T is for Tzedakah and Thank You Cards!

"Tzedakah" is the Hebrew word for the acts that we call "charity" in English: giving aid, assistance, and money to the poor and needy or to other worthy causes. But the nature of tzedakah is very different from the idea of charity.”(1)

We recently had a sweet example of Tzedakah from a group of 2^nd graders in Eugene Oregon. 

Cards from the States!

The teacher from the Talmud Torah program had donated on line after the arson attack at the Jerusalem School last November.  In an envelope with another donation and handmade cards from his class came a letter from the teacher who explained, “My class collects Tzedakah at the start of every class session and we wanted to contribute money toward the repair of the fire damage done to one of your schools last month.”

He asked for a reply so that he could share it with his students as they learn about g’milut chasadim -deeds of loving kindness. (2)

We took the cards from his second grade class to our fourth graders for their response (remember our kids start learning English in the 3^rd Grade)  The English teacher and I talked to them about the kids in the states and how they were learning Hebrew kind of like they were learning English.  We did a quick geography lesson to find Oregon on the map, and then we had them read the cards that the kids from the states had sent.  

Next we talked about what to write back.   We didn’t want to write the cards, but we knew they’d need some help, so we brainstormed with the class and came up with several broad statements, then set them loose to write their responses.  Lynn, their teacher and I circulated, helping with spelling and such.  Two of the boys wanted to send a joint response, so we worked on “I am” and “we are” transitions.  Most of the students picked one or two of the statements we’d come up with, added something of their own creation, then decorated their cards with pictures and stickers!

Some of my favorite messages from the states?  “I’m sorry for what you had to go through, I hope you are ok, I hope to send money to help you. I am sorry, don’t lose hope for peace in Israel. Love…”   “Dear friends, I am sorry for you, Have a good day.”  “Dear People. I’m sorry what happened. “Down with the terrorists, Up with the world!””  “…we sent money to help fix your school.  I hope no one got hurt.” “Sorry your school got damaged. I wish your school didn’t get damaged.  I’m hoping it will help that we sent money.” But my all-time favorite greeting was, “Dear Unfortunates” (every class has one, right?)

 

 (1) For the full article on Tzedakah, click here  http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/tzedakah.htm

(2) For more information on g’milut chasadim 

click here http://eteacherbiblical.com/articles/what-g%E2%80%99milut-chasadim-part-1

because everyone knows there are cats in Israel 

Purim is not the Jewish Halloween!

As close as I can tell, if a movie was made about the Book of Esther and the plot against the Jews, there would be a disclaimer at the beginning of the film, "this story is a fictionalized version of actual facts."

I’m listening to the third ‘lecture’ on the Book of Esther, heard the megillah (the whole story) read twice, read the ‘book’ (can’t wait for the movie), and saw the story performed as “Esther on the High Seas”, aye!!, and I've got to tell you, sometimes less really is more.

I have heard commentaries delving into the meanings of each action, and the character of each character and why they did what and to whom and when and who was disconnected,  and maybe there were several books combined into one,  and, wait, there were no walled cities at the time? and why you should really get drunk (there was actually a flyer here on campus for an event up the street to get drunk before the party)…and even without the alcohol, I must admit my head is spinning just a little.

Maybe it would be more accurate to see it as a metaphor for our faith lives; could the book of Esther really be a metaphor for the way we interact with God?

Some of us are bold, some timid.  Some hide our faith, some brandish it.  Some among us are despots, others toadies who profit because our powerful bosses or corporations or leaders are distracted by the lusts of life and leave us to our own evil devices to behave as we like to get what we want. Some of us are just doing our best to be kind and just and faithful.

Like the Book of James, referred to by some as the “Christian Manual of Operation” with no mention of Jesus, the book of Esther, an exciting tale of Girl Power, heroism and victory over evil, doesn't mention God, or Heaven or Hell, main points I might argue, the point of the Bible.  But like a good bedtime story, or an award winning movie, it has all the essential elements of a great, edge of your seat adventure! Including a happy ending.

So is the story included to make us think deeper about how we interact with God and how we represent him to the rest of the world?  Smarter people than I will have to tell you for sure.  Or maybe you’ll just have to decide for yourselves.

What I do know, is this is not about Carnival, or Halloween, or getting drunk.  It’s about our response to God, and his to us.

Today, as with all holidays, there are traditions.  Hearing the megillah, the story, twice, on Purim night and again on Purim day, booing at the name of Haman (and maybe cheering for Mordecai depending on what your Rabbi says)  Giving money or food to at least two needy individuals and giving food gifts to friends.  A big feast with friends, and food and drink!  Special prayers that include the Purim Story and thanks to God for "miracles, redemption, mighty deeds, saving acts and wonders"

So why costumes? One Rabbi suggested they imply the concealment of the posers that play out in the story, or that they are an allusion disguising God's hand in the miracle which looked like natural events, another that they represent the way we hide from God, or each other, and another suggested it was the way the Jews hid from the evil, were sublimated into the culture, and did not stand against it…I don’t know, maybe a little of each.

The costumes and the customs point to the Faithfulness of God and the reality that his children sometimes forget themselves and try to go it on their own.

The best part of Purim for me?  The kids, but I bet you guessed that!

 

 


 

 

And maybe the treats too,  a little.

Waiting for Spring

Spring really is just around the corner, 

                  even if it doesn't seem to be possible.

 

At home, I wait for the crocus to peek up in my snow covered lawn, then the yellow daffodils and red tulips.  When spring has truly arrived, the Lilacs fill the air with an all too temporary aromatic bliss for this girl that ushers in summer. 

I saw across the parking lot from the office window, what I thought was a cherry tree in bloom.   It made me smile because it was a lone beauty in a vacant lot, overrun with litter and weeds, not the place you would expect and oasis of fragrance and beauty.

Leaving that evening, I stopped to cut a flowery twig to take back to my room and I was struck by two things.  This was the fragrance I had noticed for a couple of days that reminded me a wee bit of the heady Lilac’s from home, and the Cherry tree was decorated with almonds.  Not a Cherry after all, but Almond tree!  

Now that I knew, I couldn’t help but see these portents of spring all over the city.  A tree that I’ve learned is reputed to be amazingly difficult to start from seeds, almond trees have literally planted themselves everywhere! There is one in the courtyard across from my room that I’m sure was planned, but like the one in the vacant lot near the office, once I saw it, I also saw  three other “volunteers” standing nearby.      

I've had some previous experience with almonds.  I fell in love with them while I was living in Sacramento, the home of Blue Diamond Almonds.  They had a great ad campaign in the mid 80’s, “One can a week, that’s all we ask.”  That’s all I needed to start down the path of life long almond love.  Not just highly susceptible to a catchy ad campaigns, in my defense, they’re really good!   Add to that the high protein content and other nutritional bonuses and they are still on my list here in Jerusalem!

I had a client while I was in California who was an almond rancher, wrangler, herder, or whatever they’re called.  He was the one that explained why some people drop the ‘L’ when they say the word.   They are almonds on the tree, he assured me, but in the harvesting process the trees are shaken quite dramatically dropping the ripe almonds to the ground where they are swept up by a tractor with a special attachment. 

During this process, the ‘L’ is knocked out of them. 

Now if that doesn't preach…

For more practical information on the wonderfulness of the Almond visit:

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3085/2

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/almonds.html
http://ww2.odu.edu/~lmusselm/plant/bible/almond.php

English as a third, fourth or fifth language.

As much as I enjoy working with the staff at the Hand in Hand main office, I have to say, my favorite day of the week is Thursday (or any other day when I’m at the Jerusalem school) working with the 3rd and 4th graders.  The students I work with are generally a little ahead of their peers in the area of speaking, comprehension,  and writing in English.

Some come from families who are first language English speakers, some have spent time in English speaking countries, and some just have the language ‘gene’. One of my students left Israel with her family after second grade to spend a year in New York City immersed as a third grader. Beginning with no English at all, she returned from the States and is in the fourth grade, speaking English, Hebrew and Arabic fluently.  She writes poetry and helps with the third graders who come into the class mid-way through our time together.  Last week she designed a word search using an animal name list that we put together for the earlier class.



As a class, we do a variety of regular activities, reading, vocabulary, and from time to time we play hangman or word bingo.  Sometimes the kids talk about things that are going on in the school, their families and neighborhoods.  Because I don’t speak either Hebrew or Arabic, when they hit a snag, they work together to puzzle out the word that they’re looking for.  In pairs they work out rhyming words and help with definitions.  Word search puzzles are a big hit, and I use them as a reward or as the primary lesson wrapped around the vocabulary list of the day.  I’d like to tell you it was rocket science, but it’s really not, it’s just fun!

Sometimes we work on comprehension. A student or I will read an open ended story or a selected passage from a classic in children’s literature that I have been able to find here in English.  Just now we’re reading from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.



Last week as a reward for completing two pages in the workbook (remember how much fun those were when you were in school?) we made some pretty spectacular paper airplanes.   I found patterns for several more difficult styles that would require following directions, but I picked patterns so they could puzzle out the order.  Each pattern was marked with a numbered order and dotted lines.  After the initial instructions, including not getting ahead, we started to fold.  One. Two. Three.  Much to my surprise, the student who is the most reserved, the quietest, shyest most hesitant to speak English, exploded from her shell when we started folding airplanes.   It was almost a Hellen Keller, Anne Sullivan moment.  Instead of spelling water in my hand, she took charge.  This is the same little girl who will ask another classmate in Hebrew or Arabic to answer me in English.  Suddenly she was not only counting, but following directions, helping another student and at one point asked me, directly, in English, which way to fold the paper.  I knew she could do it!

Of course, I try to link our lessons to things the kids know, holidays and events in their lives, or new things they might enjoy.  Their primary English teacher is from South Africa, so many of our American holidays are unknown to her and wide open for me.  I usually have new vocabulary words to share, and we talk about the holiday, or the place or the person.  They all knew Halloween and we had fun talking about costumes and Purim.

Thanksgiving was interesting.  After explaining why the Pilgrims left Europe to live in the new world, several of the kids pointed out the similarities with people who come to Israel. Paired up, they each wrote a speech from the perspective of either the Turkey or an (assigned) alternative main course, explaining why we should eat the other. This even worked well for my vegetarian student who decided to be the turkey and suggested we have mashed potatoes and salad because she, the turkey, was too young to die.






Making gingerbread cookies after hearing the story of the Gingerbread Man was an adventure segueing into Christmas.

Every week is an adventure, so long as there are topics left and certainly we've got plenty of holidays, so far, so good.  They liked Halloween, Christmas, President Lincoln Birthday, Valentine’s Day, and Chinese New Year…but Groundhog Day? They just didn't get it.

Maybe if they had a groundhog type animal here….    

Nah, I never got it either and we have ‘em!