I was sitting in a park in Eretz Yisroel this summer, visiting with a friend. Our kids were climbing and sliding on the colorful equipment, having a blast. We were catching up and trying to find shady parts of the park to sit in.

The park was busy; lots of children were enjoying the seesaws and swings in the late afternoon. One little girl, around seven years old, approached my friend and asked her in Hebrew if she could borrow her cellphone to call her mother. My friend said, “Ken, aval ze lo kasher.” “Yes, but it’s not a Kosher phone.” The girl shook her head and walked away.

I was so impressed with the underlying understanding of the norms among Israeli children. This was a common occurrence, according to my friend. That’s why she knew to say it wasn’t Kosher before handing it to the child. They didn’t want to use a phone that wasn’t Kosher, just as a child would refuse non-Kosher food. I felt so inspired by the simple clarity of the children, and it left me with a smile.