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PAGE 6 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 20, 1985
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Students form living menoran ai ueuitauun.
New kids on the block
by Vida Goldgar
The freshly painted walls of the
converted nursery school on Curtis
Drive gleamed Sunday afternoon.
So did the freshly scrubbed faces of
the 20 first and second graders who
comprise the opening classes of
Atlanta’s newest Jewish educational
institution, the Torah Day School.
Parents, grandparents and friends
jammed the small auditorium for
the official Chanukat HaBayit
(dedication) ceremony for the
fledgling school’s first permanent
home. Rabbi Eliezer Vilinsky,
principal, referred to it as “another
step in the ongoing history and the
progress of Torah Day School.”
So far that is not a long history.
The Orthodox school was stiil a
dream a year ago. Four months
ago, the first classes were held at
Or VeShalom Synagogue, a courtesy
acknowledged with thanks to Rabbi
S. Robert Ichay. Gracefully, Rabbi
Ichay turned the gratitude back to
the school, saying, “The presence
of a school at our Congregation Or
VeShalom was an honor to us.”
Referring to difficult times of
soul searching, leaningtoward ideas
of compromise and accommodation.
Rabbi Ichay said, “It is heartwarming
and augurs well for our people to
see that there are still those among
the Jewish people who are not
prepared to compromise at all with
their Jewishness.”
In his keynote remarks, Rabbi
Emanuel Feldman ofCongregation
Beth Jacob and rabbinic adviser
for the school, called Torah Day
School the beginning of a realization
of a “dream that began many years
ago — that Jewish education in
Atlanta can be as intensive and as
good and as inspiring and as uplifting
for children as well as parents here
in Atlanta as well as in any other
city in the United States.”
He called the school “a major
building block in the construction
of an Atlanta Jewish community
that will be second to none in the
Jewish opportunities it makes
available to people.”
Describing his views as to the
importance of a school like Torah
Day School, Rabbi Feldman said,
“Its true significance is sort of
hidden from the communky-at-
large and it takes a certain vision
and ability to see beyond one’s nose
to see how important this school
can be for the entire community.”
He likened the school to “trying to
climbaneducational Mount Everest”
to “change the definition of Jewish
education in our community” from
one where parents get excited w hen
“their children can say ‘pass the
butter’ in Hebrew” and learn informa
tion about the holidays. “That is
not what Jewish education, what
Torah living, is all about.”
While praising the achievements
of the school in its few short months
of existence, Rabbi Feldman also
had kind words forthe community’s
other Jewish schools, saying they
“do a good, fine, satisfactory job”
and “within the parameters of their
goals, they do excellent work.”
But, he added. “We cannot be
bound by what has been done and
is being done well. We must go
forward. . . (to serve) this new
breed of parent -not all Orthodox —
who want something higher for
their children.”
I hough he spoke kindly of the
other schools, Rabbi Feldman was
critical of what he called the
“established leadership” of the
community. “It always takes time
for the leadership to see the signi
ficance of little steps.” Mentioning
opposition to the establishment of
both the Yeshiva High School and,
much earlier, of the Hebrew Academy,
Rabbi Feldman said, “As a matter
of fact there has not been a major
step in the Jewish community of
Atlanta that the established leader
ship has not fought.” It will take
time, the rabbi said, “for people to
realize what it is. . . and the
community will understand that
what is being done here is going to
have an impact on all of our Jewish
communal life, and as such, this
school deserves the enthusiastic
support of everyone in the com
munity, not just the parents and
grandparents.”
A presentation of song and skits
by the students included a living
menorah indicated by the children
donning yellow headbands topped
by orange and glitter paper “flames."
Dr. Henry Falk, president of the
school, said, “We have come a long
way from vision to a bit of reality.”
In expressing thanks to all who
had a part in the school’s establish
ment, he mentioned especially "the
parents and children who actually
stepped out on this limb and took a
leap into the unknown.”
Rabbi llan Feldman conducted
the mezuzot ceremony, explaining
the significance of the ritual and
calling upon the students and their
parents to affix the mezu/ot. He
closed with: “As we put on our
mezuzot, may it be G-d’s will to be
our protector and may G-d lead us
as we go in and go out."
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