"A fool learns from his own mistakes, a wise person learns from the mistakes of others." - Unknown

Seeing local clergy members at Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford is not unusual. Last Wednesday, Schechter students met with a religious leader not often found in a Jewish Day School. They heard our core values of wisdom, community, and good-heartedness espoused in stories filled with life-lessons from Deacon Art Miller.

Deacon Miller spoke candidly about his own past working tirelessly in the civil rights movement and the genesis of his work stemming from the time in high school when he didn't stand-up for a girl who was being bullied.  He explained to students about the differences between unearned advantages and disadvantages, the circumstances we are born into, and experience in life as well as earned advantages and disadvantages, that come from the choices we make moving forward.  

Early in his talk, Deacon Miller pulled out a hundred dollar bill and showed it to the riveted students. He asked them, "Does this have value?"  They all agreed it did. He tore it in two and asked the question again; he crumbled it up, threw it to the floor and stepped on it. Deacon Miller asked, "If I were to cover this bill with every prejudicial slur for race, religion, and every foul word we call each other, would it lose its value?" The students agreed - it would not. Deacon Miller shared a lesson and image for students to carry forth for the future. He told them, "There will be people in your life who will tear you apart, step on you and call you names. They cannot take away your value because they didn't give you that value in the first place."

Deacon Miller looked into every face and, with patience and kindness, answered every question. Seventh grader Isaiah Meyer asked, "What is the best thing that came from your experience?" Deacon Miller replied with ease, "Getting to come to schools and share all that I have shared with you today." Fifth grader Lilian Ehrlich asked, "What's the most important thing you tell children?" Deacon Miller told her in three simple words, "You are valuable."  Deacon Miller left students knowing that we all come into the world with the same value; it's how we choose to use our value that makes a difference.

On Monday morning, students in Kitah Aleph (first grade) celebrated a major milestone when they received their siddurim and led a beautiful presentation of all the prayers that they have learned this year. The audience could feel the love, pride, and joy the students shared in their singing, dancing, and chanting of the prayers. In addition, each of the seventeen first graders gave an introduction to one of the prayers in which they shared their own personal connection with its meaning.

Following the class presentation, Rabbi Howard Rosenbaum, class rabbi, recited a special blessing for the students as they gathered underneath a large tallit held up at the corners by their team of teachers. Head of School, Andrea Kasper called each family up, one at a time, to present the new siddur to their first grader. 

Each s iddur cover was custom designed with an inspirational emblem of the student's choosing in addition to their Hebrew name. A special bookplate inside the cover contains the date and the name of the presenter of the s iddur. Students will use these siddurim daily as they continue on their Jewish educational journey atSchechter. "This is the best day of my life," said Noah Kabakoff.