June 22, 2017
Graduates, it was our dream to give you a childhood filled with meaningful learning and significant experiences. We want you to know that each moment was intentional.
Perhaps you thought it was by chance that we sent you outdoors to learn about the prairie, the gardens and the watersheds. But we did that to teach you that it is your sacred obligation to protect the earth God has given us.
Perhaps you thought it was by chance that we sent you on overnights. But we did that to stretch you from your comfort zone and build your sense of community.
Perhaps you thought it was by chance that you led discussions, read Torah and had little buddies. But we did that to help you practice leadership.
Perhaps you thought it was by chance that you had top-tier faculty and curriculum. But we did that because you deserve all the tools to succeed in life – no matter what path you choose.
Perhaps you thought it was by chance that we sent you on social justice trips. But we did that to expose you to the gap between the way the world is, and the way it should be. The way it COULD be if you work to make it better.
Life is bumpy. There will be easy times and challenging ones ahead. Adolescence and adulthood will present you daily with opportunities to make choices…
Use the foundation you received at Mirowitz to weigh each of these decisions. Think about the lessons of Jewish tradition and your responsibility to community. Use your head and your heart to go forward with confidence, passion and compassion.
Don’t forget that you are leaders who have a voice and a holy purpose. Your ideas are attainable if you work to make them a reality. You have the tools for success, and can make this world a better place – a place filled with tzedek, Torah and chesed.
Off you go…to a place less familiar. A journey begins, one that is rooted in a spring of sweet water.
Graduates, we leave you with this wish, that we read in Jeremiah 17:8:
May you be like a tree planted by waters, sending forth its roots by a stream, it does not sense the coming of heat, it’s leaves are ever fresh; It has no care in a year of drought, it does not cease to yield fruit.
If you missed graduation, you can watch it here.
Mazal tov ub’hatzlacha!
Morah Cheryl