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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Women Wear Red on Rosh Hashanah in Cochin India

Does East meet West when it comes to getting dressed for Rosh Hashanah? The answer is almost. Whereas we in the West have the cultural custom of wearing white on Rosh Hashanah to symbolize purity, Jewish women in Cochin, India, make sure to wear red and white. OMG! How could they? Doesn't red mean “beware” – as in red traffic lights and red colored “Do Not Enter” road signs?

Think again. In India the color red parallels the color white. Bridal dresses are often red because for that culture it symbolizes simplicity and purity. So why not make it the perfect color to honor Rosh Hashanah?

Cultural customs surrounding color got me thinking about our Jewish heritage. What is the most popular color associated with Judaism? Next, think about the board game “Clue”. What do Miss Scarlett, Mrs. White and Professor Plum have in common with the Jewish color scheme? Finally, think about the use of color in different Bible stories. How are colors used to symbolize a contract between God and man? When does the use of color trigger rivalry?

These questions and others could mark a new way for teaching Tanach in the New Year.

Have a colorful Rosh Hashanah.

Tami

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Transform Elul into E-Lul through this Jerusalem Custom

To put it in rock concert terms, Elul is the “opening act” leading into Rosh Hashana. Since I'm always on the lookout for Jewish holiday customs which speak to kids and can be easily adapted to the classroom, even home life, I asked myself what in the world am I going to do this year for Chodesh Elul? It marks the end of a fun summer vacation (some schools are already back in full swing), there's nothing amusing about it or for that matter, contemporary. Thanks to Jerusalem's Yeshiva Ohr Yerushalayim I was surprised to find that I was wrong about the latter. Since its establishment in the 1980's, this Yeshiva began its own “opening act” Chodesh Elul custom of wishing friends A Good Year when sending them a letter. The minute I read about this custom I had an Aha! moment. What better practice could there be for our social networking age? Put a Chodesh Elul wish on your school's Facebook page, have students “Like” each other's pages and post a “good year” comment. Get whole families involved. It's a wonderful warm-up to the main event – Rosh Hashana.

A good year to everyone...Tami

Libyan and Moroccan Jews Spray Each Other with Water on Shavuot

A water fight on Shavuot? That's what Jewish children and adults alike did in Libya and Morocco. The Talmud says water symbolizes the Torah. Both are lifelines, both quench a thirst. In the case of the Torah, it quenches our thirst for the spiritual. Libyan and Moroccan Jews took the comparison of water and Torah literally by spraying or pouring water over each other. They believed that anyone who has water poured over him/her during Shavuot would not be sick for an entire year. No wonder parents helped their children out with the water fun, pouring buckets over passers-by, or simply spraying them with water guns. Libyan Jews, on the other hand, timed the water fun with the reading of the Book of Ruth, followed by piyutim – Jewish liturgical poems. Once the reader chanted the verse dealing with good luck – “B'simana tava u'b'mazalayah” – a full water pitcher would be turned upside down over his head, soaking him from head to toe, assuring him he would have a successful year.

So, what do you think? A water fight as a way to introduce Shavuot? Quit treading water. Take the plunge.