Last week, the °µÍřAV Academy community came together to mark Yom HaZikaron and Yom Ha’atzmaut with meaningful programming.

The week began on Monday evening with a community-wide Yom HaZikaron commemoration at °µÍřAV High School, in partnership with the Riverdale Jewish Community Partnership. The tekes honored the courageous chayalim who gave their lives defending Israel, as well as victims of terror. Community members gathered to remember loved ones who made the ultimate sacrifice, with local rabbinic and lay leaders standing in solidarity and sharing personal stories. Among those in attendance were Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson; Councilmember Eric Dinowitz; Rabbi Dovid Zirkind (RJC); Rav Steven Exler (HIR); Rabbi Asher Abramovitz (Kinneret Day School); Rabbi Linda Shriner-Cahn (Congregation Tehillah); Rabbi Katie Greenberg (CSAIR); Rabbanit Bracha Jaffe (HIR); Rabbi Barry Dov Katz (CSAIR); Rosh Kehilah Dina Najman (Kehilah of Riverdale); Rabbi Dov Linzer (Yeshivat Chovevei Torah); Rabba Sara Hurwitz (Maharat), Miriam Zami Edeson (YIOZ), guests from Kfar Aza, Amit and Tomer Ades; and Mr. Avigdor Gargy. The program can be viewed at .

Yom HaZikaron continued in school on Tuesday. Throughout the day, students heard powerful firsthand accounts of service and sacrifice from alumni, faculty, and community members. Thank you to alumni Rachel Merczynski-Hait (AC ’19, HS ’23) and Eliyahu Najman (HS ’23), and to °µÍřAV faculty and staff, including Morah Eden Avni, Moreh Asaf Diamant, Moreh David Engel, Daniel Hadary, Moreh Yonatan Reich, and Morah Kira Smordin, as well as spouses of faculty, Eldad Baruch and Matanel Bareli, for sharing their experiences with students and for their service.

°µÍřAV Middle School students led impactful tekesim for younger grades, combining music and reflection to help students engage with the meaning of the day (bit.ly/MSYomHaZikaron26). The programming deepened students’ understanding of the resilience and bravery of those who defend Israel.

°µÍřAV Academy was also honored to welcome Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, parents of Hersh z”l, for a moving tekes held on the school steps. As they entered to the sound of nearly 1,000 students singing, the moment captured the strength and unity of the °µÍřAV community. Students demonstrated their connection to Israel through meaningful acts and tefilot, offering chizuk to the Polins during an emotional gathering (bit.ly/RachelJon_Steps).

On Wednesday, the community transitioned from remembrance to celebration in honor of Yom Ha’atzmaut. The day began with a spirited musical Hallel on the steps, followed by a festive chagigah on the field. Highlights included the always-inspiring sixth-grade daglanut performance, Lower School blue vs. white Maccabiah, and inflatables for Early Learning Center students. Middle School students went to Van Cortlandt Park for a day of fun after participating in the Yossi Hershkovitz z”l Beit Sefer LaMusika, named after beloved former °µÍřAV Academy faculty member Yossi Hershkovitz z”l, which continues to be a meaningful part of the school’s Yom Ha’atzmaut celebration ().

The celebrations culminated with the Rabbi William Z. and Eda Bess Novick z”l Community Yom Ha’atzmaut BBQ, a joyful gathering of families and friends. Organized by the Parent Association and supported by dedicated staff, the event brought the community together under blue skies and Israeli flags, providing a fitting close to a powerful week.

The presence of returning friends of °µÍřAV Academy, Amit and Tomer Ades from Kfar Aza, Israel, throughout the week added a deeply personal dimension. 

Thank you to the many faculty members, staff, and parent leaders who thoughtfully planned and executed the week’s programming, and to the families whose support made it all possible. Through remembrance, reflection, and celebration, the °µÍřAV community honored Israel’s past while looking ahead with hope and pride toward its bright future.

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Students rolled up their sleeves and became real matzah bakers, learning that matzah must be made in just 18 minutes. With the timer set, they got right to work! They mixed and rolled the dough with rolling pins, carefully preparing it for baking in the special matzah oven.

The excitement continued as students watched the dough being hung over a wooden pole, transferred into the oven, and transformed into beautiful shmurah matzah! From start to finish, they experienced every step of the process, gaining a hands-on understanding of how matzah is made and why each detail matters.

This year, over 1,000 °µÍřAV students participated in the Matzah Factory, from our youngest learners in the Infant and Toddler Center all the way through 8th grade! It was incredible to see the entire school come together for this meaningful experience. In addition, °µÍřAV families joined in on the excitement to bake matzah on Sunday, March 15th.

This interactive experience brought Pesach learning to life, filled with excitement, teamwork, and a deeper connection to the chag.

Thank you to Rabbi Danny Senter and the Chof-K for running the program so smoothly and ensuring the highest standards throughout.

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°µÍřAV Academy welcomed Dr. Jennifer Fenster Salem for our 16th Annual Power of Words Day, a meaningful day of reflection, cross-grade learning, and conversations centered on shmirat halashon and the profound impact words can have to hurt or to heal.

This day was inspired by her husband, Matthew z”l, an °µÍřAV parent who, even while battling illness, challenged all of us to join him in avoiding lashon hara. We are deeply grateful to Dr. Fenster Salem for her inspiring words and for her continued partnership in making this day so impactful for our students.

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On Sunday, we welcomed our Early Learning Center Grands for a heartwarming “Join the Joy” pre-Purim celebration with their ELC grandchildren! Families rotated through interactive activities, designing ra’ashanim, crowns, and masks; conquering a festive Purim obstacle course; and creating hero signs for a special photo shoot.

Our ELC ARTS SpARks Team led a lively Purim-themed kumzitz filled with singing and dancing, and everyone enjoyed delicious Purim treats. It was a joyous and memorable day as we embraced the excitement of the upcoming chag together!

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Fourth grade students welcomed families to school for this year’s Hands-On History Day celebration. Over the past several weeks, students have been studying daily life in early America, leading up to a lively morning filled with music, presentations, and interactive experiences. Parents and special guests gathered as the students opened the program together and shared what they’ve been learning about colonial life and culture.

After the opening program, families joined the students to explore their thoughtfully created scrapbooks and projects, each one highlighting new knowledge and insights about the 17th and 18th centuries.

Then came the hands-on portion of the day, where classrooms transformed into activity workshops. Students and their guests rotated through stations featuring traditional crafts and skills, such as butter churning, quill-and-ink writing, spice grinding, weaving, and other period-inspired activities.

As fourth graders continue building their foundation in historical study, this immersive day of learning and doing made the past feel vivid, personal, and fun.

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She spoke about how music, a central part of Yotam’s life, has been a source of healing, and how choosing positivity and connection continues to guide their family.

Tuval z”l played drums and sang Ben Adam, an anthem of unity that our students know well. For months, the Bernstein children led us in this song at the Academy as we prayed for the hostages and chayalim; yesterday morning, Tuval joined them, sharing with all of us an updated, upbeat rendition on the drums. It was a deeply moving moment of strength and light for all of us.

This visit reminded us of the power of resilience and of our responsibility to support one another.

Iris shared a message that resonates deeply: they do not see Yotam z”l as having fallen, but as having risen. Yehi zichro baruch.

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The visit was part of °µÍřAV’s Anniversary Dinner celebration, which marked two significant milestones, 57 years of transformative Jewish education and 40 years since Sharansky’s release, underscoring the theme that one generation’s courage becomes the next generation’s responsibility.

Students gathered “On the Steps” to welcome Sharansky and Danziger. The program featured Tehillim, poetry, and song, including a rendition of the Shema in Russian, which students had learned in advance to sing alongside Mr. Sharansky. First-grade Ivrit teacher Morah Sonia Levin shared moving reflections on her experiences growing up in the former Soviet Union and the freedoms she values today, providing a deeply personal connection to the history the students were learning. We came together arm in arm in Acheinu and Hatikvah for a very special moment.

In the weeks leading up to this historic visit, Rabbi Weiss and Rachel Sharansky Danziger each met with faculty and staff to provide context and guidance. Students studied Sharansky’s life, his courage, and his profound impact on Soviet Jewry and Jewish continuity worldwide.

Each class identified five words that resonated most with them, highlighting lessons of perseverance, strength, leadership, and moral courage. Students presented Mr. Sharansky with a laser-etched Jewish star engraved at °µÍřAV with these meaningful words. As a small token of hakarat hatov, Sharansky was also presented with a fun chess set with customized pieces representing himself, Menachem Begin, and °µÍřAV alumni chayalim.

Watch this special program here: bit.ly/NatanSteps

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A special pre-dinner panel with Natan Sharansky, Rabbi Avi Weiss, and Rachel Sharansky Danziger reflected on the struggle for Soviet Jewry and the responsibility of Jewish advocacy. Seeing students, educators, parents, and grandparents together was a powerful reminder of our mission to educate the next generation.

The program included shira, reflections, and tributes, celebrating Guests of Honor Diana and Alex Tsigutkin, honoring Shoshi Radinsky with the Audrey Schurgin Memorial Faculty Award, and presenting the Or V’Ometz Award to Natan Sharansky.

Missed a moment or want to relive?

Watch the related videos: bit.ly/sar-57-Playlist
See photos: saracademy.org/galleries
Support the campaign: °µÍřAVDinner.org

The courage of one generation inspires the next — and we are proud to help carry that story forward.

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