It is hard to believe this school year has come to an end. We had an incredibly full calendar with Rockin’ Shabbats, a fieldtrip to Howarth Park with services and dinner by the lake, Judaic pottery painting (twice!), Tzedakah day, Tikkun Olam day and lots of wonderful holiday celebrations. We enjoyed coming together every Friday for learning through doing, and celebrating Shabbat. Our monthly family potluck dinners gave us an opportunity to continue our Shabbat time together and allowed us to build a beautiful community within a community.

I wish you all a lovely summer full of a good balance of rest and adventure, and longs days filled with joy and well-being!
Fall will bring us new opportunities to make friends, learn about and love Judaism, as well as deepen our engagement with Shabbat. We will enjoy together Junior Congregation (called the Musaf-kateers!) and Tot Shabbat! Our Family Potlucks will grow into a monthly young family dinner club. Our teen class will continue to learn about and discuss Israel and Jewish communities today, both in Israel and the diaspora.

Our first day of school for the 2016–2017 school year is Tuesday September 13th (for 5-7th graders) and Friday September 16th (for PK-7th graders). I look forward to greeting the children again with freckles on their noses and roses in their cheeks after a lot of good outdoor play and free time, ready to learn and support each other in the classroom.

Miriam will enter her second year as Youth Advisor for our USY teens, and she has a lot of great retreats, events and fundraising projects planned. Judy will continue to bring us amazing programs and the rest of our great faculty will be back as well!

On a personal note, I am very grateful to call Beth Ami my home and for the privilege of teaching the children of our community. Thank you all for a great year!