Reflections on 6th Grade Charleston Trip

Davis Middle School overnight trips offer a carefully crafted mix of fun, bonding, learning, and opportunities for individual and group reflection. That's certainly the case on our 6th grade trip to Charleston where students explore the beautiful city but also address the topic of the slave trade as well as the Mother Emanuel Church Shooting and also visit the city's Holocaust memorial. Here are a few journal entries, published here with parental permission.

During our trip, we learned that Charlston was a state founded on religious freedom. Before the Civil War, the whole state of Charleston lived off of slavery. As a Jew, I know that  Jews have been treated as slaves in the past, and I strongly disagree and dislike the topic of slavery. This is not only because it happened to my people, but because I hate seeing innocent people suffer. We visited two different places connecting the topic of slavery between two different groups of people. The Jews and African Americans were both treated as slaves. In Charleston, we visited a holocaust memorial for the six-million Jews who were murdered only because of what they believed in. The Jews were enslaved and taken to concentration camps where they were hurt and killed. On the other hand, we also visited a slave market, where African Americans were sold to people as property, and as slaves. The African Americans were bought, taken to a plantation and worked out of their minds, so hard that by the end of the day, they could barely get to their cabins, before passing out. Even though the Jews and the African Americans were treated differently, they were still both under control of slavery. Slavery is a brutal idea, and I am overjoyed that in the United States, it is no longer practiced, but we must know that even though slavery is not here, people are still being enslaved around the whole world.

          When we visited the slave market in Charleston, there were many sad things I saw and read, but the worst was probably the Rattle Leg Shackle. This device was bound to a slave’s ankle. Whenever they would move, the shackle would rattle. This prevented them from escaping without getting caught. Even if they tried to sneak out at the darkest hour of night, the rattles in the shackle would still be heard. Thankfully, once the slaves cleverly discover that they could mute the noise by shoving mud into an opening in the shackel, the rattle leg shackle could no longer be used. Even though the rattle leg shackle is not being used today, there are still weapons that were used in the past for slavery that are used today. For instance, an invention that came from the rattle leg shackle, handcuffs.  Handcuffs are pretty much modern day shackles, except for the fact that they don’t make loud noises. However, handcuffs are not a problem to me, because they aren’t used against innocents, unlike the rattle leg shackle, which is. I strongly dislike the topic of slavery, but I am so thankful that for the people living in the United States today, slavery has been abolished. I learned a lot on my trip to Charleston, South Carolina and I am so glad I went with all of my friends and teachers. It was such an amazing experience that I most definitely will remember for my school years to come. -Sadie Hoff

       Charleston was an amazing experience even though I have been many, many times before. However, some people didn’t have fun there. Those people were the slaves of the plantation owners and other places, who suffered years of harsh beatings, which we should think about. I had a really great time on the Catamaran because it was so relaxing and so pretty looking at all the buildings feeling the cool breeze. What more could you want? It was amazing, unlike the experiences the slaves had in Charleston. They never got to enjoy the freedom of a wonderful boat ride on the harbor. Being Jewish people, we should hate slavery. Imagine thanking the heavens for your freedom, while your slave is fanning you. In that case, you’re not the greatest person, you are the greatest hypocrite. An artifact I chose was the shackle, which are chains they used to put on the slaves to keep them from leaving. This item was first used in the French area of Haiti in the 1700s. The item is now a U shaped link to connect and stabilize vehicles or tug a boat. This reality of slavery is terrible and we should not name a link after a slave torturer. I believe that we should try to give freedom to all human beings, even if they look, talk or act different. They are still human, and so are we. -Will Morrison

I really enjoyed my trip to Charleston and I learned a lot. The activity I will remember the longest on our trip to Charleston is the ropes course. At first I was scared to do it because of my fear of heights, then when I went on it, I overcame my fear, and enjoyed it. In Charleston, we learned of its history of slavery. I believe that slavery is wrong because we are all created equal. In the Jewish religion, we believe in our Menschlichkeit values, which are wisdom, respect, spirit, righteousness, and community. Slavery goes against all of these values. In the Slave Mart Museum, I selected shackles to write about. I choose the shackles because I was shocked when I saw that they used these kinds of materials on humans. I think white people back then thought of African Americans as animals. The shackles proved that to me. Today, shackles are still used, but in a different form. Prisoners are regularly shackled when being moved from a location and in court. Charleston taught me a lot about slavery and I had fun with my friends. -Zach Notte

          Recently my sixth grade class and I went to Charleston, South Carolina and it was both awesome and interesting. I think the most memorable activity that we did would have to be the Slave Market Museum because we don’t ever think about how lucky we are to be able to go to a private school and have loving parents.  When we went to the Slave market the whip caught my eye because people are still being abused today. Also, because Adrian Peterson, a football player got arrested for abuse with a belt. Although the slave owners didn’t whip the slaves because it left scars and it was illegal to abuse slaves, they still used other things like it. Its purpose was if the slaves were bad their owners would whip them. Although most people use belts now, abuse was and is some of the worst things people can do and some people commit suicide because of it. We went to a church where many people were killed because of their race and during that all I could think about is people discriminating against Jews. Also, with slavery this stuck to my mind, because I don’t know why people see Jews differently. I made so many great memories and learned so much, I will never forget this trip.  -Ryan Altmann

#Davis7 Holy Sites Interfaith Field Trip

Yesterday, Davis Academy 7th graders visited three different Holy Sites in the greater Atlanta area: The Roswell Masjid, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Lilburn, and the Dharma Jewel Monastery. At each site we met with faith leaders of the different traditions, had an opportunity to listen, learn, and observe Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism in action. Now that our 7th graders have visited a mosque, mandir, and monastery they join a small minority of Americans in having firsthand knowledge of what these houses of worship look and feel like. As members of this small majority of Americans who have sought out insight into the religious tapestry of America, they now have a special responsibility to promote tolerance, understanding, and respect among Americans of all faiths.

At the Roswell Community Masjid we were welcomed by Imam Arshad. Pakistani by birth, Imam Arshad grew up in Southern Mississippi. He was appointed as the Imam of the Roswell Community Masjid by the Muslim community that supports this Mosque. Wearing jeans and a hoodie, not yet having had his morning coffee, Imam Arshad graciously answered at least 100 questions posed by our students. The questions were intelligent and respectful, and the answers helped us understand some of the ethos and spirit behind Islam. We learned quite a bit about the Hajj (religious pilgrimage to Mecca), about Muslim views of character development (similar to Middot and Menschlichkeit in Judaism), and much more.

The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir is the largest Hindu Temple in the Southeast. The building itself tells you much about Hindu faith and practice. While the thousands of individual pieces of marble were constructed by paid craftsman in India, much of the work of building the Mandir and completing the project was done on a volunteer basis by more than 20,000 individuals (Hindu and non-Hindu). Completed in 2007, the entire project was paid for on a donation basis before the Mandir opened. The physical structure of the Mandir is meant to help focus the mind of God and divinity.

We removed our shoes, sat on the floor, and experienced the 11:15 devotional service. During this time Sadhus (monks) dressed in orange, kindled lamps and offered praises to the incarnations of the different deities. After the prayer, our guide (also a volunteer), explained that Hinduism is actually a Monotheistic faith rather than Polytheistic. There is only one God. That God has appeared and continues to appear in many different forms. Hinduism prides itself on introducing ideas of Non-Violence, Vegetarianism, and Tolerance to the world.

After lunch we arrived at The Dharma Jewel Monastery in Tucker. There we were greeted with big smiles and the strong smell of incense. The Dharma Jewel Monastery is a Buddhist Monastery, but in the Chinese tradition. Several generations after The Buddha became enlightened in India, Buddhism spread to China. Fast forward to the present, and The Dharma Jewel Monastery carries on this tradition here in Tucker, GA. We got an overview, learned a bit about mindful eating, and then went up to the Great Zen Meditation Hall. There we sat on cushions and pillows, learned about the sacred instruments in the Hall, were led in a meditation session, and the invited to make a lamp offering (basically making a wish and then placing a candle on the altar). Many of our kids found this moving and exciting.

Taking a step back, it's remarkable to think of all these faith traditions coexisting here in Atlanta. It's even more remarkable to think that their work is largely invisible and/or irrelevant to so many Atlantans. As the Imam said this morning, it takes tremendous courage, self-confidence, and self-awareness to walk into a house of worship other than your own. Our kids certainly have all 3 of this qualities. They were very well-prepared by their Social Studies teachers in terms of basic knowledge of these three faiths. On a deeper level, their insider knowledge of Judaism, acquired through years of Jewish learning and living, gave them a special ability to decode some of the complexities of these other faiths as well as find the common and distinguishing factors among them.

It was a beautiful day.

2nd Grade Siddur Celebration at Berman Commons

The Davis Academy 2nd grade has a very special tradition that takes place on the last day of school before Winter Break: our annual visit to Berman Commons for a Siddur and Shabbat Celebration.

As you may know, each December, The Davis Academy 2nd graders receive their very own prayer books during a special ceremony called Kabbalat HaSiddur. Any Davis Academy student can tell you all about what that ceremony means to them and how they feel about their Siddur.

What you may not know is that the week following Kabbalat HaSiddur, our 2nd graders travel to Berman Commons, our local Jewish assisted living community, to do a revue of that same ceremony. Residents of Berman Commons gather in one of their beautiful common areas. Our children sing their heartwarming songs and then interact with the residents. The singing is wonderful, but it is the interaction, from generation to generation, that makes the whole thing truly sacred. Knowing that our children and the residents of Berman Common share a common love and appreciation of Jewish tradition is something that inspires and brings joy to everyone in the room, and for good reason.

Here are some pictures and a short video of that very interaction.

Cafe Europa 2017

This week, The Davis Decibelles, our middle school performing choir under the direction of Ms. Kendrick Phillips, our director of visual and performing arts, participated in one of the most cherished performance experiences imaginable: singing at Cafe Europa.

A program of JF&CS, Cafe Europa is a monthly gathering of Atlanta area Holocaust survivors. The Decibelles' visit is anticipated not only by our students, but by the entire Cafe Europa community.

Each year, The Davis Decibelles open their performance with The Pledge of Allegiance and Hatikvah. Imagine the feeling of connection, hope, and pride that fills the room as everyone lifts up their voices in song.

I attend Cafe Europa not only as the Davis Academy's rabbi, but as the accompanist for The Decibelles. That means that I have a front row seat, alongside Kendrick, for this special performance. From where I sit, I can see clearly, the sense of purpose, respect, and understanding in the eyes of our students as they introduce songs and perform their hearts out. It is so clear, in that moment, that this performance is not for them, but for the Cafe Europa community. Our Decibelles would do anything to bring joy and beauty into the lives of these amazing individuals. As a rabbi and educator, it is absolutely awesome to witness.

While the concert aspect of Cafe Europa is celebratory and special, the most significant part of Cafe Europa takes place when our students join the Cafe Europa community for lunch. Within minutes, the conversations are flowing in all directions. Our Davis kids are talking about their lives, their hopes, and their dreams, and before you know it, Cafe Europa guests are sharing their stories, old and new, devastating and inspiring, personal and universal. Our students understand that they are the last generation that will have the opportunity to sit alongside those who witnessed, survived, and rebuilt after the Holocaust. And it is clear that they will do anything they need to do in order to be fully present for this sacred responsibility and honor.

Kendrick Phillips sums it up this way, "There's a unifying spirit of music that brings both young and old together. I am most proud of our students who have such a deep understanding of their Jewish identity that allows them to connect with compassion, curiosity, care, and genuine interest. Watching our kids connect with these heroic survivors, there's something truly magical about their ability to be fully present to receive and help honor the precious gift of this unique moment in time."

At Cafe Europa all of the richness and the complexity of the Jewish story comes together. The triumph and tragedy, the past and the future, the sound and the silence. It is a remarkable experience and one of the most important projects that I have ever been a part of.

Tashlich Rocks

Did you know that every Davis Academy student participates in a beautiful Tashlich program during their 4th grade year? It's one of the many meaningful Jewish moments and milestones that line the Davis Journey.

Here are some pictures of this year's 4th grade class!

“Let It Go! Let it Go! I’m throwing my sins away!” Songwriting at Tashlich. #davis4 pic.twitter.com/9fkAeaYji3

— Caroline Patterson (@Patterson4th) September 27, 2017

Interfaith Day of Learning at Queen of Angels

Last week our 6th grade students and teachers spent a day engaged in rich interfaith learning with their peers at Queen of Angels Catholic School in Roswell. This was the 2nd annual meeting between the two schools and was, by all accounts, a truly meaningful day.

We arrived at QofA to a warm welcome from their students and teachers. Shortly thereafter, the students broke into "tribes" and participated in a series of activities, conversations, and programs. Davis students had prepared "Jewish Passports" that contained a series of entries meant for sparking conversation and QofA students presented Articles of Faith. We sang songs from our respective faith traditions, visited their beautiful church, decorated rocks with the names of Holocaust victims for their daffodil garden and had an interfaith prayer service.

The following day we had a chance to debrief the experience with our students. Hearing them reflect on what they learned about Catholicism, Judaism, interfaith dialogue, and even their own identities was very moving. Below are two written reflections shared with my by Missy Stein, our 6th grade language arts teacher.

From Sarah Terapane's Jewish Passport project:
My favorite spiritual place is The Davis Academy. I feel most connected to God here because when I am here it is always easy to incorporate religion into everyday life. Also, being Jewish is celebrated here, and you are not an outsider because of your religion. I believe that it is important to have a safe place where everyone is proud to be Jewish, and Davis is one of those places. I feel truly blessed that I go to such an amazing school where not only do I get a great education, I get closer and closer to God every day.

From Jackson Crim:
My favorite spiritual place is the outdoor sanctuary at the Lower School. This is my favorite spiritual place because I feel really close to nature there. Also in the sanctuary, there is a place that has seats and it is meant for singing prayers in that spot. I think that it is positioned perfectly because it is surrounded by all of the animals in the sanctuary. The outdoor sanctuary is my favorite spiritual place because it is surrounded by animals.  

Praying with our Feet

5th graders doing written reflection in Birmingham. 

As I'm writing this post our Davis Academy 5th graders are in Birmingham, Alabama Menschology called, "Praying with our Feet."
visiting the 16th Street Baptist Church and Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. It was that very field trip in 2015 that inspired the words and music of the 7th track on

Jews have a long history of praying with our feet. It's part of the inheritance of a people that are perpetually striving to make the world a better place. Whether marching across the Red Sea, from Selma to Montgomery, or for the endless righteous causes of every era, we know what it feels like when our feet our praying.

The phrase, "Praying with our feet" comes directly from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel who famously said he felt as though his feet were praying when he marched as part of the Civil Rights Movement.

The lyrics to the song speak for themselves, but for those that are wondering, they're meant to evoke themes of the Civil Rights Movement. Justice denied, justice deferred, justice beaten and bloodied, but never losing faith. The lyrics move, step by step, mile by mile, over hills and through valleys, to the mountaintop, and beyond. The words, "Bridge by bridge/ town by town" evoke the strongest images in my mind, images like that of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

My hope is that Davis Academy students will keep this song in their hearts and on their lips as a way of connecting their own justice work with that of those who have come before them. My hope is that this song will pop into their heads whenever they find themselves enacting the values that we have instilled in them here at The Davis Academy. And my hope is that others who do the work of justice will find inspiration and affirmation in this song.

The Menschology version of "Praying with our Feet" is performed beautifully by Will Robertson, Alex Newberg, Rebecca Good, and Janice Durden.

You can listen to it wherever you stream music, learn more about it on our Davis Rocks page, and download it from CDBaby here.

"I want to see my face, not my mask." Davis Academy Middle School Day of Learning at The Alliance Theater

Today Davis Academy middle school students participated in our 3rd annual day of learning at The Alliance Theater. The focus of our day of learning was a timely and powerful play called, Slur. Set in a middle school, Slur tells the story of how the word "Jihadist" came to be spray painted on the locker of a Muslim student in the school. It focuses on both the motivation and the impact of the incident. As with past theater performances at The Alliance, our students and all attendees were captivated.

Following the play, our students had an opportunity to learn from a diverse panel of guests that we assembled to help extend the learning. Thomas Pinckney of The Alliance Theater joined Sherry Frank, long time director of the Atlanta chapter of the American Jewish Committee and civil rights activist, Nicole Moore of The Center for Civil and Human Rights, and Munir Meghjani, a leader of Atlanta's Interfaith community. The discussion was incredibly high level and covered topics ranging from "privilege" to identity politics, to reconciliation after the divisiveness of the 2016 presidential election. 

Back on the Davis campus students participated in a series of rotations focusing on the power of speech, the masks we wear, and the complexity of identity. Poems were written, pieces of art created, and complex ideas expressed. As a participant I witnessed vulnerability, honesty, intentional listening, and much more. 

Days like these reinforce one of The Davis Academy's core beliefs-- that learning is a disposition, not something that takes place only in a classroom and that the best learning influences the way students view the world and the choices they make. 

There could not have been a better way to honor Veterans Day or reflect on the complex events taking place across America and around the world than through a day of learning inspired by a provocative piece of theater like Slur. 

Who tells my story? "Masking" my identity activity #Slur #artsed #davis6 #davis7 #davis8 #identity pic.twitter.com/27TWz350wD

— Kendrick (@khqp) November 11, 2016

Cafe Europa 2016

On Monday, 11/7/16, 29 Davis Academy middle school students traveled to Beth Jacob Synagogue to participate in Cafe Europa. The students, all members of our middle school singing ensemble, The Davis Decibelles, brought their inspirational and life affirming musical message to Cafe Europa for the 3rd consecutive year all under the direction of the wonderful Kendrick Phillips, Davis Academy's Director of Visual and Performing Arts. And, as in past years, every person in the room experienced a moment of profound transformation.

Cafe Europa is a very special gathering facilitated by JF&CS. It brings together members of the Atlanta Jewish community who are Holocaust Survivors for a monthly luncheon and program. For the last 3 years, The Davis Decibelles have offered a beautiful musical performance. But even more important than the performance is the luncheon that creates an opportunity for sacred conversation between Davis students and Cafe Europa members.

Inevitably, when the time comes for our students to board the bus back to Davis there are protests from all parties. No one really wants the experience to end. This year, one of the elders in the room said (somewhat lightheartedly), "Why are you taking these children away from us?" The question really struck me and it led me to a new appreciation for what The Davis Academy's participation in Cafe Europa truly represents. It represents the fact that those 29 students (and all our Davis Academy students) don't belong only to The Davis Academy or to their parents and grandparents. They belong to the Jewish people. That's because they represent the collective hopes, dreams, struggles, promise, and potential of the Jewish people. The loving bonds that magically and instantly form at Cafe Europa reveal this deep truth of the Jewish community. Our Jewish children belong to all of us, just like our Jewish elders belong to all of us. Our Jewish suffering, our Jewish joy, our Jewish worries, and our Jewish hopes--- while they might be experienced by individuals--- belong to all of us. There is a bond that transcends the generations and the particularities of our individual stories. It is a bond of life, a bond of love, and a bond of faith. If you've experienced it, you know what I mean.

Below are some of the many wonderful pictures that symbolize this bond as well as as snippet of video that captures our Head of School, Amy Shafron, speaking to our students before they set out from school that day.

Why do you think God created the world?

I'm looking at a stack of papers on my desk. Each page represents a Davis Academy 4th grader. Each page has their thoughts about why God created the world.

I've just come from our Middle School Kabbalat Shabbat. Today we were honored to have as our guests, Gina and Suzann Cayne. The Cayne's are a bereaved family who lost their husband/father on 9/11. Among the memories I will carry from their visit are Suzann helping us count the passing of the days as well as our students rising to sing Oseh Shalom and then rushing to thank the family for sharing their story.

This morning I had the delight of welcoming our Mechina and Kindergarten children to their first "official" Kabbalat Shabbat at Davis. I was totally blown away by how many songs they already know as well as their deep engagement throughout the entire experience.

Yesterday afternoon I stood alongside a Davis Academy 8th grader as she led an entire Mincha service from start to finish with no advance notice that she would be invited to do so. It was among the most capable and exceptional student-led services I've ever witnessed.

Prior to that I accompanied our entire 8th grade class on our annual 8th grade retreat. During our 36 hours in the North Georgia Mountains I was consistently overwhelmed by their willingness to engage in deep spiritual and personal reflection as well the sense of Kehillah that they showed toward one another. It was a transformative 36 hours for them and their teachers.

Tuesday I watched some of those same 8th graders engaging preschool aged children at a community outreach event. I was inspired by their infectious energy and joyful personalities.

Also on Tuesday I joined our faculty as we held our first faculty meeting of the year. During our time together we watched a challenging ELI Talk about the importance of leading by example and cultivating our own spiritual, moral, emotional, and intellectual lives.

On Monday of this week I had a chance to participate in Middle School Tefilah not as the service leader, but as a participant. This is something I've longed to do for many years and is a direct result of my outstanding colleagues who are working every day to create an empowered Jewish community among our Middle School learners.

And the week began on Sunday with our Back to School Carnival where I watched a middle school student teach my son how to climb the bouncy slide all on his own. Sunday also included our annual MSLTI training (that I wrote about in an earlier post).

Just a typical week for me at The Davis Academy.

Shabbat Shalom!

Davis and Mt. Vernon Presbyterian Meet Again

This fall, Davis 5th graders welcomed their peers from Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School to our Sukkah. It was a wonderful day. This week, MVP invited us to their home. Instead of learning about Sukkot and eating lunch in the Sukkah, we attended chapel services, studied the important topic of hunger in America, enjoyed their athletic field, and saw their students perform a play entitled, "Way of the Cross" that tells the story of Jesus' last days and Easter.

Davis and MVP kids share much in common. They both have a strong foundation in their religious traditions and heritage. They both are eager to connect with peers of different traditions and backgrounds. They both want to explore how they can make the world a better place.

Here are some pictures and tweets from our visit. One fun highlight was when Davis kids were spontaneously invited to sing "Not by Might" during the Chapel service after seeing this Biblical passage in one of the slides that a teacher shared of her service trip to Zambia.

#MVmiddle and #davis5 collaborate to create a healthy meal for a family of 4. Have $6 for the meal. pic.twitter.com/IJ3Q9aFlpO

— Jenny Novoselsky (@JennyNovoselsky) March 23, 2016

Collaborating with our friends from #mvmiddle! #davis5 pic.twitter.com/0dJcoY7GtM

— Jennifer Rainbow (@jrainbow1) March 23, 2016

So proud of our 5th graders..... They participated in the chapel service #davis5 @rabbispen @ugafrank pic.twitter.com/1sBTV0eJnu

— Amy Coffsky (@ACoffsky) March 23, 2016

So proud of our 5th graders..... They participated in the chapel service #davis5 @rabbispen @ugafrank pic.twitter.com/1sBTV0eJnu

— Amy Coffsky (@ACoffsky) March 23, 2016

L'dor V'dor

I've been meaning to document the beautiful meeting between Davis 2nd grade students and the residents at Berman Commons ever since it happened last month. The week after our 2nd graders received their special siddurim (prayer books) they took a field trip to Berman Commons to lead a short Shabbat program there. Even though our children sang their Shabbat prayers with true pride and emotion, the best part of the program was definitely the 20 minutes of mingling that took place afterward. All of the parents and teachers in attendance were beaming as our children fearlessly introduced themselves to the residents and shared their siddurim with them. These pictures are worth more than a thousand words!

Tell Me My Dream

         Last week, The Davis Academy Middle School boarded buses and headed down to the Alliance Theatre for the world premiere of Atlanta playwright, Pearl Cleage's show, "Tell Me My Dream." Set in Atlanta, the play time travels between 1910 and the present day. Characters from both time periods explore the impact of historical events on their personal lives, respond to personal loss, explore their potential as human beings, and ask what, if any, responsibility they have to help shape their world. Cleage wrote the play specifically for a Middle School aged audience and the theater was packed with students from schools across Atlanta.
          Following the performance we gathered in one of the Alliance's many breakout spaces for a very special panel. Sherry Frank, longtime Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee's southeast and Atlanta chapter and passionate advocate for civil rights, Reverend Dr. Gerald Durley, longtime Atlanta pastor who marched with and carries on the work of Dr. King, and Christopher Moses, the Alliance's Director of Education and Associate Artistic Director, inspired us with personal stories of how they found the strength to make the world a better place and challenged us to figure out how we will do the same. While the entire panel was incredibly profound and memorable, Reverend Durley's personal stories of confronting and overcoming racism as well as the moment when he looked out at our student body and expressed an overwhelming feeling of hope, were highlights. Our students asked great questions and we didn't lack for discussion.
           After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon in small breakout sessions. These sessions provided the students with various pedagogically creative ways of expressing their thoughts, feelings, insights, and questions. Rather than losing steam after such a heavy series of interactions, our students continued to pick up momentum throughout the day. I'm sure that Shabbat dinner table discussions provided yet another opportunity to share the day's learning.
            Atlanta is a city overflowing with opportunities for cultural, historical, and civic learning. The culture of The Davis Academy is one that seeks to instill in our students the awareness that learning takes place both within and beyond the classroom. "Tell Me My Dream" was not our first trip to the Alliance Theatre and it surely will not be our last.

"In OUR Times"

10/28/15 ended up being a fascinating day of juxtapositions at The Davis Academy. In the afternoon, close to 30 parents gathered in the Middle School Media Center under the auspices of our PTO's Israel Culture Club to watch a short film called "Crossing the Line 2: The New Face of Anti-Semitism on Campus". During the post-film discussion with the film's director parents had a chance to share their thoughts, feelings, and concerns about the Boycott, Divest, and Sanction Movement (BDS), an international initiative that has one single goal: deligitimizing the State of Israel.

While the film could and did evoke an understandable amount of concern bordering on despair, there were a few important and empowering takeaways. First, the importance of deeply immersive Jewish education for children from the youngest age. Every parent in the room agreed that their child is better equipped to confront the BDS movement when they inevitably encounter it because their child and their family attend The Davis Academy. While potentially necessary (or at least highly valuable), attending a Jewish Day School isn't sufficient when it comes to upholding and defending Israel on college campuses-- parents need to engage their kids in conversation and the Jewish community more generally needs to come together to develop a more comprehensive strategy for navigating the multi-pronged and often insidious tactics of BDS.

Though we had a full media center for our film screening, there was a subtle feeling of loneliness encapsulated in the idea that the Jewish community is, at the end of the day, alone in our concern for Israel. Of course Israel has the support of countless reasonable and thoughtful people, organizations, and countries, but the loneliness comes with the nagging sense that this support could quickly become conditional, tenuous, and one day even disappear. A community event that I and a group of Davis alum and middle school students participated in later that evening left a very different feeling...

The above picture shows a group of Davis Academy and Marist students and alumni gathered in front of the Ferst Center at Georgia Tech. They were there to perform a version of the well-known Jewish teaching, "Hineih Mah Tov" that I wrote as a celebration of the interfaith partnership that exists between our two schools. Should you wish to hear the song you can download it for free here. The performance was part of a broader celebration organized by the Atlanta chapter of the American Jewish Committee and the Archdiocese of Atlanta in honor of the 50th anniversary of Nostra Aetate. Nostra Aetate, meaning "in our times" was a statement issued by the Catholic Church that initiated a process of reconciliation between the church and the Jewish community. In addition to the Davis and Marist students a number of community choirs and dance groups performed and speeches were given. But The Davis Academy and Marist stood out for several reasons. 

First, The Davis Academy and Marist initiated our partnership even before the Archdiocese and the AJC asked that Atlanta area Catholic and Jewish organizations create partnerships in anticipation of this event. Next, we were the only group of middle school students to perform and ours was the only original composition performed. Lastly, we're likely the only group that gathered naturally and casually for a quick bite to eat beforehand. Breaking bread is one of the most important things we can do if we truly want to nurture relationships.

Here are pictures of the kids breaking bread, standing on the stage of the Ferst Center, and rehearsing behind the dropped curtain. 

       

Staying for lunch

Today Ms. Kendrick and I had the honor of accompanying 28 Davis Academy Decibelles as they performed for the 2nd consecutive year at JF&CS' special program: Cafe Europa. You can read about last year's visit here. As a reminder, Cafe Europa is a monthly program that brings together Holocaust survivors currently living in the Atlanta area. This year, in addition to having an even larger contingent of Decibelles and needing a larger room at Beth Jacob for our performance (due to the great success of last year's visit) we learned an important lesson: the importance of staying for lunch.
After last year's moving encounter we all agreed that it wasn't enough to give our Decibelles a chance to share their beautiful voices with the guests of Cafe Europa, but that we also needed to facilitate an opportunity for the Cafe Europa crowd and our students to get to know one another. That happened today.

There are several striking and beautiful things that happen when The Davis Academy Decibelles visit Cafe Europa. First is that our students perform a blend of old and new Jewish music. Rather than dismissing the new melodies that the Decibelles sing (several of them written by me), the Cafe Europa crowd celebrated the spirit of the music as well as the timeless messages of the Jewish teachings that the music honors. Several commented that the tunes were new, but that the messages and the teaching endure. If you click here you'll be able to see channel 11 news coverage of Cafe Europa that was filmed on the day of our performance and includes a few shots of the Decibelles.

Also striking is the feeling of L'dor V'dor ("from generation to generation"). Seeing the joy in the faces of the Cafe Europa crowd as our kids sang, and then seeing the deep engagement and mutual interest over lunch, the JF&CS folks as well as Ms. Kendrick and I couldn't help but feel that we were witnessing the strengthening of a chain, the binding of the Jewish future to the Jewish past and present.

Though I spent most of lunch floating around to take pictures (see below) and make sure our kids were comfortable engaging in the rich conversations, I had one conversation that I think sums up the whole experience. A woman pulled me aside and said, "You know, it's so improbable that all of us would be able to gather here this morning. When you think about what Hitler tried to do, and all the challenges facing the Jewish people and the world, it's really improbable and so very special."

I agreed with the woman and I imagine many of you reading this feel the same way. But I also told her this, "I agree that it's improbable, but I also feel that it's inevitable." She instantly knew what I meant, but in case it's not obvious I meant this: It's inevitable that the Jewish people will live on, that we will continue to honor our past and build our future. It's inevitable that so long as we have voices we will lift them in song and join them in celebration of life and the magnificent strength and resilience of our people.

When it came time to leave I knew we'd achieved our goal when not a single Decibelle was willing to get up and go. Some of them tried to blame it on the fact that they didn't want to return to class, but most genuinely expressed the desire to remain immersed in conversation with the Cafe Europa crowd. So we did what any of us would've done. We let them linger. After all, what's the rush?

Below are some pictures from lunch as well as a video of us singing "Kol Yisrael" on the bus ride to Cafe Europa. As an aside, our bus driver was so moved by our singing that she called her son, a record producer, and told him to listen through her bluetooth headphones.

Different Faiths, Common Humanity

Earlier this week I led Tefilah for 2nd graders. I asked them to answer the question, "If you could ask God one question what would it be?" There was a wide variety of answers! One student asked, "When was the Viking era?" Another asked, "When God created the world in 7 days approximately how long was each day? For example, a year, a month, an hour?" And finally, a child asked, "Why do Jews have so many holidays and Christians don't?"

In response to the last question I pointed out to the child that Jews are indeed blessed to have many holidays, like Sukkot, which we are currently celebrating by hosting wonderful Sukkah lunches here at school:





I added that Christians have many holidays as well, but that she may not know so much about them just yet since she's still learning about the Jewish holidays. To reassure her that she will one day learn about Christian holidays I briefly mentioned the sacred work that took place at The Davis Academy today.

In a new partnership, The Davis Academy 5th grade students and teachers welcomed their peers from Mt. Vernon Presbyterian School, a wonderful Christian school that resides only a few miles from Davis. After some icebreakers, Davis students taught their peers some of the basics of Judaism as well as of the holiday, Sukkot. Then we all had lunch in and around the Sukkah (our Sukkah is big, but not big enough for 150+ people) and played on the playground. This was the first time that Davis Lower School students have had the chance to participate in interfaith dialogue and community building and initial feedback indicates that they are eager to do more of this. Hopefully these pictures convey their enthusiastic participation:













While the 5th graders were fulfilling the special mitzvah of "welcoming guests" (one of the key mitzvot of Sukkot), Davis 8th grade students had their first of two meetings with their peers from The Marist School. Today's program included a visit to Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church as well at The Temple-- houses of prayer for both faiths and pillars of Atlanta's religious community. Interfaith study, brainstorming about how to make the world a better place, and greater appreciation for one another's similarities and differences were the goals of the day.








 To read more about the Davis/Marist partnership feel free to click here, here, or here.

In our crazy world the jury is still out on the question of whether religion will ultimately be a force for good in the world. Here at The Davis Academy we don't struggle with this question at all. We know that if organized religion is going to help build bridges of peace, tolerance, respect, understanding, and justice, it will be because of schools like Davis and days like today. Watching the 5th grade students from Davis and Mt. Vernon enjoying lunch in the Sukkah and then frolicking on the playground was truly "holy." If only more people started each day as strangers and ended each day as friends...

The traditional greeting on Sukkot is, "Moadim L'simcha" ("May your festivals bring you joy"). So I'll simply say, "Moadim L'simcha" to our partners at MVP and Marist for a great day.