KoREH News

 

A famous story is told about Rabbi Akiva, possibly the greatest sage and scholar of the Mishna. It is told that he had no formal education until age forty. One day, while walking, he came across a large rock with a hole worn through it. When he asked how the hole had been made, it was explained that the waters that dripped continually onto the rock had worn it down over the ages and eventually formed a crack which had been smoothed down into a deep groove.

 

When Rabbi Akiva heard this, he thought, “If the gentle drops of the water can eventually penetrate even the unyielding stone, how much more easily can words of Torah and learning penetrate even a head such as mine that has been hardened over the years.” It is a lesson in both the power of learning, as well as the power of perseverance, to reshape our lives.

 

I have been blessed to watch our Kol Rinah Education Hub (KoREH) grow and change over the last five years. This past year, our school has now grown to its largest enrollment since 2013. For next year, we already have eleven new students committed to joining our learning community, and the summer is just starting up!

 

So much credit is due to our amazing teachers and staff, especially to the wonderful Melissa Bellows, who has given so much to our school and our synagogue community over the last three years. I am so thrilled and honored to be planning out the coming 2022-23 school year with the help of the incredibly talented Karen Kern, who is stepping into a whole new sphere of responsibility in our community, and has hit the ground running with fantastic ideas, ways to make our school run more smoothly, and projects to support our teachers and give them the skills and experiences they need to flourish personally and professionally for years to come.

 

And most importantly, I want to thank our families, especially our parents. You have helped us not only survive the past two COVID-filled school years, but have given us space to innovate, feedback and guidance, and critically, trusted us with the most important people in your world. Our learning community would not be as vibrant and inspiring without your tireless support.

 

If you are looking to learn and join an amazing community of explorers in Jewish education, we would love to have you! Sign up at https://www.kolrinahstl.org/koreh/registration or contact me with any questions you might have (rabbishafrin@kolrinahstl.org, 314.747.1727).