By: Abby Kass ’27
The month following Pesach is a notoriously busy time of year for TLS as it is filled with day after day of commemoration, celebration, and community; also called “the yoms” by many. With Yom HaShoah, Yom Hazikaron, Yom Ha’atmaut, Lag Ba’Omer (and even the often forgotten Yom Yerushalayim) all smushed into about a month’s time, there is much to recap, so let’s dive in!
Starting with April 14th, on which Yom Hashoah was commemorated, the month started on a serious, but important tone. TLS students had a meaningful tekes alongside a testimony from a survivor, who heroically shared his chilling story.
Only a week later did we commemorate Yom Hazikaron in another beautiful tekes and by hearing from a soldier who had been wounded in battle. As she has in past years, Sarit Nevo, head of the Hebrew department, took the lead on planning the day.
“Planning Yom HaZikaron for our community is a deeply solemn honor,” Nevo said. “It is the day we come together to ensure the stories of those who defended our homeland are never silenced. We carry their names in our hearts, understanding that each name is a world – a father, a mother, a child, a sibling, a friend. They gave their lives defending the Land of Israel and the right of the Jewish people ‘להיות עם חופשי בארצנו’ (to be a free people in our own land).”
The quick turn-around to Yom Ha’atzmaut, although challenging, is so important. The day isn’t just to celebrate Israel, but to remember that we as a nation have highs and lows and we always come together at the end of the day. TLS high-school student life coordinator Jessica Reznik worked tirelessly to plan a day of fun, as she reflects, “my favorite part of the day was handing out the blue and white cookies to everyone and being able to wish them a ‘Chag Sameach’. To me, it really did feel like a happy day.”
Even though it was her first year planning, Reznik truly tried to spark a spirit of joy and celebration throughout the day, mirroring what she’s seen at past schools she’s worked at. “One of my favorite Yom Ha’atzmaut experiences happened at a preschool where I worked two years ago in Boston,” Reznik said. “We had a mini parade where the sixty-plus preschoolers were handed Israeli flags and marched around the playground with Israeli music in the background… Of course, this is very different from what we did at Leffell, but I think the spirit is the same in both places… There was joy and comfort in how we celebrated, and I think that’s what makes a meaningful Yom Ha’atzmaut.”
Lag Ba’Omer, another festive day in the high-school, was celebrated on May 5th with a teacher v. student basketball game, as well as a lively BBQ lunch. Chair of the experience committee, junior Maayan Yolkut, had a large part in planning the day’s activities. Although fun and engaging, she mentions that “the most challenging part of Lag Ba’omer was getting everyone involved at such a busy time of the year.”
Whether it’s getting students involved in activities, placing people in electives, or even the weather, there are certainly challenges that come with planning the yoms, as both Reznik and Yolkut mention. However, the end product is so rewarding.
“The most fulfilling aspect of planning is when there is an idea or a need, and everything falls into place at just the right time,” Reznik said. “There are a lot of pieces that need to fit together, including staffing, spaces, timing, food, etc. And for Yom Ha’atzmaut, the day would truly be impossible without the help of the faculty and maintenance staff… When it came to planning, it was fulfilling to know that I could rely on so many people.”
There are a lot of different views about these yoms; whether the differing amounts of time they take out of the typical school day, the activities that take place, and the values drawn from them, there is discourse surrounding them. But, no matter what you think, these yoms are integral to what TLS preaches: a well-rounded education, not just focused on the in-class experience, but also the out-of-class, connection to our past, our religion, and to other Jews around the world.
So, we bid you farewell for now yoms, but we’ll be seeing you in only a year’s time!
