The Big Story
ing to package directions. Divide into equal parts. Add
blue food coloring to half the dough, and leave the
other half plain. Knead well, then let dough rest for
one hour on a floured baking sheet. Flatten each piece
of dough so that it's about 8" long. Stack pieces atop
each other in any order, then fold ends into middle. Set
dough in 8" greased loaf pan. Let rest for 30 minutes.
Bake in preheated oven at 350-degrees for about 30
minutes. Your lovely loaf will be blue and white, the
colors of the flag of Israel.
1 1"-1
Essence
According to the Tanach, Psalms 111:10, Proverbs
1:7, "The essence of knowledge is fear of the Lord."
L,
: Frankfurt
The first coeducational Jewish school in Germany
was opened in 1855 in Frankfurt. The headmaster was
Samson Raphael Hirsch (1808-1888), an Orthodox
rabbi who saw to it that students learned Hebrew,
Torah and Talmud, as well as secular subjects patterned
after the program at government-sponsored schools.
E : Gratz
The first Sunday school for American Jewish children
was established in 1838 in Philadelphia. The school,
founded by Rebecca Gratz, offered "free instruction in
Jewish history and related subjects to the Jewish chil-
dren of Philadelphia."
EU: C"h"eder
One of the better-known terms for a Jewish school,
actually cheder translates as "room." The word came
into popular use in the 13th century, when formal
schooling became popularized and a particular room in
a synagogue was set aside for educating Jewish children.
I : Israel
You can help your children become educated about
the State of Israel with this great game. Make an out-
line of the state, but draw nothing inside. Now, ask
each child to pick any city in Israel, find out its loca-
tion and do a bit of research. Some facts he or she
might want to learn: the city's population, historical
sites, exports. Then, have the child write this informa-
tion down on his blank map, adding a dot where the
city is located. If your children are feeling creative, they
can make illustrations, too, or otherwise decorate their
map. Then see if everyone can correctly guess each
other's city.
Loew
0 Way :Judah
ahead of his time, Rabbi Judah Loew (1525-
1609) of Prague asserted that assigning children to a
particular school or classroom based simply upon their
age was a waste of time. Instead, he said, children
should be first tested, then placed according to their
needs and interests. He also called for greater study of
mitzvot and Hebrew (and less of commentary, even -
those of the esteemed Rashi) and the introduction into
Jewish day schools of secular studies, especially science.
: Kindergarten
I
The first modern Hebrew kindergarten, where the
language was spoken and taught, was organized in
1909 in Warsaw by Yehiel Heilprin.
Literature
Make it a point this upcoming year (remember, Rosh
8/24
2001
92
Hashanah is just
around the corner)
to read at least four
classic texts of
Jewish literature.
Since 1947, the
Jewish Book
Council has pre-
sented annual
awards for the out-
standing Jewish
books of the year.
Where to start? At
the beginning, of
course. The first
book to receive the
council's award for
fiction was Howard
Fast's My Glorious
Brothers, while the
first book of poetry
so honored, in
1950, was Judah
Stampfer's Jerusalem
Below: Alec Cherrin plays ring toss ,at
Shaarey Zedek Beth Hayeled summer
camp in West Bloomfield. Craig -
Tarnopol waits his turn. Both 3-year-
olds are from West Bloomfield.
Above: Jared Moss, 3, of West
Bloomfield keeps cool in the sun at
Shaarey Zedek Beth Hayeled summer
camp with his ball cap, shades,
andfirezy pop.
Has Many Faces.
EW : Meir
Halevi Abulafia
Who's responsi-
bility- is it to pay for Jewish education? For centuries,
documents have outlined that it is the responsibility of
a community, not family alone, to see to the Jewish
education of children. Meir Halevi Abulafia, a 13th-
century leader in Spain, declared, "communities must
engage teachers for young children; and in smaller vil-
lages ... it is the duty of the entire community, and not
only of the children's parents, to pay [the teachers]."
Also extant are documents from the 15th century that
specifically outline the ways in which communities
must pay for Jewish education. These include taxes on
meat and wine, as well as on weddings, circumcisions
and even funerals.
: New York
M
The first survey of Jewish education was made in
New York in 1910. Mordecai M. Kaplan and Bernard
Crouson, working on behalf of the New York-based
Committee on Jewish Education, found that of the
some 200,000 Jewish children of school age who
resided in the city, between 21-24 percent were receiv-
ing a Jewish education. (Numerous cities throughout
the country soon conducted their own surveys, with
essentially the same results.)
0 : Outback
Want to learn a bit about the outback? Take a trip to
www.join.org.au the Jewish Ozzies Inter.Net (that's the
"join" in the Web address). Learn everything you
always wanted to know, and more, about Jewish
Australia.
Pencil case
Make a great pencil case for your child by using per-
manent markers on a clear, plastic container (found at
any discount or office-supply store). Write his or her
name in Hebrew on the cover.
Quick
Looking for a quick, fun way to help your child learn
how to write his or her Hebrew name?
Buy a white T-shirt, or apron, or pair of
tennis shoes and a permanent marker. Let
your son or daughter write his or her name as many
times as possible all over the clothing or shoes. If your
child hasn't memorized the name after writing it plenty
of times, rest assured he will by seeing it every time he
wears it.
Respect
a
Kibood av v'em — respect your father and mother, is
one of the most vital mitzvot (commandments) of the
Torah. Sit down today and spend time with your par-
ents. Ask them the most important lessons they have
learned in their lives.
Sarah Scheirer
The Bais Yaakov (Beth Jacob) schools for girls began
thanks to the efforts of Sarah Schnirer (1883-1938). A
Polish-Jewish seamstress, Schnirer had long lamented
the fact that boys received a formal Jewish education,
but girls did not. Consequently, she organized a class
specifically for girls. This quickly grew into a series of
schools, which by 1938 numbered 230 in Poland
alone.
: Trip
Take a trip through the Encylopedia Judaica and vow
to learn a new Jewish fact every day.
United States
The first Jewish school in the United States came
with the establishment of Congregation Sheraith Israel
in New York City. When in 1729 the synagogue erect-
ed its facility, it asserted that the building was "to be
used also as a study hall for pupils." Soon to follow
with synagogue-schools were Philadelphia in 1759,
Newport in 1770, Charleston in 1801 and Cincinnati
in 1824.
:
7 : an Raalte
Who was Eduard E. Van Raalte? You can have a lot
of fun, and learn a lot, by playing the Jewish Figures