by Rav Hazzan Scott Sokol, Head of School
One of my favorite jazz charts is September Song, with music by the eminent German-American Jewish composer Kurt Weill (whose father was a cantor by the way). It is a song about the expanse of our lives and what is really important, namely relationships. The first line of the refrain runs, “For it’s a long, long while from May to December, but the days grow short when you reach September.” For us, at MWJDS the days actually grow short in May and June (at least metaphorically, if not based on hours of sunlight). For the past several weeks, it seems that we have been trying to get in as much learning, playing and interacting as possible before the end of the school year. Indeed it’s been so frantic that here I sit, less than an hour before the end of the school year, and I still haven’t taken in the reality of it all. Before the year is out, though, I’d like to offer some final thoughts.
For those of you who will be continuing on at MWJDS next year, I hope you share my excitement at all the adventures yet to come. We will be hard at work all summer long getting ready for the new year, and counting the days to when it all starts again. In the meantime, though, enjoy the summer!
For those of you, however, who are leaving MWJDS after today, either due to graduation or other changing life circumstances, I want you to know what an important part of this community you have been. We hope that the lessons learned and friendships made will continue to be a part of you into the future. Moreover, you should know that once a part of us, you are always a part of us; we expect you to come back and visit and let us know how you are doing outside of our cloistered walls.
As you move on to the next stage in your life, I would like to leave you with a special blessing – our oldest in fact, found in this week’s Parsha (Naso):
Yevarechecha Adoshem v’yishmerecha – May God bless and protect you.
Yaer Adoshem panav elecha vichuneka – May God’s light be upon you and be gracious to you.
Yisa Adoshem panav elecha v’yasem l’cha shalom – May God’s countenance be turned towards you and grant you peace.
Shabbat shalom,
Rav-Hazzan