C

Life In IsrAe

Winter Walden
Ski It Snowboarding
Club for Children

* Professional instructions
* Classes for all skill levels -
beginner to expert
* Special program for the younger
skiers (ages 6-9)
* Small classes
* Adult classes too!
* Charter buses Saturday & Sunday

The Book Bag

necessary books in our arms. In
hen he was 2, Yehuda
high school, we were coached as
received his first back-
to the "cool" way to carry our
pack. Somehow, the
books (in one arm, next to the hips)
diaper bag he had been taking to
and in the "nerdy" way (cradled in
the sitter's didn't fit the image of a
both arms, close to the chest). The
child about to attend day care. After
Book Bag was discovered only at
all, hadn't the day-care center, run
university,
and then it was an incon-
by the Bais Yaakov school system,
venient, khaki-colored knapsack pur-
sent us a complete curriculum that
chased from the local Army-Navy
included daily prayers, Torah portion
surplus store.
of the week, art, development and
Here in Israel, an unmentionable
other heavy subjects for a little tyke?
number
of years later, The Book Bag
So off Yehuda went, with a multi-
is ubiquitous. From primary school to
colored backpack resembling a
high school, through university, it is a
baseball — the smallest backpack to
standard part of every stu-
be found in Jerusalem —
dent's
gear. It comes in all
strapped to his little back. It
sizes, shapes, colors and
performed yeoman's duty for
designs:
smaller bags deco-
a year, carting extra diapers
rated with the heads of
and a change of clothing to
Barbie and Cabbage Patch
day care, and in the evening
dolls, oversized designer
bringing home notes from the
knapsacks in tapestry fabrics.
"teacher" and the remains of
Di ane
Like Yehuda's first knap-
goodie bags handed out at a
Sch aefer
sack,
The Book Bag serves
never-ending succession of
App leTree
double, triple or quadruple
birthday parties.
Staff Writer
duty. It carries books, wal-
The following year, when
let, bus pass, food, drink and every-
Yehuda started nursery school, the
thing
else a typical student aged 5
baseball backpack was no longer
to 25 might need for a day at
large enough. A new backpack was
school and beyond.
purchased to hold the change of
When Yehuda's list of school sup-
clothing and other items he would
plies
was read off, the math and
need at school each day, and the
writing workbooks, pencils and pen-
baseball pack was relegated to stor-
cil case failed to impress. All Yehuda
age, to be inherited by Yehuda's
cared about was The Book Bag.
younger sister.
We opted for a no-nonsense, rec-
Unfortunately, the new backpack
tangular smart case (size small, but
did not prove to be as sturdy as its
still gargantuan relative to Yehuda).
predecessor, and it was replaced the
Once home, it was labeled and
following year by a miniature "smart
organized with school supplies, then
case" with handy, zippered pockets.
proudly displayed to Yehuda's father,
Then Yehuda was about to enter
the
neighbors and the owners of the
first grade, and he received his first
corner grocery store.
genuine list of school supplies.
It got its own hook on the family
Heading the list was The Book Bag.
coat rack, but the hook remained
Ah, The Book Bag.
empty for quite a while. Instead, at
When I was a student so many
night 5-year-old Yehuda fell asleep
years ago, The Book Bag was
with
The Book Bag cradled in his
unknown. Even if we walked to
arms. [i]
school and back, we shlepped the

W

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(248) 8 5 5 - 0 7 5

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Teaching Kids to Ski
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a blue bathing suit with a bow J a leather bomber polka-dot shorts

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,c771

DI)1,YwiN

286 Maple • Birmingham • 248-540-1977

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sassepuns 100D 61 Jelea/vv..5 41u>i puet4 e

11/7

1997

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