This past year we've had several big family education programs, put together by the capable hands of Nava Levee, our Family Learning Director. These programs covered the topics of High Holidays, Hanukkah, and our spectacular Grandparents Day program during Passover.

Our school participated in a program newly introduced to Los Angeles called the Jewish Civics Initiative. Mark Feldman and Daniel Freedman, two of our outstanding 10th grade students, studied intensively with me about the organization of the American Jewish Community, Jewish values, and how policy is made in our nation's capital.

The highlight of this program was an intensive seminar in Washington, D.C. back in February. The students returned to Los Angeles, and worked together with other students from sister congregations in Los Angeles to feed the hungry at SOVA and at the Midnight Mission in downtown Los Angeles.

The Bureau of Jewish Education's Zimriyah song-festival was opened up to students studying in religious schools for the first time, and Kehillat Ma'arav Religious School was one of 10 city-based schools that participated.

Under the leadership of our talented music instructor Vanessa Duncan, our students performed a song by Cantor Paul Zim entitled, "Mizmor Shir" and joined with other schools in community singing. 8 students from our school participated, and we hope that more will join in our school choir next year.

As often happens each year, we must say L'hitraot to some of our wonderful teachers who brought so much love and joy to our school this past year.

Laurie Phillips will be working in a rabbinic internship at Brandeis Bardin Institute, and will no longer be with us. Laurie has added so much to our school, and we wish her the best of luck in her new position, and continued success in rabbinical school.

Yael Stitelman will be working in a Jewish community in Romania next year, and we wish her the best of luck. Yael has infused her students with a love of Eretz Yisrael. We must also say goodbye to Shira Sayani and Anne Amitin for all of their hard work this past year.

Thankfully, Allison Smith, Vanessa Duncan, Noah Farkas, Beryl Pador-Kaufmann and Nava Levee will be back with us again in the fall. A number of new teachers, several of whom are in-coming graduate students at the University of Judaism's Education school will be joining our staff. We look forward to their arrival and participation in our program.

Our school, like every school, has three communities which must work together to make the program a success. Our parent community, represented by the Education Committee, has helped the school, and me in particular, so much this year. Thank you to all of education committee members.

I would like to single out our Education Committee chair, Debbie Maddis, who will be stepping down after serving as chair for the past two years. Debbie has been a sounding board, a voice of reason, and a tireless advocate for our school, as well as my friend. Thank you, Debbie, for all of your help and support. We are all looking forward to your son Josh's Bar Mitzvah next year.

To all of our wonderful students and parents, thank you for entrusting our school with the holy and important work of giving you a Jewish foundation, which God-willing will be built upon throughout your lives. We take our jobs seriously, and look forward to continued successes in the years to come.