Adar is Here!

Did you know that Joseph had 11 sisters? I didn't either, but the tour director of Nile Hero Cruises insisted on it on Thursday night at the Grades 4 & 5 Class Concert. A slight argument broke out on the cruise deck and quickly the sisters went back to being brothers with a fast costume change.

Silly? I hope so because today is the start of Adar I, the first of two months in the Jewish calendar dedicated to silliness. Our fifth grade play was the perfect kick off to a season where we are encouraged to increase our happiness. This is a tall order, particular this week in northeast Ohio with frigid temperatures and wintery gray skies.

Read for good news? This year we get an extra month to help us build up to Purim level happiness and silliness. Due to the complexities of keeping the lunar-based Jewish calendar in sync with the solar year, we add a full month into the calendar to make this a leap year. Think of Adar I as a month long February 29 that occurs seven out of every nineteen years instead of every four years. Confused? Don't worry. Just know that these calculations keep Passover from being a winter holiday.

Being marbim b’simcha (increasing our happiness) is just one of the mitzvot that we focus on as we prepare for Purim (which won’t happen until Adar II, so don’t worry if you haven’t finalized your costumes yet). In addition to hearing the Megillah read, we give two different kinds of gifts. The first, matanot l’evyonim, are gifts to those in need. Through these gifts, we enable others to approach Purim with similar joy to us. You will be hearing more from us in the next few weeks on how to join Kehillat Schechter in giving matanot l’evyonim.

The other kind of gift are mishloach manot (gift baskets). We have a tradition here at Schechter (which I am looking forward to joining) of giving every family baskets of treats. In the past, we have purchased hamantaschen for these. But no longer.

Starting this Sunday at 9 AM, you and you and you are invited to come roll out some dough, fill it, pinch the corners, and bake tasty hamantaschen. We’ll freeze them until it’s time to put those Mishloach Manot together and they will be delicious. Come. Roll. Learn. And even play a little bingo! Watch your emails next week for a link for how to order these fabulous mishloach manot.

There are no mitzvot that specifically say we are required to attend a Purim Bash, but it sure does sound like a great way to increase our happiness. If you haven’t already, mark your calendar for the Purim Bash on Saturday night, March 8. Invitations will be in your mailbox next week. A night of drinks, music, and even me playing basketball...I’ll tell you more as we get further into Adar!

For now, go do something silly and remember to smile.

Shabbat Shalom and Chodesh Tov (Happy Adar)!

Dr. Ari Yares

A Poem

Recently, a friend passed along a free-verse poem from an old friend of mine entitled “What Rabbis Do (in 9 hours).” Rabbi Creditor’s poem was a glimpse into his daily life as a congregational rabbi without just being a run-through of the events scheduled in his calendar. In his terse phrasing, the intensity of his day came through as well as his passion for his work as a congregational rabbi in California.

One of the techniques that we use in both teaching art and writing is to ask students to try expressing themselves in the style of a particular artist or writer or to try a specific technique that has been shared with them. This approach broadens the tools that the student has for self-expression and brings them closer to developing their own personal style for writing or for art.

With that in mind, I wrote my own version of Rabbi Creditor’s poem that highlighted a day earlier this year:

Explore recruitment strategies with parent ambassadors. Learn about an opportunity to improve a relationship. Consult with staff, draft letter to parent, review my goals, and plan for the future. Discuss admissions with a consultant. Wave to the 2's class as they leave the school. Lunch with Conservative rabbis and tour the kitchen in support of kashrut. Answer a reporter and a few e-mails. Wander through classrooms and converse in Hebrew. Discuss collaboration and what we should do. Chat with an alumni parent. Share with the staff our updated crisis plans (don't panic!). Encourage the alumni dialathon. Approve the Tuesday Update and run out the door. Home for a few and then back out again. Schmooze with JFSA board members and promote our school. Breathe, cuddle with the baby, and then e-mail again.

I am reasonably sure that I do not have a future career in poetry awaiting me, but the act of self-expression and, perhaps more importantly, the opportunity to be reflective was incredibly powerful.

Shabbat Shalom,

Dr. Ari Yares

Head of School

So You Want to Save $1,000?

Let’s be honest. A thousand dollars is a lot of money. If you had the opportunity to put a thousand dollars in your pocket, you probably would (as long as it was legal and ethical, of course). For example, if you could talk about your kids and post on Facebook in order to make a thousand dollars, wouldn’t you?

This is the heart of our referral incentive program. Engage your friends, neighbors, acquaintances, or the people that you are standing in line next to at Target about Gross Schechter Day School. Talk about the incredible experience that your children (and you) are having in preschool, lower school, or middle school. Help them become excited about seeing their children as part of Schechter.

Still not convinced that you could do this? Try these facts out:

Schechter is home to award winning teachers. Just last week, Science teacher Matt Norton was awarded the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland’s Steiger Family Education Grant recognizing his commitment to student learning. Just ask his students about how incredible a science class with Mr. Norton can be.

Students at Schechter have read over 600 books as part of the Read for Life - Go for the Gold program. This is in addition to any assigned reading that they might be doing. Parents are talking about their children gravitating towards books instead of away.

After our recent PJ Havdallah event, one middle schooler who’s younger buddy needed to leave early commented that he did not have a chance to say good-bye. Back at school on Monday, the middle schooler went on the hunt to find his younger companion for a proper good-bye hug. Another middle schooler at the event, seeing that a preschooler’s buddy wasn’t in attendance, quickly adopted the younger child and kept her by her side throughout the night. Real life mensches.

Beginning next year, children ages 18 months and up (by September 30) are welcome to be part of the 2's class, which will be up to five full days (another new change!).

Lots of opportunities are coming up to get new families recruited to Schechter and you can be the source of the referral and earn $1,000 tuition credit when the new family enrolls.

Our Science Spectacular Playdate last year was a huge success, with at least three new families claiming that was what sold them on the school. The more people we have here on February 9, 10-11:30 AM, the more people there will be to enjoy Mr. Norton's wonders.

In case you can’t make it in February (or just want another terrific activity on a Sunday morning), we’ll be hosting Creation Celebration Little Artist Workshop on March 9, 10-11:30 AM, including a costume exchange for kids up to grade 5. More details coming soon.

Still feeling a little hesitant? Need some more help? We're here to help you practice! Come to the Parent Training on Tuesday night, January 21 at 8:00 PM in the Media Center.

Shabbat Shalom,

Dr. Ari Yares

Head of School

Time Keeps on Slippin'

I have a confession to make. I didn’t make it to midnight on Dec. 31. Exhausted from travelling back from the west coast (yes, it was much warmer), we did not even notice the clock slowly creeping towards midnight. My children, on the other hand, were very interested in staying awake until the ball dropped in New York marking the start of a new year. After some explaining and quick parental talking, both girls were convinced to head upstairs to bed (Gilad did not have an opinion on this).

My girls insistence on marking this transition has made me think about how we mark transitions in time. Unless we actively do something, time as the the Steve Miller Band song goes, “keeps on slippin', into the future.” We do not notice its slow passage by us and we can often end up surprised that the day is over. Time itself is constant; it is our observation of it that seems to make it move slower (when you are waiting on line at the store) or faster (enjoying a night out).

I’m sure that many of our New Year’s Resolutions (the ones that don’t have to do with losing weight, exercising more, or eating better) have to deal with how we use our time. We may have promised to spend more time with family, more time on hobbies, and less time worrying about things that we do not have any control over.The one thing that we can't do, even if we really want to, is make more time. Time is not like money. It cannot be banked or saved and once it is gone, it is gone for good.

So how do we do a better job of marking time and making ourselves more aware of it?

One simple way is to recognize that some time is different than other time. It's not that there are different kinds of seconds or minutes, but rather we need to recognize that there are different ways in which we use our time and marking those differences can help make all of our time feel more significant.

The best way that I have ever experienced this is not with a giant ball dropping in New York City which happens only once a year. It is rather through the experience of Havdallah each and every week at the close of Shabbat. This incredible sensory experience draws you in and helps mark the difference between the sacred time of Shabbat and the busyness of the rest of the week. The flickering light of a candle, the smell of the spice box, the sweet taste of the wine, and the sounds of singing each contribute to an immersive experience that can touch the soul.

For those of you in Preschool or Middle School, join us tomorrow night from 6:30-7:30 PM to mark the end of Shabbat and the beginning of another week. The Kehillat Schechter Committee and Middle School Student Government have jointly planned a fun evening of buddies in their pj’s, making crafts, singing Havdallah and other songs, reading books, and enjoying milk and cookies. The Middle School students will then have the option to stay for a movie night in the gym. These sound like wonderful ways to mark the transition this week!

Shabbat Shalom,

Dr. Ari Yares

Head of School