USCJ: September 2005

Shiurim >> Archive >> September 2005

Shiurim

Those who upholdthe community are like stars forever. Who are they? The ones who teach the young.

- Baba Batra 8b

What is learned in early childhood is absorbed in the blood.

- Avot de Rabbi Natan 24

Questions for Discussion:

The rabbis of the time of the Talmud held the potential of early childhood in high regard. Why might they have felt this way?
Rabbi Natan is quoted as saying that the lessons of early childhood are "absorbed in the blood." Which of your own childhood experiences do you believe were absorbed in your blood?
The commandment to teach our children is found in the Torah, Deuteronomy 11:19: And you shall teach them [all of the commandments] to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk on the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up. What do you as a Jewish educator need to know in order to fulfill this commandment?
As a Jewish early childhood teacher, you uphold your community. What does this mean? How would you like to see this recognized by the community?
According to the rabbis, the experiences children have in your classroom will leave lasting impressions and form the foundation of each child's Jewish identity. What, therefore, should be included in these experiences?

Maxine Segal Handelman
Consultant for Early Childhood Education,
United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism