Teachers, parents, children and other family.
Today was the siyum of Gan HaYeled, the pre-school where I work. The Hebrew word "siyum" means "completion" and in Judaism refers to the completion of any unit of Torah study, or book of the Mishnah or Talmud, Jewish law. At the Gan it replaces the word "graduation" for our school goodbye ritual of teachers, parents and students. Each year that ritual has been altered a bit and this year each class group started in their classroom for 45 mins, then joined together with others for some songs and snacks. In the Rimonim class I let every parent and grandparent have time to say something. Then I called all of the children to come close to my assistant and I to pass on some words. I usually don't write down what I say but think if over and over until I feel it is in my bones before delivering it. This year I knew that at least one person was going to be absent and rather then have them feel left out decided to write it out so later I could send it to them.
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I want all of the children to come close so I had talk to you.
First I want to talk to you about time.
What we are doing is not an ending. This is just a marking. We mark every moment and can never return to that moment again. We can however remember moments which have passed and that for whatever reason we hold dear. I hope you will have many moments from your time in the Rimonim class to remember.
Second I want to talk to you about people.
Not everyone we meet in life stays with us forever. Some are there briefly and we learn whatever lesson they are meant to teach us. With others we may become life long friends. Whether we continue to have each other physically in our lives or not the memories of our time together and the people we have known is ours to keep, to cherish and maybe even to talk about to someone else. This past Shavuot I was at a retreat with many graduates of mine, the oldest being sixteen. I can't tell you how much pleasure it gives me to see students grow and become the people they want to be. I saw students playing, reading torah, swimming. I hope there were people this year in our Rimonim class that stay with you in whatever way that comes to pass.
What does all this mean?.
Life is like baseball. You get a certain number of innings. You get to bat, you get to catch, and hopefully you do the best you can and maybe sometimes you even get to win. One of my childhood memories is of Father Scanel at St. Bernadette's kindergarden singing to us. He loved God and he loved baseball. He taught us that we are all little grains of sand in this ocean of life. When he was in a particuliarly good mood he would sing us a song and I thought i would sing it for you. I am going to sing the first two verses for you and then I thought we could all sing together.
Take me out to the ball game
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks
I don't care if I never get back
Let me root, root, root
For the home team
If they don't win it's a shame.
For it's one, Two, Three strikes you're out
At the old ball game
All I need is just one chance
I could hit a home run
There isn't anyone else like me
Maybe I'll go down in history
And it's root, root, root
For the home team
Here comes fortune and fame
'Cause I know, That, I'll be the star
At the old Ball Game.
(EVERYONE TOGETHER)
Take me out to the ball game
Take me out with the crowd
Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks
I don't care if I never get back
Let me root, root, root
For the home team
If they don't win it's a shame
Aahh.
For it's one,
Two,
Three strikes you're out
At the old ball game.
(As each child was called up we presented them with a portfolio of their work and I wrapped a paper chain made up of their links of their acts of kindness. I kissed them, telling them to "go do your work but always remember to be kind.")
Nathan and his grandmother look through his portfolio.
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