The alarm rings at 5:45am on a Sunday morning. It’s time for the annual Yeshivat Noam fourth grade sunrise minyan organized by Rabbi Yaakov Nadler. He’s one of those teachers my kids will remember for a lifetime, a truly beloved fourth grade rebbe. My older son credits Rabbi Nadler with inspiring his participation in both the Chidon Sefer HaMitzvos and Chidon HaTanach, as well as making him proficient in speaking Hebrew. On our most recent trip to Israel my son repeatedly credited Rabbi Nadler when he used Hebrew to order food, ask for directions or chat with his many cousins.
I tip-toe into my younger son’s room to wake him without disturbing anyone else in the family. He pops right out of bed, gets dressed and grabs a snack bag for the road. As parents, don’t we all wish school days went this smoothly?! As an added bonus, and thanks to my older son reaching babysitting age, my wife joins us too. Approaching the Englewood Boat Basin we drive right under the George Washington Bridge and park by the Hudson River. We head over to the minyan and join nearly 200 parents and kids preparing their siddurim, tallesim and tefillin. It’s a bittersweet moment having done this twice before with my older son and our daughter, who really loved this special experience with her parents.
At precisely 7:16 a.m., just as we prepare to say Shema, Rabbi Nadler points out that sunrise is here. That’s the moment my son realizes his learning just came to life. This is not a typical classroom lesson. He’s living the very lesson in real-time and I smile knowing he’ll remember this moment well into adulthood. The kids are living the first two Mishnayot of Masechet Brachot, the transformation from night to day, from dawn to misheyakir. Kudos to Yeshivat Noam for investing in creative ways to spark student love for learning.
The minyan ends and everyone scurries over to grab coffee, hot chocolate and donuts. The fun continues as we embark on a hike along the river. Surprisingly, the tide is higher than expected and so navigating the rocky path presents a bit of a challenge. Rabbi Hagler and Rabbi Schwersenski guide child and parent alike through the slippery parts. The kids are thrilled of course as rock skipping opportunities abound. One of my son’s rocks skipped seven times, which made his day. We gather around an old stone-made structure for singing and a dvar Torah from Rabbi Nadler. I see how easily he commands the crowd and know why he’s so popular among the students.
Heading back to the car my son stops for some additional rock skipping with the boys. I remark to my wife how kids really do like the simple pleasures in nature so much more than all the screen time. But that’s a debate for another time. In this moment, I’m present and soaking up how much my kids adore the sunrise minyan. It may have been our third and final adventure but my son telling me we could come back as a family anytime solidified the beauty of the day. Thank you Rabbi Nadler for bringing learning to life and inspiring a generation of kids to love Torah! Thank you also to Yeshivat Noam for taking learning beyond the classroom and delivering a first-class education for our kids.
By Jeff Cohen, Yeshivat Noam parent
