* Translation by Yehoshua Siskin ([email protected])
“Shalom Sivan, I am Reut Tzukerman. This is an era in which we begin to do things with great enthusiasm, but do not always finish what we started. This week at our school in Peduel we were privileged to hold a special event: “The ultimate siyum.” (A siyum is a completion of a learning series)
Each child from first to sixth grade chose a study goal with the intention of persevering until it was achieved. This could have been something small, the main point being to start and to finish. This week parents came with their children to celebrate their accomplishments. At the back of the school auditorium, we wrote the names of those who completed the challenge, which included every pupil in the school.
There were children in first grade who learned one Torah portion, since this was a lot for them. Older children took on something more demanding such as Megillah Esther or the book of Jonah. Other older children learned the book of Joshua or Judges, and there were some children who even studied an entire tractate of the Gemara.
The main thing was to reach a goal since there is value in completing a mission. This builds our character at a time of endless distractions and gives the children unique gratification, a feeling of success, and of having the capacity to fulfill their goals.
We recommend that everyone think about something to study that can be started and finished and in whose completion they can rejoice. Each person according to their ability and according to what is appropriate for them. And of course, all of our learning and all of our achievements, large and small, are dedicated to the success of our soldiers, to the return of the hostages, and to the entire nation of Israel.
