4 minute read
Educating the Children for Jewish Continuity
January 2024
The events of Oct. 7 have caused unrest among us all, each one of us making an effort to figure out how we can bring some light into the darkness. Rochel Vorst, the Judaica teacher for the TK and kindergarten students expresses it here:
By Rachel Vorst
I’m just a kindergarten teacher.
I teach five-year-olds.
In our Ivy League college-obsessed society, that’s not impressive.
But the great Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, also known as Rashi, begs to differ.
Rashi lived about a thousand years ago during the time of the Crusades. He was the first to record commentary on the Torah in writing. Until that time, this precious knowledge had been passed down from teacher to student, orally or in private note collections.
And to whom did this prolific rabbi address his commentary?
The five-year-old, beginning his study of the Torah.
I am privileged to teach the stories of the very first book of the Torah, Bereshit.
We start with the story of creation.
“Why?” asks Rashi. It is well known that the Torah doesn’t go in chronological order, so why is this story first? If anyone dares to question the Jewish people’s claim on the land of Israel, tell them that G-d created the world. The world belongs to G-d alone, and it is He who gifted this treasure to His nation.
In an era marked by conflict between the world’s two major religions over a small strip of land, and when Jewish ownership of Israel seemed as improbable as a moon landing, Rashi foresaw a future where our history, origin, and homeland would be denied.
On we go to the story of Noach and the flood. We talk about how G-d treasures acts of loving kindness, and care for one another. We celebrate the care Noach and his family provided for their four-legged and winged passengers in the ark.
Then comes my favorite. We discuss our patriarchs and matriarchs. Avraham’s tent had four doors, welcoming all travelers. Kind little Rivka drew water for ten camels.
Of course, there’s the part where G-d told Avraham to “Go to the Land.” He showed him and gave it to him as a gift for his descendants, who will be as many as the stars and sand. Then there is Yaakov’s famous dream with the ladder and the angels. G-d promised to protect him and told him his children would settle throughout the land.
Did I forget to mention the holidays? The story of Chanukah and the miraculous return to Jerusalem and the Holy Temple. Pesach when G-d chose us as His nation and set us on the journey to our homeland. Purim, when an evil man tried to get rid of us. And yet here we are thousands of years later, studying in a Jewish school.
It is no wonder that when we finally get to May and Israel’s Independence Day, the children fully understand the significance of the events that took place a mere seventy-six years ago!
It is at this point that I finally show them where Israel is located on our stuffed toy globe. I literally have to walk around with my fingers in place so that each child can see the little purple squiggle that represents this contested area of the world.
“Why?” I ask, “if G-d wanted to give us a gift, did he grant us one so tiny?” I show them the United States, Canada, and even Australia, all big, bold, and easily visual. Good question, right?
Then I take out some cool rocks with multiple colors out of a tiny suede drawstring bag, and lay them out on the rug. Finally, out comes a diamond. I lay it gently among the rocks, which now look as big as boulders. “If I were to give you a stone,” I say,
“which would you choose?”
Of course, my smart cookies go for the diamond!
“That’s Israel,” I say, “tiny, but oh so precious.”
We end our year with the story of G-d giving us the Torah. I tell the children the story of how G-d requested assurance that the Torah would be treasured for generations. G-d wanted a guarantor who would take on this responsibility.
After several tries, the Jewish people suggested their children. By educating the little ones, who would then grow to educate their own young ones, the Torah would be kept forever. And here we are, in our classroom, doing just that.
I am honored to be a kindergarten teacher.
I teach five-year-olds for whom Rashi penned his commentary.
I am fortunate to spend my days doing my tiny part for Jewish continuity, humanity, and a better world.
