Today, we studied the text where Moshe and his wife Tzipora (from Midian) name their son Gershom. We delved into the ways their son’s name reflects both Moshe and Tzipora’s life experience and family tradition.
First, we asked our students to share with us some of the holidays they celebrate with their extended families:
- Chanukkah
- Passover
- Shabbat
- Christmas
- St. Patrick’s Day
- Thanksgiving
- Pi Day
- Halloween
- Easter
- Holi
A great list! American holidays, Jewish holidays, and holidays from other faith traditions, too.
Moshe and Tzipora name their son Gershom, which means “a stranger there”. Our students developed the theory that this resonated with Moshe since he was a stranger from his own past, since he didn’t (yet) know what people he was from or what their traditions were.
What did Moshe want to remember about being a ger (stranger)?
- What he’s been through
- Finding out that he’s a Hebrew
- Seeing the world in a new way and wanting to remember that newness
- Remembering being warmly welcomed as a ger by Tzipora’s family in Midian
- Wanting to remember the warm welcome he received and welcome newcomers warmly in his own life and home in the future
We concluded our text study that day by exploring ways that Moshe’s family is like our own families we know in the Jewish community. We circled back to our opening conversation about what our experiences are like celebrating all kinds of holidays with our extended family and neighbors and supporting each other.