Overview

Using the documentary film 93Queen, which follows the early days of the first all-women Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) corps in a Hasidic Jewish community in New York City, students will learn how a group of trailblazing women faced resistance but succeeded in changing their community from within by founding Ezras Nashim. Within the context of the importance of tradition and respect for custom within the Hasidic Jewish community, students will explore the universality of the women’s journey to create change and establish a new expression of faith in a culture that may be unfamiliar, in order to appreciate the magnitude and groundbreaking work of these women.

OBJECTIVES
In this lesson, students will:
● Explore the different approaches to evolving religious/cultural practices
● Draw parallels between the work of Ruchie Freier and other women trailblazers, identifying the universal aspects of the first all-women EMT corps, Ezras Nashim
● Write an essay about strategies for changemaking in different cultures

GRADE LEVELS: 10-12 grade

SUBJECT AREAS
English/Language Arts, World and US History, Religion, Sociology, Gender Studies

MATERIALS
● Internet access and equipment to watch film clips from 93Queen

ESTIMATED TIME NEEDED
1 class period with extension activities and homework