GOOD & WELFARE
We wish a fond farewell and good-luck to the following staff members who are leaving to pursue lives far and near.
- Zvi Geva, Hebrew Department Chair and Toshav Chozer, who will be returning to Israel with his family.
- Mark Meiri, Science Instructor, who moved with his family to Asheville, NC where Rabbi Batsheva Meiri has accepted a position.
- David Rothberg, Judaic Studies and English Instructor, who will be starting a new chapter in his life in Boston, MA.
- Ian Blumenfeld, Math and Science Chair, who is planning to pursue loftier mathematical endeavors.
- Margi Hoffman, Director of Admissions, who is retiring "again."
- Paul Carroll, who is leaving his role as Cardin Music Instructor but will be continuing as musical director of our school theater production.
You all will be leaving a gaping hole in the Cardin community.
We would like to heartily welcome the following new staff as Cardin Community members.
- Kerri Sipe, Mathematics Instructor
- Joel Neft, English Instructor
- Huppit Bar-Tov, Hebrew Instructor
- Hayejin Paik, Music Instructor
- Anne Tanoff Greenspoon, Director of Admissions and Marketing
We are also excited to welcome Rabbi Chaim Landau (spiritual leader at Ner Tamid) and Rabbi Joel Zaiman (rabbi emeritus at Chizuk Amuno Congregation) who will be teaching Judaic studies at the Cardin School.
JUDAICS.COMMUNICATIONS
In this week’s Torah portion, Shelach Lecha, the children of Israel are getting closer to the Promised Land, and they are starting to feel uptight about the kind of place to which they are going. So, Moses deploys 12 spies to scout out the land.
Always mindful of the Torah’s teachings, the recent Cardin graduates put enormous pressure on Mrs. Prince wanting to know exactly what fate awaits them in college. They said, “We’ll leave Cardin, but first we must see if we like it out there.” So, Mrs. Prince set up an espionage committee to investigate the various colleges which the students would be attending in the fall. Mrs. Prince thought their insecurity as to where they were going was a sign of their lack of faith in God, but still she set up the committee to investigate.
Mrs. Prince sent out 12 graduating seniors and asked them to report on what they saw.
Ten of the 12 reported the following: “We visited Maryland, Indiana, Brandeis, and Muhlenberg, and they do flow with milk and honey. Here are their fruits: the girls are beautiful; the guys are hunks; the classes are so large you can fall asleep without the teachers noticing you; the campus is so big you can easily get lost; and the basketball players are as huge as giants.”
The voices of the spies trembled with anxiety, “But, there are no multiple minyanim. They do not have required Judaic studies. There is no NETA program. There is no interim week. There is no school play. There are no modulars. There is no Coach Minton, Ms. Villet, or Ms. Schein to guide you. The dorm rooms only have one microwave oven. And, your voices are not heard!”
The reports of these 10 spies spread fear and panic through the senior class and their parents. The seniors were afraid to leave Cardin.
But then the remaining two spies stepped forward and said, “Everything you have heard is true, but don’t worry. Our Cardin experiences will always be a part of us. We can take Hebrew and Judaic studies classes. We can attend Hillel, and even run for leadership positions. We can spend a semester in Israel, teach in religious schools, read a good Jewish book, find a chevruta, or even eat cake on Friday mornings. Though our beliefs may be challenged, they will surely be strengthened.”
At this point, Mrs. Prince, smiled and said, “Be strong and courageous! Chazak V’Amatz. I know we will see you again soon.”
Rabbi Stuart Seltzer
Dean of Judaic Studies
CLASSES IN ACTION
Mikra
The10th grade Mikra classes completed the year by presenting the knowledge they acquired while studying the books of Shmot (Exodus) and Bamidbar (Numbers). Students wrote eulogies for Moshe Rabbeinu, which included comforting Bnei Yisrael, describing Moshe's character, achievements, struggles, strengths, teachings, etc. The students then created a Facebook account for him, including a profile (favorite books, TV shows, music, etc.) and photo albums.
Netivim
The 9th grade Netivim standard class wrote essays based on many traditional texts - Biblical, apocryphal, and rabbinical - covering the First Temple period through Babylonian Exile, Second Temple period, the Maccabees Revolt and destruction of the Second Temple, and the first few centuries after the destruction. The essays had to explain how religious rituals and texts reflect the Jewish people's tragedies, fears, triumphs, and hopes.
Rochel Czopnik
BEYOND THE CLASSROOM
A Fond Farewell to the Class of 2008
On Thursday morning, June 12, faculty, board members, family, and friends gathered in the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Sanctuary at Temple Oheb Shalom to celebrate the graduation of The Shoshana S. Cardin School class of 2008. Dressed in royal blue caps and gowns, the 21 graduates processed into the sanctuary through an honor guard of faculty members as Mr. Paul Carroll played the dignified strains of Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance. Before taking their seats, each member of the class of 2008 presented a red rose to Mrs. Cardin, who was sitting in a place of honor in the front row.
The honored guest speaker was Rev. Dr. Frank M. Reid, III, the internationally-known and respected pastor of Baltimore’s historic Bethel AME Church. In his powerful speech, Dr. Reid encouraged the young men and women of the class of 2008 to trust in their ability to change our world and to believe that one person truly can make a difference. Other speakers included: the recently retired Rabbi Mark Loeb, who began the ceremony with a heartfelt invocation; Head of School, Barbie Prince; Dean of Judaic Studies, Rabbi Stuart Seltzer; graduates Nadav Klein, who addressed the crowd in English, and Rebecca Weinstein, who spoke in Hebrew; Cardin’s Founding President, Mr. Stewart Greenebaum; and Chair of the Board of Trustees, Mr. Howard Janet. Guests were also treated to performances by the Cardin Vocal Ensemble. After the conferring of  diplomas, the morning’s festivitiesended with a joyous reception.
The entire faculty and staff of the Cardin School would like to congratulate the class of 2008 on all of their accomplishments and wish them the best of luck in the future!
Last Day of School!
Students and faculty gathered in the chapel for the last Minyan of 2007-2008, where we reflected on the year and celebrated Moreh Geva’s imminent move to Israel. Breakfast was served in the Moadon and students cleaned out their lockers and signed yearbook pages. After a rousing faculty vs. student tug of war (tied one-to-one), the school community gathered a final time in Cardin West for a slide presentation created by Matt Marcus ’09 and a talent show featuring both students and staff. Have a great summer!
  
A Letter to the Cardin Community from Zvi Geva
Dear Cardin Community,
As you all know by now, my family and I will be moving back to Israel next month. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for an amazing five years.
I am proud to have been a part of an outstanding faculty with such a wealth of knowledge and talent. In my five years at Cardin, I had the privilege of implementing and building the school’s Hebrew program, based on the NETA program—the most advanced and comprehensive Hebrew program in the world today. With the guidance of our excellent Hebrew teachers, I have seen our students thrive and grow and I know that the depth and consistency of the NETA program benefited the students tremendously. With our hard work and strong team of teachers, I am proud to say that the Cardin School has the strongest high school Hebrew program in the Baltimore community. Our students feel deep personal connections with the language and take great pride in their Hebrew studies.
Over the years, I have tried to model my love of Israel, of Judaism, and of the Jewish people, to our students. We enjoyed numerous programs to celebrate the holidays and to commemorate Israel and the Jewish nation. I leave the Cardin School with a strong feeling of setting the ultimate personal example of acting on my convictions and returning to our beloved homeland. I leave confident that Rabbi Seltzer shares my passion and enthusiasm and surpasses me in his creativity and experience, and that under his leadership, the Jewish life in our school will reach new levels. It has been a true pleasure and honor to work with him this year, and I will benefit from everything I’ve learned from him for the rest of my life.
Since my first interview in the office of the Cardin School, then just a room in an Owings Mills business park, the idea of taking part in the founding of a pluralistic school engaged and intrigued me. Five years later, as I am about to embark on a new phase in my life’s journey, I can say with certainty that I fully believe in our mission. Engaging Jews from all backgrounds in communal learning is the answer to many of the problems faced by the Jewish people around the world. More than that, I believe it is the answer to the most acute problems that Israel is facing today. I promise to carry that message, along with everything I’ve learned at Cardin, with me to Israel.
Lastly, I would like to thank all of my amazing students. From you, I have learned the most. I wish you the best in all of your future endeavors. I’m confident that your years at Cardin have given you a foundation for a life of learning and success, and I am honored to have taken part in this process. My own kids will always remember running through our halls and getting lavished with your attention. My wife and I look forward to hosting many of you in Israel.
Saying goodbye in Hebrew is easier than in English. We say  , which means “to see you.” I hope that, just as the Cardin community has been my second home in Baltimore, all of you will see my home in Israel as an extension of the Cardin community, and will not hesitate to stay in touch.
So, 
Yours,
Zvi Geva
My contact information in Israel:
Zvi Geva
10 Rehov Yonatan; 99789 Beit HaShmonai; ISRAEL
Phone: O11 972 5433 68217
zvigeva@hotmail.com
COUNSELING CORNER WITH MS. VILLET
A ISE Wrap-Up
The class of 2008 has completed the inaugural Independent Senior Experience! These fine young men and women represented themselves and Cardin in a truly remarkable and professional manner during their internships. Some students have lined up continued employment with their hosts and others simply made great connections with potential employers for the future. We are very proud of their accomplishments. The feedback that I have received from their Off-Site Supervisors has been overwhelmingly positive. Here is a small sampling of some of the remarks I received:
- Aaron Olszewski’s supervisor at Habitat for Humanity said, “Aaron was a delight to work with. He completed many projects with willingness and kindness.”
- Sam Jessa’s supervisor shared the following, “Sam was eager to learn and a pleasure to work with.”
- And Becca Weinstein’s supervisor had this to say, “Becca is intelligent and a very quick learner.”
Kudos to all of our graduates on a job very well done!
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