The Tsofim Yehudim Emblem
The Tsofim Yehudim Emblem is the modernized version of the first emblem of Éclaireurs Israélites de France (EIF, Jewish Scouts of France) in the 1920s.
It consists of four elements:
1. Two lions protecting the Tables of the Law
The symbol chosen as the emblem of the Tsofim Yehudim is two lions protecting the Tablets of the Law, a traditional symbol to evoke the Jewish people.
The lioness symbolizes the girl scouts, the lion the boy scouts.
2. The Tables of the Law
The Tables of the Law have the square ends according to the form described in the Talmud: the Tables of the Law are square!
The Tables of the Law are blue, the color of Israel.
- Hebrew letters are also numbers. The ten Hebrew letters on the Tablets of the Law are the numbers from 1 to 10, to read from top to bottom, starting from the Table on the right: Alef-Bet-Gimel-Dalet-Hey | Left table: Vav-Zayin-Chet-Tet-Yod. These ten numbers symbolize the Ten Words, the Ten Commandments.
How to protect these Ten Words in Scouting? By the quality of the proposed programme and activities, ensuring a dynamic transmission of the Jewish identity, a blend of memory/history, cultural and religious héritage: LeDor VaDor, from generation to generation.
3. Two Scout Emblems
The Scout fleur-de-lis and the Trefoil (emblem of female scouting).
4. The Scout Link
This link is reminiscent of the one around the WOSM Fleur-de-lis symbolizing the World Scout Brotherhood.
Dans la sidra Vayé’hi, nous découvrons les bénédictions que Yaakov adresse à chacun de ses enfants, sentant la fin de ses jours arriver. Dans la bénédiction adressée à Yéhouda, le leader parmi ses frères et celui dont les Rois d’Israël descendent, son père déclare : « Il se courbe, il se couche comme un lion et comme une lionne. Qui le ferait lever ? » (Béréchit 49, 9). De manière intéressante, on peut faire un parallèle avec les paroles placées par Hachem dans la bouche du prophète Bilam au sujet des Bné Israël : « [Le peuple juif] est accroupi et couché comme un lion et comme un félin. Qui le ferait lever ? » (Bamidbar 24, 9). Un certain nombre d’animaux peuvent être dominés ou apprivoisés ; mais « le lion apprivoisé n’existe pas », enseignent nos Sages. Certes, exilé et soumis à des cultures étrangères à plusieurs reprises de son histoire, le peuple qui traverse le temps et les civilisations ne ressemble pas moins à un lion accroupi, qui paraît soumis mais n’est jamais conquis. Car nul de peut nous imposer son avis et aucune force ne peut nous contraindre. (Ouriel Amsellem)
The Tsofim Yehudim Song
This song is sung at the morning and evening gatherings.
In other occasions, the chorus is only sung.
We are gifts and we are blessings, we are history in song
We are hope and we are healing, we are learning to be strong
We are words and we are stories, we are pictures of the past
We are carriers of wisdom, not the first and not the last
L’dor vador nagid gadlecha
(translation: from generation to generation, we will tell of Your greatness)
L’dor vador… we protect this chain
From generation to generation
L’dor vador, these lips will praise Your name
Looking back on the journey that we carry in our heart
From the shadow of the mountain to the waters that would part
We are blessed and we are holy, we are children of Your way
And the words that bring us meaning, we will have the strength to say
CHORUS
Ledor vador nagid gadlecha
(traduction : de génération en génération, nous dirons Ta grandeur)
Ledor vador… protégeons ce lien
De génération en génération
Ledor vador, nos lèvres diront Ton Nom
Tsofim Yehudim, LeDor VaDor
Jewish Scouts, from generation to generation