Yom Hazikaron began with Rabbi Sariel Malitzky speaking about his namesake, Sariel Birnbaum ז״ל, a young chayal who was killed in the Yom Kippur war. Rabbi Malitzky explained how each soldier who has been killed defending Israel is kadosh, a holy martyr, and that as Jews we must recognize every sacrifice and honor each memory. That day, every shiur recognized these kedoshim, as they dedicated the day’s learning and davening to their memories.

In the afternoon, the entire high school watched “When the Smoke Clears,” a video produced by Jerusalem University with a focus on the effects of post traumatic stress disorder on injured chayalim.

Dr. Akiva Perlman, director of guidance, introduced the video by stressing that each of us has a daily opportunity to “step up” and actively choose how we live our lives. Though we do not have the same challenges as those in Tzahal fighting on the frontlines to protect our land, we have so much to learn from their extreme determination and perseverance.