Jews in the D

Graduation Without 
Celebration

High school seniors miss out on traditions
but are hopeful the fall will bring new experiences.

MAYA GOLDMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

T

his year’
s high school seniors thought they’
d be walking 
across a stage to receive their diplomas next month. They 
thought they’
d be able to dress up for prom and attend 
senior all-night parties and win Water Wars competitions. 
Instead, like the rest of us, they’
re staying home. 
“To be honest, it’
s pretty disappointing,
” said Sam Shienbaum, a 
senior at Groves High School. “My whole class has just been look-
ing forward to this exact moment their whole lives. It’
s something 
that you want to cherish.
”
The loss of the celebration hit hard for Olivia Feldman, a senior 
at Frankel Jewish Academy. 
“For me, high school was really stressful, and I overcame a lot 
of challenges,
” she said. “
And I think graduation and completing 
high school is really something I was looking forward to doing in 
person.
” 
FJA
’
s small senior class agreed they wanted to wait until they 
could meet in person to celebrate graduation and prom, even if 
that means holding the events late this summer or next fall. But 
other FJA events, like the annual senior class trip to Israel and 
Poland, can’
t be postponed or replicated online. 
Emily Feldman, who also attends FJA and is not related to 

Olivia Feldman, decided not to go on last year’
s Teen Mission to 
Israel because she knew the senior trip was coming up this year. 
“That definitely was something I was looking forward to 
throughout high school,” she said. “I made a conscious decision to 
forgo a recreational experience to do this meaningful experience, 
so that’
s really sad.
”
Jake Fogel, a senior at Bloomfield Hills High School, said his 
large public school plans to hold a “drive-in” graduation, where 
seniors can come to the school’
s parking lot and watch a slideshow 
presented on large projector screens. 
“The reception has been pretty good,
” he said. “People are excit-
ed to have something — a lot of us were either expecting nothing 
or to have something a lot later.
”
Fogel, who plans to attend the University of Michigan in the 
fall, said he thinks the online format “is going to be interesting.
” 
He isn’
t sure how placement tests and other activities will be con-
ducted yet.
High school ceremonies aren’
t the only thing the class of 
2020 will miss out on. Emily Feldman was supposed to work at 
Tamarack Camps this summer, but the organization canceled this 
year’
s programs. 
She’
s trying to stay positive. Still, she said, “I planned these few 
months of my life and looked forward to them for so long and to 
have none of that happening — it’
s tough.
” 
College orientations, usually held in person on campuses over 

Sam Shienbaum

Olivia Feldman

12 | MAY 28 • 2020