The Charlotte Jewish News - June-July 2012 - Page 14
Youth Visions
Hebrew High Graduation
Another Hebrew High Post
Confirmation Graduation has
come and gone. Through smiles
and tears we send the next group
of Jewish leaders out into the
world. One of our graduates
addressed her peers and gave the
following address:
By Carly Ruda
As a soon-to-be graduate of
Hebrew High, I am proud to make
this speeeh in order to refleet and
toueh on the unforgettable experi-
enees I’ve had over these four
years. It’s hard for me to try to
pinpoint my most memorable
experienee with Hebrew High;
however there is a few that stiek
out in my mind:
* As a freshman I was eoming
off the hormonal high of Bar and
Bat Mitzvah parties. I eouldn’t
think of any institution that eould
eompare to those years partying
with my friends at ridieulously
extravagant parties. I was wrong
of eourse; my expeetations were
blown out of the water.
* In my eore elasses I got to
leam, debate, and understand what
it meant to have a Jewish identity,
how to live my life with a Jewish
mind, and how to appreeiate the
eommunity I lived in. My teaehers
of these first elasses were knowl
edgeable and skilled edueators
that I eould not have sueeeeded
without.
* In my eleetive eourses I was
able to experienee Judaism
through art, musie, and topies that
were relatable to my daily life. I
remember speeifieally my art
elass in my sophomore year where
I was able to make a mural that I
entitled “Jewtopia.”
* When I was finally old
enough to be part of the Post
Confirmation elass I had many
words of warning about the erazy
teaehers who would be leading us
throughout our aeademie journey.
There was that bald guy who
always yelled at my mom in ear-
pool line. And then that beautiful
Israeli woman who never aetually
got any time to teaeh
beeause the bald guy
would never stop
yelling. Yes, my teaeh
ers, Tair and Andrew.
How eould I possibly
begin to tell all the
memories I have of
both of you. Tair, the
woman who not only
brought Israel with all
her graee, beauty, and
knowledge to our elass
but also got most of our
elass to Israel, myself
ineluded. Without your
knowledge and expert
ise we would have
never been able to truly
Carly Ruda gives her
Confirmation seniors.
speech
understand Israel. And Andrew...
a father, a talented photographer, a
teaeher, and a dear friend. You
onee said that you hoped to eap-
ture all of us in photos that people
always look the best when they’re
not trying. You are the living
The Post-Confirmation seniors: back row, left to right:
Max Maher, Steven Kufert, Justin Sly, Gregory Rose,
Adam Formica, Miram Rosenthal: center: Jennifer
Shapiro, Brandon Hochman; front: Carly Ruda. Not
shown: Jeremy Samarel.
embodiment of this
line. You are never the
man to pose for the shot
or to look for the praise,
but by living openly
and truly as yourself,
you impaet the lives of
these individuals in a
way that transeends
time - like a pieture
leaving your pupils
with the impression of a
thousand words.
To my elassmates, I
ean’t think of a better group of
individuals to leam with and to
grow with. Through the intense
debates about morals and our
stand on Israel related polities, to
our surprisingly not awkward sex-
ed pilots, to the stolen eookies and
the overwhelming gossip, we
form a elass that is a eolorful
refleetion of a Jewish genera
tion to eome.
As some of us eontinue on
here and others travel abroad
to new elassrooms, we take
with us the eonvietions and
lessons we have eome to leam
at Hebrew High.
We also give thanks for the
opportunity that is unavail
able or non-existenee to
many. For this opportunity I
would like to thank Roz
Cooper. Roz, you’ve been in
my life forever. You had me as
a student onee, and your pas
sion for Jewish learning and
The cake says it all.
edueation is not only admirable
but applaud able. I eannot think of
a better woman to lead sueh a
smart team of staff and students. If
I ever needed anything Roz was
the first to answer my questions or
eome to my aid, as she does for all
of the students and teaehers at
Hebrew High.
In elosing, I urge my peers to
stay strong to your eonvietions -
the lessons have been taught, the
arguments made, and now it is
your turn to make of them what
you will. Wherever you go in
your lives, I hope you remember
your time at Hebrew High, and as
always, your Jewish Identity.
Thank you. ^
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