Schools out, so there are children everywhere, nothing new, but there seem to be a lack of parents.  In Shul on my first day,  there were a lot of boys.  All by themselves, starting at about eight or nine.  They came in, most of them on time, picked up Sidurim and dovened,  then after the last Kaddish, they went outside to play.  No youth group, no one taking care of them, no talking in shul.  They were just being Jewish boys.  (Where were the parents, the mothers at home and the fathers dovened earlier to go to work.

Then as we were walking in Yerushalaim, a girl was standing at the side of the road, taking care of four littler siblings, she asked us "could you cross the street with us?"  She was to young to cross the street alone but she was alone in the street with three younger siblings!

In the store a boy about 10 had three younger children with him, we were behind him  in the checkout line.  He asked if he could use our cell phone,  when he called his mother he went to get something else and his sister (about eight) took care of the other two.  When they were taking the food out of the shopping cart the little girl was helping her brother, but having a hard time, she had to climb up on the shopping cart to get the food out.

Children should be children without having to worry if they are safe, or their parents having to worry if they are safe.  They should be free.  When they are free of fear, they will be much more mature, they will appreciate what they are given.  They will thank G-d for giving us a all that we have,  they will not need a program to bring them to shul they will come on their own.

When Zacharia Hanavi talks about the Massianic Era, he not only talks about the voices of the Bridegroom and the Bride in the streets of Jerusalem and the Cities of Yehudah,  but also about old men and women walking the streets and children playing.  A normal life, a Jew can only lead a normal life in Israel, not in Exile.

We can see the beginning of the redemption, but we still have a way to go.  Why in Israel do we say this year we are here, next year in Jerusalem?  Because we are talking about the whole people.  Next year we should all merit to be in Jerusalem.

Chag Kosher VeSameach,

David Rue