Good Morning/Broken Toe!

The JCC did a great job with their children's programs during their recent Jewish Book Fair. My husband and I took our son to the Noah and the animals event (how fun it was to see him doing the limbo and dancing with an elephant and a zebra...and to party with a female Noah) and we also attended the Goodnight Schma reading with the grandparents. As the later activity got started I heard the organizers saying "Broken Toe! Broken Toe!" and I suddenly realized that I had heard this before - the day I took my son to the Rosh Hashanah tot program. This was the phrase I tried so desperately to remember to ask my husband about later in the day. I knew the teacher really wasn't singing "broken toe" but I thought it was close enough to what she was saying that someone would be able to translate it for me. No such luck, none that is until last weekend's author reading! As the author and organizer started greeting everyone, and the many children in attendance answered back, it suddenly dawned on me that what I was hearing was the Hebrew word for good morning (or good day), "Boker Tov" (boh-kehr tohv). My knowledge of Hebrew has begun!

4th Annual JCCNV Jewish Book Festival

The book festival begins this Sunday, November 8 and runs through November 15^th at the JCC on Little River Turnpike in Fairfax. There are a number or speakers and book signings, three great activities for children, and promises to be a great way for everyone to add to their Jewish book collection – something for all ages! One of the activities this Sunday features a visit from Noah himself (bring your camera!) a story reading, and participants are asked to bring donations for the local animal shelter. How can you miss such a good cause? For more details on this, and other events, check out the JCC website at http://www.jccnvorg. See you there!

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kipper with a Toddler – Learning on the Run!

Last month was my first experience with High Holiday services with a toddler. As we are not yet members of a synagogue, we went to services with relatives. I only attended the beginning of Rosh Hashanah services before taking my son to the toddler service. We both enjoyed the singing and I learned a few things as well – like the shofar is not blown on Rosh Hashanah when it falls on Shabbat. It was fun to hear my son shout out the words he knew, like shofar and challah, and watch his interest in learning a few more words. I still have a lot to learn – in the toddler room we sang a wonderful little hello song to each child, but I had never heard the words before and I had a hard time remembering it enough to ask others what it meant….my best attempt at repeating what we sang drew strange faces from my family. I think there are a lot more Tot Shabbat services in my future!

The synagogue we attended is conservative, and the service was all in Hebrew (for the small parts I attended). Even though I do not understand what is being said, I always find the service to have a musical like quality; it is a comforting sound and I enjoy following along in English when it is time. My husband often sings prayers in Hebrew and my son really enjoys it – no doubt he is enjoying what he is hearing although he does know know the meaning yet either.

We hope to belong to a synagogue soon, which would make attending High Holiday services much more meaningful next year for us all. In the mean time, it is a start and I will always have fond memories of the challah and honey shared with my toddler at our first Tot Shabbat!