Moses on trial at The Brandeis School in Lawrence

Blending the Bible and the contemporary judicial system Brandeis school students took part in a mock trial that presented the case as to why Moses should or should not be punished for his alleged sin of hitting the rock after God commanded him to speak to the rock.

Sixth-graders served as the defense attorneys and prosecutors, and presented their cases. Brandeis parent Sheera Greenberg, who is a lawyer, helped the student attorneys with their legal arguments and how to structure the cases. Middle school Judaic studies teacher Shelly Zaltsman coordinated the trial.

The seventh-grade jurors were not able to come to a decision and explained to the judge that it was “God’s choice” to decide Moses’s fate.

The students learned that Moses was denied access into the land of Israel because of his lack of faith in God’s words and for his failure to follow specific instructions.