What language do all children know?
Reflections on my London tour… 4 days, 9 concerts
“Got to go out in a flash, when you’re taking out the… rubbish!”
Yes, “trash” rhymes better, but in England I change the lyrics of “Shabbos Is Almost Here” to “rubbish,” which British people are more familiar with. In the UK, so I’ve learned, you need to know your crisps from your chips, and your trousers from your pants – otherwise you’re likely to get something fairly different than you expected!
I recently returned from London, where I had the most amazing time meeting so many wonderful Jewish kids of different ages and from across the religious spectrum. And I was reminded that despite all the differences that exist in our own communities, and among communities from different countries – there’s a “language” that just about all children I’ve encountered naturally know and love…
Song.
At my London concerts, some children were more religious, some less so, some were preschoolers, others high schoolers, some had special education needs… But one thing they all shared in common was a love of music and song. It was deeply inspiring to see so many kids of different stripes and backgrounds light up and open their hearts to song, and in particular to the sound of Jewish music and a Jewish message!
The excitement was especially palpable at these concerts, since the theme of this tour was Adar, the Jewish month where we increase our joy. It was thrilling to see that simcha, that joy, come out during the London concerts. It certainly did a lot to increase my joy!
Wishing everyone a doubly wonderful 2 months of Adar. May we have many opportunities to share joy.
