The teacher did a fabulous job with 2 and 3 year olds and this year the program included talk about tashlikh - the throwing away of one's sins for the new year, done symbolically by throwing bread crumbs into a moving body of water. The teacher asked if anyone had ever made a mistake and my son quickly raised his hand. I smiled, wow, such an honest boy! (Never mind the fact that the next day he asked me what a mistake was.) Another little boy in the audience volunteered the fact that his brother made a lot of mistakes, bringing laughter for all of the adults in the room.
The teacher unfolded a "river" at the front of the class and asked the children to come and sit around it. I asked my son if he wanted to go and he said yes, and before I could stand up, he wove his way between adults sitting in children's chairs and other little children to find a spot on the river bank. I smiled, proud of his confidence in trying something new. He chatted with a mom sitting near by and did a good job of listening and waiting for his "breadcrumbs" (little bits of paper) and throwing them into the river at the right moment. Not once did he look back at me. He them navigated the sea of children and knees and found me again. (Joshua begins preschool next week and I have to admit to thinking his confidence and curiosity meant he was indeed ready for preschool and hours without mom.)
The children also received torahs and then marched around the room. Again, Joshua was up for this activity and patiently waited his turn to receive the torah, and again waited patiently to return it.
Joshua is observant - and asked me why everyone was "wearing hats." I explained that the men and boys were wearing kippahs (yamakas) and he indicated that he wanted one too. I told him we would get him one, forgetting to tell him he already had his very own kippah given to him at a bar mitzvah. Wow, my little man, already establishing his Jewish identity!
After the program it was time for the playground - something my son sees as an integral part of visiting the synagogue. It was a beautiful day, and as we talked while he played I watched a couple of teenage boys also playing on the playground equipment. (No doubt enjoying the fact that there were few adults around to tell them otherwise.) I wondered if that would be my son in another decade, leaving service to talk to pretty girls (as other boys were) or challenging a friend to follow the leader over playground equipment?
Another fond moment - walking back to the car with grandma with Joshua saying, "Wow I have a breeze" as one kicked up, shaking the leaves in the neighborhood. He then noticed that grandma had a breeze, and then that Mommy did too. Like I said, he is an observant young man!
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