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Home Is Where The Halacha Is...

By  ISJL Education Fellow Carrie Bohn

Welcome to adulthood—where our bedtimes become early, our skin sags a little more each day, and teen lingo often sounds inaudible. We carry the burden of paying for so many goods and services each month that we sometimes shell out extra cash to avoid advertisements that might tempt us to buy more. Expenses such as car insurance, cell phone bills, groceries, rent, and entertainment pile up, and our expendable income dwindles. If we lived in a utopian society filled with rainbows, unicorns, and fewer streaming services, what would our monthly expenses look like? We would surely be able to afford those new designer sandals, and all William Sonoma kitchen appliances. There is one, surefire way to save money that is sweeping the Jewish nation. No need to sacrifice your daily Frappuccino order, or your tri-weekly visit to Chipotle. The answer lies closer to your religious school than you might think...
 
A synagogue houses more than just weekly worship, the occasional Purim carnival, and the irreplaceable library. Our congregations are filled with plenty of resources that would make a great fit for your next living quarters! With the Kosher kitchen just steps away, and the teen lounge right around the corner, your new home is already outfitted with so many amenities! Picture the amount of money you could save each month, if you just made your religious school classroom your new home. Rent prices these days are through the roof—with an idea like this, you would never have to worry about your increasing water bill or central air conditioning again!
 
The Jewish value of l’dor vador (from generation to generation) really speaks to this new idea that we can pass down our religious school classrooms from teacher to teacher. We already spend quite a bit of time in our teaching places, why not just make it a permanent home? The supply closets are stocked with all of the arts and crafts supplies you could ever need to decorate your new pad, and the tiny toilets in the religious school bathrooms mean less cleaning for you! Your family will love to come visit you in your new class-home because there is always so much to do.
 
Forget about that commute, because you will beat the church traffic to religious school each and every Sunday! Your coworkers will be so jealous that you don’t have to wait in the carpool line or brave crossing the parking lot while it’s pouring. The facts are in, the “For Lease” sign has been posted, and all you need now is a welcome to the neighborhood BBQ to seal the deal!

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