Senior year is full of lasts. This past weekend, the senior class had their final shabbaton before they graduate in February.

Starting in eighth grade, each grade at CESJDS goes on an annual shabbaton — an overnight where students and teachers observe shabbat together as a community. The locations of these events vary, but shabbatons are typically held at hotels or retreat centers.

Although many parts of the shabbaton, like grade bonding and praying, remain the same each year, there are a few unique aspects to the senior shabbaton. Since siyum, a ceremony that marks the culmination of Jewish learning, and graduation are only months away for the senior class, the seniors spent several hours preparing for these two occasions.

The senior class decided that their Siyum focus would be a quote from Pirkei Avot that reads “Who is wise? He who learns from all people.” To embody this theme, seniors had the opportunity to lead workshops for their peers on a topic of their choice. The workshops included a debate on immigration, meditation through art, a learning session about the warning signs of depression and a class on step-dancing.

Seniors Hadas Elazar Mittleman, Elianna Bernstein and Ilana Kravitz ran a program on Israeli dancing and step dancing, which Elazar Mittleman said was meaningful because she got to teach some of her classmates something she really enjoys doing.

To prepare for graduation, the seniors divided into small groups on Friday afternoon, and wrote down memories that they had — starting with kindergarten and continuing through 12th grade. They plan to use these lists when writing the cantata, a song performed at graduation that reminisces on students’ memories of JDS.

As is usual for a JDS shabbaton, Saturday featured shabbat services, festive meals and free time. After havdalah, students sang around a campfire, ate barbeque for dinner and jumped around on a moon bounce.

Senior Gabriel Swagel said that he really liked the atmosphere and bonding that took place during the shabbaton. He attributes both to fellow students’ excitement and willingness to engage in activities.

“Regardless of whether it’s at a camp or retreat center, shabbatons take Judaism from something we learn about in a classroom and really make it a vibrant and emotional experience,” Swagel said.

Elazar-Mittleman said that because it was her last shabbaton, she tried to “savor special moments” that occurred during the weekend, like singing around the campfire and Havdalah.

“We do have a finite time together as the senior class,” Elazar-Mittleman said.

Swagel, however, saw the shabbaton as a sneak-peek for what’s to come.

“It felt like a precursor to the Israel trip,” Swagel said.