Reach for the Moon with Rosh Chodesh

Sunday night and Monday are Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan. Your students might be interested to know that during Biblical times Rosh Chodesh was known as a “ma’or festival” – a holiday of (lunar) light – and was considered a special occasion. Once two reliable eyewitnesses spotted the first sliver of the moon in the night sky, messengers were sent out, informing everyone that the new month had begun. Trumpets were blown, delicious feasts were held, and sacrifices were brought to the Temple celebrating the new moon and month. The Rabbis of the Talmud compared the moon to Israel, since both were active and constantly renewing themselves.

Eventually Rosh Chodesh celebrations receded into the background. Today, it is viewed by many as a woman’s holiday. But there is nothing new under the moon. According to the Talmud (tractate Megillah 22b), women are exempt from doing work on Rosh Chodesh. Rashi elaborated even further by listing the exact tasks women don’t have to do – spinning, weaving and sewing – because of the specific contributions women made to building the Mishkan. It is also believed that Rosh Chodesh is dedicated to women because they refused to physically participate in the creation of the golden calf. Finally, there’s the obvious comparison to the monthly female cycle.

So where does this leave you and your students? First of all, who doesn’t like to eat yummy food as in days of yore? Rosh Chodesh is one more (Jewish) reason to make snack or lunch time a special event. Rosh Chodesh is also a great time to hold a class on the moon and its different phases. I found this link to help you with a lesson plan. Finally, keeping in line with the feminist aspect, dedicate each Rosh Chodesh to a different female Jewish heroine that boys will enjoy learning about as well.

Chodesh Tov…Tami

YEMENITE JEWS CELEBRATE THE ARRIVAL OF NEW BABIES ON SIMCHAT TORAH

We’ve seen how much children enjoy taking part in Simchat Torah, with all the flags and goodie bags. Yemenite Jews extend the joy of children even further by celebrating the arrival of new babies on the first Simhat Torah after their birth. The father or grandfather makes a donation to the synagogue by purchasing a hakafa (circular Torah procession) in the baby’s honor. He then becomes the leader of the specific hakafa. Instead of carrying a Torah scroll he carries the baby in his arms, leading the procession around the block or neighborhood.

This custom might be a good way to help your students adapt to the arrival of a new sibling. Among your many classroom activities surrounding Simhat Torah you might want to include a hakafa for all pupils who have become new big brothers and sisters. Let them bring in a picture of their new sibling along with the name and birthday and help them celebrate their new position in the family.

Chag Sameach…Tami

Crypto Jews & Yom Kippur

An article recently appeared in the Israeli newspaper “Ha’aretz” about the offspring of Portugal’s Crypto Jews and their burning desire to re-embrace Judaism. Since my late father was Austrian by birth but could trace our family’s roots back to the Spanish Inquisition and Expulsion, the subject of Jews publicly claiming they are Christians but clandestinely practicing Judaism has always fascinated me. After reading the article I was prompted to find out if Crypto Jews have an unusual Yom Kippur custom. After all, they secretly light Sabbath candles in their bedroom. Instead of going to Church on Sunday they take their children out to parks and fields where they recount stories from the Bible. Maybe they have a different twist for Yom Kippur as well? Sure enough, they do. The women of Marrano families living in northern Portugal gather together and braid oil wicks while reciting 73 blessings. Mind you, this is not an original tradition. It is mentioned in the Shulhan Aruch, correlating to the fact that G-d has 73 different names. But do any of us practice it? Not at all. We use store-bought memorial candles and simply light them right before Yom Kippur sets in. Leave it to the Crypto Jews to continue this ancient custom.
Why am I bringing all of this up and what does it have to do with your classroom? The answer is simple: It’s detective time again. Your students don’t have to cross the Atlantic to find Crypto Jews. There are Crypto Jews in Texas and New Mexico, and perhaps other states. The rediscovery of their Jewish roots has been an exciting and eventful journey. Wouldn’t it be great to have your class find and contact kids their age who are the descendants of Crypto Jews? How can you do this? For starters, contact the B’nai Israel Synagogue in Albuquerque and ask them if they can help you out. I spent a Shabbat there and I’m pretty sure they will oblige. You might also want to try the Jewish Federation of New Mexico . Once you get some good leads point out to your students that the meaning of the Yom Kippur prayer “Kol Nidre” is “declaring a vow”. Suggest that now is the time for a new vow -- a promise made to Crypto Jewish children that they can trust you and share their secret practices with you.

May this Yom Kippur be a day of productive soul searching.
G’mar Khatima Tova…Tami

Egyptian Jews Use Wheat to Watch the New Year Sprout

We all know these Rosh Hashanah food customs: a round challah to symbolize the cycle of life; apples dipped in honey for a sweet year; eating the pomegranate as a new fruit because its 613 seeds represent Judaism’s 613 commandments; preparing carrot tzimmis because the Yiddish word for carrots is “merren”, connoting “more” – more children, more wealth, more good deeds, etc. But watching wheat sprout? It’s an ancient custom practiced by many Egyptian Jews that can easily be turned into a Rosh Hashanah classroom science experiment. Anywhere between a week to ten days before Rosh Hashanah, the family would scatter grains of wheat on a piece of damp cotton wool placed on a small plate or in a shallow bowl. Alternatively, they would use either barley or lentils. Sure enough, by the time Rosh Hashanah rolled around, the wheat would sprout, signaling the beginning of a New Year and all that it will yield. How can you adapt this to the classroom? Try comparing how quickly lentil seeds take to sprout if they are placed on or inside damp cotton (make sure to keep it damp), as opposed to being planted in fresh soil inside a yogurt container, making sure the soil is always damp and not overwatered.

May this budding experiment mark the beginning of a year full of growth.

Shana Tova…Tami

A Roman Holiday Custom for the Month of Elul

I hope you’ve all had a relaxing summer. We have returned to Israel and I’m back on track with new Jewish holiday customs that you can adapt to your school curriculum.

It’s the month of Elul and school is about to begin. Elul is a time for “Kheshbon Nefesh” -- a spiritual inventory of all that went right and wrong over the past year. It’s pretty heavy stuff to lay on kids, but the right trick can get them thinking. A custom practiced by the Jews of Rome may be just the thing. Vacationing at the Italian seaside resort of S. Marinella, Roman Jews mark the month of Elul by gathering together on the last morning of their vacation to hear the blowing of the shofar, eat a meal of thanks (and we know how yummy Italian food can be), and then distribute charity to the needy.

So here’s what I’m thinking: how about marking the beginning of your school year with a pizza lunch that starts with a blowing of the shofar. Tell your students about the Jews of Rome – how old the community is, how it can trace its origins back to the time of the First Temple, and how they follow age-old traditions. Then turn the pizza into food for thought. It’s fun to munch and think about Rosh Hashana resolutions dealing with how to help the needy. Let each student come up with his or her own idea, then transform the resolution into a year-long project that includes a chart and an individual student report given once a year to the entire class. Don’t be shy about tooting your own shofar. Share your students’ ideas with fellow teachers and turn a Jewish-Roman holiday tradition into an annual classroom custom.

I’ll be back soon with another Rosh Hashana custom.
Until then,
Le’Hitraot…Tami

Visiting Israel Has Become an Annual Summer Custom

Even before the economic downturn, visiting Israel as a family became more economically viable than sending the kids to summer camp. Over the past decade we Israelis witnessed an influx of American families touring our wonderful terrain and making travel to Israel a summer practice. What a wonderful way to celebrate the summer!

Not feasible this year? Here’s the next best thing to bringing your kids over. Watch this trailer for my new book shown above, Zvuvi’s Israel. This playful 32 page book, gorgeously illustrated by Ksenia Topaz, is a “fly’s eye” view of the entire country. The name Zvuvi comes from the Hebrew word Zvuv, which means fly. That means you and your family can see Israel on the fly, whenever you want. Join Zvuvi as he flits from place to place, playing hide-‘n-seek with the reader while he gives you the latest buzz about each site.

You are planning to fly over? Then Zvuvi is the perfect travel companion for your kids and/or grandchildren, ages 3-8. It’s the best way to help kids get excited about touring Israel.

Not bringing the children with you? Give them Zvuvi’s Israel as a gift when you return, showing them all the places you’ve seen. And of course, there's also your school library or classroom, plus other educational institutions that could use fun and informative material on Israel for the younger set.

Come August, Zvuvi’s Israel will be available in Judaica shops and book stores. Right now, you can purchase it online by visiting Kar-Ben’s on-line bookstore.When you do, don’t forget to take advantage of Kar-Ben’s exclusive offer to TAMI LEHMAN-WILZIG KIDS BOOKS readers: 10% off your next order! Use coupon code TAMI when checking out. Offer expires August 10, 2009. One use per customer. Offer not valid with any other discounts.

Enjoy Zvuvi and enjoy Israel!

Turn the Summer Vacation Into A Jewish Genealogy Celebration

Meet Gavi Kaplan. Better yet, let me explain to you how I just met Gavi Kaplan.
He’s the grandson of a long lost relative of mine. Gavi participated in my June 1st author appearance at Yeshiva Central Queens (YCQ). Ironically, this time my presentation revolved around my Jewish Heirloom Stories series, which is designed to connect the generations. Staying at other cousins the night before my appearance, I received a phone call from Gavi’s mother, explaining that the minute she saw my name on the school flyer promoting the event, she knew she had to track me down and clarify the blood connection. And yes, I remembered her grandmother. She was part of my childhood, but somehow the family contact got lost through the passing of generations over the decades.

This got me thinking. Since I’ve done some minor genealogy hunting of my own, I know that an annual international Jewish genealogy conference is held every summer in a different venue (BTW – this August it will be held in Philadelphia). I also know that other than Tisha B’Av, there are no Jewish holidays during the sultry summer months to write customs about. So I started to jell an idea that I want to throw out to you. Why not make the summer months a Jewish Genealogy celebration? Give your students something fun and interesting to work on over the summer – an opportunity to be family detectives and trace their roots. Give them some help by providing a reading list:
• Climbing Your Family Tree: Online and Off-line
Genealogy for Kids by Ira Wolfman
• The Kid’s Family Tree Book by Caroline Leavitt
• Roots for Kids: A Genealogy Guide for Young People by Susan Provost Beller
• The Great Ancestor Hunt: The Fun of Finding Out Who You Are by Lila Perl Yerkow

I have done several interactive presentations revolving around my Heirloom Stories, asking kids to bring in family heirlooms and tell the tales behind them. What I’ve seen is an enthusiastic involvement on the part of both kids and parents. For instance, what did Gavi bring in? Photos of the needlepoint made by his great-great-grandmother showing the story of “The Judgment of Solomon”. He proudly explained the story and how this needlepoint has been handed down from generation to generation. Telling stories like this is another wonderful way to trace family roots. Visit my website to find out more about my Jewish Heirloom Stories: Mayer Aaron Levi and His Lemon Tree, and Lotty’s Lace Tablecloth. Each has a separate section at the end where the reader can write his/her own heirloom story.

“Holiday” is the British term for vacation. How appropriate. Now is the time to turn the upcoming summer vacation into a Jewish genealogy holiday.
May your students have an interesting and happy “holiday.”