Community Corner

Community Corner

Shelley Margulies, Day School President

In a world where you hesitate to turn on the news, I thought I would share something happy, genuine, and worthy of discussion.

Many people ask me why I chose Valley Beth Shalom Day School for my children. Well, there are many reasons. First, it was important to both my husband Craig and I that our kids grow up with a love of Judaism. More than that, we wanted them to understand what being a good person meant and a Jewish education, along with an emphasis on strong academics teaches the values of Tikkun Olam, tzedakah and ‘menchdom' as part of its everyday curriculum.

We wanted our kids to understand their history, where they came from and why that was important. We wanted them to have a love of Israel and being a Zionist so when we visited the Kotel they would be able to know its importance and be able to chant the Sh'ma.

When our kids became and become Bat and Bar Mitzvahs we wanted to hear them chant their parsha with an understanding that they knew what they were chanting and why reading from the Torah was an honor.

Valley Beth Shalom Day School was chosen because beyond a school it is a community.

The friends we have made here have become our family and it is with this extended family that we celebrate, mourn, support, laugh and cherish the life we live each day.

Right before Thanksgiving, I was in carpool line waiting to pick up my son. All of a sudden I heard a loud uproar of “rainbow, rainbow, look at the rainbow'. First I turned towards the noise and what I saw was truly as remarkable as that rainbow. I saw our VBS Day School teachers each crouching down, at eye level, with the students and telling them look, look at the rainbow. What I saw was a group of educators who made sure that each child got to share in the beauty that sometimes our amazing world surprises us with. 

I chose Valley Beth Shalom Day School because I want my kids to grow up being nurtured by a place that wants each day to be colorful, awe inspiring and good. It was an easy choice.

I hope you will join me on February 9^th as we come together to celebrate 40 years of VBS Day School, at our VIVA VBS Gala. We will be honoring our legacy families who have been part of the Day School since it's inception and we will be celebrating VBS Day School, the Very Best School.

To purchase tickets or take out a tribute please visit www.vbsds.org/vivavbs.