Are You
There
GOI) 17
Its Me, Zachary
Local children talk about
one of their most complicated heroes: God.
STEVE HARTZ
Special to the Jewish News
very morning, hun-
dreds of children
honor Him as they
daven. And other
children, just before
they close their tired eyes at
the end of each day, pray to
God, asking Him to watch
over them and their loved
ones.
They all agree that
nobody in the world, not even
the president, is more power-
ful than God. But as far as
what He looks like, each
child has his own picture of
God.
"God looks like a fish,"
says 5-year-old Ben Chudnow
of Birmingham. Ben believes
God is a wonderful swimmer.
"He swims in the ocean," the
youngster explains.
E
26
FRIDAY, AUGUST 16, 1991
"The way I see it, I think
He's like a big bulge of
energy, like a puzzle:' says
10-year-old Beth Weingarden
of Farmington Hills.
"I would probably say He
looks like a cloud, a big
100-feet long cloud:' replies
8-year-old Jillian Gourwitz,
who attends Congregation
Shaarey Zedek.
Jeff Rosenfeld, 5, sees
God in a different light.
"He's a spirit. He's tall,
has black hair and He looks
like my Zayde Leo who died
before I was born," says Jeff,
a member of Congregation
Beth Abraham Hillel Moses.
"God is a mist of clouds,"
concludes 9-year-old Ari
Gasner of Congregation
B'nai Israel-Beth Yehudah in
Oak Park. And 7-year-old
Shoshana Malka Englander,
who attends Akiva Hebrew
Day School, insists that "God
wears tefillin."
Nine-year-old Leigh Ap-
ple of Adat Shalom
Synagogue believes she has a
pretty good idea of God's age.
"He's about 3,000 years old,"
Leigh says. "He uses a cane,
and He walks on the clouds."
Jacob Newman, 5, of
Congregation Shaarey
Zedek, thinks God is a bit
younger. "He's 1,000 years
old," Jacob says. "He looks
like a big boy and wears a
blue hat, and he's real tall."
Five-year-old Joseph
Marks of Farmington Hills
says, "He just wears a skirt,
a little band around His head
and sandals on His feet. And
He lives on the moon with
His children."
Not only do several kids
think God has children, but
many youngsters agree that
He is also married.
"God is married to Mrs.
God:' Jeff Rosenfeld explains.
"She's really pretty."
"I think God is married
to Mother Nature," says
Hilary Sahn, 8, a member of
Congregation Shaarey
Zedek.
"His wife's name is Judy;
she's 39," explains 7-year-old
Sandra Stoller, who attends
Mat Shalom Synagogue.
According to one little
girl, God even has time to
play.
"I heard that every time
it's thundering that means
He's bowling in the sky;' ex-
plains 6-year-old Michelle
Siegel of the Downtown
Synagogue.
Shoshana Englander in-
sists, "God doesn't sleep." She
talks to God every morning
when she davens. "I thank
him for letting me wake up."
When Ari Gasner davens,
he tells God just how precious
He is to the world.
Jillian Gourwitz speaks
to God every night.
"Sh'ma Yisrael Adoshem
Elokeinu Adoshem Echad.
Hear 0 Israel, the Lord our
God, the Lord is One," she
recites. "Dear Lord, please
watch over, guide and keep
healthy, my father, my
mother, my brother, my sister
and all who are near and
dear to me. Thank You, dear
Lord, for all the blessings
You've bestowed upon us.
Amen."
Leigh Apple says she
prays to God before and after
meals.
"0 Lord, we thank You
for the night and for the
blessed morning light," she
sings.
Children enjoy junk food
and believe God also gets the
munchies.