Posted by Aron:

Growing up, I went to my fair share of supplementary Jewish schools. This was the trade-off to going to a public school rather than a Jewish day school. From the grade three to my Bar Mitzvah, my Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings would occupied by being yelled at by my fair share of Hebrew teachers who I don’t think were actually teachers but Israelis who felt entitled to the role because they could speak the language. Looking back on my Jewish education, I say with humour that everything I learned about Hebrew I learned in Grade 2. However, as a Jewish educator today, I am happy to say that I turned out okay.

My story is very similar to the many students in Jewish supplementary schools across North America. The truth of the matter is that between Hebrew and Jewish studies there are too many things to cover in only a few short hours over the course of a week. The truth of the matter is that children of the 21^st Century are smarter than ever. And this environment, you cannot simply sit a child down, tell them everything they need to know about Judaism and expect them to absorb the information like a sponge.
Children today have to experience Judaism. In the supplementary program where I work, Jewish children are learning by going on retreats, and being in youth groups that mix learning about Judaism while being social.

The best place for a child to learn about Judaism is at a Jewish summer camp. No classroom experience compares to this. I just came back from spending two-weeks at one of these camps putting together a promotional video. I can hear you thinking. Most people take time off from work to go to Mexico or Florida. He went to summer camp. I can honestly say that what these children learn away from the classroom completely blows away any Jewish supplementary education they may receive during the year. At this camp in particular, buildings and places have Hebrew names. The ‘chadar ochel’ is the dining hall, ‘agam’ is lake, ‘tzrifim’ are cabins, and ‘chanichim’ are campers. Whether it’s community, King David’s Psalms, or the Creation narrative, each unit of campers are given a ‘study theme’ to centre their Jewish programming around and Rabbis, Cantors, and Jewish Educators come up to camp as faculty to help steer the programming. It is here where Judaism leaps off the pages of our sacred texts and becomes relevant and interesting to Jewish children. What is more exciting? A teacher at the front of a classroom explaining the history and significance of the Book of Psalms, or having King David arrive ‘himself,’ and explain who he was while atop a horse.
At the end of a session at camp, children walk away with a sense of understanding and belonging. They will have learned specific in Judaism, and a new vocabulary of Hebrew words, but they will have learned that Judaism as a culture and religion is alive and relevant to them; a concept that us educators are still trying to figure out how best to explain on Wednesday evenings or Sunday mornings.

Rachael Posted:

It is Rosh Chodesh Elul, the month before Rosh Hashannah on the Jewish calendar. Usually we hear about retrospective analysis that Elul invites – prep for High Holidays. What choices were good ones and what choices were not so good…who do we owe an apology to and for what specifically…what lead us to an inappropriate behaviour and how could I avoid it in the future?

…and we thought it was about dressing nicely and having a great feast!

And while all of the hard work I just described definitely forms part of Elul, so does a lovely subtle detail connected with the month. The letters themselves, aleph, lamed, vav, lamed, are seen as an acronym for the Hebrew verse: Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li which means ‘I am for my Beloved and my Beloved is for me.’ It is from the Song of Songs and is usually used connected with Jewish wedding ceremonies or invitations.

So what does this have to do with Elul? Here’s the beautiful subtle part. My relationship with God is parallel to my most intimate relationship with my Beloved. Just as I will take the good with the bad with someone I love, just as I have moments where I can’t wait to see this person and moments when I need a break, just as I know I can always depend on them – they have my back – and they know I would move heaven and earth for them, all of these things and more describe my intimate relationship with God. Before I am overwhelmed with the power of the High Holidays, Elul reminds me to first ground myself in the love and passion and trust I have used as the foundation for my relationship with God. Personally, I worry about Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur  - but I love Elul.

Elul – Ani Ledodi Vedodi Li – where honest reflection begins.

Rachael posted:

I had dinner last night with some friends I haven’t seen in a while.  It was great to catch up with each other - we talked for 3 hours just in updates and frustrations and angst over why we, as a people, just can’t seem to get certain things right, no matter how much history goes by.

In talking about our kids, we discussed various schools, individual events and experiences and started to focus on the older kids in university.  We talked about campus politics and Jewish programming on campus and the challenge of being a young person at a North American university in this day and age.

Then we talked about where has all the fun stuff gone.  Being Jewish has become about having to face the challenge of Israel, identity, dating, internet, racism, apartheid, religion, conversion issues and the list goes on and on.  Where did the fun Jewish stuff go?  Where are the stand-up Jewish comics and the lighter side of the angst?  Why not have an evening of celebrating our own craziness instead of closeting it and heading to the ‘heavy issues’?

I now suggest to any campus leader, synagogue co-ordinator, community centre programmer to make sure we programme in the lighter side of Jewish.  Even our ancient texts had humour in them.  Dare I say, we are a funny people and I do mean that in the literal sense!

So how could I end this blog with anything but a Jewish joke…

Why are there so many Jewish doctors in the world?

-Because their mothers are Jewish.

In this video reflection, Rachael talks about this week’s Torah Portion, Parshat Korach. This Parsha begins with an Israelite named Korach, stirring up a rebellion against Moses and his leadership and ends with Korach’s coup being spoiled by a little ‘Divine Intervention.’ Find out what happens.

RACHAEL posted:

Today was a difficult day.  I attended the funeral of a student of mine.  This woman had studied with me for years - I met her when she was already a grandmother and had set aside time to study Torah.  She was quirky, eccentric at times, always smiling.   She was insightful, passionate about Torah concepts - though perhaps this passion may have led her to occasional impatience with fellow students.

To attend this woman’s funeral, I had to cancel a Torah class.  We are nearing the end of our course in Women & Prayer and the students have been immersed in this study for almost a year and we are now entering the Modern Era of tracking Jewish women and their prayers.  I understand the excitement, I understand the passion-  but I was a bit taken aback when I received an email from a student criticizing my decision to cancel.  This woman is equally passionate about her learning and I assume it is this passion that lead to the unfortunate email.

It’s always hard to attend a funeral.  Whether or not I was close to the person who has died, I am always touched deeply with the loss expressed by the mourners.  Maybe that’s the sadness I feel…or maybe the sadness is remembering a woman whose passion for Torah lead to impatience with others and another woman whose passion for learning lead to an expression of insensitivity toward a fellow student.

I can’t help but think of the blessing that is said in the morning to cover all our Jewish learning that day: ‘Blessed is God…Who commanded us to engage actively with the words of Torah’ - passion with a behavioural outcome.

Can’t wait for Shavuot…it’s the only time I don’t feel guilty!

There is nothing out there that can replace my love for everything dairy. If I could, my diet would only consist of yogurts, sour creams, cottage cheeses, never mind ANY cheeses and of course my favorite, a glass of cold 3.25% milk!!! How can I forget to mention about the infamous slice or two of cheesecake and cheese filled blinzes drizzled with honey…

Unfortunately, I am sure you will all agree that a dairy only diet will eventually result in having some ‘unwanted guests’ staying on your waist and hips…

That is why I don’t feel guilty indulging (obviously in moderation) in everything dairy during the holiday of Shavuot. This is the only time I can allow myself to enjoy without the concern of ‘unwanted guests’ overstaying their welcome!

Chag Sameach Everyone!!!

RACHAEL posted:

I had a very emotional visit to the salon last week.  Yes, hair salon…it’s taken me a whole week to process and write about it.  Two of my daughters, the oldest and the youngest, decided to cut their beautiful long hair (blond and auburn) and donate it to a local hospital to be passed on to the wig makers for cancer patients.  I believe it’s a truly noble and selfless mitzvah.  I’m completely onside - support it entirely - couldn’t be more pleased or proud - I got there early - I had my camera at the ready…

Then I realized that aside from a symbolic snipping of a single lock of hair when my youngest was 3 years old, we had never cut her hair.  I remembered that when my oldest daughter was a child I had made the decision that any girls I had would grow their hair until Bat Mitzvah at which point we could together discuss how important hair styling should become in their lives.  I had navigated the adolescent ‘cool’ hair attractions and the peer pressure to style and cut and here we were - oldest and youngest at the salon - scissors at the ready!

My three girls gathered at the salon from different parts of the city.  I watched them braid each other’s hair and reassure each other and giggle with excitement and beam with pride.  I knew it was a wonderful thing and I still wholeheartedly support the action and would encourage them to grow their hair again and cut and donate.  I write all these words as I sit at my computer but I have to admit that in the salon I think I choked up a bit - no - scratch that - I definitely choked up.

ARON POSTED:

Passover is always a time of challenges, and in a secular world, observing the holiday takes work. In my family, we have always restrained from eating Chametz during the holiday and on nights when we’ve eaten too many Matzah Pizzas or run out of creative ideas we will eat out at restaurants, always avoiding the breaded, battered, or “leavened” options on the menu.

This past weekend, I was out of town visiting with family and was faced with the challenges of eating out on Passover. If you are one with a similar observance I am sure you can agree with me. The days were filled with deep thoughts, “can’t have this, can’t have that, don’t want to go there, can’t eat this there etc..” running down the lists of places to go and more importantly what we could eat if we go to a specific place. This experience really got me thinking about Passover and freedom. Sometimes we feel trapped by our usual routines. We go to the same restaurant where we eat the same meal every time. Passover serves as a reminder that we are free, and can actually redeem us from our enslaving routines. It gives us the ability to look at menus differently than we do every other week of the year, and allow us to try something new, something different than we might have previously picked, and bring us awareness of what we eat by looking deeper into those little description beside each option.

Rachael Posted:

I hope everyone had a great Pesach - mine was a little challenging.  The actual holiday part was wonderful, the Seders were family filled with songs and wine and even a few insights linking past to present.  The part that was so challenging was that this year the Pesach yomtevs backed onto the Easter long weekend.  Just so we understand the issue…I live in a city where everything closes for Good Friday (most importantly for Pesach reasons - the supermarkets are closed).  Saturday is not a legal holiday but it’s Shabbat, I don’t shop.  Sunday is the one day when I can hope to find a supermarket open (remember that’s Easter Sunday so not everything is open for business).  Sunday night was the start of the 2nd yomtev - no shopping (again) but please notice - if I didn’t find an open supermarket on Sunday then there’s also no eating going on.  My daughter ran to a large supermarket chain on Sunday at 5 pm (the sign said it would be open until 6) just as the manager was locking the door.  She stood on the outside along with many other people and pointed out that the store was closing early.  The answer was that she should come back tomorrow (yomtev - good luck explaining that one through a locked glass door).

In the end she noticed some friends in the check out line of the supermarket and she quickly called them and read them a condensed (but essential) shopping list over the phone.  They ran around the store getting some fresh food for us and we managed.  Everything worked out alright but I have to say it caused anxious moments, lots of texting back and forth and last minute scrambling.

Between Pesach holiday occurring during the week, Easter occurring over the weekend, statutory holidays and figuring out the intervening days of Pesach, I came back to work with my head spinning and constantly thinking today was Tuesday (btw, it’s Thursday which means - yes - Shabbat is right around the corner).  Sometimes Jewish holidays can make your head spin.

Uliana Posted:

Since this is my first Passover at the new house with just my husband and I, what do we cook? No more help from the sisters or moms, we are on our own here…

As the fear slowly set in, we decide to take on the challenge and make our first matza ball soup on our own.

What can I say? I never imagined that a semi-clear liquid with yummy matza balls out of a box could taste sooo good.

From that moment on we both agreed that this would be our breakfast, lunch and dinner dish over Passover… Not only for its simplicity when making it, but for the warm childhood memories it brings with each spoonful you take.

Nothing beats a bowl of Matza Ball Soup!!!