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OPINION

The Rocking Chair Mitzvah
And Presence Of Children

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wanted to feel the surge in my arms
wonderful, something waiting to be
cannot recall my cradle. I don't
and
legs,
have
my
body
play
with
used for mitzvahs.
remember if someone rocked it
gravity,
and
push
myself
to
a
new
We need a few rocking chairs in the
with their hands or a foot while
limit every time.
sanctuary.
they read me stories or recited
And I can remember
Any time an infant or child begins
nursery rhymes or sang
every
porch where my
to cry, the parent can just move to the
songs to me. I don't even
friends had the two-seater
rocking chair and calm the infant or
know if I ever had one, but
chairs
hanging
from
chains
child
by that marvelous rocking.
the rocking motion is some-
attached
to
the
ceiling
where
Or
— better yet — they can pass the
where in the memory of my
I
lazily
swung
myself
back
child
or
infant to one of the elders who
bones, and I can most cer-
and
forth.
might
just
be sitting there thinking,
tainly close my eyes and
If I am a guest in your
"Oh, how I would love to hold that
remember nearly every ham-
house and you have a rocking
baby or child, just for a few minutes."
mock I snoozed in in the last
chair, I will need a sign on it
Think of the benefits:
30 years.
saying,
"Reserved
for
Siegel."
—
Congregants will be given the
I can picture the trees to
DAN NY
All
off-hours
from
lecturing
opportunity
to donate a rocking chair,
which they were tied, feel
SIE GEL
and
eating
and
sleeping,
I
can
a
very
great
act
of tzedakah.
the sunshine on my skin, the
Spec ial to
be
found
there.
If
you
want
—
Rowdiness
or loud crying will
breeze, the self-propelled or
The Jew ish News to talk Torah or mitzvah pro-
become quiet talk or cooing.
friend-propelled swinging
jects with me, we will have to
— Parent and child or elder and
slowing, slowing from slow
do it there. If you
child will have a c,
to slower to a resting position at the
want to leave me
few great moments
bottom of the arc. By then, I was
alone
to
rest
and
of human warmth
asleep and not to be bothered until
nap,
then
leave
me
to share.
my natural time clock said it was time
alone
there.
— The children
to return to the world of the awake.
Winding
down
will
remain in syna-
And I can remember the swings of
from high emotion
gogue; the congre-
primary and elementary school and
will be done there.
gation will be com-
how high I tried to go and how I had
Peace of mind will
plete, intergenera-
to pump with my legs so hard to gain
be found there.
tional to the nth
a few inches until I was almost parallel
Join
me
in
the
liv-
degree; there will be(
to the playground.
ing
room
or
leave
hope
for the future;
I can remember being admired by
If I am a guest in your house and you
me
be.
I'll
manage,
people
will feel
the other kids (and warned of the dan-
have a rocking chair, I will need a
as
long
as
I
have
a
good,
and
the ser-
gers by my teachers) for my skill. I
sign on it saying, "Reserved for
rocking
chair.
vice
will
continue
as
SiegeL"
was good, really good at it, though I
There is some-
before with words
didn t really care about good. I only
thing about that
of prayer and words
Danny Siegel is a Rockville, Mary-
rocking and swinging motion that
of Torah flowing more smoothly and
land-based poet, author and lecturer.
does something to the human brain,
mightily for the presence infants and
He's founder of the Ziv Tzedakah Fund.
something fine, and comforting, and
children. ❑
r/

I

'

the

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PASSION FOR THE ROAD . "'

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Mercury

GIL PRATT
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Your West Side Specialist
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6/19
1998

30

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LETTERS

fer in important ways from what
Jews have historically believed. Such
acceptance is necessary to show
respect for what our ancestors
REALLY believed. This is a coura-
geous step that Humanistic Judaism
has taken and one of the reasons I
identify with its philosophy.
Michael Egren
Bloomfield Hills

The Festival
Proved A Hit

A quick note of thanks and mazel toy
for a job well done to the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
the Michigan/Israel Connection, the
Jewish Experience For Families
(JEFF), the Jewish Community Cen-
ter/Jimmy Prentis Morris Branch and

all the volunteers: Israel Fest '98 was
great.
It was wonderful to be with the
whole Jewish community having fun.
After all, let us not forget that we
really are one.
Freya B. Weberman
Royal Oak

Double Agenda
Food For Thought

Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein likes to por-
tray himself as the courageous but
misunderstood liaison between Jews
and evangelical Christians ("In The
Middle" May 29).
In reality, this is no brave middle-
man but a clever opportunist, as
James Besser noted, "knowing just
what buttons to push." To the Jewish

community, he says, "I am working
to neutralize Christian conversion
attempts," and to Christians he says,
"You can bless the Jewish people and
fulfill biblical prophecy if you'll just
give to this cause (and shut up about<
Jesus)."
I am actually pleased that Rabbi
Eckstein so openly declares his con-
tempt for Christian evangelism. I
will be sure to forward his comments
to every high-profile evangelical
leader he associates with. Perhaps
when they see his true feelings, he
won't have the same success shnorringi,
from them.
Furthermore, when Christians learn
of his double agenda, they will think
twice about giving to his organization.
I'm going to see that they do.
Glenn Harris
Birmingham

