The upper and middle schools at Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy of Connecticut marked the first year since Israel was attacked on October 7, 2023. Students and faculty members worked together to honor and remember those lost and to reaffirm a school-wide commitment to a safe and peaceful future in Israel.

Under the direction of Maytal Lerner, director of Jewish Life Programs and the school’s bnot sherut, students, parents and community members gathered for a moving and deeply meaningful ceremony.

“It was obvious that we needed, as a community, to mark this day. In the beginning, I thought it would be similar to the assembly we did last year right after the events of October 7, 2023. But after considering it more closely, I felt it needed a very different feel. Therefore, in an effort to make the program mature, empathetic, and respectful, we created a ceremony that was led entirely by our Upper School students,” noted Lerner.

The students spoke, led heartfelt prayers and presented relevant musical interludes. Their voices stirred hearts, bringing comfort and unity to a difficult day of remembrance.

In addition to the ceremony, the BCHA gym was transformed into a powerful art exhibit that encapsulated the tragedy of that fateful day and the challenging year that Israel has endured since October 7, 2023. Through commemorative presentations, photography and memorial walls, the care and sensitivity in curating this space offered a reflective and poignant experience for all of the students, educators, parents and guests.

Speaking in a message sent to the Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy and community, Head of School Rabbi Tzvi Bernstein shared words of hope and comfort. “As we reflect on this past year and the significance of these moments, we turn to the instructive words of the prophet Yirmiahu, to ‘remember the days of old, and renew them in our time’ which can be understood as a directive: that during difficult times we must remember the many generations in which the Jewish people ultimately prevailed over their enemies, and ask God to renew those days of victory. This is a charge to the Jewish people to never forget that we are an עם הנצח, an eternal nation that cannot not be destroyed.”