Another blow for men and elementary schools

They say that a child is like a bank. When you couple that idea with the key to investing success, the rule of compounding interest, the earlier you invest the more your money works for you, I recently attended an information meeting for persons interested in teaching in Elementary Schools; I wasn't really, but I thought I might learn more about jobs. Well, I was the only male "interested" out of perhaps 20 females, and I got the impression people were moving away from me.
           I learned a couple of years ago that a more informed vision of education includes a focus on the start. Since then I have gad the chance to work in a daycare and volunteer at an elementary school.  The recent shootings at Sandy Hook, where a man came to an elementary school with the purpose to destroy only negatively affects the already-looked-at-askance response to men and elementary schools. An equal society, I believe depends upon collaboration of men and women towards a goal. A real "interest" in elementary schools is securing societies most powerful institutions sooner for our young people, which in the end involves men and women.
         

The Synagogue

                                                                                                            Matt Erickson

Congregation Kol Ami

                The account of his visit to the synagogue our teacher of the Torah being passed around and kissed provided motivation for me to set a date and invite roommates and others to go to Kol Ami. The hope that the Torah would be passed around kept me in my place after it seemed I’d stayed longer than the hour I’d expected I would.

As I mentioned in class I got to the synagogue early and was greeted warmly by a man and a woman (she the Rabbi), who noticed I was a visitor -she guessed BYU , I said yes, she said “what class” and I said Survey of World Religions.  As I stood in my church dress pants, white shirt and blue winter coat the man I met gave me the Talmud and a book with the service schedule and the Rabbi informed me there would be two services, a traditional service which is mostly in Hebrew, and the contemporary service which has less Hebrew and may be easier to follow. With one last welcome I was left to choose where to go, and I thought I’d go to the traditional because I thought it might be interesting and it was close the entrance in case the other classmates I invited might show. I touched the Mezuza as I entered and looked around at the Hebrew and also the names of passed Jews on the walls of the room then sat waiting for the start of services. At 9:10 or so it was just me, another man who had come in, and the man I had met, and they decided to get started with the recitation. During the second hour more people came in and a woman with a clip board had to ask someone to come in so there would be a minion.

Towards the end lots of people including families came in and there was a baby blessing, where the Rabbi had a young family come up and she and the girls’ father gave what seems to be a rote prayer, saying that the girl was beautiful and, giving her a welcome to the synagogue community, and listing hopes for her future life. This was really a precious experience to witness. Then, a man got up to make some announcements and asked who had asked for those who had an honor to raise their hand. A young man next to me raised his hand, I had seen him help read the Talmud.  The man said that with honors and class participation, “we (members of the synagogue) are not waiting for the Rabbi or an assistant to do Judaism for us, we are doing Judaism.”  I noticed the way some people talked was not the typical Utah accent, but some from the East. I left right after the as the group broke for some bar time and a meal.