Words of Torah for Grandparents and Special Friends Day

This morning and afternoon, Amalia Haviv, our Davis Academy Student Government president, shared these beautiful words of Torah in honor of our annual Grandparents and Special Friends day. Not only are these remarks incredibly thoughtful, resonant, and inspiring, but they were delivered with tremendous poise and pride. Amalia is a shining example of the values we teach at The Davis Academy as well as the kind of leader that we help to grow here. Mazal tov to her for this Dvar Torah.





Good morning(afternoon) and welcome! I am Amalia Haviv, student government president. Today it is my honor to share a Dvar Torah, or short speech based on this week’s parsha or Torah portion. This week's parsha comes from the book of Genesis. It is called Vayera and tells a well known story of Abraham and Sarah. In Vayera, Abraham sees three men walking towards his tent. He welcomes them into his tent and Sarah starts to prepare a meal. These three men turn out to be angels and bless Sarah with a child. Abraham and Sarah went out of their way to make people they didn’t know feel comfortable and welcomed. One main idea from this parsha is hospitality. Being apart of a community means having many responsibilities, one of which is welcoming guests. We see Sarah and Abraham welcome the three men just like the Davis community today is welcoming all of you. In 2009, the Davis community welcomed me with opened arms to Mrs. Israel’s kindergarten class. And for the next eight years I would make lifelong friends and meet teachers that would help me become the person I am today. This was all done in the warmth and security of our kehila. We have carried that tradition for thousands of generations, l’dor v’dor. Today is about celebrating our grandparents and special friends who have continued the act of passing our traditions and values from generation to generation. I am grateful for all who have come before me, even if they are not in my family. I am grateful for everyone who has supported the Davis Academy so that I am able to go to our wonderful school today. Recently, I was given the opportunity to sing with the Davis Decibelles, our middle school show choir, in front of a large group of Atlanta area Holocaust survivors. This is another way that I was able to show gratitude to my Jewish ancestors and to all of our righteous ancestors who came before us. I am even grateful to Abraham and Sarah for laying the foundation of these cherished Jewish values that guide us still. All of them and all of you have passed down traditions that we still see in our community today, such as welcoming guests. I am grateful to everyone here who has kept our jewish traditions and family traditions alive in your lifestyle so that they can be passed down to future generations. Throughout my years at the Davis Academy, I have learned the value of helping others, building community, and a true love of learning. Before I finish my speech, I would like to leave everyone with a question. Which person are you grateful for who has passed down Jewish and family traditions and values that you still use in your life? Take a moment to picture that person in your mind. Take a moment to thank them for helping you be the person that you are today. Have a good grandparents and special friends day and Shabbat Shalom.