From the Desk of Mrs. Batya Epstein, Judaic Studies Principal

Dear Parents,

One great area of growth in learning Tanach is the leap from “learning the story” to learning the sources, the lessons for life, and gaining the skills to figure these out on our own. 

In Chumash we focus on skill building. In our Navi classes we focus on the lessons we derive from the words of our Nevi’im. This year, our 9th and 10th graders are learning Sefer Yehoshua. They are currently focusing on the handing over of leadership from Moshe Rabbeinu to Yehoshua, as well as what it means to be a leader, what character traits are important in a leader, and how we ourselves can be leaders. Our 11th and 12th grade classes are learning Sefer Yechezkel, whose nevuos spanned the time before and after the destruction of the first Bais Hamikdash. They are exploring the important idea of how to stay connected to Hashem through galus. 

Beyond the classroom:

On Monday, Mrs. Abrams spoke about the yahrzeit of Rachel Imeinu, and the lessons we learn from her. She shared reflections of the lives of two special women, leaders in their communities who passed away early this week, Rebbetzin Wasserman of Denver, Colorado, and Rebbetzin Weitzner of Lakewood, New Jersey. Both of these women exemplified the middos and mission of Rachel Imeinu. 

On Thursday, our Positivity Committee heads, Miriam Mernick and Avigail Yurowitz introduced (of course with a song and dance!) the importance of positivity for ourselves and those around us. The positive, joyful energy in the room was palpable, and the creative notebooks for reflection and personal growth will hopefully enable us to carry this with us throughout the year and throughout our lives!