What a beautiful evening commemorating and celebrating Israel with over 600 people during our CommUNITY for Israel event on Monday night. The event began with a meaningful Yom Hazikaron ceremony, during which students shared stories of Israel’s fallen heroes. As the night transitioned into Yom Ha’Atzmaut, the mood shifted from sadness to celebration. Mrs. Ora Lee Kanner, a wonderful educator and daughter of our founding head of school, Rabbi Alexander S. Gross, lit a torch in honor of Hebrew Academy and the institution her father dedicated his life to. Mrs. Heddy Rose Gompertz Rabe, known as Grandma Heddy, lit the second torch in honor of all Holocaust survivors and in remembrance of the millions of victims. The next torch was lit by Mayor of Miami Beach, Steven Meiner, who proudly proclaimed the city of Miami Beach as a strong supporter of the state of Israel. Next up was Lieutenant Zvi Hirsch from the Miami Beach Fire Department, who honored the volunteers from the US who flew to Israel to aid in the aftermath of October 7th. Lastly, Hebrew Academy’s very own Rabbi David Kleinman and Rabbi Daniel Levian, who both served in the reserves at the outbreak of the war, lit a torch in honor of the IDF. The community then gathered in our gymnasium where we celebrated and danced. We heard a performance by Israeli singer Shlomo Lipman (IDF Reservist), culminating in a spectacular fireworks display. We are so lucky and grateful to have our homeland. Am Yisrael Chai! Categories (tags): CommunityIsraelParents
