Yud Shevat 5773 Webcast : Why We Need G-d In Our Schools. Can We Turn Our World Into a Garden? How Do We Educate Children? Is Man Inherently Good or Bad?
Guess our national leaders didn't expect this. On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.
They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:
"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good &evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.
Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!
"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact.
What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws.
Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him.
To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge.. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!
My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
- Darrell Scott
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
J
Joel -11 שנים לִפנֵי
G-d bless you rabbi This was an eye-opening class. Thank you for your inspiring words. G-d bless you.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
YL
yosef langer -11 שנים לִפנֵי
inspiration yossi....thank you for the wonderful playdate today in our garden here in frisco. i look forward to the next time....
what a great friend and leader you are for us... thank you!!!
love and Blessings
yosef
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
NS
Nechama Satah -11 שנים לִפנֵי
The Future of Our Children The Emes. Unfortunately many, many people are becoming deaf to the Emes. They hear but it does not enter their hearts.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
M
Moshe -11 שנים לִפנֵי
The Teacher Thank you for those kind words about the importance of a teacher.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
RS
rivkah schulman -11 שנים לִפנֵי
Question re: 7 Tzadikim Rabbi Jacobson: A beautiful expose on Basi L'gani and a joyous celebration - yasher koach! Yosef is referred to as "Yosef HaTazadik", however, he is not mentioned as one of the 7 tzadikim credited with returning the shechinah from heaven to heaven, down to the earth. How come? Thank you!
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
RF
Ruth Fingerhut-Tamkin -11 שנים לִפנֵי
moment of silence Unfortunately, not all parents are going to give the children what to think about during a moment of silence so the guidance of a teacher is going to be important. Release time supplemental programs for Jewish children are great, the non Jewish children need to be connected to youth leaders, too. I have worked in a major urban school district with disturbed kids and I have partnered with others when needed to support these children's needs. I also refer to G-d in the classroom occasionally, the kids don't seem to mind and often appreciate my support of their nascent faith.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
S
stam -11 שנים לִפנֵי
music what cd is the music playing its great ?
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
A
Alex -11 שנים לִפנֵי
' I was thirsty for a farbbrengan for too long, thank R YY for the unbelievable . the true meaning of farbe. is to brong closer together[from afar?]
I feel indebt, as I couldnt make it to CH this year
. Moshiach now
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
A
Anonymous -11 שנים לִפנֵי
Aphorisms of the previous Rebb Can you post those aphorisms please. Even if right now you only have them in their original. Each one is a jewel spurring deep contemplation.
Thank you so very much.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
M
mordey -11 שנים לִפנֵי
, Great Farbrengen. Thank you Rabbi Jacobson.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
I
Inspired -11 שנים לִפנֵי
farby This is wondeful, I am so inspired. Thank you so much Rabbi Jacobson. i espeically like what you said about being good is an imminet thing in the human being and the world. And so by a person can essentially change the world only because the world is good, and they are just chipping away the layers of bad.
Thank you Rabbi, and have a great yomtov!
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
L
Leah -11 שנים לִפנֵי
light The rabbis face is much to bright.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
S
shliach -11 שנים לִפנֵי
not working for me its not working on my comp
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
A
Anonymous -11 שנים לִפנֵי
Re: not working for me Please contact us through contact.
Please include any errors you receive and specify what happens when you try to play the program.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
N
Nechemia -11 שנים לִפנֵי
thats it? only a half hour thats it? only a half hour
enjoying... but want more
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
A
Anonymous -11 שנים לִפנֵי
Re: thats it? only a half hour The program is for a total of 2 hours.
1.5 hour left.
Enjoy :-)
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
B
Bob -11 שנים לִפנֵי
??? Is he just singing or am I missing something?
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
M
Mordy -11 שנים לִפנֵי
Great class First a great class for our kids, and now for us.
אנא השאירו את תגובתכם למטה!
Anonymous -11 שנים לִפנֵי
Makes You Think
COLUMBINE STUDENT'S FATHER 12 YEARS LATER!!
Guess our national leaders didn't expect this. On Thursday, Darrell Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary Committee's subcommittee. What he said to our national leaders during this special session of Congress was painfully truthful.
They were not prepared for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every psychologist, and every so-called expert! These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. The following is a portion of the transcript:
"Since the dawn of creation there has been both good &evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of kindness or the seeds of violence. The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott, and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
"The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.. Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's heart.
"In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death. Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended. If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be their strongest opponent
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just a tragedy -- it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at where the real blame lies! Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves. I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses my feelings best.
Your laws ignore our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!
"Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist of body, mind, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred to rush in and wreak havoc. Spiritual presences were present within our educational systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact.
What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence. And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs -- politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA. They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do not need more restrictive laws.
Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning this type of massacre. The real villain lies within our own hearts.
"As my son Craig lay under that table in the school library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes, he did not hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that right! I challenge every young person in America , and around the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School prayer was brought back to our schools. Do not let the many prayers offered by those students be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with Him.
To those of you who would point your finger at the NRA -- I give to you a sincere challenge.. Dare to examine your own heart before casting the first stone!
My daughter's death will not be in vain! The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!"
- Darrell Scott
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Joel -11 שנים לִפנֵי
G-d bless you rabbi
This was an eye-opening class. Thank you for your inspiring words. G-d bless you.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
yosef langer -11 שנים לִפנֵי
inspiration
yossi....thank you for the wonderful playdate today in our garden here in frisco. i look forward to the next time....
what a great friend and leader you are for us... thank you!!!
love and Blessings
yosef
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Nechama Satah -11 שנים לִפנֵי
The Future of Our Children
The Emes. Unfortunately many, many people are becoming deaf to the Emes. They hear but it does not enter their hearts.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Moshe -11 שנים לִפנֵי
The Teacher
Thank you for those kind words about the importance of a teacher.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
rivkah schulman -11 שנים לִפנֵי
Question re: 7 Tzadikim
Rabbi Jacobson: A beautiful expose on Basi L'gani and a joyous celebration - yasher koach! Yosef is referred to as "Yosef HaTazadik", however, he is not mentioned as one of the 7 tzadikim credited with returning the shechinah from heaven to heaven, down to the earth. How come? Thank you!
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Ruth Fingerhut-Tamkin -11 שנים לִפנֵי
moment of silence
Unfortunately, not all parents are going to give the children what to think about during a moment of silence so the guidance of a teacher is going to be important. Release time supplemental programs for Jewish children are great, the non Jewish children need to be connected to youth leaders, too. I have worked in a major urban school district with disturbed kids and I have partnered with others when needed to support these children's needs. I also refer to G-d in the classroom occasionally, the kids don't seem to mind and often appreciate my support of their nascent faith.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
stam -11 שנים לִפנֵי
music
what cd is the music playing its great ?
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Alex -11 שנים לִפנֵי
'
I was thirsty for a farbbrengan for too long, thank R YY for the unbelievable . the true meaning of farbe. is to brong closer together[from afar?]
I feel indebt, as I couldnt make it to CH this year
. Moshiach now
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Anonymous -11 שנים לִפנֵי
Aphorisms of the previous Rebb
Can you post those aphorisms please. Even if right now you only have them in their original. Each one is a jewel spurring deep contemplation.
Thank you so very much.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
mordey -11 שנים לִפנֵי
,
Great Farbrengen. Thank you Rabbi Jacobson.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Inspired -11 שנים לִפנֵי
farby
This is wondeful, I am so inspired. Thank you so much Rabbi Jacobson. i espeically like what you said about being good is an imminet thing in the human being and the world. And so by a person can essentially change the world only because the world is good, and they are just chipping away the layers of bad.
Thank you Rabbi, and have a great yomtov!
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Leah -11 שנים לִפנֵי
light
The rabbis face is much to bright.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
shliach -11 שנים לִפנֵי
not working for me
its not working on my comp
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Anonymous -11 שנים לִפנֵי
Re: not working for me
Please contact us through contact.
Please include any errors you receive and specify what happens when you try to play the program.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Nechemia -11 שנים לִפנֵי
thats it? only a half hour
thats it? only a half hour
enjoying... but want more
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Anonymous -11 שנים לִפנֵי
Re: thats it? only a half hour
The program is for a total of 2 hours.
1.5 hour left.
Enjoy :-)
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Bob -11 שנים לִפנֵי
???
Is he just singing or am I missing something?
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.
Mordy -11 שנים לִפנֵי
Great class
First a great class for our kids, and now for us.
Thanks for your great service.
השיבו לתגובה זו.סמן את התגובה הזו.