Download LDOR V DOR D`VAR TORAH

L’DOR V’DOR D’VAR TORAH
Judaism is the religion we believe in, and for lots of us the way in which we think,
act, and live our lives. It gets passed down from generation to generation with its
traditions and its importance remaining relevant in every generation. Some of us
were taught through our temples, Jewish day schools, camp and our parents, but that’s not how it used to
be.
The third line of the V’ahavta in English says “You shall teach them diligently unto thy children, when you
walkest by the way, when you liest down, and when you risest up.” But what does this mean? This line
expresses the importance of Judaism being a 24/7 way of life. Even thousands of years ago there was
such a large emphasis on the importance of teaching the generation to come and having them practice
their Judaism as it fuses into their daily activities.
We are the next generation and the future of Judaism. We have a call to action, and an obligation to our
people and the future generations. It has become increasingly harder to engage teens in Jewish Life and
have Jewish Community involvement despite all of the options for Jewish teenagers. There is no extreme
motivation to have Jewish knowledge or stay involved like there was during times of oppression like the
Holocaust. The drive to be knowledgeable does not exist, but the necessity of it still does. Judaism has
been around for thousands of years, are we going to be the last generation? Are we going to let the
efforts exerted and oppressions endured by the previous generations serve no purpose?
We have an immense amount of pride for Judaism, with no shortage of spirit. That is very reassuring
when it comes to instilling passion, but what is the good of a generation of Jewish people if they do not
practice tradition or abide by any Jewish laws because they don’t know any better. We need to shift
ourselves from feeling good about our Judaism to understanding and teaching it to our regions, chapters,
and friends. Saying the Shema and Amida while forming a close spiritual connection is one thing but what
are we going to do for our kids when we teach it and they ask what it means?
When something becomes a way of life, it is continued throughout life even though it can sometimes take
a vacation (time off). For example, when a child learns Tzedakah and gets in the practice of giving a little
each year, that will grow with them and they will always understand the need. If one does not give when
they are young, it is a major task to get them to start or give generously later on. I feel the same way
about Judaism as a whole. If the desire to live as an informed Jew is instilled early it will never go away.
The major task is getting our generation to understand the need to pass along more to the next
generation than just the idea that “we are Jewish.” Just knowing that “we are Jewish” doesn’t materialize
into the practice of traditions, observance of holidays, and a strong background of Judaism in general. If
we can inspire our generation of young people to practice Judaism and learn more at their own pace, we
will have formed the foundation of a lifelong commitment. As my dad has observed, “most people don't
wake up to the importance of this until they are parents and if they don't have a start, it is quite a major
task to start learning while living busy daily lives.”
A large goal of this program, L’dor V’dor, is to setup the next generation of Judaism with a knowledge
base that will ensure the life of the Jewish People. It is not our job to teach everybody about Judaism or to
have all of the answers, it is our job to show them the path to knowledge. We’re trying to bridge the gap
from lack of understanding to the tools and connections to finding the answer.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel either when the resources are readily available. The Torah, where
we gain our code of ethics and commandments, is a story split into 52 parts called parsheot. After reading
a few parsheot you will start to see not only how interesting and enlightening the stories are but you will
discover how relatable the stories and morals are to your everyday life. So try printing off this weeks
parsha, or finding them in your bar/bat mitzvah chumash, every Thursday night and have a family
discussion about it each week. Discuss the 10 commandments, one per night, with your family and then
dive into the rest of the ever so many 613 mitzvot, or commandments. We should be teaching how to live
our lives Jewishly with everything we do. We should teach how to be thankful for everything that we do as
it is a miracle to have the abilities we do as humans. Saying the “Modeh Ani” every morning and being
thankful for waking up in the morning is a simple yet powerful Jewish custom. We should all be
knowledgeable of the holidays and festivals we celebrate since our ancestors gave up a lot and struggled
greatly for us to be able to celebrate. Dissection of prayers, what they mean and how they’re used should
be a top priority for meaningful prayer as well. Through these chosen methods each individual will create
themselves differently. The sky is the limit because there is so much to learn and so much to gain.
Judaism is based around the key aspect of a family unit. We are (for the most part) products of our
parents and gain insight like they do. This is important because not every Jewish parent knows what to
teach and pass on from Judaism. Can our parents answer our questions directly or at least lead us to the
fruit of knowledge which bears the answers to our sacred Jewish learning? Your family should not feel
overwhelmed by this process, as they are not alone in this endeavor. Many people have lost what things
to pass on as Jewish parents to their kids, so an outside source should fill those breaks in tradition. Just
like in old times, a great place to find answers to Jewish questions is a local rabbi. A huge part to gaining
an understanding of Judaism is to build for yourself a network of trusted rabbis, individuals, and sources
to use for information.
In my opinion, there are 4 main sources of learning Judaism outside of the family, also referred to as the
gateways to Judaism. There are Jewish day schools, Hillels, synagogues, and Federations. We as high
schoolers are right between day schools and Hillels which leaves us a little bit more in the dark than we
should be. In order to change the drought of Jewish learning in an average teen's life, we need to change
the mindset. Kids cant look at a Bar or Bat Mitzvah as an end of Jewish learning, but instead it should be
looked at as a beginning and a true induction to the Jewish religion which has prospered for thousands of
years. It should be viewed as an opportunity to grow and a network of friends to fall back on. While the
children are growing up, the parents first priority is to create an environment where the kids will desire to
learn, study, connect, and improve on their Judaism driving them to find answers for themselves. Schools
today, public or private, do not teach everything a kid needs to know for the rest of their lives. What
schools do teach is how to find answers for ones self. Some will embark on a much deeper form of
learning Judaism through a Yeshiva or a Cheder while others may just be content with instilling the basic
traditions into their lives. The thing to remember when making these choices is to know who your trusted
sources are so your Jewish learning never dies.
420 BCE, 70 CE, 1492, 1939-1945, 1948, 1967,1973. These and other dates need to resonate in our
heads as Jewish people. 420 BCE-Destrcution of the First Temple, 70 CE-Destruction of the Second
Temple, 1492-Jews expelled from Spain in the Spanish Inquisition, 39’-45’- The Holocaust. 1948- The
Establishment of the State of Israel, 11 minutes later, Harry Truman Recognizes Israel as a country being
the first one to do so, 1967- The Head turning Triumphant victory of Israel in the 6 day war, October
1973- The Yom Kippur War
Judaism on its own is an unbelievably well put together and tight bonded fraternity and sorority as it offers
immediate acceptance and mutual understanding to fellow Jewish people. The methods to attract the kids
back into Judaism needs to be as modern and exciting as the times currently are while preserving the
sacred tradition that has provided the energy to move us forward. The main point of the program is to
raise awareness and shed light on issues of Jewish knowledge and tradition. The hope is to show people
the way, let them see the light, and give them the tools to find the answer. The hope is to make visible the
necessity to carry on what is being taught. “When you make a problem visible, together we can find a
solution."
Let’s renew a commitment to lifelong Jewish learning here and now at this Shabbat celebration. Pick one
thing you will do either to start this process or to continue it. Share it with your neighbor if you are
comfortable. Now think about how you and your family can be a support network in this endeavor.
Shabbat Shalom!
DATES:
420 BCE (Destrcution of the First Temple)
70 CE (Destruction of the Second Temple)
1400 First known occurances of bar mitzvah ceremony
1492 Jews expelled from Spain in the Spanish Inquisition.
1933- Hitler and The Nazi Party take power in Germany
1939-1945- the holocaust
1945-Germany Surrendurs/Nuremberg Trials
1948- The State of Israel is Established.
11 minutes later, Harry Truman Recognizes Israel as a country being the first one to do so.
1967- The Head turning Triumphant victory of Israel in the 6 day war
October 1973- The Yom Kippur War
th
September 17 1978- The Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel
th
November 4 , 1995- the Assassination of Yitzchak Rabin