Creative Listening
As I write this, we are about to finish Genesis in the annual Torah reading cycle. Both Jacob and Joseph die this week after making sure, to the best of their abilities, that the family traditions will be passed to their progeny. Seems appropriate to talk about inter-generational communication.
When I received a brochure about the Grandparent Legacy Project some weeks ago, my first thought was this is a terrific idea for a Synaplex Shabbat. After all, no one gets along like grandparents and grandchildren; they share an enemy in common. As we try to do at our own Shabbat tables, rather than segmenting our populations, let’s bring families together to listen, talk and share with one another. What was our family like growing up? Who were the family members that most influenced you? What are the values that motivated you to be Jewish? What wisdom of yours do you want your grandchildren to remember in life?
At least two of our Synaplex congregations have had related Synaplex Shabbatot, so if this is something that intrigues you, I hope you’ll be in touch with Kyla Cromer at the STAR office in Minneapolis for details and networking contact info. And also visit www.grandparentlegacyproject.org.
Richard Wagner
Brownstone Brooklyn Plus Synaplex Coordinator
