Rise Up!

By: Sivan Rahav-Meir

Last Tuesday, the wedding of Miriam Shani and Ofek Dotan took place at the “Tzon Kedar” farm near Ma’ale Adumim. I met Miriam a short time after the tragic death of her husband, Captain Uri Shani, who fell on Simchat Torah. We will never know how many people were saved thanks to his resourcefulness and courage, and that of the team he commanded, in valiant battles that lasted long hours.

Miriam came then with their baby, Roi, to an event in memory of Uri. “Roi is just starting to walk,” she told me. “When I see him falling and getting up, and walking a few more steps and falling and getting up again, I think about myself. It’s a message for me and for all of us. We have to fall and get up, to insist on continuing to walk and to grow.”

I shared her words at the time, and they gave strength to many. This week, I saw Miriam herself get up. Little Roi has long since been walking. He ran among the guests, while his mother built a new home in Israel, with Ofek.

Anyone who was at that chuppah felt a special holiness that’s hard to put into words. Shuli, Uri’s mother, welcomed the guests with hugs. “Since Simchat Torah I’ve been praying for this moment. I said to G-d: we will cope, we will overcome, but Miriam—don’t leave her alone.”

Yehoshua Shani, Uri’s father, heads the “Forum of Heroism,” which brings together hundreds of bereaved families. He has a great deal to say—about leadership, about spirit, about unity—but on this evening his only words consisted of one of the Seven Blessings that the couple asked him to recite under the chuppah.

A Bible Contest for People with Disabilities

At the Bible Quiz for people with disabilities

For the first time in Israel: Chidon HaTanach for students with special needs. With hearts full of wonder and gratitude, we invite you to join us at this one-of-a-kind event.”

This was the invitation for an event that I had the privilege of hosting.

The contest took place last Thursday on Kibbutz Ashdot Yaakov. For 18 years, the kibbutz has been running a program called the “Life-Skills Seminar” that was established by Yardena Amsalem for her son Eran who has special needs and other people with disabilities.

A year ago, Yardena decided to hold a bible contest for this population for the first time. There was great excitement surrounding this initiative. Many centers of AKIM Israel (the national organization for people with intellectual disabilities and their families), schools for students with disabilities, and other therapeutic settings joined the effort and prepared extensively for this contest. And, finally, the anticipated day had arrived.

Each institute sent their own team of representatives. The event opened with greetings from the panel of esteemed judges. I soon discovered that the questions would not be easy at all.

In my opening remarks, I told the contestants that although they are referred to as people with disabilities, when it comes to our souls and our connection to G-d and Torah—there are no limitations. It is a deep connection beyond any physical limitations.

And it didn’t take long for the contestants to prove it. The quiz focused on the Book of Bereisheet, and their mastery of the details was remarkable: they demonstrated a vast knowledge of dates, years, facts, and even about the meaning and significance of the biblical stories.

The most impressive contestant was Bat El Maimon from Kibbutz Mizra. Although she struggled to find the words to express herself, she kept trying to answer as many questions as possible. So, for example, when I asked about the meaning of our patriarch Yaakov’s name change to Yisrael, she explained that it indicated our ability to cope with challenges, which was an especially significant response in this setting.

The contest had no winner. At the end of the event, all the participants received the same certificate, and two of them went up to sing the song, “Kanfei Ruach.”

Rav Kook, who composed the words to this song, was known for traveling to the kibbutzim and moshavim in northern Israel to reach out to people estranged from Judaism. And now, about 100 years later, these same kibbutzim hosted this special bible contest with participants hailing from Ashdot Yaakov and Mizra, many of whom sang this song with Rav Kook’s own words: “Ascend to the heights, ascend! You have wings of spirit.”

The Real School Year Begins Now

Mazal tov on the new school year which begins this week! According to Rabbi Yaakov Edelstein, although summer vacation starts now, this is when kids’ education truly begins:

During the year, he explained, students are in a structured environment. There are classroom rules of conduct, bells and breaks between classes, and homework. But during summer vacation, students set their own schedule.

Rabbi Edelstein would tell young people that this is an opportunity to be who they really are. Especially when there is no outside structure imposed on them, when there are no teachers or exams, and they can express their true, best selves. They can create their own daily schedule—when to go to sleep and when to wake up, when and how to spend time with parents, siblings, and friends. Most importantly, they can choose the content that will fill their extensive free time. This is not just a taste of what life is like as an adult, but an opportunity to get better acquainted with the person they are meant to be. n

Translated by Yehoshua Siskin and Janine Muller Sherr

Read more by Sivan Rahav Meir at SivanRahavMeir.com.