The Cleveland Museum of Art had an additional 13 docents this weekend. On April 17, the eighth grade class of Mandel JDS was tasked with presenting the work of a master painter to an audience filled with parents, siblings, and community members.

The city of Houston and nine surrounding counties were hit this week with extensive flooding, including areas where the Jewish community is concentrated. One to two feet of rain fell in a very short time, completely overwhelming bayous and streams in the area and rain is continuing to fall. It is expected that the damage will surpass the range and severity of last year’s Memorial Day weekend flood.

Thank you to Senator Rob Portman for ensuring that the Portman-Shaheen Energy Efficiency Bill, passed today by the Senate, includes provisions to assist nonprofits with the costs of retrofitting their facilities to become more energy efficient. Creating energy efficiencies is vital to ensuring that we maximize the use of philanthropic dollars to best serve the most vulnerable populations and to maintain healthy and vibrant communities.

Take a stand against Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS). Support Ohio House Bill 476.

On Sunday, April 10th, the 2015-2016 Saltzman Youth Panel had its last session. Although a meeting of reflection, from the moment we cracked open the first box of pizza to the final minutes sharing our take-aways, the panel was collectively passionate, driving to achieve a common goal. Throughout the meeting, I was constantly reminded of the high quality of leadership on the Saltzman Youth Panel. With complete confidence I can say I learned something new every time a fellow panelist spoke. This was exciting, as well as something that speaks volumes about who and what make up the Saltzman Youth Panel.

After a two-month celebration, Gross Schechter students concluded the Sveta Grinberg Read for Life program. This special program, kindly sponsored by Ida and Mikhail Grinberg in memory of their daughter, Sveta, took our students around the world through literature, tikkun olam (community service) and community programs. During this program, our students read 1,287 books and donated 128 books to the Head Start program.

At Gross Schechter Day School, the Eighth Grade Israel Trip is the culmination of the Schechter experience. After years of study that have helped Schechter students develop a deep love for Israel, provided them with the language skills to speak Hebrew with ease and have deeply rooted them in the history and cultural landscape of the Jewish homeland, Schechter students will bring their studies to life with this extraordinary three-week trip. On this trip, they will connect with other students in Cleveland’s sister city, Beit Shean, they will visit the sites that have been sources of study for years and truly immerse themselves in Israeli culture.

I had the pleasure of spending my junior year of college at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. One of the perks of that year was meeting and growing close with my cousin Ziva, who happened to work at Hadassah Hospital across the street from my dorm. We spent a lot of time together and she invited me to spend many Shabbatot and holidays with her family. In addition to being hilariously funny, warm and nurturing, Ziva had another talent, as well: She was, and remains, an amazing cook. I am excited to share one of her recipes with you below, which I hope will make your preparations for Passover a bit easier.

Are you ready for your close up? Come back to school and experience a day in the life of a preschool student at Gross Schechter Day School!