“The days are long, but the years are short.”

It’s a phrase many parents hear, but don’t truly understand until they see their children grow and change in the blink of an eye. This week marks one of those unforgettable milestones, as our Gesher students officially graduate on Thursday.

While these milestone moments are always filled with excitement, they can also be bittersweet. We’ve watched as our curious, eager toddlers blossom into confident young learners—each with a unique, brave, and beautiful voice. It has been Temple Judea’s deep honor to be part of their first experiences of Jewish learning. As they move on to Religious School and beyond, we know that they will continue to grow and thrive as young leaders in the Jewish community.

To our graduates and their families: Temple Judea will always be your second Jewish home, providing support, love, and a sense of belonging as you embark on the adventures ahead. We wish you Mazal Tov on this wonderful simcha!

This week also brings another meaningful and exciting goodbye, as we say farewell to our well-loved Play Yard—a space that has held generations of laughter, learning, and first friendships. It has been a place of discovery and joy, where countless Temple Judea nursery school students have taken their earliest steps into community – some of whom now have children of their own who are playing on that very same yard. 

But with goodbyes come new beginnings. We are thrilled to be breaking ground on a brand new, state of the art Play Yard, designed to nurture the next generation of children with the same spirit of wonder, safety, and play. Join us on Friday evening at 5:15pm on the basketball courts, as we gather in the courtyard for a special groundbreaking ceremony open to the entire Temple Judea community. Rabbi Aaronson will open the event with the Shehecheyanu blessing, followed by brief remarks from him, our President Bill Harris, and a few dedicated lay leaders who have been instrumental in this campaign. Afterward, we’ll enjoy time for photographs (yes, there will be hardhats and shovels!) along with wine and cheese before heading upstairs to the Goor Sanctuary for Erev Shabbat Services at 6:15pm.

Together, we’ll mark this meaningful transition and celebrate a bright future full of laughter, learning, and play.