‘Tis the Season…

This past summer, I decided to join the masses from Toronto who flock to the life of “cottage country.” I spent my vacation at a cottage in Muskoka. I quickly came to realize that entertaining a two year old boy on a daily basis at the cottage requires a great deal of creativity. One Sunday morning, I loaded up the minivan and off we went to Bracebridge -- Santa Claus’ summer home.

Since I was a little boy, I remember my first visit to Santa’s Village. Amidst a beautiful setting, surrounded by tall trees and the lake, children can spend hours on the rides, merry-go-round, petting farm, pony rides, and so much more. If your child is yearning for the holiday spirit, you can visit Santa and Mrs. Claus in their home or you can feed his reindeer right outside. And…if you really feel inspired you can climb up a hill to a tiny little chapel. I told my son Sammy that it was Santa’s shul where he went to daven.

After spending the morning with my kids at Santa’s village, I asked my son which ride, game or activity he wanted to play once more before going home. He chose to go back to ‘Santa’s little shul.’ All together, I must have gone back to the chapel fifteen times that day. My son sat absolutely still in this tiny little chapel where a recording was playing choral Christmas carols.

I later spent some time reviewing my day. My son went to an amusement park where there were countless choices of rides, toys, games and activities. However, when given the choice, he wanted to go the “shul.” I realize that he is a shul kid. He comes to shul with me regularly and he loves it. It is a place where he feels secure and comfortable, and this is likely why he chose the chapel at Santa’s village as his “safe place.” The choral music reminded him of our shul.

Our synagogue is a warm and inviting place for children, particularly because the Rabbi and I have young children who attend shul regularly. Our minyan regulars love it when our kids come to shul. The Jewish calendar is filled with opportunities for children to learn, grow and play in a safe Jewish environment. Every holiday has a distinct flavour that children can experience. For the first time, my two year old son proudly came to shul on Sukkot with his own lulav and etrog that he made in school. Simchat Torah, Chanukah and Purim are always children’s favourites. Shabbat is a great opportunity to make Kiddush and see the Torah being read, or to participate in Havdallah on Saturday afternoon. If your child does not like large crowds, I have found that bringing little children to the smaller and less popular services affords them a greater chance to get involved and receive more individual attention.

The mission statement of our synagogue is to provide meaningful traditional services to all our members. I believe that our children are the future, and bringing them to shul and making them feel welcome is an incredibly important component of our mission. It is a fun and exciting experience for them. If they feel comfortable there as children, they will likely carry on this tradition as adults.

There is a tremendous difference between learning about something and experiencing it first hand. School is for teaching about Judaism and shul is for living it. I encourage you to bring your children and grandchildren to shul. Try it – I am certain that they will love it! Who knows, perhaps the next time you go to an amusement park, your child will also want to find the shul!

“…and I will teach my children, and they will teach their children”

Happy Chanukah
Cantor Eric, Dr. Melissa, Samuel, Avia & Talia Moses