Last Sunday, we came together for our annual Gala. This was the first year that MWJDS has explored a virtual gala platform, and the feedback for our Gala Planning Committee has been incredibly positive. It was a great success in countless ways and so many of you have shared your positive experience in viewing the Gala that I know our team was able capture how much of a “home” our community truly is.
We have heard feedback from people expressing that they felt warm, connected, belonging to something important, inspired, that this school is doing incredible things for children, that one can tell this is a loving environment by the look on peoples’ faces.
We can see from the analytics provided by Vimeo, the platform we used to create and share our Gala, that literally hundreds of people participated not just from all parts of the greater Boston area, but from many parts of this country, and even Canada and Israel! (The analytics also showed that no one joined from the Czech Republic. Not surprising, but we’ll work on that part of the globe for next year.)
We proudly surpassed our goals for the gala, including gifts from people for “fund the need.” We have a good deal of road ahead of us on this year’s journey, but we are off to a great start. Thank you for all you do for this school and for each other. This is truly a special community.
And as we begin the holiday of Chanukah, one of the blessings we recite each night we light the candles is especially fitting to say at this time:
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, she-asah nisim laavoteinu v’imoteinu bayamim hahaeim baz’man hazeh.
Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in days of old at this season.
Shabbat shalom,
Brian Cohen
Head of School
Written on December 11, 2020 ~ 25 Kislev 5781