My Time in the (other) Principal's Office...

...and the power's back! So a bit of a lengthier take on my discussion with Seth, SK principal--

We covered everything from high school discipline to Seth's 20 year (and counting) career as the villages Shochet, the one who performs the ritual slaughter of animals for consumption--he's currently the only one who can do cows!  As far as I can tell, these things are not related, no fear (sorry if that was too morbid for some!)

Among the more interesting notes on the educational end was his description of the caning that exists at SK and schools around the country, despite the illegality of the practice.  He said that often it is only threatened, but if the child submits it will not be carried out, and when it is carried out it is only a "few lashes." Parents will sometimes even request that their children be caned, believing that teacher's have stronger "law enforcement" power than they do. (As an interesting side note--a high school friend, sitting nearby as I write, said he wholeheartedly agrees with the caning policy.)  I'll admit, this one will require a little more pondering on my part--merely a cultural difference? Always unacceptable? I'm honestly not sure...

On the Jewish end, Seth told me about his time as a young teen on the kibbutz at Nabugoye, which he joined along with older brothers (Rabbi) Gershom, J.J. and Aaron (of previous blog fame) and sisters Yael and Athalia.  Tagging along at age 10, he helped with the farming, participated in the Luganda services (this was the post-Amin, pre-Hebrew days) and learned guitar from Gershom, which he now plays every week at  kabbalat shabbat. He was also the first to simply lay out a basic problem that has been clear to me since I arrived: being an observant Jew is expensive. This is true even in America, but in a place where basic needs are a struggle to meet, attempting to complete rituals and obligations, with all the objects, special practices and utensils they entail, seems nonsensical, even unrealistic.  Many of these are provided by outsiders, but then comes the million dollar question: is that the best direction of these donors' funds? Not sure there's a definite answer to this one either... 

Yet, while he relayed the struggles of Jewish life here, he also talked about the special mark it gave him and his co-religionists.  When he walks with a kippah or refuses non-kosher meat, he says, he gains the respect of his non-Jewish peers.

On a less technical note, Seth--being one of the community musicians and an owner of a guitar--also began teaching me to play his instrument, which I'm magnificently bad at so far.   I can't really feel my fingers from all the string-pressing, and can barely scratch out a C, F, and G, but I'm still psyched to "play" some more tomorrow!