It was a jam-packed day at JKHA for Yom Ha’Atzmaut that balanced meaningful celebrations with abundant joy to mark Israel’s 76th birthday. After a beautiful Hallel davening the entire JKHA and RKYHS gathered on the outdoor recreation space to kick off the day together with a tefillah for Israel, “Hatikvah,” a spectacular daglanut dance by the eighth grade girls, followed by school-wide chagiga dancing! The day ended together as a school as well with a unifying kumzitz.

JKHA lower school students were excited to make beaded bracelets for children whose families have been impacted by the war and to write letters to their former classmates that joined their classes at JKHA after the war began, who have since returned to Israel. EC and first grade students visited the “Kotel” (the Jerusalem stone walls of the Rosenberg Beit Midrash) and wrote notes to include on it. An Israel-focused STEM activity, obstacle course, singalong with Morah Sharon of Israeli music, a 76 second “Minute to Win It” competition, and games with the bnot sherut rounded out the programming for lower school.

Student groups took to the stage in middle school for the 11th annual Kochavei Kushner Israeli music talent competition where student groups expertly danced and sang to contemporary Hebrew music. Programming continued with an obstacle course, links in the chain art project, and a special Yom Ha’Atzmaut STEM activity that created Jewish pride posters with a cutout of the Israeli flag and stating “Proud to be a Jew גאים להיות יהודים” and highlighted different aspects of Jewish pride from notable personalities, inventions, Jewish culture and more. Eighth graders had the opportunity to hear from Dovid Davies who shared his experience fighting in Gaza since October 7.