Magen David Yeshivah Remembers October 7th
On October 7th, 2024, Magen David Yeshivah came together to remember the heartbreaking events that unfolded in Israel. The day was filled with meaningful activities that helped our students connect with Israel and show their support.
Our elementary school began the day by displaying a powerful tribute—a large yellow ribbon symbolizing unity with Israel, surrounded by the names of all the hostages. It was a strong reminder of the challenges our fellow Jews in Israel are facing.
Boys in grades 6-8 participated in a live Selihot prayer at the Kotel via Zoom. This special moment made the students feel like they were part of something bigger, as they joined in prayer with those standing at one of the holiest places in Jerusalem.
In Mrs. Nitza Levy’s class, the girls had the opportunity to meet Raymond “Chef RayT” Tawil, a graduate of Magen David Yeshivah. He shared stories about his many trips to Israel and how they inspired him to get involved with the Sephardic Community Alliance (SCA). A big thank you to the SCA for providing the solidarity pins that were given to all the students, from 1st-12th grade, as a symbol of our support for Israel.
Our younger students also took part in meaningful activities. The 3rd graders joined a special Tehilim project, sponsored by Cynthia and Albert Setton and family in honor of Ruby Setton. Each child received their own personalized Tehilim book, which they will use to pray for peace and safety in Israel, and used it to recite Tehillim together on stage.
In 5th grade, Mrs. Lizzy Mizrahi led a creative project where the girls made a banner with the words “נזכור ולא נשכח” (Remember and Never Forget). It was a powerful reminder that we will always keep the memory of what happened on October 7th close to our hearts.
We also had the privilege of hearing from Mr. Jamie Lassner, Executive Director of the Purple Vest Mission, who spoke to the students about his important work in evacuating disabled people from conflict zones in Israel and Ukraine. His stories were inspiring and gave our students a sense of how we can help those in need.
As students walked into our high school building, they took in banners hanging all over the atrium with names of the 1,159 innocent lives lost on October 7th, and candles of commemoration. They gathered for a school-wide program, organized by Mrs. Margalit Alnatan, which began with words from Rabbi Eli Mansour.
Mr. Morris Missry joined us to speak of the heroism he saw while in Israel on the MDY Solidarity Mission in November and how it inspired the members of the trip to donate an Ambucycle to United Hatzalah.
Dr. Yair Ansbacher, National Security Researcher and expert who works as a Fellow in the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy, told us we need to change our viewpoint to see the miracles of October 7th and that each of our students is a Jewish hero and they will bring redemption.
Hazzan Mordechai Salem set the tone for the day as our students reflected on everything they saw and heard.
These activities and presentations helped our students feel more connected to Israel and showed them the importance of standing together in difficult times. Magen David Yeshivah continues to be a place where our students learn about responsibility, unity, and the power of prayer and action. May our nation know no more suffering, עם ישראל חי! (Am Yisrael Chai)
