Many families with graduating seniors, middle schoolers and even kindergarteners are celebrating this strange school year’s conclusion with immense joy and thanksgiving. What a year it has been!

The vaccine that is slowly but surely bringing us back to one another is a blessing indeed, and we are so happy that grandparents and other family members can safely shep nachas, marking the incredible growth and accomplishments of our community’s children.

While all graduating years come with notes of the bittersweet, we realize that all our students, whether they are graduating this year or not, as well as their teachers, moved mountains this year, having learned the year before what a pandemic means for a child trying to learn traditionally within our schools and yeshivot. We hope all have emerged from the more difficult moments having learned more about ourselves and our capacity for stress, and we pray all our students are stronger for it.

Graduates, we are proud of you and wish you the very best of luck as you move forward to your next adventures. As your local community newspaper, we can’t wait to celebrate and report on your next accomplishments. May you do great things with success and luck, with Hashem’s guiding hand and presence always.