Like the rest of her graduating class at Vacaville High School, valedictorian Carolyn Fine prepared for the big day last week. But because commencement exercise fell out during the Yom Tov of Shavuos, the 18-year-old got ready a bit differently.
In observance of the Yom Tov, Fine did not deliver the traditional valedictorian’s speech through a microphone. She didn’t travel to the ceremony in a car, and instead walked.
“I was nervous about what to do,” Fine told the Contra Costa Times. “The more I learn about the Jewish religion, the more connected I feel.”
School officials worked with Fine to make alternate arrangements.
“It’s great to see that, on her own, she’s standing by her faith,” commented Rabbi Chaim Zaklos, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Solano County, who has been helping the young girl.
{Collive.com/Matzav.com Newscenter}
What a tremendous Kiddush Hashem. We should all learn from her. Carolyn, you are a tribute to your People – thank you.
kol hakavod!
Proud to be a Jew!
May she be blessed b’ruchnius & gashmius so that she continues to grow in her avodas Hashem.
Carolyn, we are proud of you. Kol hakavod!
JUST AMAZING!!! MAH TOV UMAH NAIM!!!
This is so important.
Take the picture down. Doesn’t pas for matzac.
Kol Hakavod! what a huge kiddush hashem…finally a nice sory in the news…
Chazak Ve’amatz!
Nice story but why is this news? A lot of people keep shabbos every week and don’t get a special mention.
nothing wrong with picture, provides chizuk to young girls as to how a frum girl presents herself.
B”H
Carolyn
Yasher Koach! I am inspired by your resolve and committment to your faith… and I am a 20 plus year Baal Teshuvah
#7 There is always one person to ruin it. This was a real kiddush hashem
The real kiddush Hashem are the thousands of us who pay through our noses to send our kids to Jewish schools.
Reminds us oldies of Sandy Koufax in the 1965 word Series refusing to pitch on Yom Kippur.
# 9, please read # 11 and rest of the mostly proud and positive comments.
So far only another one almost as smart as yours.
And by the way, grow up. You sound very immature, to put it mildly.
Miss Carolyn Fine:
As most of the remarks here stated, I too must greatly commend you for the wonderful Mitzva and Kiddush HaShem that you did. May you have much B’racha V’Hatzlacha in your future Avodas HaShem.
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Please permit me to relate a similar situation that I had when I was in the 7th grade. First of all, at that time, I was not too far from the area where you are, as I was attending the Montera Junior High School in Oakland. (At that time, 7th – 9th grade was called “Junior High School.” I have no idea when or why the term was changed to “Middle School.” Calling it “Junior High School” was certainly much better, for it made us students feel like we were now “little adults,” for we were now in the realm of “High School.” This certainly gave us quite a serious conception of our academic program.)
At that time, 7th Grade students were required to take a course in a musical instrument, so I was in a class playing the viola. In the spring, the instructor, who was also the director of the school’s student orchestra, informed us in the class of the following issue. The student orchestra was set to perform at the coming graduation ceremony. However, many of the orchestra’s members were 9th grade students, who would themselves be graduating and would thus be unable to play then. So we were going to be needed to be at the graduation to help fill in for those missing players. So for the next few weeks, we repeatedly rehearsed the pieces that would be played at the program.
However, the date of the graduation was on the evening of Shavuos! (The school campus is located far beyond walking distance from where my family lived. Furthermore, there is the problem of playing a musical instrument.) I asked the rabbi of the Orthodox shul I then attended about the issue, and he told me that I would have to inform the instructor that I would not be able to come. So I did that.
Boruch HaShem, a few years latter, I actually entered the yeshiva world — starting at Ner Yisroel in Baltimore.
Yasher Koach – really a beautiful Kiddush H-shem. Wish her lots of Hatzlacha.