Vocabulary:
Ahavah – (ah·ha·vah) the Hebrew word means love, and it’s a special word that reminds us to care for and be kind to others.
Cultural Appropriation – is when people use or copy things from another culture without respecting its significance.
Gotcha Day – is a happy celebration when a family joyfully remembers and celebrates the day they officially became a family by adopting someone special.
Mishpacha – (meesh·pah·khah) the Hebrew word means family, and it’s a warm and loving word that reminds us of our relatives and those we care about.
Shema – (sheh·mah) means to listen and pay attention, especially when we say, “Shema Yisrael!” which reminds us to hear and understand important things about loving and following Hashem.
Chapter 5 – The Family of Light
Some say a dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself. Yet, GingerSnaps loves Levi as deeply as any pet ever could. They taught each other the value of friendship, a bond that often leads to the embrace of mishpacha.
The much-anticipated day had almost arrived—the day to release GingerSnaps into her outdoor haven. Levi and his abba had transformed it into a miniature oasis, exceeding expectations for such a tiny creature. With a shell only three inches long, GingerSnaps was not yet fully grown. When maturity came, she would likely reach five to six inches.
Levi’s ima understood the weight of this moment for both GingerSnaps and Levi. It marked a significant step, a substantial change. Neither felt entirely ready for this shift. GingerSnaps had brumated through a couple of winters before; for her, it was a part of reality. However, she hoped Levi would be present when she fully awakened on warmer days.
Searching for his ima, Levi found her in GingerSnaps’ outdoor haven. “What are you doing, Mom?”
“Mom? I don’t believe I’ve ever heard you call me that before,” inquired Levi’s ima.
“I’m growing up. It won’t be long before I’m a man. Grown men don’t call their mothers ‘ima,’ unless they want to be laughed at by their fellow man,” explained Levi.
Ima gave an understanding, amused nod. Steering the conversation back to Levi’s original question, she said, “I had this made for GingerSnaps’ enclosure so that if she wakes up and you aren’t here, she will know it’s all going to be okay.” Levi noticed ima hanging a waterproof photo on a piece of wood—a lovely image of Levi holding his little dinosaur.
“Oh ima, you’ve made this feel like home!” Levi’s ima didn’t say a word; she simply smiled. Inside, her smile was even broader because Levi had momentarily forgotten his self-imposed rule to call her “mom” now that he considered himself a grown-up.
Inside her enclosure was a small waterfall, pond, and a sitting area, too for when Levi wanted to hang out. It was all caged in beautiful wrought iron matching their patio furniture. It was partially in the sun and partially covered. It had great drainage so it was prepared for the monsoons. But the most important part was there were a lot of pansies. Pansies are GingerSnaps favorite plants with bright colored flowers. She eats them, sleeps in them, and admires them. There was an area covered in slate to walk and eat which keeps her claws and beak trimmed.
Levi requested to celebrate Thanksgiving early this year, so that GingerSnaps could at least be a part of that, since she missed out on Sukkot. Levi had been researching about the puritans who came from Amsterdam at the time had lived next to a colony of Jews who taught them how to keep the feasts as outlined in the Torah. The well-known Thanksgiving feast could have been a Sukkot celebration, after all, Governor William Bradford from the Puritans/Pilgrims wrote Hebrew in his journal and even wrote Hebrew on his tombstone. It was an interesting connection. Levi’s family always thought of it as a second Sukkot, another chance to celebrate the Harvest and thank Hashem for His provisions.
The next day, the family drove up to the mountains so GingerSnaps could see what Autumn looks like in full swing. And of course, they took a Thanksgiving picnic with all the works. Levi took leaves and made them into a Native American band for GingerSnaps to wear. After all, her family are part of the original Native Americans, long before any humans arrived here. Levi didn’t really buy into cultural appropriation anyhow. He rather liked it when people wanted to embrace his culture.
Levi and GingerSnaps scuddled through the forest, throwing all the beautiful autumn leaves up in the air. At times, Levi would kick them up. GingerSnaps would try her best to do the same. Levi would toss a couple of colorful leaves up in the air when she wasn’t looking to make her think she was accomplishing what she thought was an amazing feat.
As Levi and GingerSnaps continued their Thanksgiving adventure, they stumbled upon a quiet spot surrounded by a pile of autumn leaves. Levi, feeling a burst of inspiration, decided it was the perfect time to teach GingerSnaps the Shema.
Levi cleared his throat dramatically, holding a leaf he had rolled up as if it were a miniature Torah scroll. “Alright, GingerSnaps, it’s time for a very important lesson. We’re going to learn the Shema together. Are you ready?”
GingerSnaps tilted her head, seemingly intrigued by the leaf-scroll in Levi’s hands. Levi, pretending to be a rabbi, began reciting the Shema, and with each line, he prompted GingerSnaps to attempt her own version.
“Shema Yisrael,” Levi declared, looking at GingerSnaps with a serious expression. GingerSnaps responded with an adorable attempt that was a cross between a chirp and Hebrew, endeavoring to mimic the solemnity of the moment.
Levi continued, “Adonai Eloheinu,” and gestured for GingerSnaps to join in. She made an endearing effort, letting out a tiny turtle sound that resembled more of a musical note than Hebrew.
With each line, Levi and GingerSnaps engaged in a playful back-and-forth. Levi added some gentle encouragement and laughter to keep the atmosphere light. By the end of their impromptu Shema lesson, GingerSnaps might not have mastered the Hebrew words, but the bond between them grew stronger.
As they concluded their lesson, Levi hugged GingerSnaps and said, “You’re a natural, my little Torah scholar. We’ll work on it some more, but for now, let’s enjoy our Thanksgiving feast!”
Ima prepared a special Thanksgiving plate for GingerSnaps with some of her favorite foods. Sweet potatoes, eggs, and apples. Everybody ate until they were feeling satisfied.
When they finished up, abba and ima had an announcement to make, as they unrolled a scroll which officially adopted and named the little turtle girl , “GingerSnaps Kohen.” Ima made a speech about GingerSnaps being her first daughter to alleviate fears GingerSnaps had about being left behind if the Kohens ever moved away. There was not a dry eye, as all looked at GingerSnaps, who was quite certain this was the happiest day of her life!
Levi belted out, “Now you’re just like me. The Kohens adopted both of us, and this is your official “gotcha day!” We will celebrate this every year, just like we celebrate my “gotcha day.” Malcolm and Mr. Vader were also adopted. And just wait until you meet our Savta Kohen! She was adopted by my Great-Savta. Adoption is a tradition in our family.
GingerSnaps thought this was a kind, but strange tradition, so she asked abba and ima why they chose to adopt.
In harmony, abba, ima, and Levi all exclaimed, “Ahava is what makes a real mishpacha!!!” (Translated this means “love is what makes a real family.”) And with that ima kissed GingerSnaps on her tiny turtle head and then kissed Levi on top of his head.
GingerSnaps was astounded! She smiled with tears. She felt securely loved and a sense of belonging. She had no idea that Levi was adopted, too. She still didn’t know a lot about humans, so she tenderly wondered why Levi had never mentioned that when he hatched out of his egg, he was alone, too, just like her.
When they arrived home, they took GingerSnaps on a tour of her outdoor enclosure and asked her if she needed anything else. She was amazed at how perfectly thought out every detail was and relieved the pesky roadrunners wouldn’t be able to hurt her in there.
But at least for that night, GingerSnaps slept inside. And as she drifted off, she envisioned kicking up autumn leaves even higher than Levi, in her TINY TURTLE MIND!
LET’S TALK:
How does the LIGHT bring together family in your life on this fifth night of Hanukkah?
FUN BOX TURTLE FACTS:
Did you know that even though an ornate box turtle will only grow a shell that will be 4-6 inches long when they are adults, they still need their enclosure at least 4’ x 4’, but 4’ x 6’ is preferred? Even though they are little turtles, they need plenty of room to exercise for their health.