November 5th, 2021 | 1st of Kislev, 5782 | Toldot תּוֹלְדוֹת
Dear Beit Rabban Community,
Classic Jewish day school trivia...
Question: Which Shabbat do we take out the most Torahs?
Answer: Shabbat Chanukah that is Rosh Chodesh. One torah for the weekly portion, one torah for the Chanukah portion, and one torah for the Rosh Chodesh portion.
The parallel question in Beit Rabban land is what combination of circumstances yield the most separate lunch entrees on a particular day? Answer: today in the Chativah, Beit Rabban's middle school! First, every Friday is Pizza Friday for the whole school. Second, every Friday from fall-mid-spring is Cholent Friday in the Chativah. Third, Every Rosh Chodesh is Sushi Rosh Chodesh in the Chativah. And so, about an hour and a half ago on this Friday Rosh Chodesh Kislev in November, our fifth-eight graders enjoyed a feast of pizza, sushi, and cholent (so far everyone remains standing, I wish the parents luck later managing stomach issues later in the day).
It feels spot on for today to be a day of new beginnings and abundance. As we enter into the month of Kislev and eagerly await the light of Chanukah amid the darkness of winter, we also begin to move further into the light and out of pandemic darkness.
Yesterday, our first 5-11 year old Beit Rabban students were vaccinated! This is a moment we have been praying for together for a year and a half. We have gone through so much together as a community, holding each other through loneliness, loss, and languishing, and we now we pivot toward sharing communal relief and celebration. We are no doubt far from done with COVID-19, but we need to celebrate each step closer to light, and this is one of the most powerful of them for our community and for the world.
So come celebrate with us! We are hosting a blowout vaccination party next Sunday, November 11 in partnership with our friends and landlords at SAJ and Romemu. All 5-11 year olds are welcome to get vaccinated, whether or not students at Beit Rabban, and all other vaccinated folks of any age are welcome to join the festivities. Invitation and RSVP are below. To be completely transparent, we will have neither pizza, nor cholent, nor sushi, but we will have many celebratory surprises and lots of communal joy.
Mazal tov to all!
Wishing all a restful and rejuvenating Shabbat,
Stephanie
