Coming Up:
There is NO SCHOOL tomorrow, Friday, May 26 in honor of Shavuot and Monday, May 29 in honor of Memorial day. Enjoy the long weekend.
Thursday, June 8 is our last day of school. Our class parties will be from 9:30-10:30am followed by our graduate parade at 10:30am. PK4 Graduation is at 11:00am. Anyone not attending graduation with their parents should be picked up at 10:45am.
Reminders:
Don't forget to check your prior orders and order hot lunch by Sunday at noon for next week (and the rest of the year) at www.gansinai.org/hotlunch
Enrollment for Camp Sinai is now open at www.gansinai.org/camp
Enrollment for Gan Sinai's kindergarten is now open at www.gansinai.org/kindergarten
Enrollment for JPaL (www.tsnd.org/jpal) and Club Sinai (www.clubsinai.org) are now open!
Get all the latest info and links at www.gansinai.org/greatthings.
Find quick links and easy-to-access information at www.gansinai.org/families.
From Rabbi David
Sometimes we are given a gift that we aren't ready, willing or able to receive. I remember a number of years ago (which finances were tight) my family bought me an ipad for my birthday. I was so stressed about our finances that I just couldn't accept the gift and promptly returned it (my girls will never forgive me for that). We sometimes forget that receiving a gift is as much for the giver as it is for us - the receiver.
I've always found it fascinating that Shavuot, the holiday we are celebrating this weekend is called z'mat matan torateinu, the time of the "giving" of the Torah. Why isn't it called the time of "receiving" the Torah?
I wonder if Shavuot is the holiday that remembers the "giving" of the Torah because we all weren't ready, willing or able to receive it when it was given. I've also wondered if we celebrate the giving because Torah is, indeed, the gift that keeps on giving. Every time I learn something from the Torah, even if I've read it a thousand times, it seems new. Not because the gift itself has changed but because I, the receiver, have.
It may also be true that we give our children many gifts in these early years that they are not quite ready to accept. If we look to Shavuot for inspiration - our giving is worth celebrating and their receiving will come in time.