Be Happy, It's Adar!

A shout out to my good friend and LGA parent, Ben Falk, for the idea of this blog post! 


Last Thursday, we celebrated the holiday of Purim with all of its frivolity and light heartedness. Purim is a child's dream. Filled with costumes and silly revelry and coupled with a compelling story, children both young and old can really get behind the message of Purim. At LGA, the two weeks leading up to Purim are known as "Crazy Adar" weeks. I liken them to "spirit weeks." At our first Monday morning meeting of Crazy Adar weeks, we opened with a song to get us into the mood of the season. Often during the Throughout the halls of the school, you could hear classrooms singing this song. It wasn't a song that I knew before coming to LGA. And now I can't stop humming the tune.

Then there's the days themselves. Pajama Day. Backwards Day. Crazy Hat Day. Crazy Sock Day (I was wearing some pink striped numbers that day...) The creativity abounded with the LGA students. My job allows me to greet every child in the morning so for the past two weeks I was really looking forward to seeing how my day would be started. The highlight and the moment that made me think we are doing something right at LGA, was when Grade 3 student, Noah F-K arrived for Crazy Hair Day. Now Noah has been proudly growing his hair since Kindergarten. His locks are something that many a person could get quite jealous about - long, curly, and luxurious. (In my college days, I grew my hair this long and it was very similar.)

BEFORE - Noah sporting the long locks!

So Noah showed up in a blond wig. Nothing spectacular or earth shattering. I went about my day (as did everyone else). Then the reveal happened. Short hair from Noah! The whole school was abuzz with  the news. He had held the secret for a good part of the day. Even when I saw him, I was hard pressed not to have been taken a back a bit. We then learned that Noah had donated his hair to Locks of Love. Noah integrated the joy of Purim with doing an act of lovingkindness by giving another child a chance at happiness with his donation. He connected his Judaism in real ways and emulates everything that makes us proud of a Jewish day school education.  Yasher Koach, Noah!

AFTER - Noah with the new hairdo!

When Purim finally arrived, LGA spent a special day at school. We saw the 6th graders do their annual Purim shpiel. This year they kept it a secret from the rest of the school. They chose to spoof the Peter Pan story. We heard the 5th grade read megillah beautifully. Then each student went back to their classrooms to make misloach manot baskets for another student in the school. At lunch time, the entire school ate together to have a seudah (meal) together where they listened to me and Moreh Aharon debate something that the great rabbis of have reflected on for many years - which is better, the hamantaschen or the latke? I was the hamantaschen and I am sorry to say that even after some compelling points, the majority of our students have an affinity for the latke. We ended the day by having a costume parade throughout the streets of Northampton. (Yes, the streets!)

Our students walked away from this holiday fully immersed in what it means to celebrate it with joy, meaning and understanding.

Aleza and Nikki celebrate Dr. Seuss Day during Crazy Adar Week.