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From the early childhood stages, we teach our children that the Jewish people are “The People of the Book.” The quest of the Jewish people to know Torah intimately is astounding. Yet equally as impressive is our desire to not only study and learn the text, but also to struggle with it, question, reason and grapple with it, in a way in which we then come to an even deeper understanding of it. Each developmental stage in education enhances the meaning of our distinguishing quest for knowledge. At a recent Family Education program, we had the pleasure of beginning a dialogue with parents about the relevance of the teachings of the Torah to our contemporary lives, and especially to our roles as parents. Family dynamics unfold as the Jewish family tree begins. Abraham and Sarah become parents to Isaac late in life, long after they every imagined possible. Later from Jacob and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac and Rebecca, we learn about sibling rivalry and parental preference of one child over another. In fact, in the subsequent story of Jacob and his brothers, sibling rivalry reaches new heights when the brothers’ jealousy prompts them to throw the favored son in a pit then sell him into slavery. Boy does that story get juicy when the same brothers reunite years later in Egypt, in need of the assistance of the brother they’d just as soon have left for dead! It was during this dialogue with the parents that a significant issue was raised… how do we teach stories of such sensitive and adult nature to our youngest learners? We explored the methods of extracting the important lessons from these readings. Case in point, simultaneous to this adult discussion, the students read and discussed the story led by our family educators, at each groups' developmentally appropriate level of understanding. You see learning Torah, like all Jewish education, is a life long journey. At each stage we take new lessons and deeper understanding from the same stories we’ve heard for many years. At B’nai Jeshurun, learning begins with our youngest congregants in the Rabbi Barry H. Greene Early Childhood Center. Upon completion of our ECC, Mrs. Michele Feingold and Miss Sue Bleiberg await our Kindergarten students as they enter the doors of our Religious School. Students from Kindergarten through 12th Grade participate in our dynamic programs and graduate with an excellent overview of Reform Judaism and a strong sense of Jewish identity. The educational journey continues for our adults through educational events and lectures by our gifted clergy and distinguished speakers from varied fields of expertise. We are a multigenerational family at B’nai Jeshurun with something for learners of all ages. The people of the book certainly do have a rich and colorful history. We are learners on a life long journey. Please join us for the journey of a lifetime! Abra P. Lee, Religious School Director alee@tbj.org 973-379-3177 ext. 6676 | |||||
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