Marathon season signifies a new stage of the academic year. Midterms are over and finals are too far away to think about. The emphasis now is on sports, holidays, and the upcoming summer. Before we start to describe our last few months, we need to stop and thank everyone who was involved in the marathon's success. Thank you to our board members, runners, staff, supporters, and of course, donors! You've given us a chance to shine! Our team of 231 was our largest and greatest yet, and we are ecstatic to share that we achieved our fundraising goal for the run! The donations collected will allow us to keep doing what we do-working hard to help our girls fly beyond their expectations, physically, socially, and academically. It was a fantastic event and we can't wait for next year.
One of DROR's goals is to help give our young women new experiences and broaden their horizons. With the Israeli election excitement (and confusion!) , we wanted to give our girls a chance to experience the democratic process firsthand. We hosted Gesher staff member, Tzemach Schloss, who presented a little about the various political parties. Then, we decorated our classroom to look like an actual polling station, and everyone was able to cast votes!
We wanted to do something meaningful and fun for Purim as well, so we had our alumni girls prepare a mock wedding! We chose a bride and a groom, Rabbi and guests. We prepared with a henna and celebrated with a chupa. The girls and staff all dressed up and got into it! Tears and shrieks of laughter!
Just before the holiday, each tutor also went to deliver a Mishloach Manot food package to each student, to her home We wanted to demonstrate the power of delivering a personal gift and what that does to impact a relationship.
Our 10th grade leadership program wanted to do something special for DROR as well. We, along with the assistance of Best Market and other local organizations, compiled a list of families who suffered losses and delivered beautifully decorated food packages for them as well.
On Lag B'Omer, the girls met at a local Ceramics shop, and decorated small plates. It was lovely to see the girls from various DROR groups interacting and using their creativity to make something special.
As the year draws to an end, we're preparing for our end of year celebration! We're getting excited for some singing, dancing, and some lovely goodbyes. We're so impressed with the growth and relationships built thus far and are looking forward to commemorating that.
July 7-18, we will be in DROR Camp mode! We're planning a two-week intensive program (including an overnight!) for girls with great activities, workshops, and small counselor-camper groups, all to enhance the girls' lives and give them an unforgettable summer. As well as the girls from DROR, the camp is open to any girls finishing 7-9th grades. We are nearly full, so get moving! Early bird registration closes on May 31- sign up today!
