Portrait of the Graduate as a Young Mensch

Dear Brandeis community,

 

Just a brief anecdote from me this week, from my evening last night, one that sums up, I think, so much of why we do what we do here at Brandeis.

 

We are in the midst of admissions season, and as such are hosting gatherings for prospective parents at the homes of current parents. Last night we had one such gathering, and in addition to a houseful of prospective families, we were joined by a pair of recent Brandeis alumnae.

 

At a certain point in the evening, the lot of us crowded into one side of the house, and we shared stories about what Brandeis has meant to us and our families: the inclusive and welcoming approach to Jewish life and practice, the support for one another in difficult times, and the challenging and loving academic environment, where students are known for who they are.

 

The theme of our evening was ethically fluent and spiritually grounded children, and so Director of Admissions Tania Lowenthal invited our recent alumnae to speak about what that meant to them. Both alumnae talked about having a sense of clear identity, and their own moral compass, and about how as a freshman and sophomore at Lick-Wilmerding and University high schools, that sense of self was a real boon.

 

After some additional conversation, one parent asked a follow-up question of both girls: Would they unpack what they meant by a moral compass? Their answers were honest, and profound. The 10th grader spoke of having a sense of self; that knowing who she is and what she sees as right and wrong helps her navigate a high-stress environment. The 9th grader added confidence to that story, sharing that for her, being confident in her own sense of what is right helps her make decisions for herself, rather than feeling pressured by a group to follow what everyone else is doing.

 

And to that, I say amen—may it be so, not just for those two wonderful graduates, but for all of our students!

 

Wishing you all weekends full of moral clarity, my friends.

 

Warmly,

 

Dan