I am the Head of School at a Jewish Day School.
I am a proud Israeli. I am an American Citizen.
Last month, we had a wonderful first week back to school. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been happier to see the smiling faces of our students.
For us [the administration and the office staff] there wasn’t much of a summer. As soon as those doors shut on the last day of school, we begin preparing and planning for the new school year. Unfortunately, this summer also brought grief and sorrow not only to the world but also to our THA community: a summer when two teachers lost their husbands, and one teacher lost her father. A summer where every day brought new sadness from Israel. The heartbreaking news of hostages being murdered by HAMAS, intercepted bombs that are destroying houses, towns, and cities, and killing innocent civilians, and the death of soldiers that died sacrificing their lives trying to bring back the hostages and protecting the state of Israel on three different fronts. This summer was one of fear and anxiety as I looked at the world around me and the antisemitism that seems to be growing every day.
I am the Head of School. I am a proud Israeli and I am an American citizen (yes, I passed this test). I am working in a Jewish Day School. I am a daughter of an Israeli war hero, I am an aunt of an Israeli soldier, and a sibling of a family that lives in constant fear and terror and experiences the reality of this war first hand. I am a Jew, a human being and I am deeply troubled, anxious and outraged.
Like you, my heart broke when the IDF and the Israeli government rescued the bodies of the six murdered hostages, and my heart remained shattered as I spent countless hours glued to the Israeli news stations listening to the names of innocent men, women, and children as they are added to the list of the dead.
The Talmud teaches us that:
which means that the world is sustained by the breath of school children. Well, it seems like the world is [hanging on] by a thread.
Not just in Israel, but around the world, the negative media coverage of Israel has brought on a huge amount of antisemitism around the globe, in general, and in the United States (and even in our own backyard) in particular. An antisemitism that we have never seen before, even in our wildest nightmares.
So, as a child, a parent, a Jew, an Israeli, an American citizen, an educator, and the Head of School, what is my vision?
I am renewed in my sense of purpose and I am ready to get to work.
I believe that I am participating in one of the most powerfully redeeming undertakings there is: building Jewish lives.
As an educator I am optimistic because we are making plans for the 8th grade class trip in the spring.
As an educator I am driven to make sure that the world I leave to my students is better than the world that currently awaits them.
As an educator I am reassured in knowing that I have the capacity, along with my fellow educators, to help uncover the imagination, drive, creativity, and humanity in our students. As an educator I know that I am part of the solution. That is my most important mission.
As an educator I know that I have to empower our students and the future generations with the knowledge of their heritage and make them proud to be Jewish. This is the only way we can fight antisemitism, to fight evil and make sure we are not going anywhere. We the Jewish nation are here to stay.
Am Israel Chai!!!
