In conjunction with their Social Studies unit of “Me on the Map & Me in My Community,” Bi-Cultural Hebrew Academy’s 2nd graders had a special visit from the Harrison (NY) Police Department last month.

Officers Dave, Mike and Matias visited the school to speak about how police officers are important members of the community. The 2nd graders and their teachers learned a lot about what local police can teach about the local communities.

As the students learned about good citizenship, responsibility and living in a way that always respects the law, it was a great way to incorporate the lesson “Kol yisrael aravim zeh l’zeh”—all of Israel is responsible for one another, just as our police are always ready to help and lend a hand whenever and wherever they are needed.

By learning about the people who make up the place we live, and beginning to see themselves and their role in modeling good behavior in the places in which we live, the students also saw how police do their best to model kindness and justice, and help us to grow up to be good citizens. More than anything, the 2nd graders learned that the police are important friends who keep us all safe every day.

Two very special furry visitors to the BCHA campus were Uggs and Rex, the Harrison Police Department’s K9 officers. Students were very excited to see and take part in a demonstration of how the K9s help their human officers on the job.