Ma Hadash? What's New At Barrack

Dear Barrack Community,

At the start of this year, we introduced our annual theme of Derech Eretz—“Everyday Ethics.” We conceptualize Derech Eretz as the way we strive to live: with responsibility, compassion, and respect for ourselves and the world around us. To act ethically; to do good. In this edition of Ma Hadash, we focus on student leadership and initiatives—spotlighting the way Derech Eretz at Barrack is, in so many ways, the way of our students.

Throughout this past trimester, I have witnessed our students embody Everyday Ethics, actively modeling what it means to live our values and translate Derech Eretz into action.

Our student leaders have shaped Jewish life on campus with intention and heart. From a group of three 11th grade students who felt inspired to co-found the first-ever Limmud Shabbaton—creating a space for students to come together as a pluralistic community dedicated to intentional prayer, study, and Shabbat observance—to our Jewish Leadership Initiative (JLI) fellows infusing every Shabbat Schmooze with spirited and joyful Jewish energy and creating meaningful moments for our school community around each Jewish holiday.

Our inaugural Barrack Institute Field Trip Day offered our students the opportunity to go out into the wider community and gain firsthand insight into the operations of a wide range of local businesses and organizations as they hone the experience, understanding, and skill that will serve them in any field they wish to pursue.

Our students have continued to distinguish themselves in rigorous regional and national competitions, from Model UN and Mock Trial to DECA and STEAM programs. Through our 12th grade Making Future History program, our seniors designed thoughtful, innovative responses to societal issues that matter deeply to them, and through our Friends in Faith partnership with a regional Roman Catholic school, they have cultivated authentic connections across religious lines, engaging in dialogue grounded in curiosity and respect. In the Richman Fellowship in Pluralism, Jewish Peoplehood and Constructive Dialogue, a select cohort of 9th, 10th, and 11th grade students meet monthly to engage in dialogue and study around themes of peoplehood, pluralism, and respectful discourse and disagreement in Jewish text and tradition. All of these pursuits are a reflection of more than skill and intellect; they demonstrate our students' commitment to collaboration and ethical engagement with complex issues.

On our athletic fields, our Cougars have competed with intensity and integrity—reflecting the core values of our Barrack community both on and off the courts.

Through Batei Barrack programming and cross-grade educational initiatives, older students have embraced their role as mentors, building bridges across divisions and fostering school spirit.

In each of these moments, our students are taking initiative, leading with character and compassion, and actively embodying what it means to lead an ethical life. What gives me profound confidence in the future of our school and the broader Jewish community is witnessing a generation of young people who lead with thoughtfulness, act with purpose, and care deeply about one another and the world they are preparing to enter.

This edition of Ma Hadash includes just a sampling of the ways our students have embodied Derech Eretz over the past trimester. I hope you will take some time over Pesach break to read these pages with pride and gratitude for the remarkable young adults who define “the way” of Barrack—not only through their accomplishments, but through their character.

May we continue to learn from them as they lead us forward into a promising Jewish future.

L'Shalom,

 
Rabbi Marshall Lesack ‘97