“Chanoch LaNa’ar Al Pi Darco – Educate a child according to their way” (Proverbs 22:6)
Our theme for this year is “Binarenu U’Vezkenenu Nelech: With our youth and with our elders, we will go forward.” This text comes from Exodus 10:9, in the middle of the plagues, between hail and locusts. Pharaoh asks Moses and Aaron who will be leaving Egypt, and they respond “We will all go – regardless of social station – we will go with our sons and daughters, our flocks and herds; for we must observe God’s festival” (Exodus 10:9). Our takeaway from this quote is the message of inclusion: Moses and Aaron could have said that they were leaving with just the men, who would be most likely to survive while traveling in the desert, or just the people of childbearing age who would be responsible for the continuation of the Jewish people. But they did not, they brought their elders, their sick, and their children, regardless of “social station,” and they made a social contract to continue to support these people in their trek into the desert.
Similarly at Temple Aliyah, it is our goal to help bring our community forward including every member from our young babies to our empty nesters and to include those with all levels of ability, backgrounds, races, ethnicities, religions, sexual orientations, and gender identities. There are learning opportunities at Temple Aliyah for everyone: Temple Tots and Gan Aliyah for ages 0-5, Mercaz Aliyah religious school for grades K-7, Mishpacha Aliyah for families with kids in grades K-5 (including public, private and day school families), TACOS (Temple Aliyah Community Opportunities and Service) and USY for teens, and adult education classes, speakers, and webinars for members and non-members age 18+. We also hope to have a community wide retreat in 2023 “with our youth and with our elders” to spend Shabbat together, eating, praying, laughing and learning. Whatever your “social station,” we hope you’ll join us to learn and grow together.