The smell of freshly sharpened pencils and notebooks, a backpack ready to go with textbooks, the outfit picked out for day one. Many parents are familiar with the sensory experiences of going back to school, whether it’s preschool or college. Jewish communities around the world have had their own traditions relating to the start of a school year or for acknowledging the beginning of a young child’s educational experience.
Licking Honey off the Alphabet
One of the oldest Jewish educational traditions was a cheder, a religious elementary school for boys ranging from ages 3-13 that took root in many parts of Europe as far back as the Middle Ages. In cheder, children learned Jewish texts in small groups with a melamed (teacher), using a lot of memorization, and typically the cheder was divided into groups by age.
When boys started attending cheder, most commonly between the ages of 3 and 5, it was generally a cause for celebration. Some families prepared a big meal and invited guests to share it in honor of the child. Depending on the family’s socioeconomic status, the cheder child might also have received a new set of clothes. But perhaps the most notable and famous tradition was a sweet start: A child would be given a page of the Hebrew alphabet with honey on the letters, which he would then get to lick off, to show that learning Torah was as sweet as honey. In some communities, adults showered the child with coins meant to be from the angels after he completed licking off all the honey. Afterwards, the father wrapped his son in a tallit (prayer shawl) and brought him to the cheder.
Traditions from Other Countries
In many instances, Jewish back-to-school traditions aren’t necessarily Jewish in origin per se. Rather, they’re often a reflection of the local traditions and customs for students beginning the school year or starting school for the very first time. For instance, in Germany where my family lives, on the first day of school it is customary for all new first graders to receive a Schultute (“school cone”), which is an enormous decorated paper cone stuffed with all sorts of goodies. Historically it was typically some sweets and perhaps some school supplies. Nowadays, while both of those items still find their way into the cones, kids also often get books, toys and electronics to commemorate the occasion. Jewish children attending German schools also receive these cones.
On the first day of school in many Eastern European countries such as Ukraine and Bulgaria, it’s customary for children to dress in fancy clothes and to bring flowers to their teachers. In Ukraine, a lucky first grader will also get to ring a bell to indicate that the school year has officially begun.
Israeli musician Shlomo Bar, originally from Morocco, has a song with the band Habrera Hativit about the first day of school for Jewish kids in Morocco in the Atlas Mountains. In the song, the children walk through villages wearing flower garlands before arriving at the school to start their journey of learning.
Consecration
In Reform Judaism, the ritual of Consecration marks the start of Jewish education for children. Around ages 5 or 6, the group of children beginning Hebrew school customarily are called to the front of the synagogue, often during the holiday of Simchat Torah. A tallit is held over the children, and they’ll often sing a song or recite one of the Jewish prayers. Afterwards, they receive a blessing from the rabbi, and will often receive a small Torah or another Jewish object to commemorate the event. It’s a lovely and meaningful way for the community to come together to acknowledge the children’s entry into learning about Judaism.
What all of these rituals have in common is that they showcase joy and excitement about the journey of learning, a fundamental aspect of Jewish life. I know I personally look back on memories of starting my school years or my various educational systems with a lot of fondness and sensory, visceral memories.
When my oldest son started school at the local day school, I was really moved to see all the kids sitting together with their Schultuten while the older students serenaded them with Jewish songs. This was a beautiful way of welcoming them to this new phase in their lives, and helped wipe away the stress (OK, admittedly the parents’ stress!) of having to gather all the right school materials and navigate a new system.
If your family doesn’t have its own special back-to-school ritual yet, perhaps you can take inspiration from these traditions and consider starting to make unique and meaningful memories of your own.
