As we approach the chag of Shavuot, we are filled with a tremendous sense of gratitude for the special responsibility we took on millenia ago, and recommit to annually, to safeguard the gift of Hashem’s Torah, the blueprint for living a life of kavod, integrity, and meaning. We accept upon ourselves this holy obligation and this unique purpose because of our relationship, our brit, with our Creator, Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
This year has been an emotionally devastating one, a year like no other that most of us can say we’ve experienced in our lifetimes. Adversity is a powerful teacher, and one of the lessons that I’ve drawn from the past eight months is that our greatest purpose at OCA is to redouble our efforts to inspire a deeply rooted Torah identity and lifelong learning skills in every one of our students. There has never been a more important time to forge a connection between our students and Hashem, to teach them to proudly stand up in support of Israel and the Jewish people, and to know that our relationship with Hashem will forever protect us. To know that whatever happens and in spite of what others will say, we do the right thing. We take the high road.
That’s what a life of Torah provides us – it lights a path along that high road. It is our great privilege as a school to be able to teach our students the skills and inculcate in them the passion and commitment for following that path throughout life. At a time in which so much of what is happening in the world feels so out of our control, this is where we choose, with passion and joy, to focus our energies.
We invite you to take a peek in this issue of Ohr Chadashot at some of the special happenings at OCA, to see just a few of the ways in which we proudly fulfill our commitment to raising our students in the way of Torah.
Wishing you a wonderful Shavuot, chag sameach, and Shabbat Shalom!