Ruth L. Diamond Religious School

V'shinantam l'vanecha "And you shall teach them faithfully to your children…" This phrase from the V'ahavta, the first paragraph of the Shema, is usually read as a thought unto itself. But a question raised by this phrase: How are we to teach "them" (the mitzvot which show our love for God) to our children?

The answer may be found in the words, which immediately follow our initial phrase, "and you shall speak of them when you are sitting in your house and when you are walking on your way and when you are lying down and when you are rising up." How are we to teach our children- by allowing them to see the mitzvot, learning rituals and traditions as vitally important to us: So important that they are on our lips and in our hearts when we are in our homes, walking on our way, lying down and rising up.

Passing on that which has been, and continues to be important to us as Jews, is how we teach our children that they too must find what is and what will be important to them as Jews. One cannot expect a candle to burst into flame without introducing an already existing source of fire, heat and light. So too, we cannot expect our children to nourish the flame which is their soul unless we share with them the sparks of Divine Light which protect and feed our n'shamot, our souls.

That is what Jewish education is all about. While your child(ren) will undoubtedly get a first rate Jewish education at Temple Beth Abraham, the most important thing we hope they will get is a passion for Jewish history, tradition and life. This passion comes out in everything that we teach at TBA but more importantly; it infuses every teacher's heart and soul. Your children will learn to nurture their own Jewish flame by watching others nurture theirs.

Your role in your child's Jewish education is equally if not more important than the role of their teacher. For you, the parents and families are the ones your child looks up to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A child cannot learn passion in just six hours a week. They can begin to appreciate it, but only from a distance. Your job is to allow your child(ren) to approach and experience that passion each and every day.

May our work together give our children the love of Judaism they deserve and need to keep the flame forever burning!

As you child begins the year at Hebrew School he/she takes another step on their own spiritual journey. This journey can lead to many exciting and fulfilling experiences. However, these experiences need not be for the child alone. Each new thing experienced is an opportunity to carry over into our own lives and enrich family journeys. Don't be afraid of the journey! We each have new things to learn and explore everyday. Encourage your child to share their experiences and it will lead to rewards for your whole family.