Archive for July 8th, 2010
Posted on July 8, 2010 - by admin
Dallas Doings
Beth Torah reaches out to interfaith families
Congregation Beth Torah, in the vanguard of Conservative Judaism’s effort to “welcome strangers into the tent,” has laid the foundation for a Greater Dallas Keruv group. “Keruv” means to come closer and that is the exact description of efforts to welcome interfaith families and actively include them in synagogue life.
Statistics tell the story. More than one-third of American Jews are married to non-Jews. Close to one-half of recent “Jewish” marriages are between a Jew and a non-Jew. Of all the Jews who are cohabiting today, over 80 percent of these partnerships include individuals of non-Jewish origin.
With nearly half of all Jews marrying a non-Jew, there are few people in Conservative congregations who do not have an intermarried family member. Yet until recently, the issues surrounding intermarriage were rarely acknowledged in Conservative synagogues. At Congregation Beth Torah, the Keruv programming provides opportunities for people to explore issues relating to intermarriage in a safe and supportive environment. Intermarried families are welcome to join a forum to discuss their concerns and emotions and are invited to cross the synagogue threshold to discover acceptance and support.
Couples searching to find a community both to support raising Jewish children and to help husbands and wives grow as intermarried couples can now explore what is available right on their doorsteps. Rather than imposing preset programming, it is by meeting one another, the congregation, rabbi and educators that the families themselves guide what they need in order to feel comfortable at, and a part of, Beth Torah.
Known for its warmth and inclusiveness, Congregation Beth Torah and its dynamic spiritual leader, Rabbi Adam Raskin, have set a major goal to provide opportunities for interfaith families to participate in specially designed programming with no pressure to convert, change or do anything different in their lives except to raise their children in a Jewish household and to observe Jewish rituals as best they are able.
All too often, interfaith living is a lonely state. By providing opportunities to meet one another and to be warmly included in greater synagogue life, it is the intention of the congregation to strengthen interfaith families by developing and deploying a spectrum of specifically designed programming that provides connections into the main synagogue offerings.
Liz Cox, one of the Keruv leaders, continues to experience the acceptance, the vibrancy, the bonds she and her non-Jewish husband have found at Congregation Beth Torah. “This shul is exceptional and unique in how non-traditional families can become integrated in and integral to synagogue life. That is why I am excited about us serving others who are searching for a religious home. In other times, the Jewish people grew by having children. Today we must supplement that growth by embracing those who have cast their lots with us, by embracing those who help raise our Jewish children with us.”
Congregation Beth Torah, located at 720 W. Lookout Drive in Richardson, invites all interested people to join them from 9 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 10 for a summer Keruv luau. The plan is to have fun and meet others with similar interests and needs over dessert and finger foods. Please RSVP to keruv@congregationbethtorah.org to find out the specific location in the Frankford-Hillcrest area or call Carren Carpenter at the synagogue office, 972-234-1542, Option 3, for more information.
Looking for high school history teachers
Recognizing the national influence of Texas in the textbook adoption process, Institute for Curriculum Services (ICS) based in California, and the JCRC of Greater Dallas became partners in a five-year project called the Public Education Initiative. PEI seeks to guarantee historical accuracy about Jews, Judaism and Israel in the Texas standards (TEKS) and the textbooks that will ultimately be adopted for use in Texas classrooms.
PEI achieves its goals through local outreach and Austin-based advocacy. Pat Epstein, who lives in Austin, has closely monitored the Texas standards revision process for the past year and has developed strong relationships with members of the SBOE and the Texas Education Agency, along with other key stakeholders, to achieve PEI goals. To date, this project has had tremendous impact. The vast majority of recommendations in the form of edits to the TEKS have been accepted and incorporated into the final TEKS which were approved in May 2010.
For the next phase of its work, PEI is looking to build relationships with Dallas and Fort Worth area Jewish history teachers at the secondary and high school level, Jewish parents who are active in their school districts at the PTA and Council of PTAs level, and school administrators. The help of the organized Jewish community is needed to identify such Jewish individuals.
If you can help, please contact June Penkar, outreach liaison, at jpenkar@jfgd.org or at 214-615-5233.
Kids: Take the Tycher challenge!
The Tycher Library, in cooperation with the J summer camps, is offering a special program to encourage summer reading called “The JCC/Tycher Library Summer Reading Challenge.” They are inviting all children to read or be read to.
Participants will log their own minutes weekly, and the library will offer incentive prizes for reaching certain goals: 500 minutes, coupon for an ice cream at Gooey’s; 1,000 minutes, coupon for a slice of pizza from Café Fino; 2,500 minutes, discount coupon for Half Price Books; 5,000 minutes, Tycher Library Summer Reading Challenge T-shirt.
The program is open to all young people, both JCC campers and others. While families are encouraged to include selections from the Tycher Library’s extensive collection of Jewish-themed children’s books, any books qualify. Stop by the Tycher Library, 7900 Northaven Road, to register or call Joan Gremont at 214-239-7132.
Sign up for your flu shots
It’s not too early to begin thinking about flu shots for this fall. Adat Chaverim Brotherhood will provide regular and H1N1 combination flu shots on Sunday, Sept. 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., for a cost of $22 per person. The immunizations will be given at Adat Chaverim, 6300 Independence Pkwy., Plano. Please contact Howard Hoffman at brotherhood@adatchaverim.org by Sept. 19 to RSVP.
A night to remember …
at Camp Chai!
Overnights at camp are the very special times; the fun begins when campers usually go home and continues through the next day. Camp Chai’s first overnight of the summer was on Thursday, June 24. A surprise Native American theme turned the overnight into a wonderful adventure. Face painting, headdress making, teepee creations and even archery lessons for older campers made this event a special one. The evening came to a close with a drum circle and naming ceremony. Camp Chai Director and TJP “Shabbat Lady” Laura Seymour says, “Magic happens on every overnight. Not only do we try new things and bond with our friends but our campers grow up right before our eyes. An overnight is truly a growing experience.”
Posted on July 8, 2010 - by admin
Around the Town with Rene
Federation targets three focus goals
The Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County is continuing its strategic planning process. With the consulting help of Jewish Federations of North America, the project has gone through the data-gathering and analysis phases, as well as a final data review by the Federation board. The last phase of the project is final tactical recommendations to the board, in August. This will identify more specific actions, associated costs and timeframes.
According to Executive Director Mort House, “The board has arrived at three general areas of focus over the next 3–5 years … outreach to our younger adult population; outreach to Eastern Tarrant County Jewry; and enhanced Federation marketing and communications. This will in no way alter our current mission nor deemphasize the significant strengths in our traditional areas such as support for Israel, JFS and local Jewish education. Rather, these new priorities will demand a higher level of lay involvement and some additional funding for programming. But after a community survey, several focus groups and a board retreat, it is clear that we need to work more on these areas. Implementation will begin once the board approves final recommendations from our three area committees. We see a September implementation.”
Woody Allen film on tap for ‘Daytimers’
Next event for the “Daytimers” is the annual movie and ice cream social, at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 14, featuring the Woody Allen film “Whatever Works.”
The film is about an eccentric New Yorker played by Larry David who abandons his upper-class life to lead a more bohemian existence.
Boris Yelnikoff (David), a misanthropic chess teacher from Greenwich Village, finds a young woman (Evan Rachel Wood) from Mississippi lying on his doorstep. He takes her in for the night and eventually marries her, despite their 40-year age difference and their clashing cultural backgrounds. His philosophy on the matter is that life is short so he might as well enjoy himself. But when he meets her family, no two people seem to get along in the entanglements that follow.
The program includes all the popcorn and ice cream you can eat plus the film for only $5. Reservations are requested so there will be enough ice cream for all. No-fat, low-fat and sugar-free have already been ordered. For other special diet requests, please call Barbara Rubin.
For reservations, call Barbara Rubin, 817-927-2736, or Sylvia Wexler, 817-294-1129, or checks can be mailed to Daytimers, Beth-El Congregation, 4900 Briarhaven Road, Fort Worth, TX 76109.
The Sylvia Wolens “Daytimers” is a program of Beth-El Congregation with financial support from the Jewish Federation.
Israel Scouts/Tzofim Friendship Caravan takes Fort Worth by storm
On Wednesday, June 30, as the month of June came to a hot and humid end, the Israel Scouts/Tzofim Friendship Caravan rolled into Cowtown for the first time in many years. The Caravan, sponsored by Friends of Israel Scouts, Inc., is sent to the United States each summer as informal ambassadors of the state of Israel bringing a sample of Israeli culture to America. This team of talented 16- and 17-year-old boy and girl scouts spends months during their 11th-grade year in high school preparing a multimedia program of videos, songs and dances which they perform from June through August in cities all over the United States. The 40 teens and their eight 20-something counselors divide into four teams and crisscross the country in a 12-passenger van towing a U-Haul trailer filled with their equipment and personal belongings.
Their day in Fort Worth began by spending a morning with the campers and staff at the JEA’s Camp Sholom. They brought a program with them from Israel to teach the campers a little bit about the Jewish state, Judaism and Zionism in an informal, fun environment. After enjoying a typical American hot dog lunch, the scouts bid farewell to the campers and spent a couple of hours at the Fort Worth Stockyards, where they experienced the cattle drive, seeing longhorns for the first time and ending their visit with a taste of Texas, Blue Bell ice cream cones.
Returning to Congregation Ahavath Sholom, they prepared for their 7 p.m. performance for the Fort Worth community. Over 100 people came out on a rainy evening to participate in the “Caravan experience.” The songs and dances reflected the diversity of cultures found in Israel. Videos included greetings from the mayor of Jerusalem and an invitation to visit the holy city, an introduction to the scouts’ families and a special tribute to Gilad Shalit, the kidnapped Israeli soldier who has been held by Hamas terrorists in Gaza for the past four years. The tribute also included a message from Shalit’s father, thanking us for not forgetting his son and for our support in attempting to gain Gilad’s release. Everyone that saw the performance left Zale Auditorium with a smile on his face and the anticipation of next year’s visit by the scouts. Special thanks go out to the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and Tarrant County for their funding of this wonderful cultural event.
CAS elects new board, officers
Congregation Ahavath Sholom is proud to announce the election of its new officers and board of directors. Officers include: Marvin Beleck, president; Dr. Murray Cohen, first vice president; Ebrahim Lavi, second vice president; Dr. Nancy Faigin, third vice president; Edwin Bond, treasurer; Naomi Rosenfield, secretary; Stuart Isgur, parliamentarian. Directors include: Irwin Blum, Suzanne Herman, David Saul, Rick Savitz, Jodi Berger, Elsie Blum, Harry Labovitz, Andres Zapata, Robert Dubinsky, Walter Listig, Debby Rice, Carol-Ann Schwartz, J.R. Faigin, Aaron Levy, Naomi Brand. Elections were held at the annual congregational meeting on June 13. Congratulations to the new board of directors.
Posted on July 8, 2010 - by admin
In My Mind’s I
By Harriet P. Gross
We all know that Emma Lazarus, who wrote the famous poem that graces the Statue of Liberty, was Jewish. Don’t we? And that lots of the “huddled masses yearning to be free” who accepted her invitation to enter the United States’ “golden door” were Jewish, too? They may not have found the streets paved with gold, but many of them found gold in other places.
As a people, we probably count for no more than 1 percent of the world’s population, but we can be proud of our impact. Take a look at the trio of men who can easily be cited as the globe’s most influential in the past couple of centuries: Einstein. Freud. Lenin. Science, medicine and history would have been vastly different without them.
And so would the mercantile industry of our own country. Here’s something I learned a long time ago, that has much to do with what I mentioned last week: the inability of many Jews, in many parts of the world, for many years, to own property. Or to work in many trades, either. What can men and women do then to feed their families?
Shakespeare made much of Shylock the moneylender. Years and years ago, in much of Europe, Jews were encouraged to enter that business because the church forbade its members to make interest-bearing loans. Yet people sometimes needed to borrow. They would bring things as security for the currency they required, and so the pawnshop was born.
Then, what if those things were not redeemed? Ah — they became the possessions of the one holding them. Pawned clothing turned into a source of literal material for making items that could be sold; learn to reshape garments, and one was now a tailor, a dressmaker. The tools were minimal, and portable: a needle and thread, and a skill that could go anywhere, as necessary. It’s not a surprise that when those “huddled masses” arrived in America, they huddled again in sweatshops, and our country’s garment industry was born.
Selling could also take place on streets, from carts. And when those peddlers could, they stabilized themselves in shops. It’s no surprise, either, that so many great names in department stores, and of the clothing sold in them, are Jewish ones. Altman. Gimbel. Magnin. Kuppenheimer. Strauss. In a way, the church helped, or forced, this to happen.
Here’s another interesting connection: In the fourth century, a young priest in Turkey became legendary by helping out a poor family in a way the time and place required: by providing dowries for its three daughters, without which they would not be considered marriage material. In the dark of night, Nicholas tossed a bag of gold for each of them through a window of their house, and tradition says the bags landed in the shoes the girls had left on the floor. Of course he became famous, was revered and was eventually sainted. In America, “stockings are hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that Saint Nicholas soon will be there”; but in some other countries, children still find holiday gifts in their shoes on Christmas morning.
Guess what? That’s not all! Those three bags of gold moved from being the stuff of legend to solid reality: Three gold balls became the symbol of — pawnbrokers, who would display them outside their shops! And in the tradition of the church, Santa Claus — a quick verbal shorthand for “Saint Nicholas” — is the patron saint of pawnbrokers. And also of merchants.
“Curiouser and curiouser,” as Lewis Carroll had Alice in Wonderland say; the Jewish-Christian connection goes on. There was a time, not like our own, when many foods were strictly seasonal. Fruits, especially. An orange in winter was an expensive rarity. So oranges — precious gold balls that they were then — became treasured Christmas gifts, fillers of shoes and stockings. Another little factoid buried in history.
So why am I talking about all this now, in the heat of summer? Because of Israel’s famed Jaffa oranges. Isn’t it amazing that people once denied land of their own, when they finally secured some, were able to grow the most delicious balls of gold on earth and send them all over the earth to be enjoyed?
On my recent Israel visit, I enjoyed many wonderful oranges — even though the Jaffas are no longer such important exports as they once were. (But I also ate what I’m sure are the most delicious dates on earth!)
E-mail: harrietg@texasjewishpost.com
Posted on July 8, 2010 - by admin
Ask the Rabbi
Dear Rabbi Fried,
I would like to inquire about the three weeks of mourning being observed by Orthodox Jews. Why need we mourn something that happened so long ago? I always thought Jews don’t mourn the loss of a loved one forever; we accept God’s will and eventually move on. Why is this different?
—Jonathan P.
Dear Jonathan,
The period you are referring to, known as the “Three Weeks,” is based upon a verse in Lamentations which mentions the mourning period “between the borders.” This is the three-week period between the 17th of the Jewish month of Tamuz and the ninth of the month of Av, known as the fast day of Tisha B’Av. The latter fast will begin on Monday, July 19 and end Tuesday, July 20 at nightfall. During this time we mourn, among other things, the destruction of the two Temples in Jerusalem, both on the same Jewish date of Tisha B’Av.
The destruction of the Temples is the focal point of our subsequent exile and dispersion among the nations of the world. It punctuates the downfall of the Jewish people from its greatness to becoming the punching bag of the nations. This event also epitomizes the spiritual distance we created between us and the Al-mighty, from the Shechinah or Divine Presence. The Temples stood as “G-d’s dwelling place” among our people. Our understanding is that all subsequent calamities which have befallen our people are outgrowths of the distance between us and G-d, which was finalized by the destruction during this period.
During this period we are not simply mourning what happened “once upon a time,” although that’s a part of it. We are not merely bereaved over the loss of that edifice called the Temple, as terrible as that loss was in its own right. We mourn the physical distance between most of us and Israel, the spiritual remoteness between the Jews and the Shechinah. We continue to mourn all the pogroms, inquisitions and expulsions we have suffered over the years. We mourn the Chemelnitzki massacres; the unspeakable Holocaust; the suicide bombings of Israeli cafés and buses which plague us until today. We also mourn the “silent holocaust” transpiring right in our midst: the complete assimilation of hundreds of thousands of Jews right in our front yards.
To understand this a bit deeper: The Talmud says that “any generation in which the Temple was not rebuilt, it is as if they destroyed it.” This means that there were certain misdeeds and sins which brought about the destruction of the Temple. The Second Temple’s destruction relates most directly to us as we currently are living in the exile wrought by its annihilation. The Talmud cites the reason this Temple was ruined: hatred between fellow Jews. Combining this with the previous statement, we learn that if the Temple has not yet been rebuilt in our generation, we still harbor a level of loathing between one Jew and the next which would be sufficient to have the Temple destroyed if it were standing today!
Hence we have a more profound understanding of the mourning of this period. We lament the present state of our people: lacking the love and understanding and brotherhood which would make us the Jewish community that we should be. Your question is correct. We truly don’t practice open-ended grief for the loss of a loved one. We accept G-d’s judgment as true and just; we mourn for a period of time and then move on with our lives. The bereavement of these three weeks is different: The reason for the loss is alive and well and needs to be dealt with. Its purpose is to wake us up and make us take notice of our situation and, it is hoped, cause us to rectify our circumstances in a way which is redeeming. In this case, going out of our way to build love, trust and respect for our fellow Jews would be a great start. Who knows, it just might tip the scale!
Rabbi Yerachmiel D. Fried, noted scholar and author of numerous works on Jewish law, philosophy and Talmud, is founder and dean of DATA, the Dallas Kollel. Questions can be sent to him at yfried@sbcglobal.net.
Posted on July 8, 2010 - by admin
Shalom From the Shabbat Lady
By Laura Seymour
Dear Families,
Each morning, there are traditional blessings recited upon waking up. One of the prayers says: “Blessed are You, Adonai, our G-d, Ruler of the universe, who gives sight to the blind (pokei’ah ivrim).” Thankfully, very few people are actually blind, so why do we say this prayer every morning? It may be that in some ways, we are all blind as we close our eyes, not seeing the wonderful things in our world. We take so much for granted and we have become blind to the wonders around us. When we say this prayer, we are asking to have our eyes opened.
Here is a fun activity to enjoy outdoors in nature, in your back yard or even in your home. What are the things that we have closed our eyes to and taken for granted? Why is it important to open our eyes and really see?
Activity
•Choose a partner. This activity should be done in silence.
•The “A” partner closes his/her eyes and the “B” partner walks the “A” partner to a special natural view (a flower, a rock, etc.).
•”B” partner should take the head of “A” and adjust the line of vision just as if they were a camera — it can be a close-up or a panoramic view.
•Recite the pokei’ah ivrim blessing and tug on the ear of “A” to open his/her eyes.
•“A” should take in the view as if for the first time.
“Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, pokei’ah ivrim.”
“Blessed are You, Adonai our G-d, Ruler of the universe, who gives sight to the blind.”
Questions
•How did it feel to be led around? How did it feel to be able to see again?
•What did you see that you didn’t notice before?
•How did it feel to lead a blind person around?
•What was it like to choose a special sight to see? Why did you choose that view?
Laura Seymour is director of camping services and Jewish life and learning at the Jewish Community Center of Dallas.
Posted on July 8, 2010 - by admin
Gan Shalom is a garden for kids
By Deb Silverthorn
Digging through the dirt, feeling the slime of earthworms as they crawl up the arm of a 4-year-old and tasting the fresh first cut from a pepper plant, the children of Temple Emanu-El Preschool, through their Gan Shalom Chai science and garden centers, take it all in.
Committed to connecting children to G-d through nature, the preschool has 230 little gardeners who make their way through the Gan at least once a week. From the earliest toddlers to the pre-kindergarten students, age-appropriate activities and curriculum provide lessons in ecology, gardening, nutrition, animal science and more.
“There is so much value in being a part of our outside world and, even for our youngest students, the environment provides connection to nature and G-d’s world,” said Heidi Kutchin, the preschool’s science and garden educator since 2006. “You never know from day to day, even with a planned curriculum, what might happen and there is nothing more wondrous than children learning they are a partner with everything around them.
“Learning to put others’ needs — whether the ‘other’ is a plant, animal or friend — ahead of themselves is a life lesson,” said Kutchin of the program, which is funded through the proceeds of a hot lunch project, donations and Temple Emanu-El’s preschool budget. “Our program, with all of its richness, teaches the compassion that our tradition teaches.”
“All Jewish children learn to sing blessings before eating that praise the Creator, but do they have the chance to appreciate and praise the Creator’s Creation?” said Temple Emanu-El’s Rabbi Adam Allenberg, director of congregational learning. “In order to develop a mind and a heart that stand in awe of God’s Creation, children — and adults — must have the chance to explore and interact with it.
“We are helping to raise our children with an awareness of the cycles of the earth and a calling to be shomrei adamah,” Rabbi Allenberg said. “We are guardians of the earth and all of its bounty.”
Animals, including rabbits, a chinchilla, a bearded dragon, turtles and a Chinese water dragon, provide opportunities for caring and compassion. Each week, the student responsible for bringing in the class snacks must also research and provide snacks appropriate for that class’ animal.
The Gan provides hands-on experiences in tikkun olam, repairing the world, while exploring and practicing the principles of bal tashchit, which prohibits being wasteful or unnecessarily destructive. Composting is something each class participates in, with the children collecting organic waste from snack and lunchtime to bring to the Gan’s compost bin.
“Heidi is incredible in how she interacts with the kids, always tying together learning about nature with our learning as Jews,” said teacher Alisa Sureck, noting that feeding “Bubbles,” the bunny, is a highlight of her children’s week. “Every week is something new, from upkeep to picking ingredients for a salad, pulling a piece from the broccoli plant and eating it on-site.”
“The impact of the Gan on the children with regard to how they care for the earth, its creatures, and themselves, is lasting,” said Kim Pariza, the mother of 5-year-old Chase, as well as former Temple Emanu-El preschoolers, Hannah and Sterling. “While [I was] visiting the garden at my daughter’s school, she told me that the worms were good because they aerate the soil. This she remembered two years after leaving Temple.
“We found a toad and Chase brought him to school. We now have a garden at home and the kids eat what they plant,” Pariza said.
“I like to pick the weeds from the Gan so that it will be healthy,” Chase Pariza said. “It’s cool because you can do a lot of stuff there. My favorite animal is ‘Spicy’ the bearded dragon and I love to feed him crickets.”
“The Gan was the reason we chose to send our son to Temple. It sealed the deal,” said Jane Larkin, the mother of Sammy. “He was almost 2 years old and the idea that he could be a part of this beautiful oasis, learning to love nature and to care for the earth, while understanding the concepts of tikkun olam — that’s what we wanted for him.”
“I love a lot of nature and there are a lot of things we could learn and do in our houses too. We planted carrots at home because they’re my favorite.” Sammy Larkin said. “At school, I also liked seeing the real ladybug larva; I think it was yellowish and blackish.”
For the Larkin family, the Gan is an extension of their own home gardening where they compost, plant and harvest. “You can’t have a good harvest, like during Sukkot, without composting,” said Larkin, whose husband Cameron was a guest in Sammy’s class, bringing in the family’s tools.
“The kids try eating things that most kids would never eat,” Larkin said, noting that the children made pesto from the garden’s kale plants. “Last summer, Sammy asked me to buy purple peppers, ‘just like the ones we planted,’ he told me.”
“The children are involved in an array of sensory experiences through the Gan and the program finds its way into much of the curriculum,” said Shelley Sender, director of early childhood education at Temple Emanu-El. “They are digging, planting and then cooking with what they grow, and they are painting from the pigment of the flowers. They learn about same and opposite, feeling the furry and scaly or spiked friends.
“The interaction, the responsibility and the depth of language skills that we see growing are so exciting,” Sender said. “We have explosions of vocabulary as the year goes on and it’s really very powerful.”
Throughout the Jewish calendar, the Gan and the preschool staff use nature to re-energize their holiday curriculum. Dipping their apple slices in honey at Rosh Hashanah, the kids make a direct connection to the bees they saw pollinating the Gan’s flowers. A visit by local beekeepers, with their product in tow, was just one of many hands-on memories for the children.
As the Gan’s pomegranates ripened, the children learned how the 613 seeds represent the 613 commandments and at Yom Kippur, the students observed tashlich at their waterfall. On Sukkot, the children celebrated in their garden sukkah, decorated with fresh herbs and branches. During Simchat Torah, they learned that rimon, which means pomegranate, is also the name for the crown on the Torah.
In the next year, the Gan will add an earth oven, one that cooks by the heat of the sun, and children will prepare pita pizzas and challah from the wheat that they grow.
“This generation is experiencing a nature deficit disorder and they need the opportunity to connect with the outdoors,” Sender said. “Life is just too sterile and kids need to be digging in the dirt!”
