This morning, the whole school gathered in the atrium for our Rosh Hashanah service. Student representatives from each grade performed songs, music, read stories and led tefillot (prayers). Kudos to all our volunteers, who did an outstanding job!
Grade 9 students Max Kimel, Jesse Millman, Adam Sussman, Joella Pravda, and Maya Feldman read and enacted a mashal (parable) that explained the meaning and theme of Rosh Hashanah and was a comparison of G-d and the Jewish people on Rosh Hashana. There are three themes that appear in our Musaf prayer, that highlight the purpose of Rosh Hashanah: Malchiyut, to proclaim G-d authority over us; Zichronot, to remember G-d as Creator of every living thing; and Shofrot, the blasts of the ram’s horn to remind us to reflect and contemplate on our actions.
The first prayer was the most important prayer, the Shema. Grade 11 students Prielle Laniado, Keren Katz and Ilana Guez sang a beautiful Hebrew song, "Keshehalev Boche" (When the Heart Cries).
Judah Moskovitz, Grade 8, then took the lead while everyone covered their eyes and recited the Shema together.
Uriel Presman Chikiar, Itav Estrin, Zach Fisher, Max Forman, and Judah Moskovitz, from Grade 8, read the incredible story of Don Fernando Aguilar, who bravely risked his life and reputation during the Spanish Inquisition and performed a symphony including 100 blastings of the shofar. Our reading was concluded with our own Spanish band of Grade 12 students Josh Switzer, Noah Marciano, and Aaron Schaffer, accompanied by our shinshin, Omer Shpatz on the shofar.
Grade 10 students Tal Pretli, Erica Forman, and Eitan Sasky told the story of Unetane Tokef before the reading of the prayer itself, which was read in Hebrew and in English by Nitzan Berger and Barak Lapid, also in Grade 10.
The prayer ended with a rousing blast of the shofar. The significance and meaning behind the shofar sounds, were explained by Grade 12 students Melila Chesick-Gordis, Noa Haber, David Clark, and Zevi Kline. Once again, Omer blew the shofar, surprising us all with his Tekiah Gedolah, with a seemingly endless blow! Kol Hakavod, Omer!
Finally, Grade 11 students Benjy Kraft, Cameron Gorski, Noam Guralnick, Jacob Weidman and Oliver Munt led us in the conclusion of our service with the Aleinu Prayer, getting down on the floor to bow as is our tradition on Rosh Hashanah.
As always, a celebration of a holiday is nothing without something good to eat. Prepared by Casey Krombein, Grade 11, delicious, sweet challah was available for everyone before they headed back to class.
