A group of RKYHS students and students from St Benedict’s Prep in Newark have been participating all school year in SOAR (Seminar on Antisemitism and Racism), a weekly after-school seminar run by the two schools. Students from both schools join together on Zoom one evening a week to study and discuss the history, commonalities and differences between racial injustice and antisemitism, increasing cultural and racial understanding and awareness, and jointly combatting all forms of hate.

As a supplement to their weekly Zoom seminars, the students have opportunities throughout the year for fun and relationship building. Earlier in the year they went to Bury the Hatchet for axe throwing fun and have gone to visit each other’s schools, a New Jersey Devils game, and museum visits as well in the past. The students from St. Benedict’s Prep came to visit their friends at RKYHS this week for a Friendsgiving. The students worked together to cook and bake specialties including mac and cheese, candied yams, challah and potato kugel and then enjoyed the cultural food fusion together at a pre-Thanksgiving feast. They also participated in meaningful discussions and enjoyed getting to know one another better in a social setting.