Je suis Juif, We stand with you!

It is not easy to teach elementary school students about current events.  Is is even harder to teach our Jewish students about the events of last week. How do you explain what has been happening in Paris and in the world?  Last week in grades 4,5 and 6 all of our students gathered together and discussed the events in Paris and then took this picture, JE SUIS JUIF.

Lakeside Congregation Standing with our Paris Family

I sent this picture to Rabbi Tom Cohen of Kehillat Gesher in Paris France.  Rabbi Cohen was moved and sent out our picture to his community.  We are also the "Talmud Torah" mentioned in Rabbi Cohen's article about the situation in Paris,Letter from Paris.  Please read this letter for a first hand report from Paris.  Rabbi Tom Cohen and his wife Rabbi Pauline Bebe have 2 congregations in Paris and they live in the Morais, the Jewish neighborhood in Paris.

In this day and age there are many disparaging comments about social media including Facebook, twitter and the like.  I am so glad my students were able to connect so quickly with our "family" in Paris.  I will tell everyone this Sunday at our weekly T'filah how important this picture and gesture is and how much it meant to the Jewish community in Paris. 

I look forward to more outreach and I know that our students will be connected to Jew all over the world during the life times.  Think how easy it is today to get information and who can imagine what the future holds for us in the area of communication!