Lately Nate has developed quite an affinity for apples… dipped in honey. He tells me it’s so good. I was having trouble understanding where this constant request had originated.
But then last Friday he came home and reported that Rabbi has hair clips. That’s how it stays on his head. And then he stayed home in celebration of Rosh Hashanah. And I was reminded that Nate is learning hebwew and teaching me more about Jewish customs and traditions.
I saw on our school calendar that on Friday was the blowing of the shofar. September has a number of important Jewish holidays and I’m ashamed to say that my Judaic education is quite lacking– a sixth grade talk on the menorah and a free dreidel. I hope the new Common Core has righted this wrong.
So I ask about what is going to happen…
“Nate, what is the blowing of the shofar? Is it like a candle or something?”
“No, it’s a horn.”
“A horn? Like an instrument?”
“No, a horn. Like Gwanddad has.”
And clearly I understand it must be some kind of animal appendage.
It turns out our friend Matt attends the same temple associated with Nate’s preschool. James tells Matt, “Nate goes to your temple, too!” Matt just could not understand. The cognitive dissonance was palpable…
Maybe Matthew and Nathaniel can get together and teach me how to blow the shofar? Followed by some apples dipped in honey.