One of the blessings of being a parent in our schools is the miraculous energy at dropoff. Every morning, I walk Ruby to the little blanket her teachers lay out on the dewy grass. Her sweet (maybe sticky) fingers intertwined in mine only pull apart when she sees her friends and bounds toward them. They are all hugs and giggles, bursting to share what they had for dinner, which books they read, the best games they played, and then they start to plot out what the day ahead will be like. It is absolutely soul-filling to witness such joy, to see my daughter and all of our children so happy, safe, and thriving on our campus. I thank God every day as I walk away knowing that she is cared for by great teachers, administration, security guards, clergy, and friends.
And still, as if that weren’t already an embarrassment of riches, daily dropoff gives me a chance to check in with other parents. Over the past six weeks, these few minutes every morning to connect have been absolutely invaluable – we have cried about Israel in each other’s arms, we have shared our worries, and we have expressed hope on the days when we feel more resilient. Every morning, when I see our wonderful parents and staff at morning dropoff, I wash off the heaviness from the bad news headlines I read that morning or the overwhelming videos I watched the night before. Jewish community is healing. Jewish community is comfort. Jewish community is our superpower.
I pray that in the days, weeks, and months ahead, each of us will strengthen the ways we connect to our incredible Wise community and thus strengthen ourselves. Take a few extra minutes at weekday or Sunday morning dropoff to talk with a new friend, put a learning or book club session in your calendar to make it easy to join later, bring your family to a Shabbat service, or choose one of the many opportunities for community service. I promise you that if you find just one way to connect, your heart will be filled with healing and hope.
One of the sacred names for God in our tradition is HaMakom, the Place. God can always be found here, on our campus, in this place, in our community, most especially when we make a small effort to really connect with each other.
– Cantor Emma Lutz