Middle School and High School Separated for Kabbalat Shabbat

Middle+School+and+High+School+Separated+for+Kabbalat+Shabbat

Liran Zimand, Reporter

On Friday, Sept. 18 Kabbalat Shabbat was divided into separate middle school and high school assemblies for the first time at CESJDS.

As always, high school students reported to the gym for the assembly after Zman Kodesh, while the middle school held their assembly in the theater. This divided Kabbalat Shabbat was the first of several that will take place this year.

The goal of this new system is to provide more possibilities for student participation during Kabbalat Shabbat.

“It basically doubles the opportunities for our students,” Director of Jewish Life Stephanie Hoffman said. “We get two [speakers] each week, we get two performers each week, as opposed to one of each.”

Hoffman, who led the first middle school Kabbalat Shabbat, felt that the division creates a more spirited assembly.

“The middle schoolers were really excited, cheering for their classmates,” Hoffman said. “There was a nice, cohesive spirit in the room around that.”

The first of their classmates to perform was eighth-grader Coby Siegel. This was Siegal’s second time singing at Kabbalat Shabbat; his first performance was last year. While he prefers having Kabbalat Shabbat together as a whole school, he would enjoy having separate ones, “every once in awhile.” Siegel also favors performing in front of only his middle school classmates.

“I felt less pressured with less people and I think it was much more fun,” Siegel said.

One factor that went into starting this new system was the worry that some younger students may be discouraged from performing due to the pressure of older grades in the audience, especially with sixth graders joining the upper school next year.

“It takes a very unique individual to do that,” Hoffman said.