First Grade Blessings at Chanaton

Just a quick positive note before I go to bed to balance the negativity in the previous post...

We had an experience this past Shabbat that made me really happy to have made Aliya and come live at Chanaton. All the children at shul who were about to start first grade were invited up to the bimah before Maftir (part of the weekly Torah reading) for a special blessing, and then they were each given a spoonful of honey so that the words of learning and Torah that they were about to begin studying would be sweet in their mouths. (similar to a traditional ritual for 3 year olds before they get a hair cut and begin Hebrew school). Having Yonah join the other children and beam with pride (after he got over the confusion of what it was all about and the excitement of being able to go up close to and touch the Torah) was really nice. I know that similar brachot are bestowed in shuls all over Israel this week and next, but I just felt at home and that Yonah was safe and loved at that moment - and he seemed to know it too.