Kol Yisrael Areivim zeh bazeh. כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה
I am writing to you today because our family is in mourning. We are crying together with our family in Israel for the loss of lives of fathers, grandfathers, husbands and friends, who were taken so cruelly from our midst. We are devastated that the most precious time of prayer was interrupted by hatred and violence. At Akiva we see ourselves as part of the world’s Jewish family and this is reflected in the values that we teach and emulate at the school. We are all touched by this tragic event- all Jews. On a personal level, one of the teachers who lost his life was a very close friend and colleague of my brother in law, and the other studied together with my husband during his years in Israel. Our thoughts and tears are with the families of those in mourning, and those who were injured and waiting for a full recovery. Even within the realities of the conflicts, we must continue to pray for peace, for healing and for the day, “when every person will rest unafraid for their children’s lives.” This week we will have a special tefilla for our grade six students to reaffirm our values and message of “shalom”.
Akiva School stands united together with Am Yisrael and with the hope for a peaceful future.
