The pupils are having a conversation. It is the first day of school. One arranges with a friend to sit next to each other, a second defames his teachers… a lot of noise, laughter and fun. Here and there two children have already started to quarrel. One girl is crying because someone hit her with a sponge, and another girl is crying because they called her names…
The bell is ringing. Everybody is quiet. The principal enters the 5
th grade classroom with a new teacher. Thirty pairs of eyes scan the new teacher from head to foot. The principal announces in a few words the name of the new teacher who would be the educational-guide of our class; Clapping of hands and cheers.
There is an atmosphere of joy in class. We were tired of our previous teacher. This new one will be good. His eyes are good. The teacher expresses his joy in plain words hoping that the class will appreciate his interest and will not embarrass him with bad behavior. He announces that the first guidance session will take place on Sabbath at three o’clock.
The pupils gathered early near the
gymnasium waiting for our guide impatiently.
He approaches, tall and upright. We are curious. He starts:
“Pupils! You are learning here how to live. You prepare to live in society. You know that at the head of every community there are several people who run the affairs of the community. I want you, too, a small community, to choose several talented pupils who are fit for the task and will be able to run the affairs of the class. If anybody wants to comment, please raise your hand”
A pupil who sat on at the first desk listening attentively to the teacher got up:
“Teacher, Sir! Last year we had a “court-room”. It had a commendable task: to make peace between pupils in this class. However the pupils jeered at this court-room and did not accept its verdict until they go tired of it and it was forgotten. I am afraid that this year’s courtroom will end the same way.”
The teacher smiled and said: “You don’t have to give up! Last year you were still young and you did not appreciate the importance of this courtroom. This year we will have not only a courtroom but a self-rule! Let’s start with elections”
The pupils are whispering, one nominates this pupil and another one opposes this nomination. A lot of noise. Election is over. The teacher announces the results. Six pupils have been elected: 3 boys and 3 girls. The first meeting will take place right away. The pupils leave school one by one and only the members of the “Self-Rule” stay. First of all, the chairman was elected and then they started preparing a program.
------
A second meeting convened on Wednesday. The secretary read the defined duties of the self-rule.
- “Self-Rule” accustoms the pupils to community life.
- “Self-Rule” enhances in the pupils the love of Hebrew culture.
- “Self-Rule” develops the sense of morality.
- “Self-Rule” functions also as a courtroom. It brings to trial those who disturb, quarrel and do not abide by the rules of “Self-Rule.”
In order to achieve its goals “Self-Rule” will use the following means:
A. Mutual help in studies. Students who excel in their studies will help others - each in the field he/she excels.
B. “self-rule” – supervising all activities of the class such as:
1. “Class fund” to improve the class and cover all class expenses. Each student will have to pay a weekly fee.
2. Contributions to “Jewish National Fund” – each student must buy a fix sum of “stamps” every week.
3. All students must support mutual help for poor students.
C. “Self-Rule” informs that all must talk Hebrew. The “Defenders of the Hebrew Language Brigade “will be the guards.
D. the “Defenders of the Hebrew Language Brigade “will serve also as a literary circle in which the students will study the national heroes and literature, according to the knowledge of the class.
E. “Self-Rule” will organize a library and all students who have Hebrew books at home are requested to bring them to this library in the reading room. Books and newspapers will be bought with the money collected for the “class fund”. Every evening the students will be able to read them in the reading room.
F. “Self-Rule” will edit the “Class Diary” – dedicated to written-material of the students – (poems, stories, memoirs)
---------
The secretary finished reading the above. There was dead silence in the classroom. The students saw a vision of a bright future. On their faces there was a smile of happiness.
Only one is unhappy… It seems that the vision the head of the “Self Autonomy” is not so bright. A heavy responsibility burdens him. The guide said that the members of “Self Autonomy” will pave the way to the development of the students. They will be the judges. “To be a judge is too much of a burden. No, I have not won the trust of the class.” …
- “Please, teacher, I don’t want to be a judge!” His eyes expressed both fear and courage and mirrored his thoughts. The teacher understood him.
- Yes it is unpleasant to be a judge. But every judge can learn a great deal – he will watch and see how important sincerity is and how difficult it is to be honest!
Noise in the classroom…
- “But, teacher! If I judge for a long time, I will learn to notice only the deficiencies of the others, and I would not know my own faults.”
- The teacher kept quiet for a moment and then answered: You are right my son. That is why the judges will not be appointed for a whole year. There will be a rotation.
A tumult in the classroom.
The chairman rose up, his dreamy eyes burning like sparks of flame and his pale face reddened.
- “If we are going to implant something new into the class, we must first find out if we have solidarity among us. A farmer, before sowing, examines the earth if it is good for sowing. The earth for our class should be “revival”. If this earth is fertile – if there is solidarity, everything will grow well. This is the reason that the previous year our “court” did not function. All the hopes of our teacher were dashed because the whole program was based on vain foundations. He forgot one issue: solidarity.
My God, So many hopes were dashed. So many dreams I had dreamt about the activity of the “Self-Rule”, and suddenly… all has vanished. All that has been left in my heart is the feeling of “revival”. And, to bring in solidarity we must have mutual consent.
I have another dream, a vision of the work of self-rule. Will it materialize? Government should be elected with the consent of the whole class. In the meeting, the class must make peace with each other and each student will voice his choice for the governing body and lay his arguments for this choice... With mutual consent the governing body will be chosen unanimously. This “self-rule” will have an ocean of work to carry out, but its first aim should be to implant solidarity. This is a task to be carried out by the whole class. With the appropriate solidarity, the class will, of its own initiative, present to the governing body its tasks. Reaching solidarity is difficult, but there is no other way. Therefore, Repeat my request: the self-rule should be elected by the whole class and not just by a majority”
The eyes of the guide shone lively and his face red with enthusiasm:
“I heard your words, son. You are still young and you are not familiar with real life. You do not know that it is impossible to have a unanimous consent. Many days will pass until the feeling of solidarity will develop to such a degree that all will have one view, one way of thinking. In the meanwhile we must take into consideration reality. In reality, the majority decides (
Akharey Rabim Lehatot) The majority has voted in the election for ”self-rule” and we should not discuss this matter any further.
You are right, son, in saying that solidarity is the earth where the educator sows the seeds of education. I think that you will understand the value of “revival”. You will have studied together for 8 years in the
Gymnasium before you part from each other. Each of you will sail his own boat in the ocean of life. Then you will Think of the days you spent studying together, as the most important days of your life. Have you ever seen two old men, not strong anymore, their back bent and their hair white? Have you seen how they enjoy meeting each other, tears of joy and sadness in their eyes. When they tell each other of the past and the time they were students in school their tears are of joy and when they remember that those days will never come back, their tears are of sadness. So remember, when you meet each other in the days to come, you should remember only the good and beautiful.”
… The setting sun sent its red rays through the window and the teacher was standing there like an angel descending from the sky to play with humans.
There was silence in the room. The future shone bright – the vision of meeting on the ocean of life…
