Yom Ha’atzmaut was celebrated at Bruriah this year with an Eretz Yisrael themed color war in an unbelievable display of teamwork, and most importantly, achdus. Color war celebrated the land of Israel, with each grade representing a different holy city in Eretz Yisrael: Tzfat (freshmen), Chevron (sophomores), Tiveria (juniors), and Yerushalayim (seniors). At Bruriah, students are encouraged to cultivate a personal attachment to Israel and its people as well as a sense of shared responsibility and destiny.

Day one of color war, Yom Ha’atzmaut, began with fast paced Israel-themed relay races and sports. Then, the teams did their first round of presentations, with an energetic team cheer and a word watch banner. After a special Yom Ha’atzmaut lunch of falafel and blue and white cookies, the teams competed against one another in a game of Capture the (Israeli) Flag. The day concluded with more team presentations, a Hebrew song and a team stomp.

Color war continued into Wednesday, beginning with a Chidon HaTanach followed by a series of Minute-to-Win-It challenges. Then teams met to prepare for the closing presentations, which were a beautiful culmination of the two days, with each team presenting their stunning team banners and theme songs. After intense deliberation, the Green team of Tiveria, the juniors, were declared the winners of Color War 2023.

Bruriah’s color war was not merely an exciting event; it provided a meaningful way for students to connect to Israel as each team showcased their respective cities and the holiness they represent. Junior Elisheva Finkelstein reflected upon her color war experience, saying “Color war really helped us connect as a school. Color war specifically on Yom Ha’atzmaut helped us connect to Am Yisrael.”