By Donald H. Harrison

SAN DIEGO, Calif.—The parents, grandparents, other relatives and friends of the family strained their eyes to see from their indoor seats out a double set of doors and down a passageway leading to the classrooms.  All hoped to get their first glimpse of the students as they made their way in procession toward the graduation ceremonies. 

Then, at last, the students materialized, having come up a nearby staircase from a lower floor assembly area.  The doors were opened, the graduates happily passed through a balloon-festooned archway, and took their 18 assigned seats facing the enthusiastic crowd.

During the procession, spectators maneuvered for good camera and video positions to record the ceremony.  After all, how many more opportunities would students get in their life times to receive such formal recognition for their academic achievements?  Well, in truth, this ceremony would be just the first occasion of what all expect will be many yet to come. Welcome to the 2006 Graduation at the Silverman Pre-School of Tifereth Israel Synagogue!

Of course, such an important occasion demanded speeches by dignitaries, who in this case were Yael Edelstein, director of the pre-school, and Rabbi Leonard Rosenthal, spiritual leader of Tifereth Israel Synagogue and enthusiastic musician, who, during the past term, not only showed the students how to blow the shofar but also how he can play a pretty mean accordion.

With a balloon tied to the back of each of the students' seats, there was a little bit of fidgeting and boing, boing, boinging as Edelstein described yesterday, June 8, as a "very special day—the day that they end one chapter in their lives and embark on a new journey." Edelstein, who in addition to her duties as principal taught the pre-k class, said as much as the pupils had learned, so too had she and co-teacher Polina Polyakov learned every day "from innocent, energetic...and very honest...five-year-olds.  There was never a dull moment in the pr-k class."  Edelstein herself is the mother of a preschooler, with another child on the way.

Rosenthal 's remarks were to "congratulate you and wish you mazal tov on the graduation and accomplishments of all of these kids. Some of them we have seen for about four years, some we have seen for a little bit less, and they all have become near and dear to all of our hearts."

He added: "We hope that as they graduate the Silverman Pre-School we will not be saying shalom to them forever.  We hope that you know that you are always welcome here in the synagogue and hope you will continue on in our Torah school or continue your children's Jewish education in one of the day schools, and we look forward to you coming back for years and years as we celebrate many more happy occasions with you.  We are going to say to you not shalom, which means good-bye, but l'hitra'ot, until we meet again."



Next, music teacher Ronit Levenson led the children through a program of  English and Hebrew songs that they had learned through the term, among them,  Havenu Shalom Aleichem (for which the children reached under their chairs to find two sticks with which to beat out the time); The Flower Song (in which the children knelt on the rug then rose up like growing and blooming flowers), and Oseh Shalom.

Then came the formal awarding of certificates along with gift-wrapped souvenir boxes of crayons by Edelstein and Polyakov, with the children called for their honors in alphabetical order.

In a scene that I hope shall be Nancy's and my privilege to witness again and again, as he climbs each rung of the academic ladder, our grandson Shor strode across the stage, received his presents along with hugs and kisses from his teachers, and then returned to his seat.  

I' m not certain that the full meaning of the occasion dawned on Shor: that in addition to completing one school, he soon would be starting another as a kindergartner.  The children who had been his friends in pre-school would now be following a variety of paths.

Shor's parents, Shahar and Sandi Masori, have chosen to enroll him at Soille San Diego Hebrew Day School, which provides both secular and religious instruction. Other children in the class will be attending public schools for their secular studies, along with afternoon and weekend Torah schools for their religious training. Not all of the pre-school students were Jewish; in some cases, their parents were Christians who liked the atmosphere of the school and felt that any thing the children learned about the Jewish religion would be helpful to the children later as they went through their own church programs.

Following the awarding of certificates, a video was shown highlighting some of the regular activities of the class—like rug-time reading sessions, arts and crafts, outdoor games and recesses; show and tell, special visitors (sometimes parents, telling about their jobs)—and field trips to such places as the San Diego Zoo, and Coronado (a trip that involved taking a trolley and a ferry).  

Seeing Shor watching the video from a perch on his daddy's shoulders, as his mother stood by their side and as great-grandfather Sam Zeiden stood just behind them, I realized that graduation ceremonies such as these provide opportunities to re-live, reflect, and to re-inspire.  Hazak! Hazak! Jews like to say, as they finish one section of the Torah, and begin another.  From strength to strength.   

For all of the families who attended the graduation,  I too wish Hazak! Hazak! and in the order that their photos appeared in a program printed for the occasion, I would like also to acknowledge and salute Shor's 17 classmates:  Cole Thorpe, Breana Retlin, Alden O'Brien, Sharon Cohen, Harrison Lange, Eris Solomon, Max Cauble, Daniel Kalotov, Sean Jacobson, Maya Rozenshteyn, Nathan Eastin, Abigail Zanetel, Ingrid Brinton, Danielle Beerfas, Celia Glazer, Samuel Ziegler and Rory de Tagyos.  Mazal Tov to them and their families!