Where Do You Find Holiness? | Behrman House Publishing

On a family camping trip, you wake up early and are in the mood to pray because *

You love the early morning, the time of day when you are the most awake and alert.

You remember how everyone worked together to make dinner last night and how you had fun playing games with your family.

The sky is a beautiful color, the birds are chirping, and the trees look magnificent.

You will be visiting your grandparents the first night of Hanukkah. You really can’t wait because last year *

Your grandmother told a story about her parents’ miraculous escape from Poland during the war.

Your grandfather showed you a bookstand that he made for your father’s bar mitzvah and said that this year he would start working on yours.

Hanukkah is your favorite holiday and you love spending it with your grandparents.

You went to your cousin Yael’s bat mitzvah. You particularly loved her speech because she talked about *

The family and how much she loves being with her cousins and grandparents on Pesach and other holidays.

Shabbat and how she appreciates having a day to rest and get away from the stress of the week.

The synagogue and how she feels so peaceful whenever she comes to the sanctuary.

You spent a Shabbat with the family of a friend from summer camp. You were most inspired at Shabbat dinner by *

The way the host family did things together at the table, like singing and telling stories.

The way everything looked special in the house — the polished silver, beautiful china, and sparkling glasses.

The feeling that came over the house at sunset as the spirit of Shabbat entered.

You hope to go to Israel on a bar/bat mitzvah trip. You are looking forward most to *

Visiting the holy city of Jerusalem and celebrating Shabbat in this special city.

Meeting Israeli kids your age and hearing inspirational stories about their lives.

Having your bar/bat mitzvah ceremony.

At school, during Hanukkah, you watched a movie about Natan Sharansky, a leader in the Israeli government, who was imprisoned in the Soviet Union for nine years on false charges. (An interview with Sharansky appears in the Iyar 5763 issue of BabagaNewz.) *

The remark of a taxicab driver in the film: “Hag hayom,” — the day of his arrival in Israel is a holiday.

The scene that showed him at the Kotel the first night he arrived in Israel.

His comments about how he maintained his faith in prison.

You attended a big rally for Israel at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. You were moved by the experience because *

So many Jewish people stood together for their brothers and sisters in Israel.

So many people missed work or school to attend the rally that it felt like a special day.

So many other rallies for peace have taken place in this spot, and you took your place in history hoping for peace in Israel.