Comments on: Yom HaZikaron in Edison, NJ

By: Leora

Leora — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:19:46 +0000

Batya, thanks for the advice about teaching children about death. I don’t think my daughter heard much of what I said, as we were in a very crowded gym. I do have an opportunity to talk to them about death at times, because my mother is gone (or should I say dead? See even I have a hard time with that word!). My daughter is always telling me that she will come back with t’hiat hametim (revival of the dead). I don’t say much in response to that. I let her talk it out the way she needs to.

I think all the eighth graders were very moved by the children (yes, they were children) that died at Merkaz HaRav. These are 13 and 14 year olds, almost their peers.

By: Batya

Batya — Fri, 09 May 2008 02:57:52 +0000

Thank you!
I’ll tell Yonatan’s parents when I see them. His mother is a teacher. I think she’s teaching the 8th grade this year.

ps When telling children about difficult things like death, don’t use euphemisms. Say “dead” not “fallen.” Our kids grow up knowing what a cemetery is. Schools have placques of dead graduates in their front halls.

I was 3 1/2 when my grandfather died, and I didn’t stop asking my mother where he was until they took me to the cemetery and only then did I understand that I’d never be able to talk to him again. I have always wondered if those conversations, when I was all of three (between my grandmother’s death and his) were the foundation for my becoming religiously observant.

By: Leora

Leora — Thu, 08 May 2008 18:11:38 +0000

Baila, I have some pictures from the school Yom Ha’Atzmaut parade, which is always fun and exciting, but I’m a little too tired to blog more, and I need to get ready for Shabbat!

I added a paragraph about the siren because as Baila says, it’s good chinuch (chinuch=education), so I might as well educate anyone else reading this post about the siren.

By: Ilana-Davita

Ilana-Davita — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:35:19 +0000

I understand!

By: Baila

Baila — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:16:31 +0000

I’m glad the school did something very concrete about Yom Hazikaron. It’s such good chinuch for the kids.

By: Leora

Leora — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:09:30 +0000

Israel has all this programming for Yom HaZikaron about terror victims and fallen soldiers. And what does the NY Times focus on? Top left corner front page is an article on how Israel discriminates against Arabs.

Regarding RPRY, an emphasis on Zionism is one of its strengths. (no school is perfect, and I really don’t want to use my blog to highlight problems in the school)

By: Ilana-Davita

Ilana-Davita — Thu, 08 May 2008 17:03:10 +0000

What was on the NY’s front page?
Your children’s school looks like a good school to me.