May Kids Konnection - Celebrating Israel's Birthday

Inserted below, in its entirety, is my column from the May '08 issue of Orange County Jewish Life Magazine. I was hoping this blog would be a forum for people to share their own viewpoints, their own stories. Even though many (most!) of the posts are about the day to day life and activities of our family, I'm hoping it will be a way for friends and family to stay connected.

Consider leaving a comment about YOUR thoughts on the milestone of Israel's 60th birthday and how to commemorate such a special occasion!

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KIDS' KONNECTION
By Barbara Boarnet

find a way to celebrate israel
This year is Israel’s 60th birthday, and all across the nation Jews are celebrating. Orange County is no exception, and we’ve been hearing about plans being made by synagogues, the JCC, the Federation, and other organizations for festivals and celebrations. But how can we, as families, commemorate the occasion? In many ways!
1. Attend the Israel Expo 2008 on Sunday, June 1, at the Samueli Jewish Campus. It’s sure to be one of the biggest and best Israel Expos ever!
2. Make an effort to buy products from Israel, whether Israeli art or other décor, clothing, food, wine, or other products. Buying from Israeli vendors directly benefits the Israeli economy, and what could be a better birthday present? Consider shopping at your synagogue giftshop, at one of the local Judaica stores, or on-line at www.shopinisrael.com or www.israeliproducts.com.
3. Seriously consider a trip to Israel. Many of us want to go and take our families, but we worry about safety, expense, and other factors. So we wait. But maybe we should stop waiting. This year of Israel’s 60th could be the perfect time to go and experience the stunning natural beauty of Israel, the historic landmarks, and the important holy sites.
4. If it’s not feasible for the whole family to go at this time, consider sending your young adult children on a ten-day, all-expenses-paid trip sponsored by Taglit-Birthright Israel this summer. It would be a perfect way and a perfect time in their lives to discover and strengthen their Jewish identity and to bond with Israel.
5. Immerse yourself in Israeli culture. If you missed the Jewish Film Festival this year, rent an Israeli film from Netflix or Blockbuster.com. Or find a different way to experience Israeli culture. Read a book with an Israeli theme. Listen to an Israeli band. Try a Kosher grocery store or a Kosher or Israeli restaurant. Take a folk dancing class.
6. Be an advocate for Zionism. There are so many local Zionist organizations that need financial support as well as new members and active membership support. I have been involved in Irvine Kadima Hadassah, a young women’s Hadassah group in Irvine, since I got married and moved to Irvine fourteen years ago. Hadassah supports so many wonderful programs in Israel, such as the Hadassah Medical Organization, a world-renowned hospital and medical facility, Hadassah College of Technology, the Young Judea program, and so many more. You can learn more about Hadassah by visiting www.hadassah.org or e-mailing me at bboarnet@cox.net.
7. Expand your Judaic knowledge. Take a Hebrew class. Visit the Skirball Museum. Attend a lecture at Hebrew Union College or visit an exhibit of Israeli art or photography.
8. Plan your own birthday party for Israel. A few years ago, I was the co-coordinator for Irvine Kadima Hadassah’s Training Wheels program, a weekly parent/child class for children ages two to five, where we learned about Judaism through singing, playing, art projects, and other similar hands-on activities. One year on Yom Ha Atzmaut, we had the best activity ever. We had a birthday party for Israel with all the bells and whistles. It was the most incredible and fun learning experience, one that the kids have never forgotten. It would be easy for you to re-create this experience in your home for your child and a group of Jewish friends. First, the children used paper, crayons and stickers to create their own passports and airline tickets. Then, they packed their pretend suitcases and talked about the things they would want to take on their trip to Israel. Because part of the exercise is to encourage creativity, we didn’t mind that some of the kids wanted to take their dogs and their beds! Then, it was time to board the flight. We had set up chairs in rows like an airplane and the children turned in their tickets and boarded the flights. The older children were the pilot, co-pilot, and flight attendant. After announcements had been made, the flight took off, with people flapping their “wings” (arms) to give the plane extra lifting power. Once airborne, the flight attendant came by with cups of juice and crackers. The “long” flight felt short because of the short movie about Israel that was shown. We also had a lively discussion about what people were going to do in Israel and why they wanted to go.Upon arrival, after everyone freshened up with a warm, damp washcloth, the passengers exited the aircraft and presented their passports to be stamped at the customs station. We were then in Israel and proceeded to have our birthday party for Israel with blue and white cupcakes, the singing of “Yom Huledit Sameach,” and then dancing and partying.Everyone left the party with a goody bag filled with wonderful little items – Jewish pencils, erasers shaped like Stars of David, a flag of Isarel, and very happy memories of our “trip” to Israel and birthday party!
9. If you have older children, a birthday party could still be fun; it would just be structured differently. Serve Israeli foods and chip in together to hire a DJ or entertainer. Decorate to make it festive. Invite not just your children’s Jewish friends, but even the non-Jewish friends. Everyone enjoys a party and what a better way for your kids to share and be proud of their Jewish heritage than at a party in honor of Israel.
10. Don’t forget that the adults can party too! Have a grownup birthday party for Israel. We may not want to celebrate so much when WE turn sixty, but Israel turning 60 is grounds for a huge celebration. Rent your community clubhouse, bring out the champagne and Israeli style appetizers, decorate in blue and white, and hire a klezmer band. As an icebreaker/party-starter game, put the names of famous and important Israelis on index cards and tape them to people’s backs. Then, they have to guess the name on their back by asking yes and no questions of the other guests.
What you do to celebrate isn’t important. What is important is that everyone make a concerted effort to commemorate this momentous occasion and celebrate Israel’s 60th birthday, wishing Israel another 60 years of peace and prosperity!

• Barbara Boarnet is an attorney specializing in legal/human resource consulting, the mother of three children ages 12 and 9_-year-old twins, a member of Congregation Shir Ha Ma’a lot, a life member of Irvine-Kadima Hadassah, and a member of the PTA Board at Vista Verde.For feedback, contact editor@ocjewishlife.com.
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