Translation of Commencement Address
By Hillel Lehmann, Class of 2010
Hallowed Hallways
June 13, 2010

When people reflect upon their high school experience, friendships, classes, school trips, and sports games are often the most memorable. And while these are a formative part of any high school experience, at Gann Academy my strongest and most compelling experiences have taken place somewhere else entirely. Many schools can achieve excellence in the classroom, but it is the exceptional school that encourages the intellectual discussions that begin in the classroom to overflow into the hallways and become a seminal part of a student’s high school experience. Gann’s hallways are the epicenter for the constant exchange of ideas and emotions. The shared experience in the formal classroom setting provides the rich foundation for the significant conversations that take place in our halls.

Rav Kook, when discussing the constant oscillation between Kodesh and chol, between the holy and the mundane, emphasizes the need for the Kedusha, the holy, to penetrate the Chol, the mundane. Hallways are usually considered mundane spaces—Chol. They are a means to an end—an empty space that we travel through to get to our next class. At Gann, however, the sacredness of conversation and the sublimity of argumentation transform the pedestrian pathways into hallowed hallways. The interactions that take place in these halls are the greatest testament to the vitality of the relationships that Gann nurtures. Our conversations in the hallways cultivate relationships between teachers and students, as well as students and students. These conversations and the relationships, however, are not just utilitarian as they can be in the classroom, where students are predominantly motivated by grades; rather the hallway conversations bespeak the deep soulful exchange between individuals of infinite value. The hallways represent the liminal space, the space between the inner sanctum of the classroom and the outside world that constantly beckons us.

Engraved in the arch that serves as a threshold between the inner space of our school and the outer place of the world beyond, is a verse from Mishlei (Proverbs) that reads, “Wisdom cries aloud in the streets, raises her voice in the squares.” Every day we take the wisdom out into our halls—our streets; a space within the community, but not limited by structured formal learning; a space that truly allows for the germination and cross-fertilization of interesting and creative ideas. The excitement and interest in the classroom experience seeps into the hallways to reveal a hidden curriculum. The space in between transports us to a time in between, as we move from the inner to the outer, from the sanctuary of Gann to the world outside its walls. Passing through this portal of time we should bring with us the conversation and relationships that have been generated in our hallowed halls.

These encounters outside of the classroom are not left up to chance. Gann consciously fosters and encourages the continuation of the intellectual exchange that begins in the classroom. Not wanting to limit learning to the confines of our classroom walls, Gann has created Limud Clali, a unique, weekly seminar that gives students and faculty alike the opportunity to explore exciting and provocative ideas pertinent to the community at large by bringing in a wide range of interesting guest speakers. During our tenure at Gann we did not just sit idly and listen to lectures. We transformed lecturers into interlocutors, persistently engaging, challenging and questioning.  We have been inspired by an astronaut and an eco engineer; we have questioned the beliefs of professors and rabbis alike; and we have consistently challenged the opinions of every guest, whether medical ethicist or potential Supreme Court nominee. We have also had opportunities to participate in a “Debate Midrash,” a public forum were students and faculty debate a variety of issues ranging from whether or not Israel is an apartheid state to what the school’s policy should be regarding electronics on Shabbatonim. These debates generate a school culture in which multiple perspectives can engage each other, and while many debates become rancorous, our “Debate Midrash” has embodied a respectful conversation that remains intense, passionate, and poignant.

Another catalyst for conversation has been the Shevuon, Gann’s weekly newspaper, as well as WGAN, Gann’s weekly podcast radio show. Although at times these weekly, student-run media outlets have produced controversial stories, they have provided an important framework for students, and occasionally faculty, to voice their opinions and concerns. In recent years, the Shevuon in particular has become a vehicle for further investigation and deeper discussions surrounding key issues relating to the student body.

Now, as we leave the classrooms and hallways of Gann Academy for the final time, we should continue to recognize the value of learning at crossroads of our lives. As we read in the Shema twice a day, you should teach them “when you sit in your home and when you are walking on your way.” Gann has succeeded in embodying both sides of this commandment. It has, of course, provided us with a high-quality and stimulating classroom environment, but we have also been privy to an expansive education that places a tremendous value on what happens outside of the classroom. “When you sit in your home and when you are walking on your way.” Gann has been a home in which we have developed and nurtured the art of conversation. The great conductor and composer, Leonard Bernstein, a native of these parts, once said, "A work of art does not answer questions, it provokes them; and its essential meaning is in the tension between the contradictory answers." This is a compelling description of the arts in general and the art of conversation that we have learned at Gann.  Gann has provided us with the necessary tools to take that conversation, with its contradictions and complexities, and become paladins of this great and noble art.