Two years ago, I wrote a blog post entitled Modeling the Joy of Judaism in which I proposed that parents together with the Jewish day schools need to inculcate their children with the joy connected to Judaism and with happiness and excitement about the prospect of fulfilling mitzvot. The article reflected on the intensity of the month of Tishrei with the sweet symbolism of Rosh Hashanah, the introspection associated with Yom Kippur, and the unbridled joy of Sukkot and Simchat Torah, all of which ingrain in our children the meaning and importance of Jewish traditions and values.

We now live in a world in which parents, much more than educators, are influencing how their children see and respond to the world. The necessity of going online and of each family hunkering down in its own abode has intensified the parent-child relationship. The experiential learning that schools have done in the past for the Tishrei holidays: the apple-picking and honey tasting, the sounding of the shofar, the building of and enjoying a snack with the associated brachot (blessings) in the school sukkah, the shaking of the lulav and etrog, the dancing and singing surrounding the Hoshanot ceremony, and the creation of Sifrei Torah (Torah Scrolls) from 2-liter soda bottles and rolls of paper, cannot take place this year as in past years and will, at best, be only a pale reflection of a robust communal school experience in crafting the ambience of the holidays. This year, the hands-on elements of the holiday experience will, by needs, fall mostly on the parents.