Teaching second graders to love the country through death

Ami Kaufman By Ami Kaufman May 20, 2012 | Edit

It’s the little things, the everyday things, that really make you wonder about where this place is headed.

I caught a glimpse of a picture on Facebook yesterday that sent chills down my spine. It was uploaded by Tal Rabinowsky, who in the caption and comments of the picture said that he saw the following text while helping his cousin do his bible homework.

His cousin is in second grade.

Teaching second graders to love the country through death
The textbook that Tal's kid was reading (photo: Tal Rabinovsky)

My translation:

3. Why was it important for Abraham to buy his own cemetery plot to bury Sarah? Read the following story, it may help you answer the question:

Jacqueline made aliyah (immigrated) from France. She has been living in Jerusalem for 30 years now.

Her son, Elad, was killed in the Lebanon War. After her son was buried, Jacqueline said that only after her son was buried in Israeli soil, did she begin to feel that she belonged to our country and connected to her land.

(Tal’s photo will be discussed tonight on Channel 10’s “Zinor Laila”)

Ami Kaufman

Ami Kaufman was chief night editor for Haaretz, for the prominent Israeli financial daily Calcalist, and correspondent on Israeli affairs for 93.6 RAM FM, a joint Palestinian-Israel radio station. His interest in food and cooking led to culinary studies at the "Israeli CIA" (Tadmor, Herzliya) and a brief stint in the restaurant business. Born in Tel Aviv, Ami lives in Bat Yam with his wife and two daughters. In his spare time he blogs at Half & Half.

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