Zochraynu: We Remember

SEPTEMBER 11: Yahrzeit of a National Tragedy

Sharon Halper, BJE Westchester Coordinator of Professional Development

Monuments and Memorials

Monuments and memorials are expressions of honor for those who are gone created by those who remember.

A creative project can provide an artistic expression of students' feelings and an opportunity for a group of student to leave a permanent memorial.

Remember the students, who by their own description 'can't draw'! Art projects can present a major trauma. However, these same students might do the lay-out math that the project requires, create the succinct banner headline that some artist will letter on, fill in the bubble letters created by a budding calligrapher, etc. The important part is remembering that we each bring our own intelligence to the project.

Monuments:

Banners:

• A fabric background results in a durable 'product.' Pre-hemmed fabric, bordered with grommets, is available from school and art supply companies.
• Check markers and paints for their compatibility with your fabric selection.
• The mural might provide an appropriate backdrop for your congregational sukkah. The theme of sukkat shalom, shelter of peace, would link Sept. 11 and the festival in an appropriate Jewish manner.

Tiles:

• Tiles can be permanently mounted on a wooden background. (Call on older students, parent and empty-nester volunteers for wood working skills.)
• Tiles can be individual mosaic-size or a foot-square, contributed by a group or class.
• Check paints or markers for permanence and potential toxicity.

Quilt:

• Students might decorate small squares individually or larger ones as groups.
• A volunteer can do assembly on-site as squares are completed to enhance the excitement of the project.
• The finished quilt would make an excellent sukkah decoration or wall.

Stepping Stones:

• A permanent ground-level monument can be created using an installation of concrete or plaster inscribed by students. (Consult a local hardware or craft store for suitable weather-proof materials.)
• The material is poured into shallow containers, inscribed and allowed to dry.
• They are then removed from the containers (tin-foil pans are good for this purpose) and installed in a walkway or garden.

Source of graphics:

For appropriate graphics to use in a variety of projects see http://www.freeusgraphics.com

"Living" Memorials

Students might consider creating or participating in an on-going project as a living ' monument' in honor of those who were lost.

Any project constructed around the Jewish value of P'kuach nefesh, SAVING A LIFE, would seem appropriate and important.
Project ideas:

• Taking CPR or water safety classes
• Teaching others about www.thehungersite.com and www.thebreastcancersite.com
• Creating and distributing stickers to be hung on computers as reminders to do 'e-mitzvahs'
• Distributing materials from the Cancer Society or Heart Association or local health-related organization
• Older female students can learn to do breast self-examination and teach their mothers
• Organizing a congregation-wide food drive
• Creating a 'mitzvah garden' on the grounds of the congregation, the yield being donated to a local soup kitchen or group home.
• Organize a fund drive for library materials that focus on understanding
• Bring a conflict resolution program to the school

Memorial Lights

A candle (or candles) might be lit for groups of victims (i.e., those in each tower, those on each aircraft, those in the Pentagon) or in memory of specific individuals lost in a particular community or company.

Each class or grade might light a candle as they announce a project they are undertaking to heal our world. This would provide a fitting conclusion to a school-wide ritual, as it brings physical light and metaphorical light together.

Remembering an individual

Holocaust research and education have shown us that no one can grasp the concept of overwhelming human loss. We can, however, understand the loss of a single person and what that person's loss means in very concrete terms.

The New York Times has printed "Portraits of Grief," a short biography of every person whose death on September 11 has been confirmed (and whose families have granted permission.) You might consult http://www.nytimes.com/pages/national/portraits and have students learn about the lives of selected individuals. The names of these individuals might be listed before reciting the kaddish, on a monument, or to honor with a memorial or donation to tzedakah.

BOARD OF JEWISH EDUCATION OF GREATER NEW YORK
-An Agency of UJA-Federation -