CTA is abuzz with preparations for the coming holidays. From challah baking, apple picking, brachot learning, shofar blowing, and more, CTA students are ready for Rosh Hashanah and the start of a healthy, happy, peaceful, and prosperous new year.  Wishing all the best to you and your family!

Read the Dvar Torah below from Head of School, Rabbi Avrohom Drandoff. Click here to check out this edition of Dateline upcoming events and activities, highlights from the classrooms, lifecycle Mazel Tovs, Tzedakah thank yous and more.

Rabbi Avrohom Drandoff, Head of School

The first day of the school year has always been a source of inspiration for me. I love seeing the enthusiasm of the students and their readiness to take on the challenge of the new year. The setbacks of the previous academic year or the exhaustion of making it to summer break is no longer a dominant feeling. They are looking forward to the year ahead of them with determination while looking sharp in their in their recently purchased new clothing. They are ready for growth, energized by the excitement of being a year older and further along on their academic journey.

In many ways Rosh Hashanah represents a similar phenomena. We all have ups and downs over the course of the year. We have had moments of glory filled with accomplishments and family milestones to celebrate. We also had moments of hardships, setbacks and disappointments. For many, Rosh Hashanah might be a difficult time as we reflect on the day of judgment and wonder if we are worthy to pray for a year of blessing.

Rav Meilech Biderman teaches us a lesson from the shofar that we must realize the sky's the limit on Rosh Hashanah. No matter how hard of a year we might feel we had, we must be cognizant that the shofar blast represents a tremendous opportunity for change and growth. The Talmud derives the source for sounding the shofar on Rosh Hashanah from the blast of the Yovel year. At first glance it would seem like the Yovel would be an odd place to be the source to blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashana. The Shofar blast on the Yovel was not a common occurrence. It only took place every fifty years, during the time of the Bais MaMikdash, and it was only one blast. Meanwhile, on Rosh Hashanah we blow one hundred sounds, every year all over the world for thousands of years. What is the connection between Yovel and Rosh Hashanah?

The answer is the single blast of the Yovel made a tremendous impact on the entire land of Israel. Slaves who have been working were now free to go home. Land was returned to its original owner. It was no longer the same world as it was prior to the single blast. The same is true on Rosh Hashanah. A person who is stuck in a rut now has the opportunity to change. The shofar blasts are a call to the Jewish people that Hashem is looking to welcome their change and growth. We should change our mindset. We should think about a meaningful relationship with Hashem, and then there is no bound to our potential.

Please have a year filled with happiness and growth. G-d willing we will have peace in the holy land and we will be able to greet the hostages return to home soon.

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