“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”
The words of Hillel have never resonated more deeply in our hearts than they do today, as our world fundamentally changed one year ago. We have been painfully reminded of the age-old lessons that we must remain true to ourselves, advocate for and take care of ourselves, and focus on the Torah that unites us, rather than allow our differences to divide us.
At OCA, we are united by our Mission as a school, driven like never before, to educate our students to be caring, confident, knowledgeable, believing, and practicing young observant Jewish children and adolescents who are connected at their core to Hashem, to Torah, to one another, and to Eretz Yisrael.
Although, from their earliest beginnings, children are inherently egocentric as a means to ensure their survival, soon they instinctively look to others to understand themselves in the world, noticing and absorbing the emotions and behaviors around them. When one baby cries, another one picks up shortly thereafter. The anxiety of an adult is mirrored by the child. Throughout their childhood and teens years, children learn from us both directly and indirectly to become other-directed, to intentionally put themselves in the metaphoric shoes of another, in order to learn how to be caring and contributing members of klal Yisrael and society as a whole. This is the work and the joy of teaching.
At a time in which we need these lessons more than ever, we began this year with words of inspiration and acts of chesed, some of which you will read about in this issue of Ohr Chadashot. As we ushered in 5785, commemorated October 7th, and now prepare for Yom Kippur, Sukkot, and Simchat Torah, we drew strength as a community from the parents of our shinshin Eyal Mevorach Twito z”l, Shiri and Moti, who visited OCA to walk in their son’s footsteps, share his story, and speak with all of us who knew him. We heard divrei chizuk from Rav Rimon, Mrs. Jaclyn Sova, Rabbi Shmuel Kimche, and Mr. Didi Rand. And we look forward to welcoming Beatie Deutsch and released hostage, Raz Ben Ami, in November.
With Yom Kippur upon us, we learn from Sefer Yonah not to run away from our purpose; we are obligated to follow Hashem’s imperative and stand up for what is right. Over the past year, we have witnessed countless acts of gevura and chesed, both here and in Israel, which we highlight for our students and provide them opportunities to engage in as well. Through teaching the power of chesed, emunah, tefilla, and tzedaka, we inculcate in our students the core value that we all play a role in helping Am Yisrael heal and rebuild.
When the seas are storming around us, and we feel engulfed by forces seemingly beyond our control, we must try to turn away from feelings of despair and remember that we still have a choice that rests in our hands. There is work to be done. The work will not only be carried out by us, but by following our example, our children will learn to be the advocates, leaders, and change makers the world so desperately needs now and in the years ahead.
May 5785 be a year of healing and rebuilding. May we witness the speedy and safe release of our hostages, the safe return of our soldiers, and peace to all of Am Yisrael.
Gmar chatima tova and Shabbat Shalom.