Jewish Life Digital Edition September 2015 | Page 57

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Shana tova

Shana
tova
Shana
tova
Shana
Shana
tova
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umetuka
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umetuka
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Telling our children to ‘go
to shul’ is not nearly as
effective as saying to them,
‘Come to shul’.

were once invited to visit a Jewish day school and see the classes
in action. The administrators wanted to impress the rabbis with
the high level of Jewish education offered at their institution.
The rabbis accepted the invitation and were observing a Jewish Studies class in progress. The teacher was instructing the
class in Havdallah, the blessing we recite at the conclusion of
Shabbos, with wine, spices and fire. As he was going through the
text and came to the brocha recited over the spices, instead of
saying “Borei Minei Besamim”, the teacher pronounced the
words as “Borei Minei Bashomayim”. The rabbis were shocked.
The teacher had mispronounced the word terribly and instead of
saying besamim – “spices”, had inadvertently said bashomayim,
which means “in heaven” and obviously makes no sense in the
context of that prayer. He made the mistake because the Hebrew letters are identical for both words. Although the teacher
realised his error and corrected himself immediately, it was very
clear to those rabbis that this particular teacher was not in the
habit of reciting the Havdallah prayer in his own home.
Can we successfully teach children to do something we don’t
do ourselves? Sadly, it doesn’t work. Mouthing words from a
textbook isn’t good enough. We have to inspire children, and to
do that, we have to be inspired ourselves. Only then does it rub
off and make a lasting impression. As it’s been said many times,
“Judaism cannot be taught. It must be caught.”
Wishing you a happy and sweet
Rabbi Nota Schiller, one of the original founders of Ohr SoGo forward into the new year in
mayach Jerusalem, is fond of telling the story of how one of the
Wishing
you
a happy and sweet
health and
prosperity.
Wishing
you
a happy
andyear
sweet
Go
forward
into
the new
in n
big international fast food franchises had spent a great deal of
Go forward
into
the new
in
health
and
prosperity.
With
best
wishes,
Wishing
you
a happy
andyear
sweet
time and money in an effort to develop a synthetic potato. Such
health
andyear.
prosperity.
Wishing you a happy and sweet
new
Go
forward
into the new year in
a big chunk of their food business was hot chips – or ‘French
younew
a happy
and
sweet
new
year.
With
best
wishes,
The
partners
and
directors at Gr
health
and
prosperity.
Go forwardWishing
into the
year
in
peace,
good
fries’ – that they could save billions if their researchers could deWith in
best
wishes,
Go forward into the new year
peace,
good
health and health
prosperity.
velop such a product. And eventually they succeeded. The new
The
and directors at Gr
and prosperity. www.gt.co.za
Withpartners
best wishes,
The partners and directors at Gr
synthetic potato looked like a potato, smelled like a potato, and
2014 Grant Thornton South Africa.With
All rights reserved.
Thornton South Africa is a member
firm ofpartners
Grant Thornton International
Ltd (GTIL). GTIL and the
The
and directors
atmember
Gr
www.gt.co.za
bestGrantwishes,
most importantly, tasted like a potato. There was only one probpartnership.
are delivered
by the member firms. GTIl and its member firms are not agents of, and do not obligate, one another and are not liable for one anoth
WithServices
best
wishes,
www.gt.co.za
Please see www.gt.co.za for further details.
lem. It did not regenerate and reproduce other potatoes.
2014 Grant Thornton South Africa.The
All rights partners
reserved. Grant Thornton
South directors
Africa is a member
firm
of Grant
Thornton International
Ltd (GTIL). GTIL and the member
www.gt.co.za
and
at