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NEW YEAR MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN OF JUDAIC STUDIES
As the summer draws to a close, the Jewish calendar brings us to our annual season of reflection and repentance. It is now the Hebrew month of Elul - the last month of the current year - a time when we think about the previous year and the upcoming New Year, about changing and becoming better. It is great that this year a number of student volunteers will be sounding the shofar for The Shoshana S. Cardin School. The shofar is one call to change. The following are some sayings and anecdotes that might help you in the process of teshuvah, the Hebrew word for “return” or “repentance.” It is a word we hear a lot during the High Holidays when we reconnect with our families and friends, with our traditions, with Torah, with God – and with ourselves.
- Each night before Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev went to bed, he would make a list of all he had done wrong that day. Reciting it over and over, he would be overcome with regret and remorse; so much so that he would begin to cry. Only after his tears had wiped the paper clean of ink was he able to face the night and the day that followed.
Would it be just as helpful before going to sleep to think of all the good things you did during the day?
- As the old man walked the beach at dawn, he noticed a young man far ahead of him picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. Finally catching up with the youth, he asked him why he was doing this.
“The stranded starfish will die if left out in the morning sun,” the young man said.
“But the beach goes on for miles and there are millions of starfish,” countered the other. “How can your efforts ever matter?”
The young man looked at the starfish in his hand. “They matter to this one,” he said, and threw the star fish safely into the waves.
How can thinking globally prevent us from acting locally? Think about times when despair has prevented you from taking action.
- Once a person in a religious order was asked what it is that the residents do inside the walls of the community? He answered: “We fall and get up, fall and get up, fall and get up again.”
What does the speaker mean by “fall and get up” and how do we do this in our own lives?
As we look forward to this New Year, let me wish you a year filled with many blessings and new beginnings.
L’Shanah Tovah,
Rabbi Stuart Seltzer
SCHOOL NEWS
School is now open! New students arrived Wednesday, a day prior to the official start of school, for an abbreviated taste of life at Cardin.
 
Seniors came to school on Wednesday to begin a new tradition, senior luncheon, where they had their first opportunity to meet with faculty and administration as the senior class.
 
Teachers and students attended their first week of classes and have quickly acclimated to the rhythm of the school year. While we are currently crowded into our one hallway and using the moadon, library and office as classrooms, we look forward to conducting classes in the modular units after Sukkot.
We wish a warm welcome to our new faculty – Rabbi Stuart Seltzer, Dean of Judaic Studies; Ms. Rochel Czopnik, Judaics Instructor; Ms. Amy Kemery, Math and Science Instructor and Ms. Hallie Schein, Director of College Counseling.
 
The science faculty is once again in need of household supplies. Contact Mr. Whitfield, dwhitfield@shoshanascardin.org for details.
Beyond the Classroom
We would like to announce that HaZamir Baltimore, the International Jewish High School Choir, is beginning its 2007-2008 season and is looking for new participants. Several Cardin students are currently involved in this activity. Practices are on Sunday evenings from 7-9pm. Interested students are asked to contact the choir’s conductor, Ms. Erika Schon, at (410) 653-1594 or erikaschon1@comcast.net.
COLLEGE SCENE
Welcome to another exciting year at Cardin! Here are some college planning tips for each grade:
- 9th grade: Start a running list of your activities and awards so you will have a comprehensive resume by senior year.
- 10th grade: Start challenging yourself more academically and socially – get involved in leadership roles.
- 11th grade: This is the year that your grades count the most. Try to make this your best academic year and continue your extracurricular leadership.
- 12th grade: Narrow down your application list, write the essay, visit the schools, and continue to do well in class. Make sure you request (in writing) two teacher recommendations by September 12th.
10th and 11th graders will be taking the PSAT in October and the 12th graders should prepare to take the SAT or ACT one more time this fall with the goal to boost scores.
Hallie Schein, Director of College Counseling, will be meeting during school hours with members of the 11th and 12th grade classes and looks forward to meeting all parents at College Night on September 25 at 7pm. Please contact her at hschein@shoshanascardin.org for individual meetings.
Hallie Schein
SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES
Summer JAM (Judaism, Activism, Mitzvah Work)
June 30-July 27, 2008
www.dcjam.org
Come to Washington, DC and participate in a one-of-a-kind program on the campus of The George Washington University. Change the way you think about the world, Judaism and yourself. Participants, a diverse group of high school students from across the country, will engage in 42 hours of hands-on service projects, explore the connection between Judaism and advocacy, and learn about key issues impacting the U.S. and the world through interactions with leading U.S. policymakers. The program is open to rising high school juniors, rising seniors and graduating seniors.
Contact: Pamela Grutman 301.770.5070, ext. 221 summerjam@panim.org
PanimWorks: An Activist’s Adventure
August 2008
www.panimworks.org
Live and work in an entirely new culture this summer!
Make a difference as you live in rustic accommodations on a Native-American reservation in the Navajo Nation and work with the local community to promote positive change. This trip in the majestic Southwest includes hands-on service projects and outdoor recreational activities. Make lifelong friends and learn about the ethical values that define Jewish life while earning up to 60 community service hours. PanimWorks is open to rising high school sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduating seniors.
Contact: Pamela Grutman 301.770.5070, ext. 221 panimworks@panim.org
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