“You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to desist from it.”
~Pirkei Avot 2:21
I enter this weekend filled with mixed emotions. On the one hand, I look forward to celebrating with our community as our fifth graders graduate and embark on new adventures in middle school. On the other hand, I am filled with sadness and anger at the profound racial injustice that continues to plague our nation.
We each have much work to do to bring about true justice in our world, and we each have the power to help make a difference. Our society and our country face huge challenges. We need to be aware of what is happening and use our privilege and our resources to help others. As I think about the work we can do to fight against racism, I look to our Jewish values – specifically kavod, tikkun olam, and gemilut chasadim – respect, repairing the world, and acts of loving kindness.
We integrate these Jewish values into our students’ daily experiences:
- We teach our students to appreciate and respect the uniqueness of each individual.
- We teach our students to value diversity, inclusion, and the inherent dignity of every person.
- We model respectful, moral, kind, and loving behavior in all aspects of school life.
- We challenge students to be upstanders, people who stand up for what is right even when it is hard.
As a parent, I am blessed to have benefited from values based Jewish Day School education for my children. I continue these lessons at home with conversations about what is happening in the world. We discuss both the breathtaking beauty in the world and the anguish of injustice. Talking with my children through the language of values – my family’s values and our Jewish values – helps them to understand why it is important to stand for justice.
As an educator, many resources have been shared with me about how to talk to children about racial injustice. At the bottom of this blog, I have shared several links to books and other resources to help you navigate these conversations with your children.
While current attention to racial injustice brings frustration and grief, I want to celebrate our fifth grade graduates with joy and hope. I believe that they emerge from the Lerner School with the highest sensitivity to the needs of those around them, and a desire to participate in a just and caring world. We each have the power to help make the world a better place. As Jews, we need to continue our work of repairing the world and committing acts of loving kindness. This work can take many shapes and forms, and we all can do our part.
Head of School
A Kids Book About Racism
Helping Kids Process Violence, Trauma, and Race in a World of Nonstop News https://wideopenschool.org/programs/family/6-12/live-events/
How to Talk with Kids About Racism and Racial Violence https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/how-to-talk-with-kids-about-racism-and-racial-violence
How White Parents Can Use Media to Raise Anti-Racist Kids https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/how-white-parents-can-use-media-to-raise-anti-racist-kids