I have been reflecting on the death of Pope John Paul II and his impact throughout the world. Coincidentally, shortly after his death we had an opportunity in our own community to hear from Gerda Klein, a Holocaust survivor, who carries a message very similar to that of Pope John Paul II.

As a young child who was not Catholic, I had little understanding of a pope’s potential impact beyond his religious leadership. When Pope John Paul II was elected in 1978 there was no way for me, as a college student, to anticipate that he would become such a powerful and well respected leader throughout the world. As respected and revered as John Paul II was in the Catholic realm, it was the impact he had around the globe that made him one of the greatest leaders of our time. Committed to the teachings and ideals of the Church, he sought to bring people together across the world to eliminate war and intolerance and to find a way for people of all races and backgrounds to respect, appreciate, and understand one another. Pope John Paul II was not just a spokesman for the Catholic Church; he was a tireless worker for peace. He was in many ways the consummate humanitarian, and the free world will miss him.

Sometimes, seemingly disparate events in our lives can come together to give greater clarity to our experiences and lives. The Pope’s passing and all the events that took place in Rome reminded me that when I was on sabbatical, my wife, Sunny, our kids, and I spent some time in Rome, where we visited many landmarks. Two of the most impressive sites we saw were the Vatican and The Rome Synagogue.

The Vatican, of course, is an incredible architectural statement. The Sistine Chapel is beyond words. (It is hard to imagine that anyone could have painted that ceiling while lying on his back; Michelangelo was not only an artist, he must have been an extraordinary athlete!) While in size the synagogue is significantly smaller, in importance it is no less significant. Until the Pope’s passing, I had seen the two structures as completely independent and isolated. Then, as I read about the Pope’s tenure, I realized that it was he who made the first and only papal visit to the Rome Synagogue, where he delivered a moving speech about the importance of working together to obliterate intolerance of all people at any level, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or anything else. It is the message that all great humanitarians put forth.

When Gerda Klein, who may be the most thoughtful, sensitive, compelling person I have ever met, spoke to students, parents, and educators last week at The Haverford School, she delivered a very similar and important message. She referred to John Paul II’s papal visit to the Rome Synagogue and spoke with reverence and respect for John Paul II, with the hope that leaders to come would take on the same sense of conviction in the world as he did. As Gerda Klein reflected on her own experiences as a Holocaust survivor, she noted the importance of appreciating the small things we have in life: our family, our friends, and the “boring nights at home.” (I highly recommend two of her books: All But My Life, a remarkable autobiography, and A Boring Evening at Home.) As she finished her presentation, with nary a dry eye in the audience, she made a strong suggestion that if we pray, we should pray not for what we want, but for what we need. Good advice for all of us.

With Gerda’s words fresh in my mind, it was nice to have parents, teachers, and administrators come together at an open organizational meeting on April 25th, offered by our Diversity Team and outlined in my last Heads’ Letter. The purpose was to talk about the ways in which, working together, we can make our community the best it can be. As you think about the role you would like to have in the process, I ask you to consider our objective in the context of our statement of purpose regarding diversity work: The mission of diversity work at The Shipley School is to uphold the integrity of each individual, as the School nurtures concern for others, self-respect, and personal achievement. The School is dedicated to the ongoing process of creating a safe and accepting environment for all people. The Shipley School values and honors differences in ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.

You can count on a number of similar meetings next year. If you are interested in getting involved in the process, please contact our Coordinator of Community Life, Sandi Richards.

Having had our last All-School Assembly of the year, where our Little Acorns (PreK and Kindergarten students) handed diplomas to our Mighty Oaks (Seniors), it is clear that the end of the year is rapidly approaching. During the last month of school there will be many events where you will have the opportunity to appreciate the wonderful work of our students. While I will look forward to seeing you at as many of those as possible, I want to take this opportunity publicly to acknowledge our students for their work at the InterAc A Capella Concert, where our Madrigals and Madriguys were superb, the West Chester University High School Theatre Competition, where our students earned numerous awards, and our Lower School Arts Night, where our Lower School students exhibited their incredibly impressive work. We are fortunate to have such extraordinarily talented students and equally talented and committed faculty.

Finally, a special thanks to all those people who made our auction, A Night at the Moulin Rouge, possible. Everyone seemed to have a great time, and, although I do not know the final figure, we appeared to raise more money than ever before. These funds go towards our efforts to make Shipley the best community possible.

Alumni weekend, the prom and our Middle School Musical all take place this weekend. I am sure you join me in hoping that they all go well. Then, it is on towards our closings and the end of the year. Tom Nammack, our wonderful Upper School Head, who is leaving Shipley to become Headmaster of Montclair Kimberly Academy, will be our graduation speaker. He will be fabulous.

My thoughts are with you. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Warmest regards,

Steven S. Piltch
Head of School