Over 400 members of the Ramaz community gather together in Ir David for a celebration and to hear a message from Ramaz graduate President Isaac Herzog.
(Courtesy of The Ramaz School) The Ramaz School, a co-educational, Modern Orthodox Jewish day school in Manhattan, has taken five of its grades, over 400 students, on an unprecedented once-in-a-lifetime mission to Israel to show support for the land and people, and demonstrate that the Jewish people will not be destroyed by resurgent antisemitism in New York and around the world.
“After living through a global pandemic, we want our students to act on their Zionism and Judaism by reconnecting with their homeland. The best way to accomplish this is to be there in person, creating experiences that will motivate them for the rest of their lives,” said Jonathan Cannon, head of the Ramaz School. “We also know that tourism in Israel was curtailed for the past two years and are proud to show our Ramaz solidarity by supporting the economy and connecting to the people. Our message to the people of Israel and the entire world is clear: We support and love Israel and our commitment is stronger than ever!”
The students have been traveling around Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Netanya, Tiberias and Tzfat, visiting volunteer-based organizations such as TIKVOT and Beit Elazraki Children’s Home; experiencing Israel as the startup nation by visiting high-tech companies such as Melio and the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation; meeting with CEOs of venture capital funds; performing chesed projects for Beit Issie Shapiro and Yad Ezra v’Shulamit; appreciating the sacrifices and heroism of those protecting Israel by visiting Israel’s National Cemetery on Mt. Herzl and entering into the bunkers of Tal Saki with a soldier from the same regiment that miraculously survived a Syrian onslaught; remembering the Holocaust at Yad Vashem; embracing their spirituality through prayer at the Kotel, singing and dancing at Mt. Herzl and exploring the mysticism of Tzfat; learning the history of the land in the Old City and the ancient village of Katzrin; engaging in healthy dialogue through the Shorashim; and simply having fun and enjoying the land by going on a graffiti tour, spending time on Ben Yehuda street, hiking up north, and rafting down the Jordan River.
“This trip was a great opportunity for teachers to share their love of Israel with kids in a really tangible way,” said David Deutsch, Ramaz history teacher. “I thought it was particularly meaningful to model for kids that love of Israel can exist side by side with criticism in the same person, and that two people who may disagree strenuously about certain aspects of Israel can still come together over the things they share in common.”
“For me, the most magical evening was Friday night, when after praying at the Kotel, our students broke out into song and created a circle that grew so large with passersby that it seemed to take up the entire plaza,” said Dana Messinger, dean of college guidance at Ramaz. “After Shabbat dinner, we had a kumzitz on the roof of Aish HaTorah, and the Ramaz voices were so loud that it seemed to fill the night sky, but seeing so many other groups also experiencing Shabbat dinners with a view of the Kotel (from IDF soldiers to Hasidic communities) made me appreciate that we were but one group moved by the experience of spending Shabbat and Yom Yerushalayim at the Kotel.”
In a moment of solidarity for Israel and Ramaz, the school held a gala event at Ir David for about 450 members of the Ramaz community (i.e., grades 9-11, grade 12 who just came back from their senior journey to Poland, eighth graders who were traveling on their graduation trip, graduates who are spending a gap year in Israel, and alumni living in Israel). There, they heard a message from Ramaz graduate President Isaac Herzog, class of 1978, who reiterated the importance of their education and support for Israel; enjoyed a concert by the Shalva Band; and sang and danced the night away in the most spirited fashion.
“The time that we spent in Israel was really meaningful for my grade, especially the kids who had just come from Poland, because we really went from darkness to light, seeing the depths and evil that our families went through and then being in a country founded to be our safe haven,” said Yona Weinstock, grade 12, president of the student government. “We went from the Jewish past to the Jewish future, which is not just a mindset, but something you really feel. I will always remember the singing we did at the Kotel and the fun we had in Israel together.”
The students departed for the Israel Mission on May 24, and returned on Tuesday, May 31. Ramaz is a school with a mission to promote understanding, respectful dialogue and a commitment to being a lifelong and curious learner. Core to the mission is a recognition that much of this is accomplished through an unbreakable partnership with the people and State of Israel. Ramaz has more than 600 alumni who have made aliyah. On May 25, the school hosted an alumni reunion at Beit Avichai in Jerusalem, where alumni living in Israel and students on their gap year were able to see each other and former teachers.
For more information, please visit: www.ramaz.org.
