Dear friends of Beit Immanuel,
It is once again that time of year that we get to spend time with our closest family and friends. It is our chance to be with the ones we love, and if you can't be with the ones you love, love the ones you are with. Call your mother, send a message to your child. Tell a close friend how much they mean to you. That's what its all about. That's why Messiah came. He inspires us to reach over and care for one another. Make an effort. Spread some light around. You'll be glad you did, and so will those you touch with your love.
Children love to share
At Beit Immanuel we try our best to share that love with our families and friends, and you know the funniest thing happens. All that love and joy comes right back at us! Some of our children practiced hard to share a medley of songs for their parents and friends for Hanuka. We couldn't get enough!
Caring enough to share
Some time ago I led a group through the Diaspora Museum at the Tel-Aviv University which retells the fascinating story of Jewish communities around the world over the past two millennium. At one of the exhibits a large family sat around the feet of their elderly Great Grandmother listening intently as she recalled stories about her life, the war, coming to Israel and how she was so proud of all of her children. It was clear to me that I was witnessing something important. Something I needed to understand.
As I listened in young children asked questions about Grandma's struggles to survive, about how the family built their first home in Israel and about life in the land before there were cars and buses. The smaller ones were amazed. I saw in their faces that Great Grandma was a hero to them. Their eyes lit up when she told them how they used to work 14 hours a day in order to raise their family, and so did hers as she described to them how happy she is to see her little children now sitting here at her feet.
As I watched I realized how important it is that we share our stories with one another. I understood that our children and our children's children need to hear our stories. Stories of how things used to be, and how their parents and grandparents struggled and overcame, and how proud they are of their children. And our elderly need to hear too. They need to know that their children care. That their children are also proud of them. That they are amazed at how their parents and grandparents and great grandparents often sacrificed everything just for their children.
The woman at the museum happened to be a Holocaust survivor. She wanted the little ones to hear just how hard it was for the family to survive and make a home for them in Israel. And the children, they wanted her to know that they care.
Our stories, yours and mine, are meant to be told over and over again. This is how we share our love and respect for one another. This is how we learn and grow, become men and women of honor and valor.
Next week we will take our young people to visit with Holocaust survivors in Rishon Lezion. Did you know that of the few remaining survivors in Israel all of them are now over 80 years old? We will sit down with them and listen to their stories and learn. We will teach our children to honor and love them as they well deserve.
