This year, Yom HaZikaron was incredibly moving at HANC Middle School. Although we were not all together in the Beit Midrash but rather in our separate classrooms, the content of the program was fantastic.
Under the guidance of the Ivrit department chairperson, Morah Pnina Aronowitz, students in her eighth grade class gave a moving tribute to the fallen soldiers. The program began with an emotional reading, which centered on the idea, “My heart is in the East and I am in the West.” Our hearts are always connected to the Land of Israel.
Next, the students watched a video about Max Steinberg, ob”m. Max went on a birthright trip in 2012 and, after that, decided to move to Israel and enlist in the Army. He had to work hard to learn Hebrew. He trained to be a sharpshooter. Max was killed in the summer of 2014.
The students next learned about Dvir Imanuelov. He also gave his life while fighting for Israel. There was a video that showed how his mother was heartbroken but she decided to go to a concert. At the concert, she heard someone call out the name Dvir. It turned out the little boy was named after the woman’s son. It was very emotional.
Two students sang very meaningful songs. A number of t’filos were recited, including the Keil Malei Rachamim and the prayer for the Medinah. At one point, there was a siren and silence in all of the classrooms. In a most meaningful way, the program ended with the singing of Hatikvah.
