Rays of Light: Jewish Life is Just One Big Celebration… NOT!

by Lali Ray

Summer is the time for contemplation. There are no holidays to celebrate—well, there’s Tisha B’Av but you only have to do that if you’re in camp, right? (Joke!) Maybe it’s time to think about the inordinate amount of time that we spend the rest of the year “teaching” holidays.

Rant of the Week

by Joel Lurie Grishaver

I hate model programs. If you live anywhere in the world of Jewish life, model programs seem to be the magical fountain of that life. Whether it is foundations, federations, synagogues, or individual teachers, the model of collecting “models” seems to be the latest messianic movement.

Go to a conference of teachers and you will find yourself glutted by the “handout queens.” These are Jewish education’s own “bag ladies.” Try to teach and you will find yourself attacked by an endless progression of people whose monologue begins, “I can’t…” and ends with “but can I have the handout?” It is as if the great teachers know the hidden path to the secret Sargasso Handout Sea—and the excellence of their instruction can be gleaned off old session outlines and worksheets designed to fit someone else’s teaching rhythm. I have often fantasized about offering a session called “classic handouts” and doing nothing more than bringing cartons of things I have passed out at previous sessions and let people pick over them at their will. I am convinced that it would be a great success.

Rays of Light: Was What You Thought You Heard What I Thought I Said?

by Lali Ray

My husband, Eric Ray (author of Sofer: The Story of a Torah Scroll) had a lovely experience some months back. He was doing a program on the Torah for a group of nursery school students. It was their custom to begin each day with the recitation of the Shema and then proceed to their activities of the day. After Eric’s portion of the program was over, one three year old came up to him and said, “Dr. Ray, is it true that God is One?” “Yes,” said Eric, “that’s right”. The child thought for a moment and then said, “When does He get to be two?”

If I remember correctly, a similar story triggered the title of Shema Is For Real. How do we know when our message is getting across?

Joel Grishaver

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I know a guy named Joel Grishaver. Isn’t that a funny name? Well, it’s true. His name really is Joel Grishaver.

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