SCHOOL DESK

Holiday rain check thanks to Hurricane Ian

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Hurricane Ian not only destroyed parts of Florida, but SAR Academy called for a rain check for a STEM workshop as the remnants of Ian traveled north.

SAR planned a special holiday workshop for Oct. 2, marking the beginning of the Jewish new year, also known as Rosh Hashana.

Even though the holiday passed, SAR already rescheduled its festivities for Oct. 23. There, third- and fourth-grade students will join their parents to create a shofar — a ram’s horn trumpet — used on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, which most Jewish communities consider the holiest Jewish holidays.

It is mainly about atonement and repentance, with a 25-hour fast.

But this shofar will not be like any ordinary shofar. It’s electric using micro-bits.

Yet, the festivities won’t end there. After the electronic shofar is created, the students will move up to the garden on the school’s roof.

The garden’s name, Gan Ilan, is symbolic, but also is a memorial. “Gan” is the Hebrew translation of a garden, and “Ilan” translates as a tree.

At the same time, the garden remembers Ilan Tokayer, who graduated from the academy in 1999, but was just 25 when he died in 2011.

Gan Illan was built in 2016 in his memory.

The garden flourishes thanks to farmer Yosef Gillers and SAR students.

The Gan Ilan family day offers hands-on garden workshops, nature-based education, face painting, ice cream and music.

Award for alum from Horace Mann School

The Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford held the first North American edition of its annual lecture on Oct. 26 at Carnegie Hall.

Robert Caro, a journalist and author known for his biographies of political figures Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson, was celebrated as he received the libraries’ prestigious Bodley Medal.

A Horace Mann School alumnus who graduated in 1953, Caro also is a Pulitzer Prize winner.

Caro visits Horace Mann each year to present a literary excellence award in his name, focused on history writing. Last year’s winner was Liliana Greyf for her piece, “AIDS Does Not Discriminate.”

The coin-shaped Bodley Medal is the highest award given by the Bodleian Libraries. They are only presented to individuals who made an outstanding contribution to books, literature and libraries.

Lord heads to York College

Aliya Lord, of the greater Riverdale area, joined nearly 750 first-year transfer students at York College of Pennsylvania for its 2022 semester.

York was established in 1789, and is known for its experimental learning and its work with the community.

Located 30 minutes south of Harrisburg. the school offers 70 baccalaureate majors to more than 3,500 undergrads, and serves 400 graduate students, too.

SAR Academy, Horace Mann School, York College, Robert Cairo, Aliya Lord

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