Weber School: Answering Shofar’s Call
Guest Column by Rabbi Edward Harwitz
During the coming days, Jews throughout the world will celebrate Rosh Hashanah with the sounding of the shofar — a sound that calls us to a higher aspiration and asks us to commit ourselves to a year that not only is pleasant, but also is filled with meaning, purpose and service to causes greater than ourselves.
Great schools — those that promote a culture of study, with rich content and critical discussion of great ideas — have enabled the Jewish people to survive and thrive during times of triumph and tragedy. As our students face the opportunities and challenges of current times, we must ensure that Jewish schools offer them an environment and culture where they can cultivate the wisdom, critical thinking and ethical judgment that empower them to change the world.
At the Weber School, we engage in teaching and learning every day in an effort to fulfill the higher aspiration represented by the call of the shofar.
In this spirit, we launched the new year at the Weber School with a record student enrollment and innovations in curriculum and programming:
- An expanded array of advanced interdisciplinary electives in English and Hebrew literature, math, science, social studies, and the arts.
- The launch of an innovative January Haskalah (Enlightenment) term that will offer a broad range of intensive courses.
- The introduction of three professional student fellowships — Social Entrepreneurship, the Weber Teaching Fellows, and the Public Relations & Marketing Fellowship.
- The expansion of travel abroad programs with Spanish immersion experiences in Argentina and Cuba that complement our senior Israel-Poland experience.
- An exciting partnership with the Tri-Cities High School Visual and Performing Arts Magnet Program.
- Our move to the prestigious Georgia High School Athletic Association after athletic distinctions that included region titles in volleyball, girls soccer and tennis and Positive Athlete Georgia awards.
With deep appreciation and gratitude for the students, families, and dedicated teachers and staff of the Weber School, I wish all of you l’shana tova u’metuka — best wishes for a happy and sweet new year and a year filled with continued growth and change.
Rabbi Edward Harwitz is the head of school at the Weber School.
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