A Blessing for our Four Children on Passover of 5780

A Blessing for our Four Children on Passover of 5780
  • Head of School/CEO
  • Lower Division
  • Upper Division
Avi Halzel




By Avi Halzel, Head of School/CEO

 


We are blessed at Denver Jewish Day School to be inspired by our student body, comprised of children who each bring something unique and divine to the table every day. This is our blessing for them on this Passover holiday which is unlike any we’ve experienced before yet still filled with opportunities for learning, self discovery, and growth.

For the wise child, may you continue to lean into your inclination to belong and to bring others into your midst. The world needs a team player right now...one who knows carrying her team in her heart at every moment is as important as carrying them on the court during any game. Embrace your community with video chats and check-in texts. Let your wisdom overflow until it floods your social media with encouragement and laughter love. People will judge each other. They will forget to share their resources. Boredom will give way cynicism. Separation will give way to isolation. The path will get dark. Let your wisdom, rooted in your love of your community, light the way for us all.

For the wicked child, know that your community wants you and needs you. You are not alone, even now. Run fast and far from voices that tell you that you do not belong. You deserve kinship and support and love. Never negate this by allowing labels to stand in your way. Let the decision to overcome wickedness be your own and rise to that challenge with strength. May you discover and be elevated by your capacity to engage in this world, even in times of pain and fear. Realize your role in life as a Jew and a human being and you will be destined to touch others lives...and to save them. 

For the simple child, may you always feel safe and may those around you look deep into your heart and soul to understand who you truly are. Take all the time you need to make sense of your world and explore all the outlets available to express yourself. Write poetry. Paint. Compose music. Do not be ashamed to laugh or cry or scream. Indulge in the world’s complexity and free yourself of convention when a third way may be the correct path for you. Relish in every new discovery you make about this world and your place in it. Remember that when our rabbis taught “with each child, the world begins anew” they meant you.

For the child who knows not what to ask, know that you are smart and capable. Know that you have the capacity to make good decisions and create for yourself a brilliant future. Feel encouraged to ask any and all the questions you can think of and do not own for yourself what is not in your heart, just because someone else says it. May you surround yourself by those who recognize and nurture your expressions of curiosity. May you find teachers and friends who challenge you to be your best self, who know unorthodox ways of thinking can lead to entirely new solutions. May all who meet you know you are an agent of Tikun Olam.

Denver Jewish Day School wishes you and all of the children at your Seder table, no matter their age, a meaningful, loving, and healthy Passover.

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