I just finished Amy Bergman’s “Back to School and Shul” posting from her blog, and I wanted to offer a Jewish spin on making the first day of school extra special for you and your child. Thousands of years ago, Jewish sages realized that there are life-changing events in our lives that invite a moment of thanks. They used the examples of building a new house or seeing an old friend after a very long time. They developed a special blessing called the “Shehecheyanu” to celebrate these unique moments.
As parents, we are always seeking teachable moments. The first day of school is full of excitement and it is the perfect moment for teaching our children that Judaism understands that special moments should be recognized, acknowledged and savored.
A more elaborate explanation of the Shehecheyanu, including the actual blessing and an MP3 file on how to say the blessing is located at the following link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shehecheyanu
Enjoy the first day of school!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
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