Turkish Jews Wear Havdalah Besamim from Sundown Friday to Nightfall Saturday

I know, I know. School’s coming to a close and for now there are no more holidays on the horizon. All the more reason we should take a look at Shabbat, especially if you’re giving some thought to next year’s lesson plans.
We all have our Shabbat comfort aromas. Like a yoga mantra, these fragrances envelope us in a sense of calm. The Havdalah service ending the Sabbath day reminds us of Shabbat’s sweet scent through the use of Besamim – fragrant spices. While most of us use a dry blend of whole cloves, cinnamon pieces and allspice, Turkish Jews prefer a spice from nature. In fact, they use fresh Besamim to bookend the Shabbat. Here’s what they do. Before Shabbat begins they pick or buy a fresh sprig of an aromatic spice such as rosemary or mint. The men place the herb in their jacket lapel and go to synagogue wearing this sweet smelling reminder. The sprig is never removed. By Havdallah time it becomes a convenient accessory. Returning to synagogue with the same herb lodged in their lapel, they say Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha olam, bo're minei b'samim, "Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, Who creates varieties of spices." They then remove the sprig and breath in its aroma in order to savor Shabbat and the tranquility it provides.
What a wonderful way to start the work week! You can get that message across to your students every Friday afternoon. Add some seasoning to your lesson plan by explaining the symbolism of the Havdalah spices, then send your students home with fresh spice sprigs. Ask them to come up with some creative post-Havdalah ways to use the spice.
Keep me posted on their ideas.
Have a Shavua Tov…Tami

Moroccan Jews Eat Matza on the First Night of Shavuot

Did you or your school over-buy Matza for Passover? A Moroccan Shavuot custom ripe with symbolism will help diminish the number of Matza sheets piled high in kitchen cabinets.

Once Moroccan Jews recite the Kiddush on Shavuot eve they take a few pieces of Matza that they saved from Passover and break them into small pieces. They then make a mixture of honey and milk. Immediately after, they blend the Matza pieces into the mix. Everyone gets their own portion, savoring the taste of this Shavuot treat.

You might consider this custom ‘cute’ or ‘quaint’, but let’s examine the meaning behind it in order to appreciate its true worth. Matza is our bread of affliction, representing the journey we began as a people. It also reminds us of the difficult escape we made from Egypt. The honey symbolizes the sweet feeling of being given the Torah. By receiving a code of law that we could call our own, we officially became a nation. To quote Jackie Gleason: “How Sweet It Is.” The milk is part of the Shavuot dairy tradition. Blended together, the combination of these three ingredients reminds us that Shavuot marks the conclusion of our Exodus from Egypt and the beginning of our collective, national experience.

So, if you’re looking for a creative way to get the Shavuot message across to your class, try this recipe out during snack time.
May you have a yummy and meaningful Shavuot…Tami

Let’s Create Our Own Lag B’Omer Custom

In another week we will be celebrating Lag B’Omer – the 33rd day of the Omer. The Omer is known as period of mourning which began with the death of Rabbi Akiva’s 24,000 students from a heavenly ordained plague. Legend has it that the plague stopped on this day.

There are several customs associated with Lag B’Omer, which is also the Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, author of the Zohar and father of Jewish mysticism. Some of the customs revolve around the Rabbi and his request that the day of his death be turned into a celebration. Consequently, to symbolize the light he spread to all of his followers, we light bonfires on Lag B’Omer night, singing and dancing around the fire, mock archery contests are held, and (not related to the Rabbi) 3-year old boys get their first haircuts.

How to do all these customs fit in with your school day? Not very well. This got me thinking about the origins of the Omer, some lesser known Israeli customs, and how we can combine all of this into an original school custom.

First of all, what is an Omer? It is a measure of barley. In Biblical times, it was a commandment to bring barley the size of an Omer on the second day of Passover to the Temple in Jerusalem. Counting the Omer is a Biblical commandment found in the book of Leviticus. The days of the Omer run from the day after Passover night – when the Jews physically became free – to the night before Shavuot – when the Jews achieved spiritual liberation through the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai.

Step 2: Little known Israeli customs. On Lag Ba’Omer night many Sephardi Israelis go to Mount Merom, pitch huge tents, serve festive multi-course dinners and enjoy the beat of live music. On Lag B’Omer day, Israeli universities hold open fairs on their campuses in honor of “Student’s Day.”

Step 3: Let’s work out a combination by pitching one tent in the school yard and have a student run fair. One table can be devoted to barley: how it looks, how it grows, barley based food and drink, etc. For instance, do you know that the word barn originally meant barley-house? A second table can be devoted to Rabbi Akiva. Who was he? What was his connection with Bar Kochba? What was the reason for the plague that killed his students? What was his connection with Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai? Recreating a visual “map” of his life could be a challenging and enjoyable activity for your students. Finally, since Jewish mysticism deals with the soul of the Torah, how about singing and dancing to some Jewish soul music.

I hope this gives you some inspiration. Enjoy Lag B’Omer.
Tami

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

Collective Memory is a Jewish Custom

Before we sit down at tomorrow’s Seder table let’s take stock of the collective memory months we are observing. In Adar, we recall Amalek, perfectly embodied by Haman. We seamlessly transition to the month of Nissan, retelling the story of our slavery under Pharoah, our eventual freedom and entry into nationhood. Our long memory doesn’t end here. A mere six days after Passover we’re declaring “Never Again” by marking Holocaust Remembrance Day. We want our children and students to do more than just memorize the date. We want them to etch the message in the deep recesses of their mind. The question is “how?” Last year I devoted my Holocaust Remembrance Day blog to telling you what we do in Israel. This year I’m going to keep you on Israeli shores by urging you to take a virtual visit to the Ghetto Fighter’s Kibbutz and Museum – an appropriate place to “go to” since Holocaust Memorial Day has purposely been positioned on the 27th of Nissan, the Hebrew date of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in April 1943. Pictured above is the museum’s model of the Treblinka Concentration Camp. You’ll also see a second photo of the museum’s Children’s Memorial. Expand your trip’s horizons by taking it to a different dimension provided by an 8 minute film on the kibbutz and its museum. Even if you don’t understand Hebrew, you’ll get the gist. There is an English translation of sorts and the archival footage is wonderful. You decide if it fits in with your Holocaust Memorial Day lesson plan.

So, as you sit down at your Seder table and say the blessing of “She’Hecheyanu” bear in mind everything that Jewish nationhood has gone through – from Pharoah to today – to get us to our present point. Also think about this appropriate word play. The word "remember" is actually "re-member". Each generation of the Jewish people has to repeat the historical memory of its national past in order to continue being a member of our wonderful nation!
Chag Sameach…Tami

In Byelorussia a Different Child Asked Each of the 4 Questions

One of the standard Passover customs is having the youngest child in the family ask the Mah Nishtana -- The 4 Questions. Sometimes the child is embarrassed and the adults chime in. A custom practiced by many families in Byelorussia decades gone by, solved this problem. All the children in the family knew the Mah Nishtana by heart and each one would ask a different question, starting from the eldest down. If there were more than four children in the family, they would pair up. This custom got me thinking about how we could continue the Passover Play that we began with the Turkish custom and continued with the Moroccan custom mentioned in my last blog. The answer is obvious: Divide the Mah Nishtana into four parts and have each child playfully illustrate what the question is about. Let the script continue with The 4 Sons and make sure it is not gender based. After all, children are children and both boys and girls enjoy dressing up. Think about what the wise child could wear, the bad one, the one who is simple with very few interests, and finally, the one who is so small s/he doesn’t know how to ask questions. Once you’ve determined the costumes and who should play which role, ask your chosen actors if they would like to read the matching passages as well.

We’re half-way through Act I of the Seder night and there’s still more fun in sight: acting out The 10 Plagues, singing Dayenu Persian style (see my book Passover Around the World), eating a fabulous feast followed by singing favorite Passover ballads.
Enjoy your model Seder at school, your seder at home, and savor the sweet taste of freedom.
Happy Passover, Pessach Sameach…Tami

Dress Up Your Seder Plate with this Moroccan Custom

True, we’ve just finished with Purim, but that doesn’t mean you should pack up your costume kit. If you read my Passover blogs last year, you’ll remember that I suggested a Turkish custom revolving around a play complete with costumes to start the Seder night. If you haven’t read it, then please go into this blog’s archive. I still think it’s a wonderful way to involve children, plus it serves as a great companion for the following Moroccan custom. With the food symbols in place, some Moroccan Jews “dress up” their Seder plate by covering it with a beautiful scarf. It is brought out to the table once all the guests are seated, so that it can be passed around. Apparently the scarf is removed at this point. Background music accompanies this practice, with everyone singing songs expressing a love for Israel. The last stage of this ritual is gently placing the plate on a child’s head and tenderly turning it around so that all can see the different symbols. Although everyone is sitting, this is a custom that keeps you on your feet – one small slip of the plate, and ooops, you’re a slave to cleaning up the mess.

I know you have loads of Passover preparations and lesson plans to get ready, but please don’t tell me you have enough on your plate. This is a custom you can adapt to your classroom. For starters, here’s a link to some favorite Passover songs. The spiritual “Let My People Go” is a perennial favorite. Next, have a scarf beauty pageant. Ask each student to bring in the most beautiful scarf s/he has at home and have a panel of judges decide which is the winning scarf. Finally, hold a model Seder with your class and make sure to start it with the Turkish play from last year, followed by this custom.

Sounds good to you? In two week’s time I’ll bring you another custom to help you get more kids involved on Seder night.

Happy Passover Planning…Tami