On the journey through our ancestral family’s story in the Book of Genesis this year, the sixth graders and I dig deep into jealousy, rage, loyalty, trust, love, and faith-it’s the best. Last week we made it to a pivotal moment: Jacob is on the run, after having stolen their father’s blessing from his older brother Esau, who is now consumed with rage and set upon murder. Their mother Rebecca, who orchestrated the trickery, tells Jacob to run. Run to family in a distant village until Esau’s fury subsides. And Jacob, ever the obedient son to his mother, sets out. While Jacob makes his way to his mother’s kin, he takes a nap. And has a dream.
The sixth graders’ mission: Be the Dream. Their dramatic reenactment had to have the following four elements: a Jacob, a rock, a ladder, and some angels-and everyone had to have at least one line. It was up to the students to decide what the dream would look like, what each element symbolized for Jacob’s journey, and how they would move him forward in his story. I told them nothing-it’s pretty much my favorite way to teach.
So off they went-debating, wondering, and exploring all the possible ways this dream could go and what it could mean. What they came back with was nothing short of amazing. As they wrote, rehearsed, performed, and critiqued these skits something magical happened. Without even noticing, they had become Torah. For one group, the rock was a stumbling block, put before Jacob to, in their words, “rattle his brain” into action. For another group, the rock was a guide, sent to help him keep his mind on the world he lives in and how he treats the people in it. A lively debate ensued over why the angels even needed a ladder in the first place! They decided that it was meant for Jacob, to keep him grounded so that he could focus on what he needed to do. The angels were his ancestors in one skit. In another, they were parts of himself. The conversation was so energized that we almost missed Morah Miriam’s Hallah Bake. Almost.
When we read the “real” dream, it wasn’t to show them how they got it wrong. It was the exact opposite. As they put their own interpretations and creativity to work, the result was an exciting exploration of the power of dreams, the search for purpose, and a look at the angels in our own lives who help us as we move up and down our internal ladders. And all I did was let them know that their voices matter. And as I sat back and watched, the Torah came alive before my very eyes. These children are my angels-they may rattle my brain from time to time but they always keep me grounded in the sacred work of building connections to each other and the Jewish people, past and present.
Rebecca Hirschwerk
Director of Congregational Education
