Dear Walter,

Dear Walter,

Mazel Tov and congratulations on your graduation from elementary school. Your mother and I are very proud of the accomplishments and progress that you've made over the years. We've watched you grow from a little five-year-old entering first grade full of promise, to a maturing young man who is well on the way to fulfilling that promise and potential. We've watched you grow physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually. Weve seen you grow in Torah, going from your aleph beis, through the study of Chumash and Navi and on to Mishnah and Gemara. We've seen you progress through your secular studies, going from one subject to the next taking on ever-increasingly difficult topics. We've watched with pride as your davening progressed from a simple recital of Modeh Ani to being the Shliach Tzibur in your daily minyan at school. We've seen you grow from a little boy to a capable, considerate young man.

But this is not the end of the journey... it's only a milestone along the path. Just as we've had incredible pride and nachas in your progress thus far, we look forward to watching your further accomplishments, to seeing you grow further in learning and yiddishkeit and to your becoming a full-fledged member of K'lal Yisrael and the community at large. Just as we've watched with joy as you tackled each educational task, we look forward to seeing you continue to make growth and reach for the stars.

Mazel Tov on reaching this momentous occasion. We look forward to seeing many more wonderful things from you.

With love and respect,

Dad