REFLECTIONS FROM THE DEAN OF JUDAIC STUDIES

     Usually, when I read Torah, a verse, a phrase, or even a word will stand out because it resonates with me personally.  Often, words of the Torah will remind me of experiences I have had or, in turn, experiences I have had will remind me of words of the Torah; one exchanging with the other, sometimes following, sometimes leading.
     This week’s Torah portion, Tzav, from the Book of Leviticus, focuses on the ritual of sacrifices.  It also details the ways in which the Kohanim, Aaron and his sons, are to conduct the sanctuary rituals on behalf of the people. The Torah teaches that the priests are to ensure that a “perpetual fire shall be kept burning on the altar, not to go out” (Leviticus 6:6).  It is this notion of “perpetual fire” that I often recalled on last week’s interim week journey, following in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
     I asked myself, how did these pioneers of civil rights keep the fire of their cause going?
     How, despite violence, hardship, degradation, abuse, multiple trials, and tremendous odds, did they succeed and keep the flame burning?
     At the Dr. Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violent Change, I wondered how Dr. King and his followers kept marching to Montgomery to secure voting rights, while simultaneously facing down hostile crowds and police officers who beat them back.
At the Rosa Parks Museum, I asked myself, how did this one woman, who had grown up under the Jim Crow laws, find the courage to refuse to go to the back of the bus?
     When we met Reverend Woods at Freedom Park, I got a glimpse of this fire in his words, his music, and his eyes.  Reverend Woods had suffered severe injuries to his head, was fire-hosed and imprisoned on a chain gang, but to this day the “fire has not gone out,” and he inspired us to sing the freedom songs with that fire in our voices.
     And, at the National Civil Rights Museum, I wondered how the grieving Mamie Till Mobley found it in herself to leave the casket open at her son Emmett’s memorial service so that the entire world could see his horrible disfigurement at the hands of his murderers.
     On the first day of our trip, our group read aloud the following passage from Pesikta Rabati 44 during our evening service: The ways of God are not like the ways of human beings; it is the way of human beings to light one candle from another, for we are not able to light a light from darkness.  In contrast, when God created the world, all was darkness and confusion and, from within this darkness, God produced light, as it is said, “The earth was all confusion, and darkness was upon the face of the deep,” and right afterwards it says, “and God said,” ‘let there be light’ and “there was light.”
     We, who are created in God’s image, partake of God’s perpetual fire by passing it to one another.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Stuart Seltzer

GOOD & WELFARE
Chizuk Amuno Congregation Celebrates The Shoshana S. Cardin School:
A Shared Community
Join the Cardin Community on March 29 for a very special Shabbat at Chizuk Amuno Congregation.  Some of our students will read Torah and receive Aliyot, and our own Mrs. Shoshana S. Cardin will be called to the Bimah as well.  Rabbi Shulman will recognize our accomplishments during his remarks to the congregation.  In addition to our role in the service, it will be our privilege to hear Scholar in Residence Joel Ben Izzy, a famed and delightful storyteller, weave his tales.

If you are in need of housing within walking distance of Chizuk Amuno, please let Margi Hoffman mhoffman@shoshanascardin.org know immediately, and she will attempt to make arrangements for you.
We look forward to a wonderful Shabbat morning on March 29.

JUDAICS.COMMUNICATIONS
A spirit runs wild through Cardin
On Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet, the Cardin School started to get into the right state of mind.  During our spirited school-wide Rosh Chodesh Adar Bet service, several students and faculty members modeled for balloon artist Paul Belanger and everything became a little topsy-turvy!  Paul Belanger’s spirit and creativity made us want to create our own original costumes. On Purim he returned to Cardin to teach our students how to make their own wacky balloon hats.
Rabbi Stuart Seltzer
Dean of Judaic Studies

INTERIM WEEK 2008
“In the Footsteps of Heschel and King” began Monday, March 10 at 5am! After several weeks of learning the framework for the civil rights movement as preparation for this year’s interim week, Cardin students were psyched and ready to begin their own civil rights journey.

Students arrived in Atlanta and visited the site of the tree on which Leo Frank was lynched in 1915 for a murder he probably did not commit.  After this powerful beginning to our journey, students from Western High School joined the Cardin students in Atlanta, where we visited the Dr. Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violent Change.

While in Atlanta, we also were able to visit the Names Project/AIDS Quilt, where students heard about diversity and acceptance, and that the idea of achieving civil rights did not end in the late 1960s or early 1970s.  Monday evening, Reverend Williams, who was very involved in the civil rights movement, spoke with students on the importance of being a transformer, not a conformer.

On Tuesday, students traveled to Montgomery and Birmingham, AL.  The Rosa Parks Museum helped students to foster a greater understanding of the bus boycott and the influence that just a few people can have on an entire population.  We also visited the Southern Poverty Law Center, which continues to fight against the prejudice, injustice, and latent racism still existing in our country today.  In Birmingham, students met with Reverend Calvin Woods to tour Freedom Park, where they discussed how the symbolism in the statues throughout the park represented the struggles faced in the South.  Reverend Woods taught us freedom songs that he and others sang on their own journey to freedom in the 1960s.

Wednesday and Thursday focused on the culture and music of the 1950s-60s with visits to Elvis Presley’s birth home in Tupelo, MS, the Smithsonian Museum of Rock and Soul, Graceland, and Sun Studios in Memphis, TN.  Students learned about the strong impact that music has on a culture in terms of the artists, messages, and listeners. During a time defined by segregation and separation, music helped to bring people together. We were able to experience music beyond the museums as we danced to a rock-blues duo on Thursday night at the end of our journey.

When we arrived back in Baltimore on Friday morning, students and teachers of Cardin and Western could say that we walked “In the Footsteps of Heschel and King” and now have a greater understanding and appreciation for those who dedicated themselves, and continue to dedicate themselves, to civil rights.
Amy Fink
Director of Student Activities & Academic Support

“I want to take this opportunity to thank all of you for making this year's interim week so fantastic.  I was honored to be a part of it and really was impressed how well it worked out.  We saw and learned so much, and it appeared to me that everyone (our kids and the Western kids) really got a lot out of it.  I feel that we are really privileged to be part of a school that is able to participate in these types of trips. I just can't think of many other schools that can take the entire student body away like this. As such, we progress not just as a school, but as a community of family, which is what makes Cardin special.”
Mark Hotz
History Instructor

“Just want to thank you for another great interim week!  We can't imagine how much time and effort you put into arranging these trips.  Jeremy and Cory are already looking forward to next year!  They both had such a blast and can't stop talking about the things they saw and did.  How fortunate for our children to have an experience like this - to visit so many places that had such an impact on African Americans and Jews. We thank you for your dedication to the school and the kids - it is GREATLY appreciated!”
Parents Nancy and Buz Hiken to Leslie Smith Rosen, the coordinator of interim week

BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
The Faculty Left Behind…
While eight staff members were down south learning about Heschel and King with our students, the rest of the staff were busy developing educational specifications for our new Owings Mills campus.  For example, Senorita Frumin and Madame Rowen toured the libraries and language labs at The Catholic High School of Baltimore and Notre Dame Preparatory School.  Ms. Wittner also traveled, spending several hours with the art department at the Friends School of Baltimore to learn about their green art rooms.  Coach Minton and Ms. Villet visited Garrison Forest School, Boys Latin School, The Park School, and Glenelg Country School to examine various athletic facilities such as gymnasiums and sports fields.  The knowledge and information they collected will be used as we make preparations to begin building our school’s new home.

COUNSELING CORNER
The Jemicy Professional Outreach Center is offering an Advocacy Day Program titled, "A Bright Future for L.D. Learners."  This program provides valuable information for parents to help L.D. learners understand who they are and how they can plan for a better future.  The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 5 at The Jemicy School, Owings Mills campus.

Jewish Family Services is conducting a helpful workshop for parents of children with ADHD.  The program, “Developing Solutions for Problems with ADHD,” will feature Janet Brendlinger, an Educational Specialist from the Kennedy Krieger Institute.  This event is scheduled for Monday, April 7 at 7pm at the Jewish Community Services Building, Room 124. 

COMMUNITY UPDATE
Cardin Partners with RAVSAK to Plant Trees in Israel
RAVSAK: The Jewish Community Day School Network, is partnering with Jewish National Fund to create the RAVSAK FOREST in the Negev, which will consist of 6,000 trees in honor of Israel’s 60th anniversary.  Cardin is working with RAVSAK to make this happen.  At maturity, the RAVSAK Forest will offset 6,000+ tons of carbon to help fight global warming and to provide shade, clean air, enriched soil, and protection from erosion.  We have committed the Cardin community to plant 60 trees in the RAVSAK forest.  You may donate to this cause by sending a check to the school payable to: Jewish National Fund (please write, “RAVSAK Forest, RN 070646” on the memo line) or you can donate online at www.jnf.org/ravsak.  Thank you for joining us in this important endeavor.

ISRAEL PROGRAMS
MASA has added a new program for high school graduates – The Israel Gap Year. Due to very large philanthropic donations, the Israel Gap Year now offers post-high school students the Gap Year experience at a cost of only $500.  The $500 covers room and board, health insurance, and the cost of all program activities.  Flights are not included.    

The 10-month program provides Jewish post high school students from all over the world (ages 17-19) an opportunity to live and volunteer in Israel in a variety of settings. The program facilitates opportunities for development of leadership qualities, and offers experiential and educational opportunities that foster a deeper understanding of Israel.  Israeli young adults participate in the program as well.    

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.  Placements are limited.  For more information about the program please contact Dan Hart at Dan.hart@intellectsystems.com.  To apply for the program, visit www.Israelgapyear.org.

SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES
Computer Mapping Technology Summer Camp at Washington College in Chesterstown, MD. http://gis.washcoll.edu/summercamp.php

Vanderbilt Summer Academy for Talented Youth at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. http://pty.vanderbilt.edu

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