The Last Day of School (2004-05) Was An Amazing Success

The last day of school is always a poignant as well as joyous one. Children who were tiny on opening day are strutting their stuff like old timers. The b’nai mitzvah students are young men and women. The madrikhim have turned into adults. The teachers all look a little tired but have smiles on their faces. Parents are smiling. Children are a little dazed because it’s just not quite a normal day. This day was even less normal than usual. We began in the classrooms as we do every year. Our teachers had arranged wonderful activities for parents and children alike.

We then headed into the sanctuary for some special presentations. First, each teacher called up her/his students who received the amazing and beautiful aliyah pins designed and created by our resident artist Lizlo Conner and put together by the Education Committee. The technique is unbelievable! Our wonderful teenage madrikhim were honored for their service to the community. The 25 volunteers have performed community service from 50 to 90 hours each this year for more than 1200 total gifted hours of their time, energy, and hearts. We also gave special gifts to our three college-bound students: Ben Freedman, Katrina Mautner and Rachel King.

We then had a wonderful service, beginning with a shehecheyanu led by the Bet Havurah to wish Rabbi Roberts the best as she begins another new journey in her life. Our students led the service with readings and prayers from our homemade Gesher shacharit service, to be retired with the arrival of the new Reconstructionist Children’s Siddur (see the article elsewhere in Ha Kesher). There was a powerful meditation from the Hey Havurah and a story about Shavuot from the Gimel Havurah. The Music Committee (led by Shari Ciancio, Lizlo Conner, and Ely Freedman) joined us with Ely on piano, Lizlo on cello, Chris Cornette on French Horn, John Ciancio, Shari Ciancio, and Adam King singing, and madrikhim co-leader Skylar Bisom-Rapp on guitar to close out the service with the beautiful song, “Treasure Each Day,” which was our Gesher’s spring theme. (Thanks to Richard Tilles who transposed the music for vocals, and Chris Cornette who transposed the cello part and created the French horn part.)

Finally, we had a wonderful potluck picnic hosted by the Education Committee and the parents, followed by Israeli dancing taught by Judy Hante and Naomi Hansen. It left us all looking forward to a wonderful fall startup of school.

Thanks to you all: the Education Committee and our wonderful chairs, Carolyn Harris, Marilyn Scheininger, and Alison Skier, who have made this one of the most wonderful years ever. Our parents have been supportive and present for all our events. Our teachers have been flexible and available, and are without peer. Our teen volunteers have been amazing. We are unable to count all our blessings … but it feels good to try.

Congratulations to B'nai Mitzvah teacher Andrew Breskin on graduating from UCSD!