[HANASHIR:1655] Re: Help w/program notes

[Janice Steirn <jsteirn...>]

At 08:50 PM 10/29/98 PST, you wrote:
>Next week, my 4th graders are singing Lo Yisa Goi and Lo Alecha at the 
>Fri night service.  I want to have 2 children announce the song and give 
>a very brief description (2 sentences?) of what they're singing and why 
>it's important.  I've got the literal translations:
>
>Lo Alecha-It is not your duty to complete the work.  But neither are you 
>free to desist from it.
>
>Lo Yisa Goi-Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, nor ever 
>again shall they train for war.

In response to Carol's question, one thing I'd suggest for Lo Alecha is to
tie the intro into something going on in your community.  Is a new
Boys'/Girls' club being built?  Is someone working on Habitat for
Humanitity houses (I know it's a Christian movement, but it's a good one)?
You can have the child point out that, although we can't possibly build
enough (feed enough, heal enough) to house or care for all that needs
caring, it is still our responsibility to work toward the goal of Tikkun
Olam, repairing our world.  Children are very empathetic.  They will
understand and appreciate the acts of helping others.

Fortunately, our children are less understanding of war.  Unfortunately,
this means that whatever the child says is most likely going to sound like
adult words.  You could have a few children each become the voice of a
child from an earlier war ("My name is Yosef.  I lived in Germany 50 years
ago..."  "My name is Kim Lee.  I lived in Vietnam 35 years ago..."). After
each child gives a one or two line intro of themselves, and how he or she
died or how his or her life was changed by war, then they could all say
together, something like "But there will be a day when war will be no
more."  And start singing.

Too melodramatic?

We once hosted a Federation group from the north that had come south to
help rebuild one of the African American churches that was burned (we've
been having lots of trouble with that the last several years).  At Shabbat
dinner we started our zimerot with LoAlecha and dedicated it to them for
helping to rebuild, even though the building had started before they
arrived and would continue after they left.  All that mattered was that
they were there to help with a portion of the building.

Good luck with your services.

Janice




Dr. Janice N. Steirn
Department of Psychology
P.O. Box 8041
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA 30460
(912) 681-5505
Internet:  JSteirn (at) GaSou(dot)edu