When Israel Gets it Right (part 1)

 I lied to someone last week. On Wednesday, I was asked to come to an 8:30 AM meeting. I told them that I had an urgent matter to take care of and couldn’t possibly attend. No, my “urgent” matter was not a doctor’s appointment and nobody was asking me my opinions regarding the latest round of “peace negotiations” (although they would have received quite the critical earful if they had). The kids are fine and the clogged pipe that sent water dripping down my newly painted walls has been repaired. But still, I had something I just had to do and Wednesday morning was the only day I could do it. September 1 heralds the start of a new year in elementary schools across the country and as many of my friends had children starting first grade, I knew the ceremonies marking this occasion were not to be missed. Yes, I’ve written about the first day of first grade before. And, yes, Israel’s education system is unimaginably disappointing, especially when you consider that this is the homeland of The Jewish People, often referred to as “the people of the Book” But the excitement surrounding the beginning of formal academic instruction here is palpable and it’s not limited to individual families. It’s an event that brings the country together. It’s an occasion marked on the neighborhood, municipal and even national level. Drive passed any elementary school and you’ll see large (often hand-painted) banners welcoming first-graders. In many cities, mayors can be seen accompanying students as they walk through the school gates to start the new year. Even our president, Shimon Peres, is out helping first graders cross the street as they begin a new chapter of their lives. Stepping onto the grounds of my local elementary school, I felt like I was at a community celebration. Blue and white balloons were dancing in a rare September breeze as moms and dads hugged and kissed their children before they crossed the physical and spiritual threshold. But it didn’t end there. Chattering parents gathered on the black top trading stories on how easy (although more often how difficult) it was to get their sons and daughters into bed on the previous night. Babies struggled to get out of their stationary strollers and toddlers pulled on their father’s, hoping to be scooped up onto broad shoulders to get a better view of what was about to occur. Cameras, serenading us with a symphony of clicks, beeps and buzzes, worked overtime to capture these moments for posterity. After 15 minutes of anxious waiting, the new first-graders, each escorted by a “big kid”, (usually a sixth grader) lined up. Soon,the piped in music sounded through the loud speakers and the festivities began. The new students marched in passed proud imas and abbas (moms and dads) and then took their place under one of three large talitot (prayer shawls). The crowd sang a song that consists of the blessing that Jacob offered Joseph thousands of years ago and that children often sing today before they go to sleep at night. The shofar, traditionally sounded each morning during the Hebrew month of Elul reminding us that Rosh Hashanah will soon arrive, sounded loud and clear. As these children, slightly excited; slightly bewildered, took seats on the ground with their new classmates, another group; smaller and sometimes older, marched in. Thirty children from Australia, America, Canada, England and France were cheered as they marched with an Israeli flag. These 30 children were olim (new immigrants) and they were given a special welcome by a crowd who often knew, by personal experience, how particularly exciting yet challenging the coming year would be for these students as they begin to create the reality of their parents’ Zionist dreams. The principal, her voice brimming with excitement, welcomed the children with a short speech, invited another group of students to put on a short dance performance in honor of their younger siblings and then the ceremony was quickly over We all went off about our day, but I couldn’t help but think that the morning proved that Israel really gets a lot of things right. We all should be celebrating our community’s newest students. They represent all that we have accomplished and all that is still possible. In a country whose existential threats are as real as the kitchen table, I’m glad we know just how important this day is. Shana Tova to everybody. I hope it is a new year filled with happiness and good health. And a dose of a first grader’s natural sense of wonder.

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