture of Dona Grazia medal and

ask if they have ever seen such a medal .

3 .Story line and discussion:

By giving away reading cards, let the student "travel" through

Dona Grazia's life, stopping and asking discussion questions

that are mentioned below in Ap.2. )You may add any other

question that may reflect the danger and unique position she

had in that time as a Jew, and as a woman.(

Questions for example:

* What would you do? Convert or flee, and why?

* What would have you do with such new and dangerous knowledge?

* How would you feel to find yourself in a middle of such times?

* what would you do next? Or what do you think happened next ?

4 .Medal Coin making

You may take card boards and cut circular shapes, few inches

in diameter. After that, cover these circles with aluminum

foil, to create silvery, medal like coin .

With a pen or a dull edged pencil or even a thin branch, a

portrait or a symbol of heroism, may be pressed on the circle.

Appendix:

Ap.1 :

Coins

21

4

3

65

87

109

12

11

1413

8 .George Washington 9 .Queen Elizabeth the 2

10 .Tomas Jefferson. A dime 11 .Susan b. Anthony

12 .Benjamin Franklin .13 .Martha Washington.

14 .Dona Grazia. 15th century .

1 .Edmond De Rotshiled. Half a shekel

2 .Emperor Vespasian ruled AD 69-79,

3 .King Edgar 973. England.4 .Ze'ev Zhabotinski.

pre Israel state leader .5 .Emperor Hadrian 32-60 b.c

6 .Emperor Titus.35-60 a.d7 .President Lincoln, a cent coin.

Ap.2:

Donna's story cards and question.

In 1942 the Spanish Jews were forced to convert to Christianity or be banished from Spain by the Spanish inquisition ?

What would you do? Convert or flee, and why ??

Many have fled to the neighboring kingdom of Portugal. But in 1494 were converted or banished from there as well .

In 1510, a baby girl was born to a conversos family of Myguis in Lisbon Portugal, by the name Biatrichi–De-Luna. With time she was known as Dona Grazia .

In the age of 12, she accidentally discovered that she was of Jewish origin.

?What would have you do with such new and dangerous knowledge ?

?

In the age of 18, she was married to Francisco Mendes ,him too a sun to converted family secretly in a Jewish ceremony and then in a grand marriage in a church.

He was a wealthy man; owner of a bank in Antverpen Belgium. He also had international businesses with the Far East .After 8 years of marriage, Francisco died and left Donna Grazia.

?With what do you think she was left with?

?

He left her to run his entire business .

(An unusual thing in the renaissance ).But when her sister told the authorities that her sister is practicing Judaism, she had to flee from Anverpen to the city of Venice in Italy, which was the center of culture and trade. ?What do you think happened next?

?

In Italy she got a special document from the duke of Ferreira which ensured her safety to practice Judaism in the open, and

she revealed her true Jewish identity and name Hanna Nassie .From that moment her life has changed dramatically, politics and money, intrigue international business and religious war, took main part in her life.The Catholic Church, in its head the pope with the inquisition, fought against the great ruler of the Islamic world, the Turkish sultan. ?

How would you feel to find yourself in a middle of such times ??

from 1536-1553, for 17 years she lived and worked between these 2 dominant factors and lived as a religious Jew, a brave leader, a business woman, rich clever and famous. But many times had to flee through Europe from the wrath of the Christians, in dangerous full of cunning plots, from those kings, dukes, counts and princes who wanted her money her business and even life .

?Where would you choose to go next?

?

Eventually she got to Istanbul, the capitol of the Ottoman Empire, Where she has built her home and base of operation. In

all these years she helps many fleeing Jews to find new identity, escape the inquisition and rebuild their life .

Her name was whispered with great love throughout all of Europe.Her complex and secretive organization of agents could easily compete with the modern intelligence organizations, and literally hundreds of agents helped thousands of Jews throughout Europe. ?What dangers faced Dona Grazia in operating such an organization ?

?

Her palace in turkey turned to be a center for the Jewish communities' world.Communities' leaders, emissaries, rabbis, and many others were welcomed She started to get interested in Jewish studies, promoted printing important books, built press homes, built synagogues and donated freely.After reaching highest circles even at the sultan's palace, she bought the city of Tiberius, )well she was the one of the richest people in her time, competing even kings.( ?Why do you think she decided to buy a city in a desolate place

like Palestine ? Why Tiberius?

?

She decided to build a refuge center to the Jews in the land of Israel in that city and the land surrounding it, and it was said that from Tiberius Israel are going to be redeemed. Tiberius was going to become the spiritual center to all the Jews in the

Diaspora. For many years that city was a religious and spiritual centre, the Jerusalem Talmud was written there, many rabbis lived and died there. ? What such idea reminds you of?

?

More than1500 years after the second temple destruction and 300 years before Hertzl, Dona Grazia was wise enough to form a "Jewish home" for all the Jews in the land of Israel, authorized by the strongest power of that time, The Ottoman Empire.

-In a book of a traveler from the 16th century was written :

…"I have heard from some Portuguese Jews about a Jewish woman who fled from that kingdom with great wealth which gave her a lot of influence and power. She bought the city of Tveria )Tiberius( from the Turkish sultan for a huge some of money, and in the next summer she will move with all her

family from Istanbul and with all the Jews who will wish to come with her. This news brings great joy to all the Jews in the

land of Israel, for it must be a sign that the messiah is coming"…

Hanukkah in Tiberius:"In the year of 1564, the stone house was ready. When the Jews

lit the candles the city of Tiberius was fortified. The war of the Macabees, and the liberation of Jerusalem was shown in a different light. All the glory of the Hashmonite family came to

life. In the synagogues they said that the spirits of the Macabees will help the lady to restore the city to its glory and with it the glory of the land that was promised to Abraham the land of

Israel". ?What do you think happened next?

?

Unfortunately, Dona Grazia, Hanna Nassie, died at the age of 59, in the year 1569, from an illness. Closing a chapter which might have changes the Jewish history as we have knew it.A brave woman, in a time that women had no power, or saying at all.

She was known as the woman who defined kings .

Ap.3Short biography- Dona Grazia

Dona Grazia was born in 1510 into a family of Conversos in Portugal. They had been forcibly converted to Christianity, but still remained devoted Jews. Her husband died at a young age and she moved to

Antwerp where she spent time aiding Conversos refugees. Together with

her family she moved to Venice where she was imprisoned for 'heresy' because her sister informed of her continued secret practice of Judaism. Once she had been released, she used her business acumen to support Jewish culture and resumed giving support to refugees. She quickly

became well-known for charitable activities and for improving the quality of Jewish art.

Samuel Usque wrote a work of midrash called 'Consolations for the Tribulations of Israel' in which he attempted to find meaning in the

sufferings of the Spanish and Portuguese Jewish communities. In it he described Grazia's efforts to rescue, support and rehabilitate thousands of Conversos: "Thus with her golden hand and majestic purpose, she lifted the majority of our people in Europe from the abyss of this hardship...

She continued to guide them until they were in safe lands, and until she had returned them to the obedience and precepts of their ancient God... Thus she has been a stay in your weakness, a prop for the weary, a clear

fountain for the thirsty, a shady tree, full of fruit, which had fed the hungry and sheltered the forsaken."

Grazia moved subsequently to the free religious environment of Constantinople, which was under Muslim rule. She devoted her energies to constructing schools, synagogues and educational projects. By 1559 she was engaged in trying to lobby the Sultan of Turkey to allow the

rebuilding of the ruined city of Tiberius in Israel.

Dona Grazia knew first-hand the suffering of the Conversos, but rather than becoming paralyzed by the terrible events, she translated her insights into communal welfare work. Her philanthropic power was matched by a political acumen that allowed her to find loopholes in the system, so that her resources would be of maximum effectiveness. Her commitment to

education and the up building of the land of Israel indicate a tremendous sense of hope for the future. Despite a sad personal biography, Grazia

maintained an abiding sense of optimism that the world would be repaired through personal endeavor.