February 22, 2015
A Wise and Holy Woman
Once upon a time, there was a wise and holy woman. This woman had a special connection with Adonai. She lived her life by God’s holy word – loving her family and friends most of all, and spending her days teaching children Torah.
Why was teaching so important to her? Because she believed with all her heart that “If you raise a child in the way he or she should go, when they are old, they will not depart from it.”
Now, this wise and holy woman had a very unique and special gift that only a handful of people in each generation possess. Her gift was her ability to help other people feel close to Adonai. She could raise up their voices in song and help them focus their prayer with kavanah, with genuine and deep meaning. She could help them unlock and appreciate the mysteries of Torah. She inspired a generation to understand what Hillel meant when he said “One who increases Torah, increases life; one who increases study, increases wisdom.”
Her family and friends recognized the gifts of this wise and holy woman, and they wanted to make sure that her flame burned bright for children even after she moved on to other endeavors. They consulted the holy sages and said, “what can we do to make sure this wise and holy woman’s work continues even after she stops teaching here?”
One sage said, “You should send a beautiful Torah cover in her honor to the place where her students study.” Her family and friends said, “Then the children will only notice that the Torah cover is pretty, but they won’t see the inside.”
Another wise person suggested, “Why don’t you give each child a special book?” To that, her family said, “Only some of the children will read it while others set it on a shelf where it will cry from loneliness each night.”
Finally, a member of her family said, “Why don’t we give children the best gift of all – time to study Torah, to connect with Adonai, to creatively express themselves and create a space for holiness?”
And so they did.
They established a special day named in her honor for the students of Saul Mirowitz Jewish Community School. Each year, the students will spend one full day creating holiness through Jewish music, study and the arts.
And THAT is how the Carol Rubin Day of Jewish Music, Study and the Arts came to be. THESE are her friends and family.
And this, Morah Carol, is the wise and holy woman. 
(Watch our video of Carol Rubin Day of Jewish Music, Study and the Arts here!)
Shabbat Shalom,
Morah Cheryl