[HANASHIR:14389] Re: Kids' Songs

[Sholom Simon <sholom...>]

>First of all, I do not believe that using 50% secular music defeats the 
>purpose of ANYTHING!!!

I guess it depends on what you think "the purpose" is.

The purpose, in my mind, of a _Jewish_ day camp, it to inculcate Jewish 
life and Jewish values to the campers.  Why _else_ have a Jewish day camp?

R Eric Yoffie, leader of the Reform movement, claims that our generation is 
simultaneously the most literate generation in history, and the most 
Jewishly illiterate generation in history.  Jewish camp is a way to help 
rectify that.

>Why should it matter if it's a Jewish song about family or Harry Chapin's 
>"Cats in the Cradle", or Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game"?

Because a Jewish song, if it fits the bill, can also teach that these 
values are part and parcel of Judaism.

>What are we teaching our children if we only use Jewish music?

That Judaism has a lot to say about, and is relevant to, everyday life.

>Do we want to see our kids grow up isolated from the world (to exaggerate)??

*That is exactly the point*

I get the feeling that those who _require_ 50% non-Jewish songs are scared 
of this, when nothing could be further from the truth.  Unless a kid lives 
in the middle of Boro Park, or New Square, and his family does not own a 
TV, there is no chance in a million that he can grow up isolated from the 
world!

Do these kids own TV's?  Do they go to movies?  Listen to radio or own 
CD's?  Do they have Christian neighbors?  Do they go to public school?

If so, they get plenty of secular everything.  Having a Jewish day camp, 
with as much Jewish content as possible, helps in a small way to "even the 
score" so to speak.

>I see camp as an opportunity to teach them the value of music in general

_Jewish_ day camp is not for teaching the value of music in general -- it's 
for teaching the value of Judaism in general.

>and to expose them to artists that they might not get the chance to sing 
>in school.

Harry Chapin, Joni Mitchel, etc., are on the radio.  Jewish songs are not.

>It's about helping the campers to find the type of music that they enjoy, 
>Jewish or not, and working with them to develope a life-long love for the 
>artform.  I would much rather have a child be excited about coming to 
>music because he enjoys singing Leaving on a Jet Plane, amidst the Bayom 
>Hahu's, than not want to come at all.

I am not against teaching secular songs at a Jewish day camp.  You need the 
songs that fit, and if a suitable Jewish song doesn't fit, then another 
ought to be used.

But I find extremely disconcerting the idea of setting up a requirement, 
ahead of time, of a rather large quota of non-Jewish songs.

-- Sholom


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