School News

Religious School News

An End, And a Beginning
We are approaching the end of our Religious School
year, with the last Wednesday classes on May 14, and
the last Sunday classes on May 18. In between, on
Friday May 16, CABI will honor the dedication of our
religious school teachers and assistants, and recognize
the achievements of our graduating high school seniors.
Everyone is invited and encouraged to attend the
Teacher Appreciation and Graduate Recognition Shabbat
service at 7:30 on May 16. Let’s come together
congratulate our graduates and to thank our teachers
for what is truly a labor of love, a heartfelt dedication
to Jewish learning, and a mitzvah that benefits our
entire community.

This festive Shabbat service puts special attention on
certain endings—the end of our organized Jewish educational
year, and the end of our graduates’ high
school careers. But every ending is also a beginning.
For our graduates, it means just a few months until
the beginning of college, with more independence,
more individual responsibility, and in many cases, living
away from home and Boise. For our teachers and
assistants, it means the end of weekly preparation and
weekly teaching. I know from experience how nice it
to have a break from those ongoing responsibilities.
But I can also see that this year has been the beginning
of an opportunity for teachers to expand their
Jewish knowledge, to grow personally, and to stretch
their styles of personal interaction to reach students
“where they are.”

I hope that for religious school families, the end of the
formal school year can also be a beginning. In one
sense, you’re “on your own” for a few months—no
need to wake up early on Sunday or rush dinner on
Wednesday to arrive at 11 North Latah Street. But
summer can also be the beginning of some Jewish
education on your own terms. Go ahead and keep collecting
tzedakah, and decide together where you’ll donate
the money. Your children can say many blessings—
encourage them to give thanks! Come to
“Shabbat on the Lake,” our congregational retreat in
McCall from May 30 to June 1. Volunteer at the Friendship
Feast. Check out the summer Shabbats in the
park. Above all, stay connected to Judaism and to our
CABI community!

Nina Spiro