Just a Skype Call Away

Over the course of the year, I have shared with you a variety of sounds that have been heard in the hallways and classrooms of Schechter. Last week, our Upper School lobby was the site of a new sound. Listen to it here.

Recognize it? It is the sound of an incoming Skype call. Student Life Director Mike Hirsch has brought a netbook and wireless modem on the senior class trip to Israel. Each time we  hear that noise, whoever is in the hallway gathers around one of the LCD screens in the lobby to check in on the latest news of the trip.

Through our digital connection to the seniors, we have been treated to beautiful scenes of Israel and tasted the seniors’ enthusiasm for this incredible culminating experience of their Schechter education. Their excitement has been a welcome break from the serious atmosphere that surrounds finals and Regents’ exams as we move closer toward the end of the school year.

For many of our students, this trip seems like such a far away activity for them. Having our seniors, along with their chaperones - Rabbi Rabin, Mrs. Hiltzik, and Mike Hirsch, on the screen, we bring this closing Schechter experience a little closer and whet the appetites of our 6th through 11th graders just a little bit more for a trip that will be the experience of a lifetime.

So, we continue to look forward for each time that we hear the sound of a Skype call coming in and wish our seniors a continued nesiyah tova - a safe and enjoyable trip.

The School is Alive with the Sounds of Music...

It has been a week, well slightly more than a week, filled with music. It began last Friday with a walk through the birth of Hatikva by Astrith Baltsan, a renown Israeli concert pianist and scholar. Students were captivated as she told the story of a complex song that reflects the character of the country that it represents. It was an incredible preparation for our return to school this past Monday for Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzma’ut.

Each of these days was marked by music. On Yom HaZikaron, we sang with mourning and longing in our hearts for those who had given the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the state of Israel. Just as the mood shifted in Israel, so too here did our hearts lighten as we entered Yom Ha’atzma’ut. The senior class marked our celebrations by their incredible performance of the Prince of Egypt, completely in Hebrew. We wrapped up the day with songs of joy and hope.

Here is just a taste of the music that mirrored our emotions as we moved through the week.

Shabbat Shalom!

Friday Letter - January 11, 2013

It has been more than a week since we returned from winter vacation and, because so much goes on at the Upper School,  it seems like the distant past. Opportunities continue to abound here at the Schechter School of Long Island for students to engage their curiosity and to grow as individuals as we plan and participate in upcoming special events and programs.

With the American elections behind us, the school turned its focus to the upcoming Israeli elections. Discussions began in Hebrew classes as students began to learn about the Israeli elections. Given the complexities and differences from American politics, it was clear that students needed an in-depth briefing to help them negotiate the Israeli political landscape. Which parties advocated for which issues? What does it mean to be on the right or the left in Israel? And how exactly is the government formed when there is no direct election of the prime minister?

Enter Kenneth Bob, chair of the American Zionist Movement, president of Ameinu, and SSLI alumni parent. In his talk with students, Mr. Bob sketched out the roots of Israeli politics and connected formative Israeli leaders such as Menachem Begin and David Ben-Gurion to their political affiliations, helping the students contextualize their understanding of Israeli history with its politics. He then moved on to outline the current political landscape, describing the parties standing for election to the Knesset. Students left with a clearer understanding of the complexities of Israeli politics and basis for understanding the Israeli election news that we will read over the next several weeks.

On separate front, auditions and casting are complete for the high school’s spring musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. Thank you to the faculty who assisted Joan Freedman Cohen in the audition process. Excitement is already building for this new production and we look forward to the cast taking the stage for the 10th anniversary performance of the Schechter spring musical at the Long Island Children’s Museum on March 7, 9 and 10

It has been a great start to the new year.

Shabbat Shalom!