Get Ready for Yom Ha’atzmaut with the Perfect Annual Israeli Custom

Tafur Alecha/Alei’ch. That’s the Hebrew idiom for “it’s made for you” and the annual International Bible Contest held in Jerusalem every Israel Independence Day is just that – the Israeli custom that is really Tafur Alecha/Alei’ch for your Yom Ha’Atzmaut celebration this year. Students from all over the world fly to Israel to participate in this competition which was started by David Ben-Gurion – the George Washington of Israel. All of them have already won their own national competition. This year, Israelis will be paying special attention to the Israeli contestant since he is none other than Avner – the 16 year-old son of Prime Minister Netanyahu. Avner comes from a tradition of Bible Quiz winners on his mother’s side.

So what will be the focus of your Bible contest? Here’s an idea: famous siblings in the Bible. Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, Jacob and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, Moses, Aaron and Miriam (yes, please don’t forget to include sisters), to name a few. How about including this question in the quiz: “Who were the first set of brothers that didn’t fight and how do we remember them?”
Answer: Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Menasheh. How do we remember them? Through a beautiful Shabbat custom. Before we start the Shabbat meal, or right after candle lighting, we bless our children. The blessing for boys is “May God make you to be like Ephraim and Menasheh.” The reason we recite this blessing dates back to Jacob, when he was about to die. He summoned his family around him so that he could bless them. Surrounded by his closest of kin, he chose to first bless Ephraim and Menasheh. Aware of the jealous streak that ran in his family, Jacob was proud of how these two grandsons behaved towards each other. He used them to stress the point that brothers should live in peace.
On that peaceful note, I wish all of you a Yom Ha’Atzmaut Sameach.
Tami