Two days before my high school commencement, on May 26, 2026, I graduated from Community Jewish High at Temple Emanu-El in San Diego, and I gave a speech there as well. In the photo I'm holding my certificate of graduation next to Rabbi Hanan Lieberman of Tifereth Israel Synagogue.
Community Jewish High is a program run together by Temple Emanu-El and Tifereth Israel Synagogue for students in grades 8 through 12, whatever congregation they belong to. We met on weeknights, shared a meal, and then went to class.
At Community Jewish High we studied our history and our ancestors, and we talked with our community about that history and about current events, with everyone's opinions on the table. We cooked traditional recipes together.