Betting on Jewish Early Childhood Education, Redeeming Our World
By Anna Hartman
“The voice of children learning (tinokot shel beit rabban) preserves the world;
through these children, the world is saved.”
Zohar, introduction, with parallel messages in Talmud Shabbat 119b
The rabbis of the Talmud understood something about the magic of childhood. The fate of the world, they said, rests on the existence of children and their learning.
The wonder of this learning is something adults lose sight of most of the time. For parents of young children, the constant struggles to earn a living and care for our families leaves little time to marvel.
Recently I spent a morning with my toddler daughter Libby at the Chicago Botanical Garden. After an hour of exploring the beautiful flowers and avoiding the various puddles the day’s rain had left behind, I unbuckled Libby from her stroller and let her roam. Sure enough, Libby immediately found what I had been avoiding: PUDDLES! On this rare day with no time constraints, I was able to relax while she visited and revisited each puddle, eventually exploring barefoot and covered in mud.
It was one of those days where the learning and discovery of a child stopped me in my tracks and helped me see the beauty and possibility in the world. Sacred moments like this are the hallmark of Jewish early childhood schools.
As a parent who spends most of her time working and not on adventurous walks through the Botanical Garden, I am heartened to know that my children are experiencing deep and meaningful moments in their Jewish school environments.
Anna Hartman is the Director of the Paradigm Project and the Director of Early Childhood Excellence at the Jewish United Fund in Chicago. The essay above is the introduction to the most recent issue of the Covenant Foundation’s Sight Line journal, which she curated.