Cranford Temple Religious School Kids Create Lego Jerusalem

On June 4, almost fifty years to the date that the Jews reclaimed Jerusalem in the Six Day War, Religious School students from Temple Beth-El Mekor Chayim recreated the ancient holy city out of Legos. Working with siblings, classmates, teachers, parents and grandparents, TBEMC’s preschool through 7th graders focused intently while building the old city’s walls, eight gates and structures within. There was even an accurate replica of Moses Montefiore’s windmill just outside the city walls.

Stephen Schwartz, a New Jersey architect and his wife Bunny brought plastic bins containing 70,000 Lego pieces of various sizes. They laid down a floor map with drawings to scale of the old city, showing participants where to place their newly built Beit Hamikdash (holy temple), Western Wall, surrounding walls and various buildings. And there was even a spot for the famous windmill.

For several hours on that Sunday morning, the room buzzed with activity. Some parents took out their phones to help the kids create accurate depictions of the buildings. Others took artistic liberty, using wall colors and designs likely not seen in ancient days. When it was time to stop building, toddlers to teens quickly put on their finishing touches. Kids took care placing their structures on the mat, walking on it with socks, as the large mat took 80 hours to create and digitize.

Then everyone gathered around the mat’s edges, as Schwartz gave a tour. It was surprising to see how much was built in that timeframe, with everyone working individually or in small groups. The entire wall was complete. Just like the real thing, the Lego Western Wall had tiny crevices for the notes and prayers that visitors now leave. Schwartz pointed out the solid gold (yellow Lego) menorah’s location in the ancient holy temple. “It was a menorah, just like you have in your sanctuary,” he said, explaining that we still know what that 2,000 year old candelabra looks like even after the Romans carted it away, as there’s an accurate depiction of it on the Arch of Titus in Rome.

Schwartz explained the significance of each of the old city gates, including where the Israeli soldiers reentered Jerusalem at the end of the Six Day War in 1967. “You can hear the recording of them entering on Google,” he said. They sounded the shofar (ram’s horn) like in ancient days, and entered through the Lion’s Gate. Schwartz pointed out the four quarters in the old city: the Jewish, Armenian, Christian and Arab quarter, all of which contained Lego buildings.

In the end, the kids were proud of their creations, and were sad to see it taken apart for transport to the next group that would create the old from the new. “I liked learning about Jerusalem from the Legos, one boy told his grandfather,” after the event was over.

While the Legos were being cleaned up, the kids, parents and teachers headed to the sanctuary, for a ceremonial end of the TBEMC Religious School year. Kids received awards for synagogue attendance and prayer leadership, and others graduated from the Gan Katan (preschool) and seventh grade programs.

Education director Cantor Frank Lanzkron-Tamarazo is currently accepting applications for the fall, for kids ages 3-13. There’s also an ice cream social and open house for prospective and current students on Tuesday, August 8 from 6-8 at TBEMC, 338 Walnut, Cranford NJ. Cantor Frank can be reached at (908) 276-7351 at the Religious School office or through the main office at (908) 276-9231.