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June 4, 2004/Sivan 15 5764, Vol. 56, No. 37
Pioneer spirit
Jewish high school fetes first graduates
BETH OLSON
Staff Writer
Headmaster Janice Johnson, center, presents the first graduating class of the Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School at a May 20 graduation ceremony. The four graduates are, from left, Maria Restivo, Alicia Miller, Sara Loeb and Shira Finkelstein.
Photo by Markow-Kent Photography
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Whatever apprehension the sophomore class of the Jess Schwartz Jewish Community High School felt as the doors to the brand-new school opened to them in the fall of 2001 had obviously long since melted away as the graduates stood proudly before the Valley's Jewish community to become the school's first graduates.
Nearly everyone who addressed the crowd at the May 20 ceremony at Temple Chai mentioned the graduates' pioneer spirit in choosing to attend the school that promised not only a superior Judaic and secular education but also to serve as a gateway to higher learning institutions. And these were promises the school appears to have lived up to. One of the graduates will attend the University of Judaism, another will attend George Washington University and the two others will enroll at Arizona State University - all with honors, awards and scholarships in hand.
The small class size allowed for each of the girls to be recognized individually for their accomplishments, and to each speak to the crowd directly.
Rabbi Shmuel Afek, assistant headmaster of the school, says one of the most beautiful moments of the evening occurred as Loeb addressed the crowd.
"Sara Loeb asked everybody to receive the class of 2005 and then the juniors stood up. It was really something to hear the 'wows' in the audience when you have four girls up on the stage and suddenly you have 13 standing up and you realize this is serious. This is not a one-time event - this is for real," recalls Afek.
Robin Loeb, mother of graduate Sara Loeb, co-chaired the graduation with Marilyn Teplitz Miller, mother of graduate Alicia Miller.
"In the end, it turned out to be everything and more that we hoped it would be. I think it was very meaningful," she says. "I think it really featured each of the girls in a way that was so appropriate and so wonderful."
The ceremony was followed by a party for the graduates in the Temple Chai courtyard.
"Temple Chai is amazingly generous in the way they've opened their facilities for our use," says Afek. "It's an amazing partnership."
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