GRADUATION ADDRESS 2024
By: Rabbi Seth Grauer
ברוכים הבאים, good evening and welcome.
Our graduation ceremony is supposed to be the highlight, climax and apex of your high school years.
This year, however, amidst our celebrations (and we absolutely will and must be joyous) – we have to recognize that it has been a hard year for Klal Yisrael.
Let me first recognize that we are still very much shocked over the loss of our beloved Mrs. Heather Hendel zichrona lebracha! No words can describe our profound sadness over this unimaginable tragedy.
And this, on top of October 7th and everything that has transpired since.
We lost Avidan Tordjman, David Schwartz, Daniel Perez and others with close connections within our small Toronto Mizrachi, Bnei Akiva – Ulpana / Or Chaim community.
And time does not even allow me to speak about the virulent virus of antisemitism spreading all over the world.
As such – tonight’s address might seem to be a bit sad and down – but I don’t know how to do it in any other way and risk being tone deaf to what is going on around us.
I will therefore do my best to ensure that my message is one of hope and promise for what I believe is an incredibly bright and exciting future ahead.
Seniors – and everyone else listening – rather than offer my own words – most of what I will share tonight will come from others whose fortitude, strength and unwavering bitachon and Emunah should be inspiring to us all.
Let me start with a brief story:
In 1875, amateur archaeologist, Marcelino de Sautuola, began excavating in a cave in Altamira, near the north coast of Spain.
One day, in 1879, he took his nine-year-old daughter, Maria, with him. While standing in the cave she saw something on the roof above her.
“Look, Papa, oxen,” she said. They were, in fact, bison.
Maria had made one of the greatest discoveries of prehistoric art of all time.
For four years, Sautoula had been literally standing under a monumental treasure, but he had missed it for one simple reason. He had forgotten to look up.
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt”l uses this story to illustrate of one of his most common themes: hope.
Rabbi Sacks writes:
“Look down at the difficulties and you can give way to despair. The only way to sustain energies, individual or collective, is to turn our gaze up toward the far horizon of hope.
The philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein once said that his aim in philosophy was ‘to show the fly the way out of the fly-bottle.’
The fly is trapped in the bottle. It searches for a way out. Repeatedly it bangs its head against the glass until at last, exhausted, it dies. Yet the bottle has been open all the time. The one thing the fly forgets to do is look up. So, sometimes, do we.”
Seniors – step #1 to rise above these challenges is to look up to HKBH as well as always stand with your head held high.
You must be proud of who you are and what you have accomplished. Among the most important ways to combat anti-Semitism in particular, is to wear your frumkeit on your sleeves.
As Rabbi Sacks says over and over:
“Non-Jews respect Jews who respect Judaism, and are embarrassed by Jews who are embarrassed by Judaism.”
But beyond standing tall – we should draw inspiration from the words of those who lost so much:
So many of you have heard about the loss of Elisha Lowenstern – Hashem Yikom Damam – but the words and actions of his wife – Hadas – have been truly remarkable.
Walking into the funeral for her late husband she encountered a crowd crying with their heads down and she yelled at everyone and implored them: “tarim at haRosh” – raise your heads: “there is so much to live for.”
Days later she said:
“Talking about his death is so insignificant in my eyes because he only died once but he lived every day. This was Hashem’s decision. We can’t change it, but… we will live through the mitzvot, and this is the true victory… The question is not how you die but how you live in this world. When my husband went up to heaven I know all the angels stood up and clapped and said, Kol Hakavod, look what you did. This gives me comfort. I have so much to be thankful for…
In a different context Hadas said that:
The Lowenstern family will not let Hamas win. Listen, Hamas, you can’t beat the Jewish people. Will you ever learn from Jewish history? You will finish like Pharoah. The sea will open and you will drown. We will continue to do chesed, sing Shabbat songs, and study Torah. Am Yisrael Chai.”
And of course our close friend Rav Doron Perez – where did he find such strength?
In a widely published interview, Rav Perez shared:
“We are a people who have always known how to rise from the ashes. Our strength lies in our unity and our faith in a brighter future. Even in the face of unimaginable loss, we must keep our heads high and continue to live with purpose and joy.”
And in his hesped for his son, Rav Perez tells us:
“We, as Jewish people, have always been a community of hope and faith. Our history and belief system reinforce the idea that things unfold as per God’s will. Even in trying times, we’ve always maintained our hope…”
And finally in a video message on Yom HaZikaron, Rav Perez reminds us:
“There will always be bitterness in life… but that is only part of the story… There is Matzah with the Maror… Yes, there is indeed so much pain… but never despair. And that’s why perhaps, arguable, the most central Jewish word is Tikvah, hope.”
So seniors- we must carry that hope and we must fulfill these dreams.
As you leave these familiar, protective and friendly walls, it is crucial you do not lose sight of who you are and what you stand for. You are part of a proud and resilient people, bound together by a shared history, culture, and faith that have sustained us through the darkest of times.
It is our Jewish values and our commitment to Halacha, Torah and Mitzvoth that have guided us through centuries – and we always rise above.
“Avarnu et Par’o – Na’avor gam et zeh” – just as we have overcome all those who have tried to destroy us, we will – with Hashem’s help – overcome the current challenges too.
The hostages of course must remain on our minds – always – BUT – we cannot despair.
Lets remember that the first hostage in the history of the world that we know of was Lot – the nephew of Avraham.
Lot was captured and Avraham did not give up hope – but Avraham went after him. Avraham waged war against whole kingdoms to free his nephew and in the case of Lot – the stakes could not have been higher.
We just read on Shavuoth the story of Rut! Had Lot not been saved – there would have been no Rut and there would have been no David Hamelach and as such – no Mashiach.
Avraham paved the path for our ultimate redemption even though at the time – he had no idea the sheer magnitude and the impact of the task at hand.
I am not entering politics here at all, but chazal teach us – Kol Hamatzil Nefesh Achat Misrayael – Ke’Ilu Matzil Olam Maleh! Any one who saves a Jewish soul saves an entire world. This is because we have no idea the infinite value and impact of each and every single Jew in the world.
But in the words of Elisha Medan who lost both legs fighting in Aza:
“Iran and Hezbollah want to divide us… We on the home front need to overcome and unite, because that is the call of the hour and only through this will we win.”
We cannot fight amongst ourselves, and we must find a way to build unity within our people.
Elisha, the son of Rav Yaakov Medan – Rosh Yeshiva of Gush went on to say:
“That I am alive… is a present from G-d…”
Chevra – who speaks like this? Who gives these superhuman individuals the strength and character to say such words?!
Seniors – we don’t need to go that far from home here at BAS to hear words of inspiration and incredible bitachon and Emunah.
I don’t know how many of you were either physically at or listening to the zoom of Mrs. Hendel’s funeral, but her husband – Lorne – a remarkable individual said:
“There are many reasons why this happened, of which we cannot see or know. But one thing is for sure: this was an absolute test of our bitachon. And I know, knowing clearly how tragic and difficult this is for all of us to go through, there is no doubt in my mind that this too was the hand of Hashem. Hashem has been with us all along. Just know that Hashem tests those that He loves, and this has been one heck of a test.”
Seniors- the answer is that Klal Yisrael has strength that we don’t even realize. We are resilient people. I pray to HKBH that none of us are ever tested the ways in which some of these individuals have been challenged, but I know that either way – you will persevere.
Allow me to close with one final story:
Albert Einstein was once traveling on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching tickets. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He couldn’t find his ticket, so he reached in his pants pockets. It wasn’t there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn’t find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn’t find it.
The conductor said, “Dr. Einstein, I know who you are. We all know who you are. I’m sure you bought a ticket. Don’t worry about it.”
Einstein nodded with appreciation. The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.
The conductor rushed back and said, “Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don’t worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don’t need a ticket. I’m sure you bought one.”
Einstein looked at him and said, “Young man, I too, know who I am and that I bought a ticket. What I don’t know is where I’m going.”
Dear students, you know who you are, you know what we stand for and what you stand for, but make sure you know where you are going.
Live lives of purpose and meaning. Set your sights high with big eyes towards lofty goals and never lose sight of those goals that you hope to accomplish.
And then just take one step at a time.
You have had great practice and success with those goals because despite all the challenges this year – you have been phenomenal BAS leaders in all that you accomplished.
Some highlights include and I am limiting to only a few that apply to both Ulpana and Or Chaim:
- Your stellar attendance and leadership at our rallies in Washington DC and Ottawa
- Over 90% of your grade who are spending at least next year studying in Israel
- Your meaningful choice for a yearbook dedication
- Just this past week- the visible and impressive widespread learning that took place – led by so many of you on Shavuoth evening
- Your student-led inclusion of captives names in our daily tefilot, tehilim, achievnu, avinu malkeinu – all of it
- And going back all the way to Oct 7 – how you came together right away and led our school community in tefilot and bakashot
- A whole plane load of duffle bags that you organized and packed to send to Israel
- Countless special learning programs throughout the year
These are examples of leadership that we are all proud of – an exemplary mission driven year in which you shaped our entire school and community.
Remember, as you leave those doors at the end of tonight’s program – that you are never alone.
You are graduating from what I would argue is the finest Yeshiva High School in North America and we will be there to stand by you and stand with you – as much as possible.
We are so proud of each and every one of you. Always look up and keep your eyes on where you are going and I”YH you will accomplish great things.
Mazel Tov and thank you for listening.
