Wise Words from Davis 8th Grader in Honor of Simchat Torah

The Davis Academy's 2018 Simchat Torah celebration was immeasurably enriched by a Dvar Torah written and shared by 8th grader Reese Baker. As you read her speech (included below) take a moment to consider the strong feeling of connection that Reese describes. Connection to the Torah, but also connection to her own story, to the generations that have come before and are yet to come, to Jews around the world, and the the values that Jewish tradition teaches. It's wonderful to see a young adult having such a strong sense of self and connection to the broader stories of the Jewish people. 

Chag Sameach!

My name is Reese Baker and I am an 8th grader here at Davis. About a week ago, Rabbi Micah asked me to give this Dvar’ Torah and to describe how the Torah impacts my life. After much thought, I concluded that it is not what the Torah says that impacts me personally but what it symbolizes. I started to think about the amazing tradition here at Davis of unwrapping the entire Torah around our community, which will take place in a few minutes. I thought about each grade that the Torah surrounds and the connection that they all have with it. A couple of memories quickly came to mind of the many ways that I connected to the Torah through my nineyears here at Davis.

First, I thought of kindergarten, in Mrs. Weiser's class, making small Torahs and decorating them with my friends for this holiday. As I continued through the years, the 2nd grade siddur ceremony definitely stood out. Learning the hebrew prayers right out of my own personalized siddur gave me a connection to the Torah at a young age. I next thought of the 5th grade Torah service, where my class nervously learned and read from the Torah in front of our parents and other classmates. Then, onto 6th grade, when my friends and I got very excited to finally hold the Torah for this celebration, as we had watched the older kids do year after year. In 7th grade and 8th grade, each and every student in our class learned their very own Torah portion for our Bnai’Mitzvot. We learned what they meant and found a deeper meaning within the words.

And now, here we are. It is very strange for me to think that this is my last year as a student celebrating Simchat Torah with my Davis community. The process that I just described to you was a shared experience with all of my classmates that all of you will also get to go through in the coming years. It is not only an experience that we, as Davis students encounter, but it is also one that we share with other boys and girls around the world. The Torah provides a connection between us and them. It is a connection to our heritage, to our family and to all of the Jewish people around the world. As we constantly say here at Davis, L’dor Va’dor, from generation to generation. The Torah connects these generations and will always continue to do so. As the Torah is unrolled, that is what I will be thinking of. I will be thinking of the journey that I experienced, from kindergarten all the way to 8th grade, and the way that the Torah has connected me to my classmates and different Jewish communities. The connection that Davis has given us from the Torah has provided us with a connection that we will always have with each other, no matter where we go in life.

And to the 8th Grade, I can not wait to experience the ultimate Davis Torah connection with you on our trip to Israel later this year.

Thank you.

The Davis Academy and TASKA

The Davis Academy Middle School was honored to welcome the students and teachers of the TASKA School to our Kabbalat Shabbat and Sukkah this week. During Kabbalat Shabbat we shared in our Shabbat rituals and also enjoyed a musical performance by the TASKA students. After Shabbat we did Chavruta learning in the Sukkah. The theme of our Chavruta was: Creating Peace/Shalom together.

A good time was had by all, and more importantly, we all realized that our fates are intertwined and that we are much stronger together. Everyone agreed that TASKA and Davis Academy should get together again soon!

Welcoming Guests to Our Sukkah

Today, our 6th Grade Jewish Life Leadership and Moreh Sim Pearl welcomed Independence Works, a group of adults with developmental disabilities that organizes under the auspices of Jewish Family and Career Services. We are fortunate that this has become an annual tradition because it gives our students an opportunity to live our values in a meaningful and memorable way. Here are some pictures from this year's visit...

Shavuot in Jerusalem

5/20/18

            This morning we woke up very early so that we could join with tens of thousands of our Jewish brothers and sisters in celebrating Shavuot at the Kotel. As we made our way into the old city, we encountered an ever increasing stream of people making their from the Kotel after their morning prayers. When we arrived at the Kotel plaza there were still many thousands of people moving in all directions. Some were eating breakfast, some praying, some talking, some wandering. Everywhere you looked there seemed to be another minyan and another Torah scroll being carried somewhere or read from. Participating in this special holiday celebration was a once in a lifetime experience and I know that none of us will ever forget it.

            Our day would’ve been complete with our visit to the Kotel, but there’s always more to see and do in Jerusalem. For that reason we headed to the part of town that houses all the governmental agencies. We caught a quick glimpse of Israel’s Supreme Court and then spent a good amount of time learning about the Knesset and  taking a closer look at the famous Menorah that stands just opposite of it. Adjacent to the Knesset is a beautiful rose garden where we joined with other Israelis who were celebrating Shavuot with picnics and time in nature. As has become our custom, some played cards, some climbed trees, some played soccer or Frisbee, some admired a turtle that randomly appeared in the garden, and others practiced their cheerleading. At the end, we sat down for a conversation with our two security guards, Sahar and Yarden. They spoke beautifully about their army experience and answered questions from the kids.

            After a few hours of rest, we set out once again. This time we visited Yemin Moshe and the famous windmill that our kids study about in Hebrew class. From there we wandered slowly back to the park near our hotel where we hung out some more, had a pizza picnic, and a lovely Havdallah ceremony. The kids sang enthusiastically, a few shared thoughts about what this trip has meant to them, and everyone returned to the hotel in good spirits. Most went upstairs to pack while a few had special visits from family and friends. Tomorrow we explore a bit more of Jerusalem and eventually set our sights on

Davis, Marist, and the First Ever Atlanta Unity Seder

Last night, student leaders from The Davis Academy and The Marist school honored our many years of interfaith partnership by playing a leadership role at the Atlanta office of the American Jewish Committee's first ever "Unity Seder." Joined by faith leaders from dozens of churches, synagogues, and organizations, local government officials and diplomats from India to Argentina, and more than 400 attendees, The Davis Academy and Marist School students opened the Seder by singing an original melody of the words "Hinei Mah Tov" that was written specifically for interfaith gatherings and occasions. Incidentally, this same song was performed by Davis and Marist students several years ago at a community wide celebration of the 50th anniversary of Nostrae Aetate.

In addition to singing together, Davis and Marist students sat together and participated in the interfaith dialogue and discussion that made the evening so meaning.

Later in the evening, The Davis Academy students were invited to lead the "4 Questions." After singing them in Hebrew, they were translated into different languages by the various diplomats in attendance.

It was a truly special and even historic evening, enriched deeply by the participation of Davis and Marist students.

#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.

Rock Shabbat 2017

Last week we celebrated our annual Rock Shabbat at The Davis Academy. Rock Shabbat continues to be one of the most poignant examples of how The Davis Academy is unique among Jewish communities and Jewish Day Schools.

This year's Rock Shabbat featured our typical blend of traditional and modern Jewish songs (including a few of our original melodies from our latest CD, "Menschology") as well as "secular" songs. I write, "secular", because there's an argument to be made that there's a spark of holiness in almost all music, at least when it comes to our Rock Shabbat repertoire. For example, one of this year's secular songs was, "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" by CCR. There's something really profound in the main idea of that song. We've all seen the rain, but have we ever really seen it?

Typical of Rock Shabbat, transitions that would be abrupt or non-sensical elsewhere, make perfect sense. So CCR follows the Shema, which leads into a MiCamocha Drum Circle which leads into a medley of Jewish classics performed on accordion and so on.

Part of the magic of Rock Shabbat is that it shines a spotlight on our talented student body without making their talent the focus of the experience. It is Shabbat. And like any true Shabbat, it is a reflection of the people in the room and the magic that is created when people come together in a spirit of respect and love.

Here are some pictures as well as a video!

A Simchat Torah D'var Torah

This year's Simchat Torah celebration at The Davis Academy was immeasurably enriched through the participation of several wonderful Middle School students. In her capacity as a Jewish Life Leader and member of MSLTI (our Middle School Leadership Training Institute), 8th Grader, Amit Rau, delivered the following remarks. Her words, thoughtfully written and beautifully delivered, captivated our community and inspired all of us. They are shared here with her parents' permission.

Boker Tov and Chag Sameach. My name is Amit Rau and I am in eighth grade. I am proud to be involved in Jewish Life Leadership this year. Yesterday, in our synagogues and in Israel, as well as at Davis today, we celebrate an important holiday. (To kids:) Can anyone in Mechina tell me the name of this holiday? … Yes, You’re right! The name “Simchat Torah” comes from “Simcha”, which means happiness. Simchat Torah is a holiday that teaches us to celebrate and be happy with our Torah.

Every year, during Simchat Torah, we restart reading the Torah. As soon as we finish reading the last words of the book of Deuteronomy today, in the same breath, we will read the first words of Genesis. Today, we sing and dance and celebrate the joy of the Torah with family, friends and teachers. We unravel the Torah to see the beauty of its words and teachings. We hold the Torah high to show each member of our community that it does not only belong to the rabbis, but also to every person in our Kehilla.

As I look around this room, I see many generations of people, sitting together and enjoying the happiness this holiday brings. This is similar to how we pass the Torah from generation to generation at bar and bat mitzvah services.

The last words of the Torah in the book of Deuteronomy are Kol Israel, which mean “all of Israel”. That is the most important message of this meaningful holiday. There is no better feeling than standing together with our Davis Academy family and celebrating our Torah. I want everyone to look around themselves. Parents and grandparents, look at your children and grandchildren. Students, look at your teachers, your friends, and your family. Teachers, look at your students. (PAUSE)

Standing together this morning…     we are, truly…     Kol Israel. 

Welcoming Guests to our Middle School Sukkah

Though it was cloudy and overcast today you wouldn't have known it based on the warm feelings inside our Middle School Sukkah today. That's because our Jewish Life Leaders (part of our Middle School Leadership Training Institute) welcomed guests from JF&CS's IndependenceWORKS to our Sukkah today. We sang a few songs, said our Sukkah blessings, and then enjoyed lunch and friendly conversation. This was the 3rd consecutive year that we've welcomed IndependenceWORKS to our Sukkah. This visit is part of a broader partnership between The Davis Academy and JF&CS that focuses on opportunities for our kids to do good by supporting the various initiatives of this vital Jewish communal organization. For those that aren't familiar with IndependenceWORKS you can click here or read the following quote from their website:

IndependenceWORKS, the day and vocational arm of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities Services, offers a day program, evaluations, prevocational assessment and support, and job coaching so adults with disabilities can find and maintain work that utilizes their greatest talents and abilities.

2nd Day Sukkot at The Davis Academy Middle School

Students and parents in grades 5-8 joined together last week to celebrate Sukkot in our beautiful Davis Academy Middle School Sukkah. Because The Davis Academy is open on 2nd day Chag we were able to provide a warm and welcoming environment for our families to celebrate the spirit of Sukkot on this festival day, one of our favorite Jewish holidays at Davis. The weather was perfect. SAGE Dining provided delicious food. The Sukkah was beautifully decorated by our students under the direction of our Hebrew teachers. And we were blessed to fulfill the mitzvah of lesheiv b'sukkah, of dwelling in the Sukkah. Because The Weber School was close for Sukkot and because several other high schools were closed for Fall break we welcomed about 20 alumni from various graduating classes to our Sukkah as well. Sukkot is called zman simchateinu, the season of our rejoicing. Our 2nd day Sukkot celebration reminded all of us why.

A Perfect Moment

I was so happy to see Mrs. Shapiro's 3rd grade class writing letters to U.S. Soldiers in our beautiful Lower School Sukkah. It's a gorgeous day and stumbling upon this special activity was truly heartwarming. The Sukkah itself is a symbol of peace, security, and protection. How perfect that Mrs. Shapiro and her students were writing letters to our members of The Armed Forces who work so hard and sacrifice so much that we might all live in peace and security!

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

iPod Tefilah

iPod Tefilah is really pretty simple: you create a conversation between ancient prayers and modern music. The goal of that conversation is simply this: to build bridges of understanding, to bring out the timeless in the prayer and the sacred in the music. If you do it really well, then eventually participants start to understand that their music playing device is in fact an instrument of prayer, their streaming service a kind of divine emanation.

Today we had our first iPod Tefilah at The Davis Academy Middle School in approximately 15 months. What can I say? We've been busy. We brought back iPod Tefilah just in time for Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Day season. Today we asked our students to think about the rich themes of the High Holy Days through the lens of their music playing devices.

The beauty of iPod Tefilah is that it weds concepts like Teshuvah, Tefilah, and Tzedakah with songs from Dear Evan Hanson, Coldplay, Tim McGraw, Andra Day, Avicii, and the musical, Annie. By doing so, it forces kids to confront the false dichotomy between sacred and secular, between ancient and modern, between Jewish and human. For these reasons, and the fact that the kids seem to really enjoy it and find it meaningful, iPod Tefilah will be reasserting its influence on our Davis Academy Middle School Tefilah program once again this year.

Thank you to Sara Beth Berman who led the first iPod Tefilah at The Davis Academy several years ago when she served as The Davis Academy's Nadiv Educator!

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.  

Yom HaZikaron- Why we Sing

For the last several years, a small group of Davis students has had the honor of singing a song during the Atlanta Jewish community's Yom HaZikaron commemoration. Students are selected based on a few criteria-- their singing ability, Hebrew ability, maturity/ responsibility, and understanding of the solemn and sacred nature of singing at this community gathering. Under the direction of Morah Sigal, the students meticulously prepare the song, attend rehearsals during and outside of school, arrive several hours early to the commemoration, and eventually perform their song. Hours of study and preparation, all for a single song?

Our students are willing to take on this special honor and responsibility because they understand that all Jews are blessed by the existence of the State of Israel. They are willing to take on this responsibility because, even at a young age, they appreciate the tremendous sacrifices that have been made to protect and defend Israel. They are willing because they see the profound impact that their presence has on those who gather to honor and remember. It means a lot to those gathered to know that Yom HaZikaron means something to these students from The Davis Academy.

Each year the song selected for The Davis Academy gets more and more difficult. That's because those who design the ceremony know the seriousness and professionalism that our students exhibit. Last night they sang a song entitled, "Winter of 73." That song speaks of the children who were born in the months following the Yom Kippur War, many of who never met their fathers.

This is why we sing on Yom HaZikaron.

Yom HaShoah 2017

Yom HaShoah is one of the most sacred days on the Jewish calendar. It is the day that we honor the memory of the 6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust as well as those who survived to tell their stories. It is the day that we renew our commitment to never forgetting and never allowing such an unfathomable atrocity to occur again to any people.

We mark this occasion not only by lighting traditional Memorial Candles on both campuses, but in several other significant ways.

First, we partner with the Breman Holocaust Museum to bring a Holocaust survivor to share their story with our older students. This year we were honored to welcome Mr. Herschel Greenblatt. Our Jewish Life Leadership students will lead a short memorial service before he shares his remarks.

Next, our 7th graders visit the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. on their 7th grade trip which takes place during the week of Yom HaShoah. This visit is a culmination of many months spent studying the Holocaust in 7th grade Jewish Studies. Check out Twitter #Davis7 to see the 7th graders on their trip.

While our 7th graders are in D.C. our 6th graders spend a day with their peers at the Queen of Angels Catholic School in Roswell. There they jointly write victims' names on stones for QofA's daffodil garden.

Lastly, our Lower School choir, The Magical Melodies, sings each year during the community wide Yom HaShoah ceremony at Greenwood Cemetery. Their beautiful voices add a dimension of hope and joy to an otherwise very somber celebration. This year's commemoration was rainy and cold but our students didn't complain a bit because they understand the solemnity and significance of the occasion. The back of the memorial is in the picture below.

3rd-5th grade Magical Melodies rehearse for the community wide Yom HaShoah Ceremony 

Passover 2017/ 5777

In the weeks leading up to and following Passover, Davis Academy students across the grade levels participate in meaningful Passover related learning. Mechina children lead their first model seder using The Sammy Spider Haggadah, kindergarten children travel around the school reenacting different parts of the Passover story, 1^st graders show off their emerging Hebrew skills with Morah Galia, 2^nd graders put on a seder “show” that focuses on generating authentic conversations across the generations, 3^rd graders sample Passover traditions and cuisines from around the world, 4^th graders dip strawberries in chocolate as part of their year of studying creative ritual, and 5^th graders have a “Freedom Seder” based on an actual seder from 1969 that brought Jews and African Americans together in celebration of Civil Rights. In the weeks following Pesach, our 6^th graders will teach their peers at Queen of Angels Catholic School about the holiday, our 7^th graders will explore the meaning of freedom in Washington D.C. and our 8^th graders will fulfill the vision of the closing words of the Haggadah, “Next year in Jerusalem.” Each of these experiences is possible because of the authentic learning that empowers the children to be full participants.  

All of these educational experiences make a profound impact on our children and this impact is even greater when it is reinforced at home. Those families that have rich Passover traditions can look forward to the dynamic interaction between your home traditions and the new ideas and insights that your children bring with them from The Davis Academy. And those families that are relatively new to Passover can begin to build traditions with these same resources while drawing on other family holiday celebrations to help infuse Passover with special spirit. 

The amazingly joyful and creative Passover experiences here at The Davis Academy coupled with each family's personal practices is what creates theunbreakable bond and connection for our children. And this point holds true well beyond Passover. Among the many exceptional aspects of The Davis Academy Kehilah is the strong sense of shared values and traditions. Whether they know it or not, our children have the special blessing of growing up in an integrated community where school and home join together in a sacred covenant of mutual respect and support so that our children may find and appreciate their unique place in the world.