I would like to share with you an extract from my speech from this week’s Back to School Service.

The Back to School Service is our acknowledgement of the promise of the school year. It is also a chance for our community to celebrate the contributions of extraordinary staff members and students who do so much to enhance the School.

“This morning we will recognise Shichvat Tal, the wonderful Class of 2022, and as a Senior School we will publicly wish them b’hatzlacha for this important year.

Today is our first Back to School Service that we are conducting in person as a whole Senior School in three years. It is indeed special to come together to share in these experiences.

The last few years have been really challenging. I’m reminded of a joke that I have adapted from the website My Jewish Learning.

The Census Taker is walking from house to house checking that everyone is appropriately documented. She arrives at the Goldberg’s house, knocks on the door and a gentleman answers. She asks, “Does Abe Goldberg live here?” The gentleman shakes his head and answers, “No”. Puzzled, she looks at her sheet, strikes a line through the name and then inquires, “Well, what is your name?” The gentleman responds, “Abe Goldberg.”

Now she looks even more confused. “I thought you said Abe Goldberg doesn’t live here.” Mr Goldberg holds his arms wide and turns around then points his finger in the air, “Aha!” he says, “And you call this living?”

This distinction between authentic living, between just surviving and actually thriving, is one that we’ve probably all considered over the past years.

My hope and message to our school community is that I implore you to embrace school life and do your utmost to ensure that you are really living.

There are so many opportunities in this school that are available for you to take advantage of.

Class of 2022, I hope that you have filled a memory bank full of positive moments across musicals, camps, sporting achievements, kol echad, Purims, debates, lunchtime ultimate frisbee, excursions, assemblies and yes even your projects, exams and assessments.

To all our students, I encourage you to have a go at the myriad experiences that your teachers work so hard to make available both in and outside the classroom.

At our school, the opportunities are abundant and it’s the easiest time of your life to become involved. This year we have launched the new Kinor David program as a way to push you all to broaden your horizons, to ensure that you are developing holistically and are making the most of your experiences this year and beyond.

So to each of you I say that I truly hope that you can reflect on your school experience this year and unlike Abe Goldberg, you can say that you were truly living. There is a far better answer to the Census Taker’s question and it is one that is deeply rooted in our tradition. Rather than being inspired by Mr Goldberg, I suggest that you look towards Abraham whose famous answer to God was ‘Hineni’. I am here.

Throughout 2022 make sure you can say, ‘I am here. I am present. I am living.’

I take the opportunity to wish us all well for the school year ahead. May we all have a wonderful year together.”

Shabbat Shalom,

Marc Light