Rabbi Eric Grossman, Head of School
Welcome back! We are so happy to see everyone return to school rested, revived and ready for a joyful and productive year of learning. A special welcome to all of our new Akiva families joining us this year; we are so happy to have you with us.
This is a time of new beginnings. We begin the new school year with new students, new families, a few new staff members, two new Shinshinim, a new Language Lab, and many new programs and initiatives that will provide exciting new opportunities for our students. Tomorrow we will gather our students together for our new monthly Kabbalat Shabbat service, ending the first week with a school-wide assembly of song and prayer.
Also new this year, I will be dedicating many of my weekly columns to exploring the philosophy of education, both at Akiva and beyond. My hope is to bring readers into the larger conversation about the theory behind the way we teach our children in the 21st century, and understanding the unique Jewish perspective on education or chinuch in Hebrew. I will title these entries “Chidushim B’Chinuch—Insights into Education,” and will address topics that are both timely and timeless, which I think will be of interest to you as parents. I will break occasionally to address significant moments in the Jewish calendar, and in the life of Akiva. I hope you enjoy this new format for this new year. I also welcome suggestions for future entries, please email me at RabbiGrossman@akivaschool.com.
May the new school year bring success for all of our students, and the beginning of great things to come.
