According to the local paper, two children aged 3.5 and 4 disappeared from gan (preschool) without anyone realizing. At around 11 AM, the ganenet noticed that they didn’t return to the gan after playtime in the fenced area outside. After a thorough search of the premises failed to locate the children, the staff realized that they must have gotten out. The ganenet set off in search of them, going as far as the children’s homes.

During this entire time the ganenet failed to alert any authorities about the disappearance. Finally, at 1:15, she called the police and the children’s parents. The children were found at 2:20, about five blocks from the gan. They would have had to have crossed several busy streets.

Update:
I’ve been thinking about this since I posted, and all I can say is, “What was this ganenet thinking?” The fact that the kids escaped is scandalous enough, although that is not an uncommon occurrence in Israel. But once she realized they were lost, she chose her own reputation over the safety of the children. She hoped to find them herself, and no one would be the wiser. But even if she had found them, they were old enough to talk and presumably would not have been able to keep such an adventure a secret.

Just think how much easier it would have been to find them, had they only been gone ten minutes when she called the police.

Another bizarre part of the story is that no one found the children wandering around this busy area of town (they ended up near the bus station). Israelis tend to get involved when they see children in dangerous situations.

Read more on Two children go missing from gan; found safely three hours later…

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This scene on the floor of my kitchen spoke to me somehow. So let your imagination run wild; I will publish the best captions next week (bli neder).

On Sunday I tore a tendon or muscle in my calf and have to stay off my feet for a few days (by now I can limp around a bit). So while I am exempted from housework (by whom I don’t know) and have plenty time to sit at my computer, I am busy with other things. The blogging muse seems to have abandoned me for the time being.

It’s my mother’s yahrzeit (anniversary of death) today; it’s a good time to repost my (unfinished) series from last year about motherhood. Introduction and Part I.

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In the excellent book On Writing Well by William Zinsser (see my Library Thing sidebar–thank you Wolf), the author suggests improving your writing by imitating other writers you admire. My most recent post on cooking is modelled on Frugal Journey, Raanana Ramblings inspired my post on Efi, and the following is the kind of story that Rafi would tell.

On Friday we made a shiva call (visit to comfort a mourner) to our neighbor, who lost his mother. While there the neighbor mentioned that his father’s family has run the hevra kadisha (burial society) in Jerusalem for generations, and told the following story.

During the forties, young Arabs disrupted the funerals on Har Hazeitim (Mt. of Olives) by yelling and throwing stones. Our neighbor’s grandfather, head of the hevra kadisha, decided to put a stop to this once and for all. He dressed in tachrichim (traditional burial garments) and had the hevra kadisha carry him on a stretcher to the cemetery. When the stones started flying, the hevra kadisha ran away and left the grandfather on the ground. The stonethrowers cautiously approached the “corpse,” who suddenly came to life and started shouting. He had a long beard and cut quite a formidable figure; they probably thought he was the Angel of Death.

Afterward the funerals at Har Hazeitim proceeded without interruption, at least until 1948 when the Jews were denied access for the next nineteen years.

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We all want to open our refrigerators and find delicious healthy food, but it won’t get there by itself. I spoke generally, trying to break down the different cooking tasks— those things that experienced homemakers hardly think about. Through awareness of what exactly makes cooking time-consuming and difficult, struggling cooks can develop useful strategies for kitchen management.

Most people figure out how to manage in the kitchen eventually. But I also meet some who are floundering under meal preparations, and rely on prepared foods or take-out more than they would like. Even many experienced homemakers never learned how to store food properly, operate appliances efficiently, or use up leftovers.

Scandal Tarnishes Holy Land Baseball Diamonds

Hat tip: TR

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I received the following in an email from Adi Friedman of Connections Israel:

Sderot, which is home to a large population of Jewish immigrants from around the world, is only 3 miles from the Gaza border. The families in Sderot live with the daily threat of rocket attacks. Over 6,000 missiles have been launched at this small city during the past 7 years.

Read more on Help Sderot for Chanukah…

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One of our favorite alonim, called Mibereshit, comes in a gan or an elementary school edition. The gan version has a regular feature about a boy named Efi and his family. Efi has lots of problems but his wise parents help him resolve them through a discussion about the weekly Torah portion.

Last week Efi went to the dentist with his mother. Usually they enjoy looking at store windows, but Efi got upset when his mother told him an elaborate toy he coveted (pictured) was very expensive. She suggested he wait until Passover to request it as an afikoman present. Efi wasn’t satisfied, so they sat on a bench to think of a solution. (We are almost always rushed on our way to appointments, but Efi’s parents always have time and patience to explain things to him.) Efi tells his mother, “In gan we learned how Jacob worked for seven years to “earn” Rachel from her father.” His mother remembers. “I am ready to work for my toy!” Efi will straighten out the bathroom, clear the lunch dishes from the table, and help his mother fold the laundry without her needing to remind him. “If I do this for a week, will you buy me the gift?” She agrees. He does the chores, and she buys him the present.

I posted it because of the story’s educational implications, but I want to add the following. I have six children of various ages and temperaments and no matter how highly motivated, not one of them would be able to follow through on Efi’s promise without frequent reminders. According to research, even adults need about three weeks to establish a habit.

This post was inspired by Raanana Ramblings.

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Rabbi David Kimchi, known as RaDaK for short, was a medieval biblical commentator. Most people are unfamiliar with his Torah commentary, because it is not included the classic Mikraot Gedolot volume of commentaries. Mikraot Gedolot on Navi (Prophets) does include his commentary, for which he is better known.

My son’s edition of “Torat Hayim,” first published by the Mosad Harav Kook in 1986, does include the RaDaK on the Torah. The Torat Hayim is so much easier to use than the Mikraot Gedolot. The commentaries have been edited and appear in large, clear print, not the annoying “Rashi” script. Rashi script, never used by the classic French medieval commentator Rashi, should be outlawed.

Today at our women’s shiur I quoted the RaDaK on the passage, ???? ???? ??? ???? ???? ???? “veRachel hayta yefat to’ar vifat mareh.” (Genesis 29:18). RaDaK writes that this means she did not have any blemish or disfigurement. He follows other commentators in saying that to’ar refers to the shape of her face, her features, and her posture, but adds that mareh refers to her flesh which was red and white, while her hair was black [like Snow White?]. I wonder whether this was the ideal of beauty in medieval Spain. I once read about a study that showed that across cultures, women with symmetrical features are considered beautiful.

The RaDaK goes on to ask why tzaddikim (righteous men), who are not guided by lust, should choose to marry beautiful women. He gives three reasons:

Read more on The Rada"K on Feminine Beauty…

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I recently met a lawyer who quit her job after the birth of her third baby. If she had to do it again she told me she would become a teacher, despite the low salary and status. She wants a profession that allows her to spend time with her children.

Read more on Mothering and the Teaching Profession…

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A secular friend, who read my blog posts on tzniut, wrote to me about the reaction she gets toward her style of dress; one person told her that she would fit in well in Iran. She was raised with the classic Israeli (and Jewish) values of simplicity, frugality, and modesty. As a feminist, she feels uncomfortable with women who “flaunt their bodies and disrespect themselves.” Tzniut is not only about how close your sleeves are to your elbow.

Try and buy some clothes for little girls to see what is expected of girls today. Even school t-shirts come in girls’ and boys’ styles: Boys get standard t-shirts, but girls’ shirts are made with lycra so they will fit tightly, and have shorter sleeves. Needless to say my daughter will be getting boys’ shirts when she enters first grade. In the meantime, I’ll keep my eyes open for some simple, pretty clothes.

A new book by Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, Sometimes You Are What You Wear: An Argument for Tzniut, makes a strong case for tzniut in the contemporary world. Rabbi Safran, Vice President of Communications and Marketing for the Orthodox Union, writes from a modern Orthodox perspective. He describes how western culture’s emphasis on external beauty over inner qualities has serious consequences for society.

Here is an excerpt:

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