Thunderous joy filled the halls of Harkham Hillel Hebrew Academy as our students dressed in blue and white, waved Israeli flags, and sang Am Yisrael Chai, welcoming the twelve Israeli soldiers brought to Hillel in partnership with the FIDF. At an assembly for the fourth through eighth grade students, both soldiers and students, with tears in their eyes, sang a meaningful Hatikva. The soldiers introduced themselves to the Hillel community and then participated in a Q&A.
The choir sang and the students and soldiers swayed arm in arm exemplifying Am Yisrael. After the assembly, the soldiers joined the members of our student council, yearbook and newspaper for an intimate lunch in the library. The students felt so connected to the soldiers after sharing table conversation and getting to know them as regular people. One student shared, “one soldier had the same Hebrew name as me. She took a patch off her uniform and wrote me a message. I am going to keep it forever.” What a special day we shared filled with love for Am Yisrael and eretz Yisrael.
Mrs. Ilana Zadok, Special Programs Coordinator
