River Edge- Several weeks before my daughter’s Siddur party, some of her friends came over for a play date. They were talking about their upcoming Siddur party, among other things. I could not help but ask the group what they thought of prayer: “Why do you think davening is important or special?” Their responses ranged from, “it makes Hashem happy,” to “it makes me feel like I’m doing something really good,” and “I feel like I’m gonna get what I want because I’m telling Hashem that I should have a nice day.” On June 5, 2013, we walked into our daughter’s RYNJ Kindergarten class to experience our first Siddur party. The classroom, led by Morahs Rachel Adler and Adina Littwin, was set up to resemble a mini shul – girls on one side, boys on the other. The children, all dressed in blue and white, were seated in designated spots. Crowns displaying a Siddur and “Mazel Tov” adorned their heads. The children were beaming as they excitedly waited for their parents and grandparents to arrive, standing up on their tippy toes to confirm their arrival.
First Morah Rachel introduced her class and thanked the parents for sharing their children with her over the year. She could hardly hold back tears as she spoke about this great milestone. It was evident that she had connected with her students, and that she was just so proud. Morah Rachel is a new teacher in the school who has been loved from day one. Her enthusiasm is palpable, and her zest for teaching is encouraging, facilitating her students’ ability to absorb what they are learning. (One of her famous educational tools is her “Aleph Bet exercise” which she created as a unique method of teaching the Aleph Bet through song combined with yoga).
Rabbi Shmuel Goldstein, the Director of Religious and Academic Studies, presented each child with their very own gold colored Siddur. This year RYNJ designed and published custom Siddurim to be used from Kindergarten through First Grade. The font and print size of the letters were selected to make the Siddur clear and easy to read. Additionally, all extra markings found in a standard Siddur were removed to allow the children to focus on the letters and nekudot without any visual distractions. Inside the front cover of each child’s Siddur was a special inscription written by their parents.
Aviva Vogel, Assistant Early Childhood Director, commented: “Learning to read all of the Alef-Bet with each of the nekudot (vowels) is a major accomplishment that our Kindergarteners have achieved this year. They learned Hebrew reading in a fun and multi-sensory manner, but at the end of the day, they worked hard to reach this goal. What better way to congratulate them than by presenting them with their very own Siddur!”
The children then davened together from their new Siddurim for the very first time. Until today, these kindergarteners had Tefillah in a circle, led by a chazzan or chazzanit. Today, they proudly held their own Siddurim and davened from them. They chanted the tunes while making sure to follow along on the correct page. It was a beautiful sight. The children were beaming and the Morahs were so proud. The parents and grandparents wiped away tears of joy while snapping pictures and videos.
“Seeing several generations come together to share in the nachas was heartwarming, said Vogel. “We are so proud of our Kindergarteners!”
The grand finale was just that – grand. The children from three (of six) Kindergarten classes walked in a single file line into a gymnasium where they assembled on a stage. Rabbi Daniel Price, Head of the School, told a heartwarming story related to davening about a boy named Chaim. Then, standing tall and proud, the children performed a series of beautiful songs, with musical accompaniment led by Morah Hadassa. Spirits were high as they were right on cue with each song and their adorable hand motions. “There was such incredible achdut and unity among the children while performing,” Morah Rachel said. “My previous experiences with Siddur parties entailed each class creating their own separate play. This is my first time seeing the different classes come together to create something so beautiful. It is a true reflection of what this school is all about.” The children all looked like they were on cloud nine. They finished the performance with the popular Benny Friedman song of “Yesh Tikvah” which they belted out with smiles.
Fran Mermelstein, Early Childhood Director, reflected that “seeing all the children feeling so confident about all that they accomplished this year was really the highlight of the Siddur presentation.”
As I watched my daughter finish this amazing performance, I felt a tear streaming down my cheek. She and all of her friends were beaming with pride. Their eyes glittered with an ever-so-contagious youthful excitement and love. At that moment, I couldn’t help but think of these children’s very own sweet words uttered just a few weeks before. From their lips to Gd’s ears, may their tefillot davened from their very first Siddur “make Hashem happy,” and may He grant these children all the wishes of their hearts and certainly many “nice days” like they had on this very special day.
By Irit Sandler
