For the past fifteen years, the Efshar Project has been the well I’ve gone back to again and again for support, inspiration, and hope. So, to be invited to join the Efshar team as a pedagogical thought partner, and to get the unique chance to be a part of the next Efshar chapter, it’s a true privilege.

In just a handful of weeks, I have begun to make my way around the schools in our network, and my fresh eyes are moved by the diversity of educators offering a richness that we have the opportunity to pull from. I’m also inspired by the directors, who have so much passion and resilience as they face the usual adversity that comes with the first weeks of the school year. Every school I’ve visited operates in such a unique context, but also has familiar rituals, showing me the ways we are similar as schools in a Jewish network.

As Rosh Hashanah draws near, I can’t help but think about the apple tree on the Rodef Shalom playground. A while back, one of the children told me it was a crabapple tree because “crabs eat the apples.” A week or two later, I saw a girl eating one. When I asked if it was sweet, she said yes and invited me to get one. She was right; they were real apples, not crabapples! Last Shabbat, we harvested apples again, washed them, cut them open to check for caterpillars, and transformed them into juice.

I hope this new year brings a chance for all of us to discover that the “crabapples” in our lives are actually sweet. Just as we turned the apples from the Rodef Shalom playground into delicious juice, I hope we all have the courage to take what we’re given and transform it into something meaningful and new. Looking forward to the year ahead with all of you.

-Pedagogical Coach Josh Rifkin