At Shabbos lunch before Superbowl Sunday we asked students to share some football inspiration or life messages. Students shared some wonderful things, we hope to remember and share most of it here.

YONATON A.

It’s no easy feat getting to the Superbowl. The teams getting there have many accomplishments and wins to their credit. It’s easy to get carried away and think that you are on top of the world. But once you get to the Superbowl, its just another game – albeit with much higher stakes and a huge global audience. The Seahawks may have won last year, but this year they have to earn it and fight for it all over again. True, the Patriots are an amazing team with many trips to the Superbowl, but you can’t rest on past accomplishments. They have to go out on to the field, face their opponents and play the game from start to finish. So, don’t rely too heavily on what you have done until now. Every day is a new challenge, new experiences, new opportunities. It’s a humbling experience to start from first down all the time.

On the other hand, its too easy to ignore and forget accomplishments and achievements that ought to be recognized and appreciated. “No one remembers the kicker.” The kicker plays important roles, if he messes up, no one will ever forget that. But if he does his job, he’s kind of taken for granted, no one will say the kicker won the game. We may not always get the credit we deserve, but that shouldn’t keep us from doing what needs to get done.

ERIC K.

A good football team is made up of different position players, each with their own strengths and abilities. It takes everyone pulling together, each in their own way to make all the individual efforts a group success. It’s like that with our Minyan at Shabbos House, too. One person has a good voice and is good at leading the service, another is strong to lift the Torah no matter which side is heavier, another is so focused and attentive and always knows what page we’re on, someone else is dependable and reliable to help make 10… so it takes everyone together to make the Minyan, and realizing everyone’s unique strengths and contributions is what ties it all together. The same is also true with many other aspects of Shabbos House, not only religious prayer, it takes all kinds of people to make it happen.

GADI L.

The Superbowl is that one night a year, that so many Americans, from east coast to west coast, regardless of their interest in sports or how much they watch football all year, get together in front of a TV, whether in bars or at freinds or family, to watch the same game. It’s a unifying experience. That makes me think of Shabbos. All week long we each pursuing our own studies or hobbies or interests, working or relaxing, everyone on their own schedule, doing their own thing. Then comes Shabbos. We all gather here on a Friday Night, sit down and all experience Shabbat dinner together. No matter whatever else we have going on in our lives, Shabbat dinner is like the Superbowl of our week, it brings us together.

LIANNE H.

My family is all over the place when it comes to football. Some parts of my family never watch it. But my dad (of blessed memory) would make a Superbowl party and everyone would come over. There’d be lots of yelling and excitement and all ages having a good time together.  It was a very memorable family experience.

RACHEL L.

I don’t really get much about football. My dad would watch on Sundays and I would sit with him, and he’d explain this or that, but I never really understood it. But one thing that really resonates with me, that gets deep into my heart and makes me tear up is the National Anthem. Especially when the camera cut away from the stadium to zero in on troops overseas who are fighting to protect the freedoms we cherish. All the current events and news about anti-semitism and challenges that Jews face all over the world makes me appreciate all the more the greatness of this country, and the protection and opportunity it offers to all its people. It makes me feel very grateful.

LEE S.

Rabbi Mendel told the story of Rebbe Yosef Yitzchak as a youngster, wise beyond his years. Two stories happened this week where I heard exceptional wisdom from the young. I graduated just about two months ago and I was invited back to my old Middle School to speak about good life choices (stay away from drugs, graduate, make something of yourself). There were elementary schoopl kids there, too, and the little ones were up front. I had a microphone in my hands, so I asked a little girl, she was 6 years old, “Do you think you can be President of the United States one day?” And she replied confidently, “I can be whatever I want, because of the support from my parent and from this school!” I was blown away. And its true, she mentioned two things that can be an incredible support for any of our dreams, and that’s family and community.

This week we commemorated the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz concentration camp. I was watching a Holocaust film late one night, while my ten-year-old brother was getting some sleep for school the next day. Although I’ve seen these horrors many times, I mused aloud, “How could people do such evil?” to which my half-asleep brother replied, “Imagine how strong the good people were to make it through”. Wow.

These two wisdoms shared by youngsters this week highlight the support of family and community as well as personal perseverance and inner strength to achieve a goal. The Patriots weren’t always this successful of a team. It took individual players efforts and the collective team working hard, as well as the dedication and support of the Boston and New England communities to make this team the storied franchise it is today.

RAIZY R.

This week we read Parshas Beshalach, with the Splitting of the Sea after the Exodus. Two nice connections come to mind:

Miriam and the Jewish women played drum and tambourine at their Song of the Sea. Where did they have these instruments from? The Midrash explains that these woman had unshakeable faith in the Exodus even in the darkest moments of Egyptian exile. They did nto despair, and lookign forward to the joys of redemption they prepared these musical instruments. Sports teams, too, need the confidence and positive attitude, the can-do approach, even when odds are stacked against them.

There’s a special custom to put out bird feeders for the birds before this Shabbat. This is in thanks to the birds singing and chirping as we crossed the Sea. Now, the birds had little to do with the actual crossing, but their tweeting and cheerful chirping made it all the more joyous and pleasant for the Jews crossing. This is like fans at a game. Their cheering and encouragment helps the players on the field.