Last week, Bruriah High School had the tremendous opportunity to welcome a delegation from Israel who spoke about their experiences in Israel following October 7 and how their lives have been impacted as a result. This program was made possible by the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ, and each member of this esteemed delegation hails from one of their partner communities in Israel.

These special individuals courageously told their personal stories of the impact of the events of October 7. One of the delegates, a former commander in an elite army unit, spoke about the sacred capacity in which he now serves—notifying families of the death of a loved one in Gaza. Another delegate spoke about her nephew, a soldier in the army, whose life was tragically cut short in Gaza. While these are individual experiences, they very accurately mirror the grief, tragedy and trauma of the collective Jewish experience. During their presentation, students were given an opportunity to ask questions about how October 7 has changed their lives, how they maintain their emunah in the face of tragedy, and why they decided to share their stories. Afterwards, students thanked the delegates for their bravery and dedication to Klal Yisrael, and one student shared in Hebrew amidst collective tears, “You are our heroes, and we are all here for you.”

This program connected each Bruriah student with the experiences of our brothers and sisters in Israel, and everyone is extremely grateful to the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ for providing ways to connect to our family in these trying times.