Who You Are Makes a Difference
I would like to share my thoughts with those of you who were unable to
attend the incredibly jubilant dinner on Saturday, December 15. I t was a
fairy tale evening and I experienced a multitude of emotions…. nostalgia,
euphoria and overwhelmed by the genuine love in the room. Below are the
words that were in my heart that evening.
A warm thank you to all of you for coming tonight. Each of you has a special
place in my heart and in some way you have touched my life and have made a
difference to me.
First and foremost I want to thank my family who has been very supportive,
loving and understanding of my commitment to the religious school. And
because of this commitment - Hersh has also grown as a person - especially
in the areas of gardening, golfing and housekeeping…which is what he’s been
doing all those Sunday mornings. I love you HERSH.
I would also like to thank those who have helped plan this special evening.
Those of you, who know me, know that it is difficult for me to sit on the
sidelines during the planning. Thank you so much!
Almost every synagogue has a religious school, a principal, a rabbi, an
executive board, teachers, parents and students. What makes Tikvoh so
special is the contributions of all these groups of people who have made my
experience as the principal more fulfilling. A special thank you to all the
teachers who have truly made our religious school so outstanding.
Here is a story that made me realize that I needed to let people know that I
think they are special. I would like to tell you a story I read in Chicken
Soup for the Soul.
A teacher in New York decided to honor her high school students by telling
them about the difference they make in this world. She called each student
to the front of the class and told them one at a time how they made a
difference. Then she presented each of them with a blue ribbon imprinted
with white letters which read, "Who I Am Makes a Difference." Afterwards,
she gave each of the students three more ribbons and instructed them to go
out and continue this acknowledgment ceremony.
One of the boys in the class went to a junior executive in a company and
honored him for assisting in his career planning. He gave him a blue ribbon
and said, "We're doing a class project on recognition, and we'd like you to
go out, find somebody to honor, give them a blue ribbon, then give them the
extra blue ribbon so they can acknowledge a third person.”
Later that day the junior executive went in to see his boss, who had been
noted by the way, as being kind of a grouchy fellow. He sat his boss down
and he told him that he deeply admired him for being a creative genius. The
boss seemed very surprised. The junior executive asked him if he would
accept the gift of the
blue ribbon. He took the ribbon and placed it right on his boss's jacket
above his heart. As he gave him the last extra ribbon, he said, "Would you
do me a favor? Would you take this extra ribbon and pass it on by honoring
somebody else?
That night the boss came home to his 14-year-old son. He said, "The most
incredible thing happened to me today. I was in my office and one of the
junior executives came in and told me he admired me and gave me a blue
ribbon. Then he put this blue ribbon that says, ‘Who I Am Makes A
Difference' on my jacket above my heart. He gave me an extra ribbon and
asked me to find somebody else to honor. As I was driving home tonight, I
started thinking about whom I would honor with this ribbon and I thought
about you. I want to honor you. My days are really hectic and when I come
home I don't pay a lot of attention to you. Sometimes I scream at you for
not getting good enough grades in school and for your bedroom being a mess,
but somehow tonight, I just wanted to sit here and let you know that you do
make a difference to me. You and your mother are the most important people
in my life. You're a great kid and I love you. His son was so startled he
started to sob and hugged his dad for a very long time.
In honor of my recognition – along with Hersh –I want to give you each one
blue ribbon in acknowledgment of the difference you made in my life. The
second blue ribbon is for you to give to someone who has made a difference
in your life. In each of our lives, there are people who make an impact, and
a simple
recognition goes a long way.
Thank you for entrusting me with your children for they are the reason I
look forward to coming to work. Their energy and creativity inspire me and
encourage me to keep learning. Each week I get to help them grow and
understand their faith and to me this is the real recognition. For me, my
role in the synagogue is more than just a job. It is what drives and
motivates me and I hope to be a part of Tikvoh for many more years to come.
Important Dates
Tuesday January 1 No Religious School
Sunday January 6 Religious School
Tikvoh Tots 9:30 am—10:45 am
Tuesday January 8 Religious School 4:00 pm
Saturday January 12 Youth Service 10:30 am
Sunday January 13 Religious School 9:30 am
Tuesday January 15 Religious School 4:00 pm
Faculty Meeting 6:15 pm
Sunday January 20 Religious School 9:30 am
Tu B’Shevat Program Grades K-7
Report Cards Distributed
Tuesday January 22 Religious School 4:00 pm– Music Program
Friday January 25 Family Service and Oneg Shabbat Grade 2 hosts
Saturday January 26 Havdallah Service 6:00 pm Grades 3 & 4
Sunday January 27 Religious School 9:30 am
