[HANASHIR:12994] Re: Fw:Jewish Education, Jewish continuity...

[Eric Komar <ekomar...>]

Chevrei,

The article Shirona refers us to is thought-provoking, but I personally don't 
think that Jewish schools are any more responsible for raising decent Jews than 
regular schools are for raising decent citizens - it comes from the HOME. If 
Judaism is not embraced and perpetuated by the family, Jewish education is 
wasted. No school, day or afternoon, will connect a child to G-d.

I am in a position to see my theory in action. At one synagogue I teach at in 
Hillsborough, NJ, there is so much family commitment to Judaism that kids 
absorb and appreciate what they learn. A few years ago I helped initiate a 
Hebrew grammar and conversation curriculum to complement the prayer Hebrew 
which students begin in 3rd grade. And this is an *afternoon* school no less!. 

On the absolute contrary, at my religious school on Manhattan's Upper East Side 
- where parents take their kids out of the synagogue on weekends because they 
are vacationing in the Hamptons - the students learn nothing and appreciate 
nothing. For five weeks I have drilled the Chanukah candle blessings. The 
result? After Bar Mitzvah tutoring a 6th grader last night at his Park Ave. 
penthouse, the mother asks me to join them as they light the Chanukah candles. 
Not only can my student not recite a single blessing with me, but the mother is 
clueless as well (The father, who is Jewish but completely anti-Judaism, is not 
even at home).

How can we address this issue and still keep it within the realm of Jewish 
music, for which this list is intended? Very simple: we must understand how 
IMPORTANT our role is as Jewish music educators. Kids love music, and we all 
know how effective music is as a teaching tool. 

For every child that sings the songs in the hallways, we have succeeded.
For every child that has learned a Hebrew prayer or Jewish value through a song 
we taught them, we have succeeded.
For every child that asks to take a songsheet home so they can teach the songs 
at home, we have succeeded.
For every parent that asks for the music so they can enhance their Jewish home 
activities, we have succeeded.

It's happened to me (even in at the school in NYC) and it feels great. Let's 
reverse the statistics in that article just by continuing to do what we do best.

Chag sameach, - Eric


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eric Komar
Jewish Music Specialist - Songleader - Composer - Performer - Music 
Typesetting/Transcription - Guitar Lessons
NY-NJ Area
718.344.0440      www.librarystuff.net/eric







----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Danielkare (at) aol(dot)com 
  To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org 
  Sent: Tuesday, December 03, 2002 9:49 AM
  Subject: [HANASHIR:12993] Re: Fw:Jewish Education, Jewish continuity...


  Shirona (and others!), my son Nathan is in his second year at the local day 
school (which I attended as a child) and it's totally amazing how well he reads 
Hebrew (in first grade!) and how much he knows, compared to many 4th graders 
and even 6th graders I've taught in Sunday School.  

  In my opinion, however, it takes not only instruction and knowledge, but also 
an emotional component; an emotional, or spiritual, experience must take place 
for that caring about Judaism to occur and stick!  I myself experienced a 
strong connection to G-d and the Jewish people when I was immersed in my day 
school education, but even more so by being invited to experience Shabbat and 
other celebrations, outside of school time, with families more traditional than 
my own.  My brother attended the same day school, even more years than I did, 
and, sadly, has no connection with Jewish life whatsoever.  I guess I'm saying, 
Judaism lived and enjoyed, including what we music people do, can have a strong 
impact.  

  -Karen Daniel