Breaking ground

Editorial

Groundbreaking for the temporary home of the Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School Jan. 7 gives new meaning to the rite.

Yes, there were the heartfelt speeches by community leaders and expressions of gratitude to those whose hard work and generous support made the momentous day possible. Yes, there were the words of a local elected official, praising the Jewish community for its dedication. Yes, there was an appropriate infusion of Yiddishkeit in the divrei Torah of local rabbis and the moving prayer recited to mark the building of a school. And yes, there was the pile of dirt shoveled by joyful participants.

But this dedication ceremony was different. It was different because it took place at Temple Chai, a Reform congregation. It was different because the high school's headmaster is Orthodox, and its board is comprised of members who reflect a diversity of Jewish belief and practice. It was different because the school transcends denominational labels and was founded on the principle of Jewish pluralism and mutual tolerance and respect. And it was different because it showed what can happen when Jews put aside difference and work together for the common good.

Yes, it was truly groundbreaking.

The high school completes the continuum of day school education, from preschool through secondary school, available to Valley Jewish youth. They will be able to engage simultaneously in both serious academic study and serious Jewish study, each enriching and elucidating the other. The high school promises to nurture a new generation of Jews, academically prepared and Jewishly literate, with heightened identity and strengthened commitment to community. And, most importantly, it epitomizes a true partnership that cuts across denominational lines and territorial boundaries.

As the shovels of dirt are turned in preparation for laying the school's foundation, so may Valley Jews continue to dig deep, uncovering new ways to come together and build a community sensitive to every Jew and responsive to shared aspiration and need.

Mazel tov.

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