Head of School Blog Post

Over the past few weeks I have been listening constantly to the Israeli musician Yagel Oshri’s “Latzeit MiDikaon/Getting Out of Depression” (“לצאת מדכאון”). It’s not just the lyrics or the melody that has been drawing me in, but the deep emotional resonance of what Oshri is trying to communicate. In the refrain, Oshri sings “Od yavo yamim tovim ani m’vtiakh/good days will come I promise.” 

The song has become something of an anthem in Israel during the Israel-Hamas war, a reminder that amid our grief hope still flickers. The song has been embraced by many Israelis in mourning since October 7th. As The Jerusalem Post describes it, Oshri himself has said it “doesn’t belong to me anymore. It’s Israel’s song.” 

As we mark the anniversary of the October 7th terror attack this coming week, Jewish educators and leaders are asking the question: How should we choose to remember October 7th given the ongoing suffering we are witnessing? Might Oshri's words provide us some inspiration as they have in Israel for the past two years?

To commemorate this day, I suggest a multi-layered approach grounded in Jewish tradition and educational intent. My approach begins with solemn testimony and remembrance, for there is no way to move forward without first pausing to stand in silence, to speak aloud the names of those whose lives were taken, to share the narratives that give shape to our collective memory, and to kindle the light of memorial candles that burn as symbols of their presence. From there, we turn to prayer and spiritual anchoring, drawing upon the deep reservoir of Jewish tradition that insists we must carry grief and hope together, offering special prayers, weaving personal reflections to bear witness to both the brokenness and the holiness that coexist in these moments. 

Jewish memory has always been forward-looking as well, and so this day calls us to a renewed commitment to the next generation, to the sacred work of education that must instill not fear but pride, not despair but resilience, and not narrowness but connection and moral clarity. It is our responsibility to help students encounter this difficult moment while equipping them with the agency to act as proud Jews in an uncertain world. Finally, this commemoration is both personal and communal, for we are sustained when we gather together. In doing so, we ensure that no one bears this burden alone, that our grief and our hope are shared and carried together by the strength of community.

On this October 7th, we remember, we pray, we teach, and we commit. In doing so, we seek to bring light into the darkness. For even in the shadow of the darkest night, as Oshri’s words remind us, “there will always be a small star that will light the way home for you.”

This blog post was also published in The Times of Israel Blog.