A Message from Rabbi Ed Harwitz, Head of School

During the coming days, Jews throughout the world will celebrate Rosh HaShanah with the sounding of the Shofar -- a sound that calls us to a higher aspiration and asks us to commit ourselves to a year that is filled with meaning, purpose, and service to causes greater than our own self-interest.

As we enter 5782 and begin a new school year, we sense renewed energy and excitement at The Weber School, with gratitude for over 270 students (the largest student population in our school’s history), faculty, and staff joining together on our campus. I feel blessed to work every day with a uniquely dedicated group of expert educators, creative and energetic students, supportive and engaged parents, a deeply committed Board of Trustees, and Jewish communal leadership that recognizes and invests in the Weber School. Working together, the new year of 5782 promises to be a time where Weber continues to grow and meet our mission as a 21st-century Jewish high school in new and dynamic ways.

As a Jewish community that seeks to meet the higher aspirations represented by the call of the Shofar, we are also mindful of the significant difficulties encountered by so many in our world, near and far.  Close to home, we think of the citizens of New Orleans and those in the Northeast who are suffering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Ida.  And we are horrified by the catastrophe in Afghanistan caused by the return of a regime that threatens the safety, livelihood, and liberty of its own citizens and that has produced a new flood of international refugees.

While celebrating the new year with family and friends and with our school community at Weber, we will also use this high holiday season to consider how we may support those in need.  I am proud and deeply appreciative that our Student Council, under the leadership of Community Service Chair Kira Berzack (Class of 2024) and Ms. Michelle Geppert, Director of Student Programming and Leadership, has reached out to organizations committed to responding to the needs of those suffering in New Orleans and the Northeast as well as new refugees from Afghanistan seeking a new home in the United States. During the coming days and weeks, we will identify ways for students, faculty, and staff of The Weber School to work together in response to these urgent needs.

On behalf of the faculty, staff, and Board of Trustees at The Weber School, I wish all of our families a Shanah Tovah, metukah u’vriah -- a happy, sweet and healthy new year.
Back
The Weber School, a Jewish Community high school serving students from all Jewish backgrounds, prepares students for success in college and in life with comprehensive academic and co-curricular programs that inspire student exploration, leadership, and Jewish social consciousness. Many of our programs and academies are unique to Weber and can't be found at any other Atlanta-area high schools.

The Felicia Penzell Weber Jewish Community High School admits students of any race, color, and national or ethnic origin.
©2020 The Weber School All Rights Reserved