This past month, Yehudis Smith, Director of CAJE’s Robert Russell Early Childhood Department, traveled to the Capital Retreat Center in Waynesboro, PA, to attend The Paradigm Project’s annual early childhood education conference, a leading gathering of Jewish early childhood educators from across the country.
I really identify with this Torah portion of Chayei Sarah, because parts of it parallel aspects of my own life. After Sarah dies at the outset of this week's parsha and following Abraham’s purchase of the Cave of Machpelah in Hevron to serve as her burial site, we come to the story of Rebecca becoming the wife of Isaac, Abraham’s son.
The March is a profound and transformative program that allows participants to bear witness to the atrocities of the Holocaust and the beauty as well as complexities of Israel, while celebrating Jewish identity and resilience. Among the many dedicated individuals who have contributed to the success and sustainability of this program, one figure stands out as a true visionary - Leo Martin z”l, a Holocaust Survivor from Lodz, Poland.