Sundays Are My Favorite

I’ve pretty much always loved Sunday School. When I was a little girl, my dad taught Sunday School, and he would bring my sisters and me to temple early for his weekly teachers’ meeting. While he went into the teachers’ lounge to get ready for the day, we went to see Miss Annie, one of the sweetest women who has ever lived on this earth. Miss Annie’s kindness and her penchant for giving us slices of pound cake made coming early on all of those Sunday mornings feel like a reward rather than a burden. Once I got to class, I loved what I was learning. I loved learning the Hebrew letters and feeling more and more confident with my prayers. I loved every music class, and it wasn’t until I was in high school that I realized that all Jewish songs don’t have accompanying dance moves. If it was a library day, my Sunday was complete! I LOVED the Temple Israel library, and reading enough books to earn a hand-crocheted bookworm from our librarian at the end of the year was never a problem for me. The bigger challenge was choosing what books to check out each week. I realize that it seems like I’m creating a list of all the reasons that I’m the biggest Jewish dork ever, but I don’t care because I loved Sunday School, and I’m proud to shout it from the (metaphorical) rooftops!

So, now I’m a rabbi, and, even though I get to do AMAZING things as the rabbi of my congregation, I have to tell you, Sunday School is still my favorite. I get to temple early on Sundays just to make sure that at 9:20, I’m standing in front of the main entrance because 9:20- 9:40 is my favorite part of the week. From 9:20-9:40, my only responsibility is to welcome kids and their parents to Sunday school, and it is the best job ever. This morning was the first real Sunday School class of the school year, and watching as our students walked through the doors for either the first time or the millionth time made me smile from ear to ear. Every high-five and hug I was given made my heart happy because it reminded me that I have the ability to help make their Sunday School experiences as memorable and as positive as my own.

As I’m finishing my preparations for Yom Kippur, I find myself wishing that summer had lasted a little longer. But, then I remember that with the end of summer comes the return of Sunday School… and so I say, “Bring on the fall!"