My first position in chinuch, about two decades ago, was as an elementary school social worker in Yeshiva Bais HaChinuch in Spring Valley, New York. During those years, I taught a class about emotions vocabulary. It began with a discussion about the common emotions of mad, sad, glad, and bad. It then moved on to discussing more complicated emotions like disappointment, frustration, excitement, surprise, etc.
The first time I flew somewhere on a plane, I was eight years old. I went to Eretz Yisrael with my Aunt Miriam at the end of the summer. At the time, I remember thinking how spacious and comfortable the seats were.
In a recent article, I noted how interesting it is when El Al security agents ask Jewish customers why they are flying to Israel, as if they need a reason.
This week’s Musings is dedicated in loving memory of my Sabba, Mr. Abe Staum z”l, whose yahrzeit is this week, 4 Nisan. Among his many other noble attributes, Sabba was very conscientious about time. He was always early to shul and never kept anyone waiting. He was reliable and dependable, respected as a man of his word and extreme integrity. May his memory be a blessing for his family and the many who admired and respected him.
In my sixth-grade literature textbook, there was a section explaining that words can have different meanings. To elucidate the concept, it contained the following joke: “Why did the baker get so angry at the bread? Because it was so fresh.”