7 Questions For Your Elders
a call for stories and the Torah of us
Dear readers,
As you know, this journal is a place to share Torah for today. So far, it has been my contributors and me, working on our own and sharing pieces for you to read. But see, Torah has to be engaged in – Torah has to be lived and created in community. Stories of Jewish life, after all, are Torah. They are the continuation of our ancient heritage. So, this is what we are going to do.
If you are willing to play, I am going to assign you some homework. Below, please find 7 questions to ask your Jewish elders (or really, any elder! While I’m trying to honor the particularity of this publication, of course, I think it is a universal value to learn from and show gratitude towards those who have come before you).
If you are the elder in your family, maybe invite someone from a younger generation to hear your story. If you already know the stories of your elders through and through, good for you! Ask to hear them again. If we can repeat the Torah into infinity, you can listen to your Bubbe one more time.
Then, after you have listened to your elders, and gotten their blessing to do so, please send me their stories so I can share them. You can simply reply to this email to reach me!
Let’s wrap ourselves in their Torah.
7 Questions For Your Elders
First of all, it’s true, not all of these are phrased as questions. You’ll be fine. Second, make sure you have a pen and paper or audio recording ready to go before you start. Third, have fun and make sure to ask your own questions!
Tell me the story of your grandparents.
What did your parents teach you?
What did Jewish life smell like in each home you’ve ever lived in?
The Mishnah asks us to “turn it [the Torah], turn it for everything is in it.” What is something in your life you have turned over and over and found it has changed?
What was the best risk you ever took? Why?
What is the biggest change you’ve seen in the Jewish world in your lifetime?
In some pockets of the Jewish world the pendulum has swung so dramatically that there are no more expectations of children to learn about or live a Jewish life – to preserve ancient wisdom and reinvent traditions for this century. Without expectations from parents and elders, Jewish life would never have made it this far. Expectations are not bad – they are the guardrails on this bridge we call life – too cheesy? What is one expectation you have for the children of today?
Last Logistics:
Please send in your stories, written out, by April 1 2022. I will send reminders, don’t you worry. And I encourage you to do it – what better way to spend an afternoon than digging into we are?