Celebrating the BIG moments...

What a privilege I had this morning! I participated in something that I have never had an opportunity to take part in before. I witnessed a family become completely whole. Today, along with a number of other faculty and members of the 1st grade class at LGA, we went to Hadley Juvenile Court to see Alyssa C. officially become Alyssa Z. Every adult in the room shed a joyous tear. The students sat respectfully in awe as their classmate, Alyssa, stood up with her parents, Neil and Amy and her brother, Cory and listened to the judge make the decree. It surely is a moment that these seven and eight year olds are going to remember for a very long time.

Introducing the entire Z-R family!

This moment reminds how important community is in the life of a school and how strongly LGA embraces this as a central tenet of our mission. When we intertwine community with teachable moments, we are stating that these everyday events make up life are an integral part of a child's upbringing. The fact of the matter is that we only decided at the very last moment that the 1st graders would be attending the adoption, making it impossible for the students to attend the 3rd grade biography fair. A few students really wanted to see their siblings and friends and tough choices had to be made. But these are healthy choices about community and ones that families grapple with everyday when it comes to sending your child to a school rooted in community.

The adoption was magical and for a moment I got to peer into this family's life. It was a privilege. Their eye contact with each other, the slight brush of their hands against one another signaling "all is going to be ok" and their genuine understanding that their family is now one. What a precious gift to witness this.

And it couldn't have happened to better people. I've had the privilege of knowing Alyssa since she entered Neil & Amy's life. From the moment I met Alyssa, I knew that this was a special child. She had been through a lot in her four short years on this earth. She was thrust into a new school with a new family and a whole bunch of kids she had never met before. Neil and Amy couldn't have been happier to welcome Alyssa and Cory was elated that his biological sister would be joining his family. Alyssa's entry into the family didn't come without its ups and downs but today was all about the UP!

Alyssa captivates your heart. Alyssa's family and my family attend the Jewish Community of Amherst together. One Friday night, we all attended a family Shabbat service. After the services, the entire kahal was gathered for an oneg shabbat. The place was teeming with kids of all ages. Raviv, then two years old, was struggling to get some challah. I witnessed Alyssa reach out for the challah, grab Raviv's hand, and give him a piece before she took a bite for herself. I watched the whole thing play out. I was blown away by the fact where most six year olds would take the challah and take a piece before it giving it to a younger child, Alyssa was so concerned about making sure Raviv got a piece.

Alyssa is the truest form of a mensch. She is a giver. She sees what people need and understands how to make them feel good. When Raviv walks into school with me in the mornings, Alyssa is often there waiting. Raviv looks up to Alyssa and knows that he can trust her. (He loves Cory as well who has taught him how to play "tennis.") Raviv's life has been enhanced because of children like Cory and Alyssa. They have modeled for him what it means to be a mensch. 

Some members of Kitah Aleph (and Corey) celebrating with Alyssa.

So as we sat in the Hadley Juvenile court saying shecheyanu, it is another moment that makes LGA just such a special place for children and teaches them about life in its simplest form. Mazal Tov to Neil, Amy, Cory, and Alyssa. I know that I'll hear great things about this entire family.