May 25, 2023
Each of you is an extraordinary individual, and we are so proud of how you’ve grown. As a collective, your ruach permeates the school. You have been exemplary leaders and a whole lot of fun. You are forever a part 
of our Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School family and I hope that you will visit often. But first…a few words of wisdom:
Blessings are in the eye of the beholder: We are conditioned to imprint in our brains negative associations as a survival mechanism. As a human, you have the ability to see the blessings of every interaction and moment.
Use your eyes to see blessings in failures and in flowers. To see blessings in shifting relationships and in rainbows. We are surrounded by blessings if we only choose to see them.
We are one! Indeed, we are one. May we act as one people, always, with loving eyes, a caring heart, and a helping hand, not only during challenging moments but also during times of joy.
As you leave Mirowitz, it is important to find ways to stay connected with the Jewish people. To connect with prayer, Torah, and the community. We are here with you and will always walk beside you.
Use your voice. During your years at Mirowitz, you have developed a moral compass that will guide you on your journey. Be truth seekers and bridge builders.
You have the ability to be light for others rather than darkness. You will face difficult decisions. Draw on the wisdom from your Jewish tradition and from your community. Stand up for what is right even if you are standing alone.
Choose kindness. As Jewish people we are commanded to uplift holiness in our individual lives, the lives of those we love, and of those in our community.
You have studied and observed what leads to holiness in our Mirowitz community. Chesed appears in the Torah to communicate God’s kindness and love toward humanity as well as human kindness and love toward each other. Chesed is laid out as the broader value because it can be done not only with money but also through your actions.
Chesed can be shown to the rich and the poor, the living and the dead. The Talmud states, “The reward for charity depends entirely upon the extent of the kindness in it.”
It is when we become engaged with real people and communities on the other end of our giving of time and resources that we realize the true value of chesed. Find your purpose and pursue it.
Thank you for sharing your final year with me. In the words of Isaiah,“May you go out with joy and be led forth in peace. The mountains and hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you and the trees of the field will clap their hands.”
B’Shalom,
Morah Raquel