"You Don't Know What You've Got Till It's Gone"

“May you be blessed, and your G-d as well should be blessed.”

            How does one love G-d?  The Gemara in Yoma 86a provides one practical way we can express love for a Being we cannot understand, “...she-yehei shem shamayim mitahev al yadecha” - that the name of G-d should be beloved through you.  The Gemara in Yoma explains, “[the one who learns Torah]...his dealings should be pleasant with others. What will others say about him? 'Lucky is his father who taught him Torah. Lucky is his teacher who taught him Torah... So and so, whom they taught Torah- look how pleasant are his ways, how upright are his deeds...'”

            Do you remember the speech your teacher at Yeshiva always gave you and your classmates before you went on the bus for a school trip? “Remember  to make a Kiddush Hashem in the way you behave.”  This past Monday, our Seventh Grade clearly made a Kiddush Hashem,  and made Yavneh proud when they visited the Hackensack Homeless Shelter- the Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center.  One of the residents, after receiving the hat, gloves and scarf, said to our student, “May you be blessed, and your G-d as well should be blessed.”   What better example of Kiddush Hashem can one find!

            This past month, we spent time in Advisory preparing the students for this visit as they learned the skills of Empathy and what it means to be homeless.  The students collected the hats, gloves and scarves to deliver on this visit.   Although we prepared them for the visit, they tentatively and nervously got off the buses, not knowing what to expect. They were excited and feeling simultaneously nervous.  Moments later, when they saw the "guests," (as residents of the shelter are called),  our students sprung into action.  The students had split into groups of 2-3 students and each group approached one of the guests, handed him/her a warmth package and began to converse.  We had discussed in their training in Advisory some possible topics of conversation and the students confidently asked guests, "What sports teams do you root for?" "What's the last movie you've seen?" or "Where did you grow up?"

            Before we met the guests, Mrs. Julia Orlando, director of the Shelter, had addressed the students. She said that more important than the guests receiving the hats, gloves and scarves was the feeling they had that someone actually cared enough to have a conversation with them.  Especially during this time of year, when they have no homes and many have no family they have no hope. We have restored some of that hope to them. Mrs. Kathleen Donovan, County Executive, was also there to congratulate our students on their impressive contribution.

            After the visit, students shared how inspiring the visit was for them. I was inspired
by watching our children.  One boy shared that when he approached one  of the guests, the guest said, “I will give this to someone who needs it more than I do.” This student could not believe that even in the depths of difficulty, the guest was thinking of someone other than himself. What is our excuse? 

Many students shared that they could not believe how, “normal” the guests were,  and how they were, “Just like us.”  In fact, unbelievably, I actually knew someone at the shelter this year.  That made a tremendous impact.  They began to imagine what it would be like if they were in that position. They had learned empathy!

            Almost all of our students stated that they now appreciated what they had so much more.  I believe that this visit was perfectly planned to happen right before we all embark on vacation.  Our visit did stress to our students that no matter where we go, we represent the Jewish people- whether on vacation in Florida or at the bowling alley in Hackensack, (which is more like my family's plans!)  This visit also helped us put into perspective- what are needs and what are wants?  What are necessities and what are luxuries?  As parents, we want to provide a relaxing vacation for our children. But, we also want them to realize that it is not “coming to them.”   In our 8^th grade Advisory we talk about taking things for granted.  “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone…”  This visit made those lyrics come alive. We thank G-d daily for all the necessities and sometimes luxuries we can afford.  May we continue to merit the ability to make His Name more beloved in the eyes of others.