December 9, 2025
There’s something about this season — the short days, the long evenings, the quiet moments when the candles flicker in the window — that reminds us that keeping a flame alive has always been a communal act. The Maccabees didn’t know whether that one small jar of oil would last. What they knew was that their job was to light the flame anyway. And here at Mirowitz, we feel that same sacred responsibility: to keep the light of learning, identity, curiosity, and joy burning for our children… and for every child who will come after.
Over the past week, as Giving Tuesday gifts came in— $26,205, with every dollar doubled through December 31— I found myself thinking not just about the generosity of this community, but about the story behind the candles we place in our homes and sacred places. Hanukkah isn’t about the oil. It’s about faith in the future. It’s about choosing to kindle a flame even when you’re not entirely sure how it will endure. You did that for our school this week. You helped make sure our flame stays lit.
And that flame matters. It matters for the children who are here now — who are learning to ask big questions of science, faith, ethics, and humanity — and for the children we haven’t yet met. I often think: What if one of our students becomes the person who discovers the cure for cancer, because something sparked in a Mirowitz science class? What if one becomes a rabbi who reimagines Jewish life for a new generation helping to strengthen our resolve in other tough times to come? What if a future sage looks back and says, “I got my start at Mirowitz, where teachers believed in me before I believed in myself.” That is the work you are fueling.
When you include Mirowitz among your priorities, you are doing far more than supporting a school. You are ensuring academic excellence — the very best curriculum we can offer, taught by exceptional educators who are trained, mentored, and paid in a way that honors their calling. You are strengthening Jewish identity, giving children room to embrace joyful, diverse expressions of Jewish life. You are helping us prepare students who can speak knowledgeably and courageously about Israel, who can navigate its complexities with empathy and confidence.
Your generosity also keeps our students and teachers safe. It helps us welcome all learners, including those who need financial assistance or specialized learning support. It increases joy — literally — by allowing us to adopt programs that nurture a growth mindset, healthy relationships, gratitude, and a sense of belonging. This is not small work. It is the work of shaping thoughtful, compassionate, ethical leaders.
And I am deeply aware that none of this happens because of one office or one department. It happens because our entire Mirowitz community shows up — all of my colleagues, our faculty and staff, who stretch and innovate every single day; our Trustees, who hold the long view; our parents, alumni, and volunteers, who say through their actions: We believe in this place. We believe in these children.
So thank you — for Giving Tuesday, yes… but also for giving your faith, your trust, your hope, and your partnership. There is still time to double your impact through December 31, and I invite you to continue helping us keep the flame burning bright.
May the lights of Hanukkah remind us that even the smallest act of generosity can illuminate far more than we imagine. And may the light we tend together at Mirowitz continue to shine for generations.
Donate below– and thank you, truly, for sustaining this sacred work.
B’shalom,
Moreh Brian Thomas