What Keeps Me Up at Night

Here’s what I worry about, what sometimes keeps me up at night: that some person, out of his own insecurities or just plain meanness, finds a way to weasel under the skin of one of

my

kids, plays on her insecurities, and inflicts a wound that could prove fatal.

Here’s what keeps me up at night: that this wound, infects my kid deeply, metastasizes and, because it is all happening under the skin, I don’t even know it is happening.

Sometimes I shake myself out of that nightmare, convincing myself that there is no way my outwardly confident, content, happy kids could fall into such a trap – especially without my knowing it – until I think about the three kids who died recently by their own hands,  Tyler Clemente (the college student, outed by a roommate, who took his own life), and the countless other stories of bullying and cyberbullying that seem to multiply across our television screens. 

Our Mishpacha Family Alternative Learning program Coordinators Lisa Berney and Sarah Lauing are teaching families the story of a 2nd century rabbi who taught that (Talmud Baba Metziah). On one hand an example of rabbinic hyperbole, this teaching names the reality we are experiencing in our world today – that embarrassing another and shaming them is so heinous that it is like – and can lead to – a mortal wound inflicted upon another.

That’s why it is important, again and again, to tell our children how much we love them. It is why we rabbis and cantors and educatorstell “our children” (students) face to face and by email how much they mean to us.  It is why I tell each Bar and Bat Mitzvah student in front of the ark that they are beautiful and valuable. 

Program Promo:  And it is why, on this Wednesday, December 7th at 7:00 pm, the Or Ami Center for Jewish Parenting is hosting the interactive workshop . Led by Anti-Defamation League experts, the program geared for teens (grades 7 and older) and adults will address: Those will younger children will significantly benefit from attending the workshop as bullying and cyberbullying knows no bounds.  RSVP by email to Susie Stark, or call 818.880.4880. Childcare is available at no charge, reserve space when you RSVP.Bullying and cyberbullying are cancers that need to be constantly diagnosed, treated and eradicated.  Our youth movement NFTY (North American Federation of Temple Youth) has an Anti-Bullying website filled with great links, articles, strategies and suggestions.  Check them out. Our children are too precious.  Let us help them live in peace so we can sleep peacefully.