What an incredible day celebrating Israel’s 75th birthday! The entire JKHA and RKYHS gathered on the outdoor recreation space to kick off the day together with a tefillah for Israel, a spectacular daglanut dance by the eighth grade girls, followed by “Hatikvah,” and school-wide chagiga dancing! Lower school students enjoyed a fun-filled day where they “traveled” around Israel, getting their passport stamped at each destination from Yerushalayim and the Dead Sea to the Hermon, Masada and Mitzpe Ramon, where they took part in hands on-activities from art and gardening to science and culinary fun.

To start the programming in middle school, student groups took to the stage for the 10th annual Kochavei Kushner Israeli music talent competition. Student groups expertly danced and sang to contemporary Hebrew music. Programming continued with “Choose Your Own Israel Adventure,” a creative cross-curricular interactive map of Israel scavenger hunt, an air force experience and a Yom Ha’atzmaut trivia showdown. Seventh and eighth graders had the opportunity to attend the day’s speaker at RKYHS. Yom huledet sameach Eretz Yisrael!