[HANASHIR:14429] Re: Singing in Hebrew

[Meris Ruzow <meris...>]

Nicely put Karen!   Yes, creating memories, experiences and inspiring
our kids to learn.  How wonderful that your son was so involved with his
siddur.  And mazel tov!
Meris
 
Meris (at) nycap(dot)rr(dot)com
 
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org [mailto:owner-hanashir (at) 
shamash(dot)org] On
Behalf Of Danielkare (at) aol(dot)com
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2003 12:37 PM
To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Subject: [HANASHIR:14425] Re: Singing in Hebrew
 
In a message dated 5/23/2003 10:38:41 AM Central Daylight Time,
rahel (at) empire(dot)net writes:



think that the basic attitude should be that it is
>fun to sing songs in a foreign language!



Why is it so hard for Jews to be Jewish?


Being Jewish has so many different meanings...I think you mean, why is
it so hard for Jews to accept and embrace (for example) their linguistic
heritage.  

Yesterday my 7-yr-old son received his own personalized siddur at a
ceremony at his Jewish day school.  Although not required by any
homework assignment, he spent all evening immersed in it...reading and
singing the prayers he knew (the entire Ashrei, the entire Aleinu,
etc.).  This morning on the way to school, he was trying to sing Aleinu,
the V'al kayn part, and I was singing with him.  He noticed that I was
singing it by memory, not reading anything.  Yes, I said, that's what
you will be able to do, too.  

My POINT is that singing or reading in Hebrew becomes no longer
"something fun to do in a foreign language" but as much a part of us as
breathing or walking or using a mouse.... It's not foreign, it's our
language, it's in our hearts, it's in our memories, it's in our souls.
It just takes certain experiences in each of our lives to get to that
point, especially when our homes are not immersed in Jewish
tradition....  

For me, and perhaps for my son, it is and was the Jewish day school
experience; for my daughter, it was probably her 10th grade trip to
Israel; for some it's Jewish camp or Hava Nashira or CAJE.  

Isn't that "our" job, to try to be at least part of that experience for
the people we come in contact with through our musical endeavors, so
that Hebrew, Yiddish, Israel, Jewish traditions, won't be foreign, but
will be just as natural as breathing....

-Karen Daniel
www.karendaniel.com