[HANASHIR:8068] Re: What makes a song Jewish (Tu B'Shevat songs)

[Freedabet <Freedabet...>]

Ok, out of love we'll teach a curriculum based in Hebrew language, content 
and literacy.  Any curriculum which emphasizes love over these things is 
fraught with peril as demonstrated by Dennis Prager's question to middle 
schoolers - 'Given that you can only save one from drowning, would you save a 
stranger or your dog that you love?'  In 'regular school' one third say the 
stranger, one third say the dog, one third don't know, and the one third that 
answer 'the stranger' won't say that the others are wrong.  Except that kids 
in a Jewish day school would all save the stranger first.  I would fear that 
the 'loving curriculum's' students' answers would be different than the 
'Jewish content and literacy' students' answers.

And, by the way, I think that by making a big deal out of the Tu B'shevat 
Seder, we diminish the power of the Passover Seder, just as by making the 
Festivals into 8 days (from their Torah-based 7) we diminish their importance 
and symbolism and increase the relative importance of Chanukah (which is 
celebrated for 8 days, but is not one of the 'Three Festivals' mandated in 
the Torah).

Michael

P.S.  For Torah study on-the-go, I highly recommend Dennis Prager's tape 
series to you.  Genesis, Exodus and the beginning of Numbers are currently 
available.  See dennisprager.com for more info.


-------- REPLY, Original message follows --------

> Date: Thursday, 25-Jan-01 01:55 AM
> 
> From: Rglauber (at) aol(dot)com         \ America Online: (RGLAUBER)
> To:   Hanashir Mail Server     \ Internet:    (hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org)
> 
> Subject:  [HANASHIR:8063] Re: What makes a song Jewish (Tu B'Shevat songs)
> 
> Sender: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> Reply-to:       hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> To:     hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
> 
> In a message dated 1/24/01 5:28:43 PM, erics (at) radix(dot)net writes:
> 
> << our kids, particularly those
> in Sunday schools, are getting nowhere near the education that prior
> generations did.  (Not for nothing does Eric Yoffie assert that we are the
> most Jewishly illiterate generation in history).
>  >>
> 
> Eric,
> 
> You used this argument to extol a Jewish education model based on Hebrew 
> language, content and literacy (I would imagine).  We'll do our own songs, 
> we'll give the students lots of content because we are the most Jewishly 
> illiterate generation in history.
> 
> I see this as based on fear.  As in, the fear that we're losing our 
identity, 
> fear of intermarriage etc.   Ironically, I believe that it is this very 
model 
> which has caused people to turn away.  Because it's based on fear.
> 
> Better we should teach a Judaism based on love.  One that feels positive, 
> that instills confidence.  .  To base the success of Jewish Education in 
> America 2001, on literacy and content is to make a mistake.  
> 
> Rich Glauber
> 
> 
> 
> 

-------- REPLY, End of original message --------

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