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This is an unusual message for me, as I have so much to celebrate - and mourn - this week. 

From a school perspective, we are able to take a moment, look around us, and celebrate all that we have accomplished at HBHA. From a global perspective, it is difficult to watch what is happening in Israel right now. But first, the joy:

First and foremost, our school made it through the year without any major COVID outbreaks. While both children and adults in our school contracted the virus, thank God no one in our community became seriously ill. 

But there is so much more to be proud of: On Tuesday alone, I was able to watch our Upper School students use trebuchets they built themselves in their conceptual physics and honors physics classes. One student team was able to launch a softball up to 44 meters! As tradition holds, the final launch for each team was a water balloon, aimed at Todd Clauer, Upper School Principal and honors physics teacher and Cody Welton, Science Department Chair and conceptual physics teacher. Standing in the middle of the landing field, Todd was thrilled that one of the trebuchets was so accurate, that the water balloon struck him right in the middle of his chest. It was a first in all the years he and physics teacher Cody Welton have worked on trebuchets with their students. Watch the water balloon launch here (Video credit: Shai-El Luger, HBHA 11th grader)

Later in the day, a group of our 12th graders met with city council members from Lenexa to discuss issues of climate change - an ongoing effort through their Social Justice Project. And immediately following that, a tremendous number of people came to cheer on our girls varsity soccer team in the last game of the season (which they won); and the Middle School girls soccer team (which they didn’t win, but who’s counting?). 

Again, all of these things happened in just one day at HBHA.

It serves as a reminder that we are finishing this year as we finish every year: with pride in our students, with joyous celebration, and most important, as a community. As the administration begins reflecting on the year and discussing where we are and how far we’ve come, we were able to acknowledge the “class, courage, intelligence, and knowledge” of our students. And we were able to celebrate that there were so many “engaged and happy families” present at the soccer games this week - one of the few events where parents have been able to join us this year.

While it was, at times, a struggle this year, I think we can look back and let go of a sigh of relief that we made it to this moment. There’s even a prayer for moments like this:

Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu Melech haolam, shehecheyanu, v’kiy’manu, v’higiyanu, laz’man hazeh.

Blessed are you God, Sovereign of everything, who has kept us alive, sustained us and brought us to this occasion!

At the same time, I want to take a moment to acknowledge that our brethren in Israel are struggling right now, hunkered down in shelters from relentless rocket fire. It is hard to celebrate and mourn at the same time, but this is what we have to do. Hold two truths, and two emotions at once. So while we have praised God for helping us reach this moment, I would also like to quote the Prophet Isiah: 

“No more will violence be heard in your land, devastation nor destruction within your borders. But you will call your walls salvation and your gates praise.”