It has been a difficult week for our people. On Monday I was planning to teach about antisemitism in eighth grade, and as I walked through the Star Door and into MJDS, the place where I feel the safest, I felt more determined than ever in my mission as a Jewish educator.

The learning atmosphere at MJDS and in my classroom is a sharp contrast from the news stories that are swirling through our minds each day. Teaching our students to love their religion, their community, and one another has never seemed more important than after the events of this past weekend.

It pains me that this topic is more relevant than ever before, but the salve to that pain is the student body and teachers at our school. Look at the picture below, with our Junior K students in the laps of their eighth grade Torah buddies. These kids love one another. These relationships build up our community. Judaism flows through the veins of our school each and every day. I am so thankful for the privilege of walking through the Star Door to teach future generations of Jews to explore and question and lead and innovate and build and pray and wonder and LOVE being Jewish. Shabbat Shalom.