Writing their way into the Jewish story

When people refer to Jews as "the people of the book" they image that usually comes to mind is one of Jewish people reading. We read in order to learn. We learn in order to do. That's a fairly traditional and important Jewish idea. But today I stumbled across some 2nd grade students in Jewish Studies. They weren't reading but were instead writing. After taking a few moments of class time to learn about how Torah scrolls and other sacred texts are written, students had a chance to dip a quill into the ink pot and do some Hebrew calligraphy of their own. The smiling faces reflect their deep awareness that more than simply copying down letters, these children are writing their way into the Jewish story.