Ezra Academy Sukkot Success

As most of us acclimate to the regular routine of day to day life, the students and staff at Ezra Academy are still living off the inspiration of Sukkot. On the first day of Chol Hamoed, the students came to school for a special day filled with mitzvot and fun. The morning started off with shacharit. A break was taken in the middle to enable the students to shake the lulav and Etrog. For many it was their first time doing so this year. Following a lively Hallel, krait haTorah and mussaf, the students were all invited to the school’s Sukka. Students enjoyed a beautiful breakfast of bagels, various spreads and pastries enabling them to fulfill the mitzvah of sitting in the sukka, which might not have been possible for some of the students without this opportunity. Rabbi Friedler, the associate dean, shared the famous teaching of how while sitting in a sukka it is like we are receiving a hug from Hashem, which helped all the students gain a deeper appreciation for the mitzvah they were in the midst of, literally. Following this the school then spent the day at Adventureland, where they enjoyed the rides and games. The school also had the opportunity to help place the schach on the Adventureland sukka, making it a kosher sukka. Later in the day pizza was brought from one of the local pizza stores and a second opportunity to eat in the sukka was enjoyed. A Kiddush Hashem was displayed as many of the other families enjoying the chol hamoed outing commented on how beautiful the trip was and how impressed they were with the students. On the night of chol hamoed, the alumni students from the past three years were invited to Rabbi Diamond’s house for a simchat beit hashoeiva. The boys showed up eager and excited to have a mini reunion. The time flew by as they shared stories, questions and enjoyed a BBQ. The night ended with divrei chizuk for the students accompanied with a little biography about Rav Shlomo Freifeld as it was his yartzeit that evening. As is the minhag on Hoshana Rabbah night some of the boys stayed up learning throughout the night.

The energy that came off of these special events were still felt throughout the halls when school started again and were continued to be sustained as the entire school joined together for a Rosh chodesh breakfast. This annual tradition of a beginning of the year breakfast kicks off the long stretch of school about to approach. Words of inspiration were shared by Rabbi Lesser and Rabbi Geller taught the school a niggun which they practiced and sang together. The breakfast ended with each student getting a swag bag filled with nosh and school paraphernalia. The warmth was indicative of the students excitement for the school year and the amazing programs yet to come.