10 May From Remembrance to Celebration: The Heart of the Yoms at Yavneh
Last week at Yavneh was an emotional rollercoaster of sorrow, joy, inspiration and meaning. The lead up to Yom Hazikaron was filled with daily tours of the Tzevet’s exhibition, which commemorated the life of Rav Avi Goldberg, HY”D. Every class, as well as the wider community were invited to engage with the heartbreaking and interactive experience, whereby we learnt about this incredible individual who has been lost to the Jewish people. An educator who brought so many people closer to Judaism, made everyone he knew feel so important, and showed a deep love for the land, state and people of Israel. We were implored to take lessons from the short but accomplished life that Rav Avi lived to implement into our daily lives.
On Yom Hazikaron itself, we delved into the lives of a number of fallen soldiers from throughout Israel’s history. Eytan Epstein shared the story of 4 of his comrades from his time in the IDF, Yair and Zecharia HY”D, as well as Yehuda and Tzvi, whose families still don’t what happened to them, decades after their capture. Niv taught us about Amichai Oster HY”D, a close friend who rushed back to Israel to fight after October 7th, and Tzviki and Nachshon introduced us to Eitan, Ephraim, Yair and Yakir HY”D, all of whom were students with Tzviki in Yeshiva and 3 of whom Nachshon commanded in the army. We gained a glimpse into the special people that they were, and were called on to emulate their values in our lives. We were also privileged to hear from Sara Ribner Grabin, who described the difficult perspective and experience of being a ‘Miluim’ (reservist) family.
The difficult but powerful transition from Yom Hazikaron to Yom Haatzmaut began with a bang at the party in Lamm Hall on Wednesday night. The event opened with a taste of Israel in the foyer, filled with games and treats to help us explore different places throughout the land. We then proceeded into the Hall for 2 epic dance sets, one by the one and only Hebrew band and the other by special guest DJ Cooper Layton, with a delicious felafel dinner in between. Ruach was at an all time high as we celebrated Israel’s independence in style.
The day of Yom Haatzmaut began with a special schoolwide Tefillah and electric Hallel. At the Tekes, Morah Shula connected the significance of Israel’s 77th Independence Day to the word עוז, meaning strength, and its importance in our times. We were blown away by the performance of Hadegel Sheli by the Primary Choir and the unbelievable flag dance by the Grade 6 students, before jumping into another epic dance set led by the Hebrew Band. Secondary students then split off into programs about key events in Israel’s history, heroic Zionist figures and the decisions that were pivotal in the formation of the state. At lunchtime, students competed in the ‘Maccabiah Games’ and enjoyed a BBQ before capping off the day with a Chagigah assembly.
The Yoms at Yavneh would not have been impossible without the efforts of a few special people. Enormous gratitude goes to:
·The JLife team for giving their heart and soul to every detail of this incredible program
·The Tzevet for the moving Yom Hazikaron exhibition
·Leadership for their unwavering support throughout all the planning and execution
·The staff who contributed to the days and brought energy and enthusiasm
·The madrichim who volunteered to facilitate the programs and celebrate with the Yavneh community
·The Maintenance team for accommodating our endless requests
·Nick and the band for all the epic musical performances
·Last but not least, thank you to the Yavneh students for getting involved and embracing every element of the schedule! We couldn’t have done it without you!
This was our second rendition of the Yoms since October 7th. May we see the return of all our hostages and a swift and victorious end to the war before the next ones, ’ בעזרת ה.
Noah Epstein Head of Jewish Life & Learning Secondary
