today Thursday is Yom Hashoah in Israel - holocaust remembrance day.- with special programming and political speeches.

 

However I saw something interesting about teaching children about the holocaust in this generation - using Ice Cream!

 

Kids cannot understand the horrors of the holocaust.

 

But there was one Italian gentile who - for a frew years - hid a number of Jewish children - and the fascists never guesed!

 

He was recognized by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Gentile.

 

What did he do ?  He kept the kids in the Basement of-

you guessed it-

his Ice Cream Factory!  Holy Gentile Gellato!

 

Tell your kids - imagine being in an ice cream factory for three years - and not being allowed to eat the ice cream!

 

It's a far cry from most holocaust stories - but it gets the senses working!

 

NOW

 

In the Portion Kedoshim we read the commandment to Love One Another

 

And with Counting the Sefirat HaOmer we are reminded that Rabbi Akita's students perished in a plague because of not respecting one another

 

How did that happen? We don't really know - but we DO KNOW:

-

 

 

 

All the Rabbis got together with Rabbi Akiva to fix the problem after the plague -

 

But we must be Specially Careful to check ourselves before  we criticize other Jews 

 

Sometimes it's hard - but talking out issues can make it easier!

 

 

Lots of Love and Shabbos from Jerusalem

 

Rabbi Andy Eichenholz