A Ramaz Security Guard Shows His Support for Israel and the Hostages with Powerful Art in the School Lobby

When anyone walks into a Ramaz building, they can see how much the school cares about each other, the world, and Israel. That care is often contagious. Willie, a beloved security guard who has been with Ramaz for almost 10 years, showed his solidarity with Israel and Am Yisrael by hanging art in a Ramaz lobby. Though not Jewish himself, Willie was deeply disturbed by October 7, 2023, including the kidnapping of the hostages. Immediately, he searched to find an image that represented his support for Israel – landing on a picture of the Star of David wrapped in a yellow ribbon – and printed it to hang in the lobby. Beneath the image, he wrote the number of how long the hostages were in captivity, keeping track from the very first day. He was under no obligation to undertake this project, but did it of his own volition because he cares so strongly about the community, Israel, and the hostages.

Willie grew up in the South in the era of Jim Crow. Having personally endured and witnessed so much discrimination, he feels troubled whenever he sees injustice or cruelty. He has been a “protector of people” all his life; before Ramaz, he worked as a police officer for 22 years. Willie did not create his artwork to receive attention for himself, but to honor those harmed by the war and pray for the kidnapped. For over two years, anyone who entered the building would instantly see the art, and the number that Willie diligently updated every day of the hostages’ captivity, and feel the power of his hope and allyship. After the first month, a Ramaz student gave him a “Bring Them Home” metal dog tag, which Willie added to the wall. When the last surviving hostages were finally released on Day 738, Willie updated his sign once again. On the bottom, it now shows a collage of the final living hostages’ faces. On top, it now bears a bright and multicolored word: “HOME.”