The JKHA buddy program, MiddotMentors, through which the eighth graders are paired with fifth grade students, kicked off at its inaugural meeting with eighth graders. As the students accepted the student mantle of leadership in the middle school, Principal Ms. Levenson and Judaic Studies faculty member Morah Sharbat guided they with an engaging story about growth and change. She also shared a dvar Torah about Moshe Rabbeinu, and what leadership looked like and felt like for him with the transition of power to Yehoshua.

Students then broke out into teacher-led groups for a fun activity about leadership, through which students learned what it feels like to be seen or perceived as a leader—both the energizing nature of that role, as well as the pressure. Students were asked to think about what it must be like to be a fifth grader, coming into a new division, unsure of their own footing in their brave, new world. MiddotMentors ended with a celebratory breakfast treat, and students and families can anticipate the first MiddotMentor pairing kicking off during Chol HaMoed, with the students meeting their year-long buddies.