[HANASHIR:14710] Re: secular music

[Meris Ruzow <meris...>]

Rahel - You share an experience that many of my friends do - they were
born here; event went to day schools here (I did not).  They spent time
in Israel, ended up spending much of their lifetime there, have children
there, but they come back here.   When they return (and are working in
the educational field) they can't understand why American Jews feel and
act the way we do.   I think we all have to realize and accept that once
one goes to Israel, lives there for several years and comes back, they
are changed for good.   I wish to Gd that I could have that opportunity
and I'm thinking of going next summer again but maybe for a longer
period.   However ... I can fully understand how you feel and you have
every right to feel that way.  What I don't think you understand or
maybe just can't accept is that American Jews have never had "Lag
B"omer," or "Yom Yerushalayim" written on their calendars.   In fact the
principals at most supplemental schools hardly even touch upon those
holidays.    Before I worked at a day school (the last 6 years) I only
knew supplemental schools.  Even having grown up at an orthodox shul, I
knew nothing about many of these holidays, nor did my parents coming
from an Ashkenazic background.   To this day I am still angry about the
fact that I learned to speak Hebrew saying "kain" for yes instead of
"ken!"   (Well maybe angry is the wrong word, but you know what I mean).

There are differences that we just have - period.  What we have to do, I
think, is teach MORE ISRAEL in any of our curricula.  We have to promote
programs that bring kids to Israel.  We have to have more Israeli fairs,
bring Israelis to our schools with pictures, stories and songs; we have
to teach the HERE AND NOW about being Jewish - and not just bible
stories.  Our kids will have very little connection to bible stories and
heroes (even tho' they need to know some); but if an Israeli child,
adult or grandparent comes in and speaks with our classes, I believe
this will make more of an impression.
I'm going on too long but only because I hear you and and I understand
you but I also know what most of the members of this list serve have as
their experience - 
May we all have the strength to listen and learn from eachother; and to
keep on listening and learning.  May we all strive for the opportunity
to visit Israel - it will change your life.
Meris Ruzow
meris (at) nycap(dot)rr(dot)com
 
 
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 rahel
Sent: Saturday, June 21, 2003 4:18 PM
To: hanashir (at) shamash(dot)org
Subject: [HANASHIR:14709] Re: secular music
 
At 02:05 PM 6/21/2003 +0000, you wrote:


Hello:

Hi. 



I have spent the past half an hour trying to figure out what to say.
And you know...it doesn't matter. 

First, what you have say matters. 



 I didn't miss Sholom's point. 




The point being: too little time for jewish education? 




I just think that it's idealistic, and blind to the reality of the
Jewish people.


I think I need to clarify where my viewpoint is coming from. I was born
and raised an American - having been subjected to a Reform and a
Conservative Jewish approach. I say "subjected to" because that is how
it felt as a young child living in America with no apparent Jewish
emphasis at home - except for participation in the usual High Holiday
services and meals. As a young adult, I went to Israel for a short stint
and stayed for over 20 years. I "grew up" in Israel - in many ways - but
what is relevant to this discussion is that I grew up musically - being
exposed to so many musical cultures all existing within the Jewish State
(including the non-Jewish ones!) and also, I "grew up" in a Jewish
sense. I played music all the time. I was a member of duos, trios,
theater troupes, old-timey and bluegrass bands, contemporary, jazz,
blues, and pop groups and, an Orthodox Jewish Women's band - playing for
women only because of the Jewish halachic laws regarding the hearing of
a woman's voice (kol isha). 

In a Jewish State, one doesn't have to go far, or do much, to know s/he
is Jewish. It's right there in your face 24/7. Like it or not.

I played and performed secular (not Jewish) music all over Israel - I
helped grow the Jacob's Ladder Folk Festival. I helped establish folk
clubs. I helped create and institute music programs for babies and young
children in day-care facilities. I learned to speak Hebrew. I studied
Jewish text in different Yeshiva's every now and then. In short, my
Jewish education came from living as a Jew, amongst Jews from all over
the world. 

I've met and mingled with Jews from Ethiopia, Iran, India, Yemen,
Russia, Rumania, Morocco, Kurdistan, England, Australia, New Zealand...
you name it - we had it - Jews from every corner of the earth - all
living our Jewish lives together. We shared our Jewish cultures, foods,
and music, as well as our secular influences. I've heard people's living
stories of persecution and of the struggle, will and desire to live
fully and freely as Jews. I've witnessed the importance of securing in
any way possible the continuation of our Jewish heritage. 

When you suggest that someone is thinking in an idealistic manner and
may be perhaps "blind to the reality of the Jewish people" - I have to
jump in and disagree. I think that there is a lot of Jewish reality out
there that, (forgive me for making this blanket generalization and
perhaps offending anyone in the process) - that perhaps American Jews
are unaware of. 

I've been back in America since 1998. I was born and raised here, but
after almost 5 years of trying to re-adjust to my American life, it is
still difficult for me to live here. I have had to make great efforts in
order to remember that I am Jewish. I have to go out of my way to find a
Jewish community I can feel a part of. I have enrolled my children in
Sunday school much to their dismay. They tell me that I don't have to
worry about them knowing they are Jewish because they know they were
born in Israel and know who they are - Jews. I keep my eye on the
calendar - I've had to write in all the Jewish holidays and if I don't
look at my calendar, I will miss one when it comes around. I could never
miss one in Israel because the whole country was observing it in one way
or another (sort of like not missing Christmas - l'havdeel). As a music
teacher in Israel I celebrated each and every holiday every year - first
by preparing for it for at least two weeks in advance and finally
celebrating when it came around. I had to learn and teach all the songs,
dances and come up with creative ideas. I wasn't always happy to have to
plan and prepare and celebrate all those holidays every year, but now
that I am here I can feel them inside of me. They've become me. I don't
feel right when they pass by me/us without a word. Rosh HaShanah and Yom
Kippur sit so heavily upon me as a time of self-reflection, forgiveness
and awe - that I actually REFRAIN from my songleading duties in order to
immerse myself in deeper prayer and reflection at that time. (To
everything turn turn turn... - yes - that's from a Jewish source!!!). 

Time.... we have very little of it here on earth. What Sholom has
suggested is that we learn to use it wisely. 

"You can only use the time for one thing or another, and then the time
passes. Most Jews spend a very limited time involved with anything
Jewish -- and so we ought to make the most of our time."

As Jews teaching in a Jewish setting,I feel that we ought to be putting
our energies into things Jewish. THIS is our reality. It's not
idealistic. It's the reality of how and why we have survived for so many
generations - in spite of all the efforts to have us done away with.
Will the Arabs succeed in pushing us out to the sea? They will if we
forget who we are. 

To quote Sholom again: 

The more we play secular music, the more we give the message that our
Jewish tradition has nothing to say on the matter.

And again: 

In case we haven't noticed -- our American Jewish population is
hemorrhaging. While America's population has grown over 40% in the last
generation, the Jewish population has shrunk 10-15%. We, as educators,
are on the front line to educate our people, lest they find that Judaism
is irrelevant to their lives and they leave.

I didn't know this fact about American Jewish life before Sholom stated
it. 



I have a wonderful job, at a Jewish camp this summer.  I am looking
forward to singing a mix of music, because that is how I see it.  We
have never had an attendance problem at camp, and have been playing
secular music for decades.
~smile always~
-Joy Newman

Camp is camp. Jewish camp ought to be about Judaism. 

Rahel