An interesting story in 4 parts
Michael A. Poretsky (MPoretsky@AOL.COM)
Thu, 2 Dec 1999 15:39:50 EST
Part 2:
Although he lived in Montr=E9al, Qu=E9bec, Binyamin Tanny, with dual citizen=
ship in Canada and the United States, had been a very active Scout in both c=
ountries for over four years. Before turning 18, and leaving for the Rabbini=
cal College of Australia, he handed in all of his materials to become an Eag=
le Scout =96 as well as completing all requirements in the Ner Tamid and Etz=
Chaim programs. Three days after his return to North America from Australia=
, he was back in Massachusetts for his Eagle Board of Review. Luckily, he ha=
d a second B.S.A. Scout uniform at home, because the uniform he brought to A=
ustralia was lost with his luggage in Singapore. Two days before returning f=
or his second year of rabbinical studies in Australia, he was being feted by=
his Massachusetts Troop with an Eagle Scout Court of Honor =96 and the pres=
entation of his Ner Tamid and Etz Chaim medals =96 in his own community in M=
ontreal.
Having Jews and non-Jews together at a Scouting event is very common, but ha=
ving Scouts of two nations at an Eagle Scout Court of Honor is not. What mad=
e this event unique, was the great diversity within the Jewish community tha=
t was present. There were Jews whose mother tongue was English, French, Span=
ish, Hebrew or Yiddish. There were many members of the Lubavitch and Bressle=
r Chassidic communities. There were many Sephardi Jews with recent roots in=20=
North Africa. There were citizens of the United States with membership in Or=
thodox, Conservative, or Reform congregations. Here was the whole spectrum o=
f the North American Jewish community =96 gathered to honor the achievement=20=
of an Eagle Scout.
Scout Ari Winkleman of Providence, Rhode Island officially opened the Eagle=20=
Scout Court of Honor. Scout Allyn Raskind, of Malden, Massachusetts, then le=
d the Scouts in the Scout Oath and Law.
To give the audience a picture of what it takes to become an Eagle, =91The T=
rail of the Eagle=92 was illustrated with a slide show narrated by Dr. Spiel=
man. Many images were shown, including: Scouts at Camp Kunatah rappelling ov=
er a cliff 700 feet (213 meters) above the river valley below, whitewater ca=
noeing down the pristine Delaware river, and =91davening=92 (praying) in the=
Kunatah synagogue. Scouts learning how to use a knife and axe, learning to=20=
tie knots, and putting on their =91tefillin=92 (phylacteries). Scouts campin=
g in tents, cooking over fires, and =91laining=92 (reading the ancient scrip=
t) from the Torah. Scouts doing =91drownproofing=92 at the lake, backpacking=
on a trail by a raging river, and singing songs with the Rabbi.
The last picture was the hot-air balloon =91Boy Scouts of America=92 flying=20=
free over the 1989 National Scout Jamboree. The message of that image was de=
scribed by Dr. Spielman: =93Scouting offers an infrastructure =96 an excitin=
g program for youth. It is up to adult volunteers to step forward and galvan=
ize other adults =96 the right role models for our youth. Together, these ad=
ults can lift the program and make it fly =96 to enrich the life of our yout=
h, in full support of the goals of the Jewish home, school, and synagogue.=
=94
Rabbi Chaim Tanny described =91The Eagle Trail, a Parent=92s View.=92 As a R=
abbi in the Lubavitch Chassidic community, his words carry more than just th=
e weight of the words of an Eagle Scout parent. He spoke eloquently of how S=
couting fits in with a traditional Jewish lifestyle. He made it clear that h=
e felt it was very important that he allowed his son to participate in this=20=
program, and he spoke of what Binyamin had gained=20
The Eagle medal was presented to Binyamin and his parents by his Scoutmaster=
, Dr. Howard A. Spielman. He introduced this by observing that the Eagle has=
been a symbol of political power and military might from the time of the Ro=
man Legions through the monarchies of Europe. Dr. Spielman then asked the qu=
estion: =93What, then, does an Eagle have to do with a Jewish boy in North A=
merica?=94 His answer developed a theme from the closing chapters of the Boo=
k of Deuteronomy (the 5th Book in the Torah), where Moses uses the eagle as=20=
an example in his stirring speech to the Jewish people. In those words of Mo=
ses in the Torah we hear how G-d=92s loving care for Israel is likened to th=
e tender affection that is shown by the eagle towards its young when it teac=
hes them to fly.
This image of the eagle in the Torah is thus quite different from the use of=
the eagle by other cultures throughout history. Dr. Spielman then pointed o=
ut that this Torah view is much like the meaning of the Eagle in Scouting.=20=
=93Rather than having power or might, the Eagle Scout has a responsibility t=
o gently awaken the younger Scouts to imitate his fluttering in flight. Our=20=
Eagle Scout hovers over them in solicitude, and has his wings in readiness t=
o catch them should they become exhausted.=94=20
=93The use of the eagle by Moses, as a graphic model for a picture of the fo=
stering care, and of the discipline and training to independence that Israel=
received at the Divine hands, is just as appropriate in our Scouting progra=
m today,=94 observed Dr. Spielman. =93As an Eagle Scout returns to Scouting=20=
what Scouting has given to him,=94 he continued, =93he now offers the younge=
r Scouts the fostering care, and the discipline and training to independence=
, that he learned in years past.=94 Binyamin=92s parents then stepped forwar=
d for the traditional presentation of the Eagle.=20
