Middle Schoolers Bond over Art with Beit Ruth Alumni

The Ramaz Middle School received a special visit from alumni of the Beit Ruth Youth Village in Israel. Beit Ruth for Young Women & Girls At Risk is a long-term therapeutic residence, school, and Youth Village with a mission to ensure that vulnerable and at-risk girls are given the opportunity to thrive emotionally, socially, and academically, thereby breaking the cycle of violence for themselves and future generations of children in Israel. Its alumni are visiting New York to speak and perform at the Beit Ruth annual gala fundraiser, and they stopped by Ramaz to do some arts and crafts with ambassadors from grades 5 and 6. While drawing and sharing lunch, Ramaz students chatted with the alumni and learned about how art is a form of therapy that helped them heal at Beit Ruth. They spoke about what other activities and parts of their day help tikkun halev, or "heal their heart." Some examples students and alumni shared are connecting with friends, volunteering, and being outside. They ended the visit by singing "Acheinu" and "Hatikva" together.