[HANASHIR:8681] Re: Teaching Chad Gadya and a defense for new songleaders

[QuelliPG <QuelliPG...>]

In a message dated 3/28/01 12:34:17 PM, agg3 (at) po(dot)cwru(dot)edu writes:

<< My immeidate

question was, "what does it mean?"  That is, what does Chad Gadya have to do

with Pesach, and can I convey that message to this age-group.  If we can't

answer that question about any song we are teaching, then we are not

teaching it! >>

Good point!   I agree that it's critical for those of us who teach Jewish 
music, liturgy, etc. to know what we're saying and why...  Chad Gadya is 
actually not a children's song at all... it represents the survival of the 
Jewish people in spite of enemies trying to destroy us throughout our history 
and indeed, it represents the victory of LIFE over DEATH.  In the "Olam 
haba", the world to come, there will be no death - only life.  Judaism is all 
about the quest for life (that is the basis for kashrut and many other parts 
of Jewish law) - in the song, the final verse is God defeating the angel of 
death... life wins over death.  and God wins in the end...   for more on this 
idea, read Rabbi Neil Gilman's book, "The Death of Death".     
Having said all that, I think that there are some concepts that pre-school 
kids aren't ready to grasp.  This is probably one of them.  Another might be 
"mechayeh hametim", which is hard enuf for many adults to deal with.    I 
would probably not teach the english version of chad gadya to pre-school 
kids.  in fact, probably not any version - maybe just the two words.  there 
are so many other pesach songs that aren't so complicated.  of course it's a 
fun song to sing, but they can make animal sounds with "old mcdonald" and do 
other stuff for pesach.  Chad gadya is much better for older kids...  (my two 
cents) I teach K-3 Hebrew music at a dayschool and didn't even do chad gadya. 
 we sing "kadesh urchatz", kiddush, ma nishtana, avadim hayinu, the 10 
plagues, dayenu, v'nomar l'fanav, eliyahu hanavi, echad mi yodea, lashana 
haba-a biy'rushalayim.  plus simcha raba, and a few cute english songs like 
Joe Black's afikomen mambo and the frog song (which they're usually sick of 
after 3 years of singing it in pre-school)  With the middle school kids I 
work with, I add more english songs.  Thanks Joe Black for the "who let the 
slaves out".  

as for the teacher's negative comments- dispicable!  NEVER criticize a 
colleague in front of the students!  she should be bitten by a cat, hit with 
a stick and slaughtered by a shochet!   not to mention, pelted with matzo 
balls.

happy pesach to all.
Raquel Gershon

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