Dear Yavneh Family,

The period between Pesach and Shavuot is commonly understood as a bridge from physical liberation to spiritual awakening - while Passover focused on tangible redemption from slavery, Shavuot's emphasis is on receiving Torah and its ethical- religious gifts.

What, then, during these long school days of Spring, does "freedom" mean in the eyes of a teenage student at Yavneh?  For our freshmen, it is often the little things that distinguish high school from lower grades: study hall periods and a gradual movement toward independence.  For our sophomores, it's mostly the process of learning and practicing for their driver's licenses, as we as a community pray for their safety and well-being.  For our juniors and seniors, it's typically the choices they have in electing academic courses, or in being exposed to new subjects and advanced topics, as they prepare for Israel and college. I am privileged to teach them classes in Government and Economics, as I continue to learn and grow beside them each year.

This week's troubling news from Garland allows us at Yavneh the opportunity to bring both a universal and uniquely Jewish lens to real-world big issues of enmity, justice and responsibility, as our teens continue along the path toward maturity and freedom. Thank you for partnering with us in that wondrous journey each and every day.

Shabbat Shalom, and Am Yisrael Chai!

Dr. P