It’s the fourth year I’ve shared the oplatek with students here in America, which means it’s the eleventh time I’ve shared it with students in my life. The first year we did it, I found it to be so magical that I was sure that it couldn’t ever be so perfect. The kids enjoyed it more than I remember seeing thirteen-year-olds enjoy something proposed by an adult: I expecting at least some reluctance, some groans, some pushback.

Every year since then, it’s been the same, though. I show them images of Wigilia in Poland, explain the sharing of the Christmas wafer, and suggest that it might be enjoyable to do it here. Some heads shake doubtfully. Most just look at me suspiciously, perhaps a little expectantly.

This year, though, I tried something new: I suggested to my journalism students, whom I teach in the final period and most of whom I’ve had earlier in the day for English I Honors, if they wanted to do it again. “After all,” I said, “there are several in the room here who didn’t do it earlier.” The enthusiasm was as clear as it had been earlier in the day.

A good day to be a teacher.

Previous Years

Op?atek

Oplatek

Wigilia 2015