Sukkah, Students & Seniors

Part of what I am here to do is to encourage young people to volunteer and to share the imoportance of volunteering. This task is not always easy, but when it happens and you are able to see the outcome it is amazing. I have been working with the Lauder Morasha Day School to bring some of their students to the Senior Club. This past Tuesday, after several meetings 14 girls from the school came to the Sukkah and sang to the Seniors who came to hear them.
The girls, with the assistance of their music teacher, who played the key board sang Jewish songs in Hebrew, Yiddush and Polish. There were several things that literally brought tears to my eyes throughout the hour the students were with the seniors. Firstly, that all of us were sitting in a beautiful Sukkah which adjoined the shul on a bright sunny day in Warsaw. The students brought enthusiasm, smiles and several songs which I have commonly heard sung at Camp and Shuls in North America. They also brought tradtional Yiddush songs and then the addition of Polish songs about Sukkot.
The Seniors, who often love to talk more then listen, were clearly enchanted with the singing and sat patiently and calmly while they were sung to, and enganged with, trough the copies of all the songs, that were brought to them. After all of the singing was over the seniors spoke to the students for a few minutes before they returned to school. The fact that the students could bring their talents of singing and particularly Jewish song to the Sukkah and the seniors, enhanced the holiday for everyone.
For me, it showed me that there is a way to connecting the young to the old and for everyone to enjoy from one another through the common love and appreication of being able to share together in the Sukkah, during the holiday. I look forward to more activities with the students and the seniors together! I hope you all have a wonderful week and I promise to write something about how much fun Simchat Torah in Warsaw is! Have a great week
Lots of Love
Aviva