By Laura Seymour

Dear Families,

By the time you read this, I will have returned from our yearly family pilgrimage — we go to Disney World!

What’s Jewish about Disney? There are many things I could share, but the most important idea — one that is soooo Jewish — comes from a book titled “The Power of Moments” by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. (I’ve shared this before, but it’s so important!)

The premise of the book is this:
“While human lives are endlessly variable, our most memorable positive moments are dominated by four elements: elevation, insight, pride and connection. If we embrace these elements, we can conjure more moments that matter. What if a teacher could design a lesson that he knew his students would remember 20 years later? What if you had a better sense of how to create memories that matter for your children? Many of the defining moments in our lives are the result of accident or luck — but why would we leave our most meaningful, memorable moments to chance when we can create them?”

Judaism offers so many ways to recognize the importance of sharing moments. Saying 100 blessings every day makes us aware of how fortunate we are for everything. One of the best blessings in our multitude of blessings is the Shehecheyanu.

There are specific times when we’re supposed to say it — but can we use it at other times? Of course! Even if it isn’t traditional.

Here is the blessing:

Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha’olam, Shehecheyanu v’kiyemanu v’higiyanu lazman hazeh.

Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this time.

This blessing is about thanking God for the moment — celebrating it and marking it. At our preschool, we learn this blessing through song and post a reminder on our doors:

MAKE EVERY DAY A SHEHECHEYANU DAY!

When you see the sign, it’s a reminder that we have the power to make memorable moments.

For me, our pilgrimage to Disney World is one way we create “magical” memories with the help of Disney. But the memories that are most special usually have little to do with the rides or the many things we buy (that we don’t need). We remember the laughing together, sometimes the crying and often the quiet moments we share.

So now, take this blessing and post it somewhere — or put it on your phone to have it ready. And more importantly, don’t wait for the moments. Make them happen.

When you wake up each day, say: “I’m going to make this day a Shehecheyanu day!”

Laura Seymour is the Jewish Experiential Learning director and Camp director emeritus at the Aaron Family JCC.