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Abby Mandelcorn '25 Valedictory Address

Valedictorian Speech

As I emptied my locker a few weeks ago, I took a final look in my small 4x6” mirror–the one we all received at Grade 9 orientation.

Picture your reflections back then–different, right? It was our first time stepping into the TanenbaumCHAT building. We all felt a mix of excitement and nerves, anticipating the unknown.

Now, look at your reflections today. They may resemble the old ones, but they’re changed. For many of us, our Grade 9 selves would hardly recognize the people staring back. Besides no longer wearing masks, our reflections now carry experiences our younger selves could never imagine. We’ve all transformed. But how?

.ברוכים הבאים 

Good evening Dr. Levy, Mrs. Cohen, distinguished members of the Board of Directors, faculty and staff, family and friends, and fellow graduates…

One of the most fascinating concepts taught–thanks to my physics teacher–was Newton’s First Law of Motion: the law of inertia. Inertia means staying still; at rest. Newton’s law states that an object at rest will stay at rest… unless it is acted upon by an external force. Then it will start moving.

In Grade 9, many of us felt “inert”–motionless, uncertain, hesitant. So many classes; do I raise my hand? So many opportunities; do I audition, try out, run for rep? So many new faces; do I branch out? That stillness, that fear of motion–we all felt it.

But eventually, we each experienced a small push–דְּחִיפָה קטנה–that got us moving. Maybe it was…

.הרוח של מוֹעָצָת התלמידים–Our student council's spirit.

.הַמַּדְרִיךְ שֶׁלְּךָ שֶׁעָזַר לך לְהַנְהִיג שיר בשַּׁבָּתוֹן–Your madrich who helped you lead a Shabbaton cheer. 

.הקפטן של קבוצת הספורט שלך–Your Tigers team captain.

.ההתלהבות של המורה שלך–Your teacher's contagious enthusiasm.

I still remember when our beginner band class first picked up our instruments–it wasn’t pretty. But slowly, we were conducted into motion, and what once sounded off-key blossomed into a symphony. 

We all needed that first push. Then, we gained momentum. Somewhere between hell weeks, Hebrew plays, Becker tournaments, beep tests, Golden Bagels, and LOTS of free food–we picked up speed. Soon, once overwhelming hallways became home, and once unfamiliar faces became family.

.מִסְדְּרוֹנות מְבַלְבְּלִים הָפְכוּ לְבַיִת חַם, וּפָנִים לֹא מֻוכָּרוֹת הָפְכוּ לְמִשְׁפָּחָה

We cruised through the motion of TanenbaumCHAT life–classes, clubs, shows, teams, fundraisers, and friendships. And then, in the upper years, it became our turn to lead. We stepped up–as DECA trainers, DFS choreographers, PALS, Student council execs. Like Newton’s law, our actions helped others move from stillness to growth. 

That’s the magic of TanenbaumCHAT: you arrive motionless, but the warmth and energy around you–from older students and teachers–sets you into motion. And soon enough, you’re the one activating and inspiring others. That cycle–that ruach–keeps us connected to this special school. That’s why TanenbaumCHAT will continue to call us back.

But motion doesn’t always stay steady. Just as we were cruising along, we were hit by a force no one saw coming. Young people our age were dancing at the Nova festival. But their motion–and then ours–came to a sudden stop. October 7th marked a day when life’s motion stopped for all of us. The innocent lives lost and the antisemitism that followed shook our community to its core. Many of us felt paralyzed, like nothing could get us moving again.

But we did move again. Our inner strength overpowered our fear and we stepped up as young Jewish leaders. We held assemblies to mourn the lives lost. We prayed for Israel and the hostages. We wore our Jewish pride–on our heads, on our necklaces and pins. We rallied in Washington and Ottawa. We filled donation bins, and we advocated.

TanenbaumCHAT became more than a school–it became our haven. Our resilience and unity grew stronger than ever. Slowly…Slowly, we defied inertia. We leaned on one another, we picked each other up–and we got moving again. In fact, we danced again. רקדנו שוב. We…danced…again.

That’s what adversity does. It hits hard, but it also reminds us who we are. And in the past week, we’ve learned that now, more than ever, we need to remain strong for our people.

Growth starts with a push–to discover a passion. To make a close friend. To stand for our beliefs. With support from teachers, parents, and friends, we grew into the thinkers, athletes, performers, and human beings we are today. Those pushes changed us–and that’s why our reflections in the mirror have changed, too. 

…בְּסֵפֶר שְׁמוֹת, עָמְדוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חַסְרֵי תְּנוּעָה עַל שְׂפַת יַם סוּף וְהַצָּבָא שֶׁל פַּרְעֹה הִתְקָרֵב

In Sefer Shemot, the Israelites stood frozen, motionless, at the edge of the Red Sea, with Pharaoh’s army closing in…

…אבל בתוך בני ישראל היה אדם רגיל בשם נחשון

But among the Israelites was an ordinary man named Nachson

.״וקפץ נחשון… וירד לים״ Nachshon sprang forward into the water.

.ואז קרע ה' את הים And only then G-d parted the sea, saving B'nai Israel.  

As we begin this next chapter, we too stand before uncharted waters. We may feel hesitant, like in Grade 9. But now, like Nachshon, we have the courage to take that first step. Through small pushes, TanenbaumCHAT gave us the momentum to grow, building a muscle memory that will carry us forward toward success.

Inscribed at the bottom of this mirror are the words Find Yourself; a reminder that transformation begins with an action, a push. So, to this special class, I present us all with one final Newtonian push: continue to raise that hand, try out for that team, pick up that instrument, branch out… and keep moving forward. Then, maybe, in four more years, we’ll see even stronger, more transformed reflections in the mirror.

Congratulations to the Class of 2025!