Happy Purim to all
It’s Purim tomorrow, and the mayhem has already begun. Kids across the country dressed up this morning ready to take to school in whatever outfits they had dreamed up – anything from male tooth fairies, to hippies, football stars, or dinosaurs.
After a wild weekend of raiding cupboards, empty toy shops, and friends’ homes, we were up at 6am, brushing wigs, combing out beards, and drawing wrinkles with my best eye liner on one child, and nuclear disarmament symbols on another. Ah, I love this holiday.
So in honor of Purim, here’s a video ISRAEL21c took last year, which gives you a flavor of what this whacky holiday is about.
Renewal
Filed under: A New Reality, History and Culture, Israeliness, Life, Profiles, War
It’s been said that everyone in Israel knows at least one family touched by terror, that is. The truth is, things are far better than they used to be on that front, certainly better than during they were six and seven years ago, when there seemed to be a bus bombing or shooting attack every week – and sometimes more often.
Terrorism aims to destroy lives – and often it does. But it’s not just lives: Families are never the same, even if the intended victim survives. Communities change, kids relate to their surroundings differently. We hear about the attacks, which make news for a few days, and move on; they often can’t. So when we see individuals and families who do manage to rebuild their lives, we can only stand back and gape in awe at their superhuman strength.
I had an “awesome” moment last night, when the son of a friend of mine got married. I won’t reveal their names, but I can tell you the story: While driving home from buying school supplies for the upcoming term, Jacob and Rachel (not their real names) were shot at by Arab terrorists. With them in the car were three of their five children. The shooter got their car point blank – killing Rachel, and leaving Jacob and their oldest daughter, Dina, in a wheelchair. Rachel was several months pregnant at the time. Also in the car were two boys – Shimon, 8, and Levi, 3. Not in the van were their oldest son Reuven, 13 (he had just had his bar-mitzvah two months earlier), and Sarah, 10.
Suffice to say that the family was shattered; the oldest boy became rebellious, the second son took after him, and the youngest boy, in the car when it happened, was basically shellshocked. Jacob tried as well as he could, but it was difficult juggling his family and work obligations. The community helped – a lot – but it just wasn’t the same. Rachel was one of those “super-moms” – always there for the kids, working to help others (she was a nurse), with a golden personality, always smiling. This was a family that had lost so much – and things looked bleak.
But the family experienced a rebirth – in large part thanks to Leah, whom Jacob married three years after losing Rachel. The kids were wary at first – she was a widow herself, and had three older kids of her own – and things were rocky at first. But with love and patience, things worked themselves out. The community helped a lot, too. Plus, the determination of Jacob – and the kids – not to give the terrorists the victory they so sorely sought.
And now see Reuven at his wedding! He grew up to be a fine, sensitive, scholarly young man, a veteran of the elite Duvdevan unit. The joy on his face, and on the faces of family and friends, was unique. This wasn’t just a wedding; it was a vindication, a confirmation of life, a message to the forces of darkness – Israel, and Israelis, are here to stay.
Do You Know Where Your Kids Are?
While Israeli kids are as much a part of the global “mall culture” (where kids hang out a the mall for endless hours) as any place else, kids still join youth groups in droves here. By “youth groups,” I mean groups of younger kids getting together at a clubhouse once or twice a week, where (some) educational and (mostly) fun activities are led by an older (16-17 year old) teenager. It’s informal education – actually, socialization – at its best, giving kids something to do other than watch TV and IM each other. 
There’s a “flavor” of youth group for everyone’s taste, from the generally Zionist Tzofim (Scouts) to the Labor/kibbutz affiliated No’ar Oved Velomed , the socialist Shomer Hatza’ir, and the modern-Orthodox Bnei Akiva. Bnei Akiva (which my kids belong to) this past weekend celebrated the culmination of a month long frenzy of play, song and dance production (“Chodesh Irgun”), in preparation for Saturday night’s presentations, which parents and graduates around the country came to see. Because it was such an intensive weekend – following an intensive month – most state religious elementary and high schools gave the kids a day off on Sunday.
Nearly all the youth groups (except for the Scouts, for the most part) are affiliated with a political movement that kids are expected to graduate into, and those movements are of course affiliated with political parties. Even though there are major differences between these movements, it’s easy to get confused, because on paper, all espouse very similar ideologies, activities, programs, and ideals. For example, the decidedly non-religious Shomer Hatza’ir prominently features on its web site a commentary on the Weekly Portion read in synagogue. All the groups sponsor trips and hikes around Israel, with kosher food for all the kids, and the Sabbath is generally commemorated by each group in its own way. As an Orthodox group, Bnei Akiva adheres to Halacha, with the major difference between it and the others being that most activities are not co-ed. All the youth groups are eligible for public funds, and membership is encouraged, with Scouts organizing inside state high schools, and Bnei Akiva holding activities in state religious schools.
Cynics (there are always going to be some!) would attribute Israel’s encouraging of youth groups – with “troops” organized around a “leader,” who answers to a “secretary” – as preparing kids for Army life. There is definitely a bigger push to “belong” here than there is among kids in the U.S., but preparation for the IDF it ain’t – it’s more about finding a place in society, meeting new kids (which you get to do on major hikes and activities that include kids from around the country), and just feeling comfortable with others their own age. Not that I have anything against the mall, but this is a lot cheaper – and healthier!
kIDs tALk NEWS: It is time the news is reported by the little people!
It is time to hear the news from kids! Enough of bias reporters and jaded stories…let’s hear what they have to say.
Ok…here you go. Check out what my video chug has been up to, reporting from the streets of Jerusalem. This news package is on cell phones. This is their first story of many to come. Also check out the blooper reel. And we want your feedback. Tell us what you think we should report. We would even be happy to report about your companies, non-profits, special events, interesting people, etc. Just let us know!
This post was originally published on The Big Felafel.
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