ב״ה

September 17, 2020
28 Elul 5780

On the surface, it is perhaps repetitive to observe once again that our new year of learning is so very different from past years.

But if we dig deeper and really think about how much is changing this year, we are faced with the possibility that the newest generation may forget that once upon a time there was a world in which we really met with each other face to face; where our interactions were not always mediated by screens or masks or both.

I want you to take this thought with you tonight, as we celebrate Rosh Hashana.

According to Jewish tradition, this holiday marks the birthday of the world. Our Sages teach that each of us is a “small world.” As we reflect on and evaluate the greater world around us, we also need to reflect on this small world – the personal world.

On Rosh Hashana we reflect on what we have done well and what we can improve. This year, there is an additional responsibility on us — those who know what it was like in the past and what is happening now — to think about what we do with this knowledge. What is our role during this period of radical change? How can we help the next generation adjust?

The coronavirus has changed our norms. Far more than what children have learned and will learn from textbooks is what they will learn from us, from our behaviour. They will learn from watching us how to cope with a crisis. They will remember our reactions as teachers and as parents. They will remember the environment at home, in the classroom, and in Zoom meetings.

So we ask ourselves – are we creating for them memories of a challenging time, a time of fearfulness and worrying? Or are we creating for them memories of warmth, strength, and resilience?

Learning is at the heart of what we do, and we must take it upon ourselves to cultivate that same knowledge, reflection, and thoughtfulness in our children. Each small world can have a monumental impact.

May we have a year filled with joy and positive memory-making. May each and every one of us merit to be who we really are. May we have a year in which we know to rejoice in what we have and to correct what is needed.

! לְשָׁנָה טוֹבָה תִכָּתֵבוּ וְתֵחָתֵמוּ

Ora Shulman
Head of School