Connecting Gilad Shalit's Release with Jewish Values

A few weeks ago the NY Times' Thomas Friedman wrote a piece in which he lamented how Americans have lost sight of their original values. I gulped, thinking that I share a similar concern, only mine is over the loss of Jewish values among Israelis and the Jewish nation at large. On the spot I decided to devote part of the holiday gap period between now and Hanukkah to customs revolving around important Jewish principles. Then along came Gilad Shalit's release from captivity, the role the Israeli public played in this 5-year campaign, and voila! I knew I had the launching pad for customs relating to Jewish values. And I also realized that we're not as bad off as I thought.

What is it that connects the Gilad Shalit saga to Jewish values? That cardinal rule: Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh la'Zeh -- All Jews are Responsible for Each Other. Yes, it was the Shalit family that waged a tireless campaign. However, when a summary of the past five plus years was shown on Israeli TV the night Gilad was released, it became clear that it could not have been accomplished without the unending support of the Israeli public. Endless public protests, marches, petitions, concerts given by popular singers, and even a mock solitary confinement campaign conducted by the country's celebrities this past June turned the Shalits and the country into one gigantic extended family. Right after his release Israelis who never met Gilad showed up at his house to greet him. Not because they were nosy. Because they had fought for his freedom all these years. Because Kol Yisrael Areivim Zeh la'Zeh -- All Jews are Responsible for Each Other. 

How does this translate into the classroom? There's a lot to work on. Let's start with cliques and their impact on other students. Next come the loners. How can you make them feel part of the class? Gilad Shalit was in isolation but we now know that he didn't feel totally "alone" since he knew about all the support he was getting back home. And last but certainly not least, let's get a handle on bullying. We want our children to learn how to stand up for each other, not emotionally or physically abuse one another. As we witnessed with Gilad Shalit's captivity, we Jews excel in organizing protests. So, how about planning an anti-bully protest in school. Have kids create their own placards, develop anti-bullying slogans that can be chanted, have kids speak out against bullying. At the same time, find out why the bullies are bullying. There may be some deep-rooted problems that you can help solve. It's all part of being responsible for each other.

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Sukkot Water Customs Lead to an Ecology Lesson

The search for unusual Sukkot customs continues. This time I found a practical joke custom of sprinkling water on the synagogue service leader while he reads the prayer for rain.

Hmmm...not exactly environmentally-correct for our day and age. Which led me to another search: The connection between Sukkot, water and environmental studies. I found a wonderful website written by  British Rabbi Lawrence Rigal z"l, explaining all aspects of Sukkot, including the connection between rain and this festival.  He explains that: 1) During the Temple period one of the most important ceremonies was pouring water on the altar during each of the 7 days of the holiday as a way of asking God to bring a wet year; 2) the prayer for rain is said on Shemini Atzeret -- the holiday immediately following Sukkot. Similarly; 3) Shmini Atzeret is the first time that we recite the Shmoneh Esrai "add-on" one-line prayer requesting wind and rain for the winter; 4) Next,  Rabbi Rigal gives a "guided tour" of the lulav. The Aravah that we attach to the lulav is a leafy branch of the willow tree, which he notes is especially associated with water. This sparked my interest so I googled willow tree and water, and look what I found -- a fount (pardon the water pun) of information about willows in North America. Now let's connect the dots with willow trees in Israel, and at the same time learn about the 4 species used on Sukkot. The palm leaves of the date palm tree stand center stage, and as Rabbi Rigal notes in his fifth point, 5) the shaking of the Lulav makes the sound of falling rain. Now that's a first for me. Sounds like we invented the first white noise machine.

Why all the interest and concern about rain? Because originally Jews were not doctors or lawyers. They were farmers, and the water resources produced by rain were (and continue to be) a lifeline for growth and sustenance. Humans need water to drink. So do crops and without crops say goodbye to the food pyramid which keeps us alive and healthy.

In essence, Sukkot is the first ecology oriented holiday on the Jewish calendar, so this Sukkot let's provide our children and students with more than simple Sukkot basics. Let's explain how vital water is to our daily lives, why Israel depends on its short rainy season and how we can conserve water.

Does this wet your appetite for more ecology lessons from the Bible? Check out my new book Green Bible Stories for Children and have a Chag Sameach.

Tami

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A 19th Century Jewish Family in Fischach, Germany Turned Their Sukkah Into A Family Heirloom

It's not easy to find an outstanding Sukkot custom, but when I saw this photo I remembered a wonderful Sukkah exhibition held several years ago at Jerusalem's Israel Museum. While there was something unusual about each Sukkah, one stood out among all the rest. It was made of wood planks, with the outside looking similar to the Sukkah in this photo. The inside was an entirely different matter. It was literally a work of art. The Sukkah's original owners -- Naftali and Zili Deller -- commissioned a local artist to paint the inside walls of their Sukkah with scenes of Jerusalem, the Western Wall and images of the Fishach village (their home town) from that time. Have a look. It's something else!

In essence, Mr. and Mrs. Deller -- who lived in the second part of the 19th century -- commissioned a combination of an unusual piece of Judaica and an unforgettable family heirloom. It was handed down to their son Abraham, who along with his wife Sofie, put it up in the courtyard of their home every year. That is until the Nazis came to power. In 1937 Abraham and Sofie smuggled the Sukkah out of Germany to the Bezalel Museum in Jerusalem (forerunner of today's Israel Museum) by converting the boards into shipping crates, with the painted sides used as the interior crate walls.

What a brilliant way to save a legacy! This Sukkot think about how you, your family and your students can create Sukkah memorabilia that can be handed down from one generation to the next. I'll get you started. What kind of craft has lasting potential? How about paper mache. Look at what I found!

Enjoy putting up your Sukkah.
Tami


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Kaifeng's Jews Closed Their Doors to the World on Yom Kippur

An ancient Yom Kippur custom from Kaifeng, China that can be applied to modern-day life? Sounds far-fetched but the answer is yes. About a thousand years ago, this city which was once the capital of the Chinese empire, had a small but thriving Jewish community. While they didn't celebrate all the Jewish holidays, they had their own way of observing some of them, and Yom Kippur is a good example. When this holiest of days arrived they closed their doors and remained inside in order to become pure. In essence, they closed their doors to the outside world.

What a great idea for our social networking era. Let's make sure that this Yom Kippur we virtually close the door. That means turning off cellphones, computers, iPod, iPad, iAnything. No roaming. No tweeting. No nothing except networking with our inner self.

Pass this message on to your students, your children, friends and family. Also, see my post on what Ethiopian Jews do when Yom Kippur falls on Shabbat.
  
G'mar Khatima Tova...Tami


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