Love to Learn, Learn to Love.

JuicyLesson 274: In favour of letting toddlers run wild in Shul … More Things You Can’t Say in Canada … Matthew’s Cool Coney Island Character Shots … Music from Starship with “Jane” …

Take it away Jefferson Starship (prev. Jefferson Airplane) with a live version of the rockin’ number “Jane”.

image

image

Okay. Let’s start by finishing off our list of Things You Can’t Say in Canada.
Ten Things You Can’t Say in Canada

And now for three more things you can’t say in Canada making a total of ten.
SEE ALSO JUICYLESSONS 259 and 273.
– courtesy watchmojo.com

image

You might think Canadians are polite and easygoing but that’s
only because you’ve never said any of these three things in front of them. Here’s how to make any Canadian turn as red as a Maple Leaf.

We have, so far, come this far.

1
Anything With a Fake Canadian Accent

2
Disparaging Comments About Hockey

3
Cheese and gravy? Ew.

4
Hey. I’m walking here.

5
The f-word (in Quebec)

6
Canada is the U.S.’s 51st state.

7
Canadian beer sucks.

8. image
Boot Jokes
Let’s face it: a-boot jokes have always confused Canadians. It’s true what they say about accents: everyone has one and you can’t always hear your own but this whole business about Canadians saying a-boot instead of about is just crazy. If anything, we say a-boat or, more accurately, a-beh-out. So, don’t say a-boot unless you want to get kicked by one.

9. image
I Disagree With Your Religious Belief
Argue over politics, expound your views on gay marriage, even publicly take a stance on abortion, but never talk about religion. Unless, of course, you’re saying something to the effect of “I support your right to believe what you believe.” Though the country is more than two-thirds Christian, religion remains an issue Canadians prefer to keep within the walls of their private homes and holy places. A lot of the world’s conflicts are rooted in religion and Canadians are a peace-loving people. It all comes down to the fact that we want to like each other. Maybe the best way to do that is to ignore each other’s differences.

10. image
Quebec Should Separate From Canada
The issue of Quebec sovereignty has been a controversial topic in Canada for the last 50 years or so. To put it simply, a good portion of the Quebec population wants the province to separate from Canada, 49.2 per cent voted in favour of separation in a 1995 referendum. As for the rest of the country? Well, they see this as a bit of a snub. Quebec sovereignty deals with a lot of touchy topics from cultural genocide to violent revolution. If you want to give the pot a good ol’ stir, talk about why you think the province should become its own independent nation.

In favour of letting toddlers run wild in Shul

This past Shabbat, my wife, son and I visited another shul. For the record, we went to this shul not because we were unhappy with our current one, but because there was a guest speaking and friends had invited us to join them. It was during Kedusha that our 2 1/2 year old son began to do what he does best: explore.

Amit loves the Torah service, he loves the regal aspect of the Torah being passed around the room and giving it a kiss and delighting in the traditions that keep us going. You may see where this is going. Amit took finding the Torah into his own hands. He promptly walked on the bimah (podium) and made a beeline for the ark. He pulled back the curtain just enough so he could see the Torah scroll and then stood on his toes to touch and kiss.
image
As parents divided by the mechitzah (the divider between the men’s and women’s sections of an Orthodox synagogue) and stuck in our tracks as we stood for Kedusha, my wife stood at the front waiting for a moment to get his attention. I, his father, stood near the back and was torn by emotions. Should I move throughout the shul anticipating disaster? Or should I just let my son do what he does best and then handle it if something goes awry? I’ll admit, though I’m not a nervous person, I did schvitz a little; it was a new shul and there weren’t many other children in the sanctuary. I moved closer when I could, and did a double take–Amit was the only child in the sanctuary! He was doing what he should: exploring shul and finding the beauty in Judaism.
image
I just took in the sight. A few men stopped me and suggested that I should let him be as well, after all, I’m sure we have all been there. One gentleman said, “He wants to explore behind the curtain, let him be.” When Amit was done exploring, at least for a moment, the rabbi offered him a lollipop. He had a sweet reward for his quest and his curiosity. The alternative to this experience could have been a playroom of toys, playful, but not Torah centered.
image
When I saw Amit’s head of curls dodging behind the curtain, I couldn’t help but take pride in knowing that my son has no fear of playing and experimenting. While he was in the ark, I looked above him and read the inscription: Da lifnei mi ata omed, “Know before whom you stand.” The verse alludes to God, but this Shabbat it reminded me that I stood before my son. At times, I am a role model for him, and other times he leads me through play. There is a time and place for everything, but I think our children need to drive our environments so they can take ownership of our traditions. To this, I say let us follow the lead of our children to play and explore the rich world around us together.
image

Finally, from Matthew in NYC these shots from Coney Island, post-Hurricane Sandy.

Coney Island recovers from Hurricane Sandy with a strong revival. The oldest prototypical amusement park in the States had been in decline since the early 1960’s. It is now jumping with a renewed sense of energy.

This group is called assorted Coney Island characters…

image

image

image

image

image

Whole lotta love coming your way.

Believe. It.

1 Comment

  • Benjy Levine says:

    Just a little follow-up on toddlers in Shul. my daughter has been going to Shul with us since she stopped having colic, about 4 months old. she has been a staple in Beth Tikvah in D.D.O ever since. she learned to walk down stairs there during the Rabbi’s speech. She thinks the Rabbi and the Chazzan are rock stars, as when she bursts into Shul they are performing up “on the stage”.

    At first she was shushed but i am a bit of a different character. i asked how they expect young families to feel welcomed in Shul if babies and toddlers get shushed. and parents get dirty looks. since i asked them that, they have stopped even looking at me out of the corner of their eyes but have learned to smile when my daughter yells out: “there is Yossi!” or “look daddy, it’s the Torah!”
    a friend of mine is a lot more sensitive and was asked to take her son into the hallway if he is going to be disruptive. well, she took him out into the hallway, put him in his stroller and walked out the front door. she only comes back for the high holidays and special occasions, where before they were there every week.

    That is the old mentality of Shul goers and since we can agree that the young family demographic does not naturally gravitate or feel comfortable in the Shul, this needs to change.

    When the new Rabbi started, Rabbi Mark Fishman, his first part of the high holiday speech was during a baby crying. he asked the mother to please not leave, as what he has to say, he feels she should hear, but also that the sound of the baby crying is just an indication that our community is growing and it should be embraced. i hope this is a start because there is very few people in Shul regularly my age and even fewer my daughter’s age.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *