Upper Schoolers Hold Hallel Services and Welcome Visitors to Reflect on Yom Yerushalayim and the Holocaust

In honor of Yom Yerushalayim, the Upper School hosted inspiring visits and held heartfelt musical hallel services. The schoolwide women’s tefillah was joined by visitors including Rabbi Shmuel Slotki, current judge on the IDF’s Nativ conversion court. On October 7, his two sons, Noam and Yishai, left their homes to defend nearby communities and were both killed in battle with Hamas terrorists. He spoke to attendees about Jewish unity and the importance of Yom Yerushalayim. As the group prayed and sang, they waved an Israeli flag that had been carried by an IDF soldier throughout the Lebanon war, as well as another Israeli flag adorned with the names of every person killed on October 7.

The men’s tefillah was joined by Rav Tamir Granot, head of school at Yeshivat Hesder, Orot Shaul. His son, Amitai Tzvi Granot z”l was killed while serving on the northern border to protect Israel on October 15, 2023. Amitai was 24 years old and was engaged to be married at the time. Recently, a powerful documentary was produced that spotlights his story, along with the story of Ellisha Meidan, who was injured in battle in Gaza in 2023. He spoke to students about the lessons that his son taught the people in his life, including inspiring his friend to pray regularly to Hashem after Amitai’s death.

Rav Granot continued to move students as he addressed the senior grade in advance of their trip to Poland. In addition to sharing stories from his own family’s experience in the Holocaust, he left the students with important messages to take with them to Poland and beyond. He explained that there are three ways, three concentric circles, to reflect on the Holocaust. The outermost circle is the “universal” circle, involving big-picture questions like, “How can there be such an evil? How can Jews be so brave? What helps a human being to keep their morality and soul and faith in such circumstances?” The second circle concerns more internal questions like, “What is the meaning for us, for Am Yisrael? What is the connection between the Holocaust and building of the State of Israel? What must we think now, as Jews, because of the Holocaust?” The innermost circle, he explained, is about each individual person: “What does this mean for me personally?” He told students that everyone finds a unique meaning. To find theirs, he told students, they must allow themselves and their prayers be affected by what they see and learn, just as his son Amitai’s friend was affected by Amitai’s death. Rav Granot said, “You have to pray another way. Feel Hashem another way, feel each other another way, and feel your connection to Am Yisrael another way.”